Erikson in the news
A roundup of recent media coverage
“Erikson is a vast resource for people who want to think more creatively about problems and to effect solutions.”
— Michelle Collins, consultant and former managing director at Svoboda, Collins;
Erikson trustee and donor

June 2010
Illinois Poised for the First Statewide Regulations on Dual Language Learners in Pre-K
Maggie Severns interviewed Luisiana Melendez for this Early Ed Watch article about Illinois's new bilingual/ESL regulations.
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On the move
Crain's Chicago Business published the announcement of Susan Wallace's appointment to vice president for finance and operations at Erikson Institute. The Chronicle of Higher Education and Chronicle of Philanthropy published similar announcements.

May 2010
The Colic Chronicles
Karen Springen interviewed Linda Gilkerson for a Parents Magazine article about the stress parents experience when their baby has colic.
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Golden opportunity to talk about death
Harold Ludwig interviewed Margret Nickels for a Southtown Star article about talking to young children about death.
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Benefits pry out donations
Lisa Bertagnoli interviewed Randy Holgate for a Crain's Chicago Business article about how fundraising galas are showing signs of economic recovery.
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April 2010
PreK rules for ELLs would break ground nationally
Mary Ann Zehr interviewed Luisiana Melendez and Barbara Bowman for an Education Week article about Illinois’s new pre-K bilingual/ESL regulations.
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The Prism Ball
Crain's Chicago Business interviewed our gala honoree, Larry Richman, and featured the event in their Social Whirl section.
Larry Richman's interview
Coverage of the gala

Both value and harm seen in K–3 common standards
Catherine Gewertz interviewed Sam Meisels and Barbara Bowman for an Education Week article about the new K–12 common standards.
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Preschools set to assess youngsters’ skills for kindergarten
Rebecca Harris interviewed Gil McNamee for a Catalyst-Chicago story about CPS’s new Kindergarten Readiness Assessment.
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Part-time moms have healthiest kids
Wendy Donahue interviewed Tracy Moran for a Chicago Tribune article about a new study that found mothers who work part time have healthier children than those who work full time or not at all.
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March 2010
Helping young children make the grade
Heidi Stevens interviewed Fran Stott about how parents can keep their child from getting overwhelmed by schoolwork for the Chicago Tribune column The Parent 'Hood.
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Time to play ball or not
Heidi Stevens interviewed Margret Nickels for the Chicago Tribune column The Parent ‘Hood about how to know when a child is ready for competitive sports.
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State education board considering bilingual education for preschoolers
Rebecca Harris interviewed Luisiana Melendez for a Catalyst-Chicago story about Illinois’ new regulations for PreK bilingual and ESL education.
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February 2010
The Junior Meritocracy
Erikson president Samuel Meisels appeared on WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show to discuss the flaws in high-stakes admissions tests for New York's most prestigious elementary schools. This interview was a follow up to the New York Magazine article, The Junior Meritocracy, in which Meisels also appeared.

Listen to the interview on WNYC »
Read the article in New York Magazine »
Read Ellen Galinsky's commentary in The Huffinton Post »

Reading baby's mind
Cynthia Ramnarace interviewed Linda Gilkerson for a Parents Magazine article about choosing the right toys and play for babies.
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January 2010
Making after school cool
Rebecca Harris interviewed Robert Halpern about the value of After School Matters programs for a Catalyst Chicago article.
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Chicago to measure kindergarten readiness
Rebecca Harris interviewed Gil McNamee about a recent study of Head Start programs for Catalyst Chicago.
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December 2009
On the move
Crain's Chicago Business published the announcement of Randy L. Holgate's appointment to vice president of institutional advancement at Erikson Institute. The Chronicle of Higher Education and Chronicle of Philanthropy published similar announcements.
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Saving Michael
Center for Children and Families director Margret Nickels explained how early learning issues can contribute to later problems with violence and risky behavior in this Chicago Tribune article.
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Ready or Not Here They Come
Samuel J. Meisels commented on the potential problems with school readiness testing in this Statesman Journal article.
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November 2009
Helping your child make the grade
Center for Children and Families director Margret Nickels shared her advice to parents on helping their child turn around a bad report card. This topic was featured in the weekly Chicago Tribune column The Parent 'Hood.
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Child's play spurs serious debate

Erikson co-founder and professor Barbara T. Bowman weighed in this Washington Post article about whether preschools should allow time for play or spend the entire day on direct instruction.
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October 2009
Child's play
Senior instructor Mary Hynes-Berry discussed what makes a child's storytelling so unique in this Chicago Tribune article about a local theater company that acts out stories written by children.
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September 2009
Play-by-play
Center for Children and Families director Margret Nickels and associate professor Jon Korfmacher were both interviewed for this American Baby article about a baby's developmental milestones in how he or she plays.
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As they grow 0–12 months
Margret Nickels reassured a parent worried because their child only wants to be held by mom in this Parents article.
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August 2009
Calming first day of school fears

Margret Nickels appeared on ABC-7 to give parents advice for helping their children get off to a good start in school.
Watch now »

Erikson Institute Prism Ball
Today's Chicago Woman covered the who's who and the highlights of Erikson's annual fundraising gala.
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Charity Cases
Erikson trustee Cari Sacks discussed why Erikson's work is so important in this issue of Michigan Avenue.
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July 2009
Preschool conundrum
Chicago Parent reporter Lisa Applegate interviewed professor Jon Korfmacher for a story about picking the right preschool.
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U.S. lags in math education
Chicago Parent reporter Amy Souza wrote a story about what the Early Mathematics Education Project is doing to improve early math education in Chicago Public Schools, as well as what parents can do to incorporate math lessons in home activities.
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June 2009

'Up' has its down moments; here's how to handle them
Chicago Tribune reporter Heidi Stevens interviewed Margret Nickels, director of Erikson's Center for Children and Families, about how parents should help their children understand and cope with loss and tragedy.
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May 2009

The Pleasure of Play
NBC 5 reporter Nesita Kwan interviewed professors Gillian McNamee and Barbara Bowman about the importance of recess and play for young children.
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Use stimulus funds to expand vision for high-quality early education
Herr Research Center's director, Eboni C. Howard, and associate director, Celina Chatman-Nelson, published an opinion piece about stimulus spending in Catalyst-Chicago.
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Testing in Kindergarten: The Realities and the Dangers
Erikson president Samuel J. Meisels was interviewed by Anna Weinstein for this education.com story.
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Math Across Cultures
Erikson's International Symposium on Early Mathematics Education was covered in Sean Cavanagh's Education Week blog.
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April 2009
U.S. pushes literacy skills, but what about math?
Debra Williams interviewed Jennifer McCray, director of Early Mathematics Education Project, for a Catalyst Chicago article about the importance of math education .
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March 2009
Helping Kids Heal: When Your Child Needs Psychotherapy
Erikson alumna Rachel Rashkin-Shoot wrote an article for Jewish Action, giving parents advice about when and how to get psychological help for their children.
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February 2009
preventing death by Power Point®: Tips for effective presentations that inform and engage
Erikson’s director of distance learning, Chip Donohue, Ph.D., published an article in Childcare Information Exchange about best practices in Power Point® presentations.
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doing Reggio?
Daniel Scheinfeld’s research was mentioned in Childcare Information Exchange as a resource for teachers who want to adopt Reggio Emilia methods in their classrooms.
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July 2008

Cramming for kindergarten
Erikson professors Barbara T. Bowman and Gillian McNamee discussed, with Chicago Parent, the wisdom of pushing pre-school students and kindergarteners to meet high academic expectations.
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January 2008 
Quieting the crying infant
Professor Linda Gilkerson gave iParenting.com some calming advice for parents who find themselves with a screaming baby in public.
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November 2007 
Not the retiring type
Barbara T. Bowman was featured in an AARP Magazine article on accomplished individuals who achieve great things for years beyond the typical retirement age. The piece noted that Bowman oversees Chicago Public Schools' early childhood programs for 30,000 children—then walks briskly over to Erikson, checking messages on her Blackberry, to teach here, when not traveling and lecturing here.

September 2007 
School readiness
As kindergarten becomes increasingly academic, what does it mean to be ready for school? A wide range of developmental and cultural factors influence whether a child is ready to learn, Erikson president Samuel J. Meisels explained in a Sept. 4 interview on Eight Forty-Eight, WBEZ Chicago Public Radio's morning magazine show. Most children are ready for kindergarten at age five, he said, but they arrive at school with highly varied, individualized skills and strengths. It's up to schools to "meet the children where they are" developmentally and adapt learning opportunities to build on those strengths.
Listen

Soothing school jitters
A little preparation can ease the transition for young children nervous about starting preschool or kindergarten, Erikson dean Frances O'Connell Rust told the New Jersey Star Ledger. If possible, visit the school with your child in advance, and explain what he or she might expect to happen during the day, she recommended in the Sept. 2 story.
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