Island Cooperative Preschool

08/20/2026

This is good information from Dr Laura Markham about academics in the preschool years.

08/14/2026

What has gone DOWN (the things children need for healthy development)

- Unstructured play

- Outdoor time

- Physical movement and gross motor activity

- Sensory-rich experiences

- Free exploration without adult micromanaging

- Peer interaction and mixed-age play

- Secure, consistent adult responsiveness

- Predictable routines and daily rhythm

- Rest, sleep quality, and downtime

- Opportunities for risk-taking & problem-solving

- Hands-on learning and real-world experiences

- Face-to-face communication & relational attunement

- Community support and extended family involvement

- Teacher autonomy and developmentally appropriate practice

- Child-led learning and intrinsic motivation

What has gone UP (the things that hurt development)

- Sedentary time

- Screen time and digital overstimulation

- Adult-directed, high-pressure activities

- Worksheets & academic pushdown

- Overscheduling and constant transitions

- Tight supervision that limits autonomy

- Household and societal stress levels

- Sleep disruption from screens & overstimulation

- Environmental noise and sensory overload

- Processed foods and irregular eating rhythms

- Isolation from peers and community

- Expectations that exceed developmental capacity

- Reduced recess and shortened outdoor play

- More time indoors & less exposure to nature

- Higher parental stress, burnout, and emotional dysregulation

These shifts are not random. They explain exactly why we are seeing more dysregulation, more big behaviors, and more children struggling to cope in environments that no longer meet their developmental needs.

We have to fight for what children truly need and deserve.

08/10/2026

08/02/2026

Can we please retire the idea that babies are manipulating adults? They aren't.

Babies lack the cognitive development required for intentional manipulation.

Manipulation requires sophisticated executive functioning, including planning, inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and perspective-taking (understanding another person's thoughts, intentions, and emotions). It also requires the ability to intentionally modify your own behavior to influence someone else's.

An infant's brain isn't capable of that.

Instead, babies cry because they need something. Hunger. Fatigue. Pain. Fear. Safety. Connection. Co-regulation. Crying is one of the only ways they can communicate.

Human babies are born remarkably neurologically immature. Scientists refer to this as secondary altriciality—meaning much of early brain development occurs after birth. From an evolutionary perspective, babies are biologically programmed to remain close to their caregiver because proximity = survival. Even when every physical need has been met, they still need connection.

When a baby is left to cry, the amygdala signals that something is wrong & activates the HPA axis, releasing stress hormones such as cortisol. Because the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for regulating emotions & stress is still profoundly immature, babies can't calm this response alone.

They rely on a regulated adult to bring their nervous system back into balance. This process, known as co-regulation, literally helps build the neural pathways that eventually allow children to self-regulate independently.

Babies may eventually stop crying because prolonged stress causes the nervous system to conserve energy, not because they've learned to self-soothe or no longer need comfort.

We need to stop making assumptions that babies cry to manipulate adults or that responding to them will spoil them. These misconceptions aren't harmless. They shape how parents, caregivers, & teachers respond to babies during the most critical period of brain development, and can undermine the secure, responsive relationships that the developing brain depends on.

07/28/2026