children

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Poorly Built Schools Stood No Chance in Earthquake

Up to 10K kids died; parents blame gov't

(Newser) - As a massive earthquake shook Sichuan province, subpar construction turned many Chinese schoolrooms into the mass graves of as many as 10,000 children, the New York Times reports, and grieving parents are pointing fingers at Beijing. The government, aware of the problem, had issued warnings on school safety in...

It's Time to Bring Back Geography to Classrooms
It's Time to Bring Back Geography to Classrooms
OPINION

It's Time to Bring Back Geography to Classrooms

Americans can't find their way around world maps

(Newser) - The impressive skills of 11-year-old Akshay Rajagopal—the nation's new geography bee champ—are all too rare. In fact, lots of Americans are geographically illiterate to an appalling degree, writes Evan Sparks in the American. At some point, the nation decided to leave the subject out of school curricula. Geography,...

Singer's Son Runs Over Daughter
 Singer's Son
 Runs Over Daughter 

Singer's Son Runs Over Daughter

Christian Grammy-winner's youngest killed in car accident in family driveway

(Newser) - The youngest daughter of Grammy-winning Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed yesterday when one of her older brothers ran over the tyke in the family driveway, the AP reports. Several family members witnessed the accident that claimed the life of 5-year-old Maria Sue, who died later at...

Texas Boy, 7, Killed by Pit Bulls

Dogs, shot by police, said to belong to neighbors

(Newser) - A 7-year-old Texas boy was apparently mauled to death yesterday by two pit bulls, writes the Abilene Reporter. Police responding to a 911 call discovered Tanner Joshua Monk’s body on the side of a road, with two dogs nearby. The deputies were forced to kill the dogs, which belonged...

This Is 'Playing.' This Is 'Outside.'
This Is 'Playing.' This Is 'Outside.'
OPINION

This Is 'Playing.' This Is 'Outside.'

Backlash against oversheltering kids gains some traction

(Newser) - Using the flap over a New York 9-year-old allowed to find his own way home from Bloomingdale's as an example of a sea change, Rosa Brooks, writing in the Los Angeles Times, reminds us that allowing children to be outside on their own used to be the norm. "'Play,...

Facebook Sets Safeguards Against Sexual Predators

Site adds more than 40 new protective measures

(Newser) - Facebook has implemented more than 40 additional measures to protect users from pedophiles and online bullying, the AP reports. The site now limits results for older users searching for minors, and has banned sex offenders from registering. "Building a safe and trusted online experience has been part of Facebook...

In Japan, Elders Outnumber Kids

Too many senior citizens, not enough children means trouble ahead

(Newser) - Monday was Children’s Day in Japan, but the holiday has a bitter irony in a land where the number of children has been waning for 27 years. Kids account for only 13.5% of Japan’s population, while the elderly make up 22%, the Washington Post reports.

Don't Get Comfy, Harry Potter

Dr. Seuss, EB White win popularity contest over Rowling

(Newser) - Both are fantasists who've sold zillions of books, but in a recent poll of American children, the classic wins out: Dr. Seuss' works are more popular than JK Rowling's. Three million-plus kids weighed in on an educational software company's website, and Rowling's Harry Potter books trail works by EB White,...

Deadly Virus Hits Kids in China

EV71 claims at least 21 lives, mostly young children

(Newser) - Almost 3,000 children living in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui have been infected with a deadly intestinal virus. At least 21 children have died of Enterovirus 71, a highly contagious malady whose cause remains unknown, reports state-run media. Most of the victims have been children under the age...

Minority Kids Sink at Swimming
 Minority Kids Sink at Swimming 

Minority Kids Sink at Swimming

Push on to get children in the swim

(Newser) - More than half of black and Latino children never learn to swim, according to the governing body of US competitive swimming, which is trying to encourage more minority involvement in the sport. Nearly 60% of black and Latino children can't swim—compared to a third of white kids—and they're...

Two Trains Leave a Station Going 30mph...

Stop! Story problems wrong way to teach math, study says

(Newser) - All those sacks of different-colored marbles and word problems about pizza slices may not actually teach kids effectively, Reuters reports. Though meant to offer a real-world grounding, story problems just add extra distractions, a new study says, suggesting that students might be better off learning abstract concepts than figuring out...

Test Counts 'Good Eggs' to Track Fertility

Offers $350 check-up of biological clock; some docs skeptical

(Newser) - Women wondering how much time is left on their biological clocks have a new option, the Chicago Tribune reports. A new test called Plan Ahead, on the market for $350, claims to measure how many high-quality eggs a woman has remaining and thus some indication of childbearing potential. But some...

Pre-Drug Heart Checks Urged for ADHD Kids

Ritalin and other stimulants carry slight risk of cardiac trouble

(Newser) - Children with ADHD should have their hearts checked for abnormalities before starting treatment with Ritalin or other stimulants, the American Heart Association warns. Serious heart problems have occurred in only a small fraction of the millions of children being treated for ADHD, but the group's experts say it's enough for...

Tyke Pulled From Lake Michigan Improving

Stiff gust thrusts stroller off Chicago pier

(Newser) - A toddler pulled from frigid Lake Michigan yesterday after being submerged for some 15 minutes was improving today, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. The boy's stroller was blown in as his grandfather was pushing him along a Chicago pier. The grandfather, who leaped in after him as he called for help,...

UK Retailer Blasted for Kids' Push-Up Bra

Chain places Item next to undershirts for 7- and 8-year-olds

(Newser) - A British supermarket chain is coming under heavy criticism for selling a padded bra in its children's clothing section, the Daily Mail reports. The plunge bra is displayed next to undershirts and other items intended for 7- to 8-year-olds. "I was shocked when I saw it," said one...

Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity
 Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity 

Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity

Also tied to behavioral problems

(Newser) - Babies who get less than 12 hours of shut-eye a day double their risk of being overweight by the time they're 3 years old, a new study finds. The risk is even higher for little ones who watch two hours of TV a day, the Daily Telegraph reports. If habits...

Why Do Kids Love to Cuss?
Why Do Kids Love to Cuss?

Why Do Kids Love to Cuss?

Parents and peers foist 'bad words' on virgin ears, but it may not be a big flippin' deal

(Newser) - Kids swear. They swear like sailors. Why is that, and should parents be worried? NPR decided to investigate and found, logically enough, that kids swear because they pick up the words from others, particularly mom and dad. “That’s just language learning,” says psychologist Paul Bloom. “These...

Cost of Bringing Up Baby: $204K
 Cost of Bringing Up Baby: $204K 

Cost of Bringing Up Baby: $204K

And that doesn't include college

(Newser) - Raising that little bundle of joy will come with a not-so-cute $204,060 price tag for middle-income families, according to a new government study. Factoring in inflation, the parents of a child born in 2007 can expect to spend $269,040 by the time that baby turns 18. Actual costs...

UK Teachers Blame Parents for Bratty Kids

Pupils poor at behaving, good at manipulating adults

(Newser) - UK teachers complain that classrooms are getting tougher to control because kids throw more tantrums—and parents are to blame, the Daily Telegraph reports. A Cambridge University study says that parents are letting children indulge in video games, junk food, and TV. "Teachers described highly permissive parents who admitted...

Flu Closes Hong Kong Schools
 Flu Closes Hong Kong Schools 

Flu Closes Hong Kong Schools

'Precautionary measure' sends half a million kids home for two weeks

(Newser) - Over half a million children in Hong Kong are starting their Easter holiday early today after a flu outbreak led the government to order schools to close, AP reports. All kindergartens and primary schools in the densely populated territory will be shut down for two full weeks. Three children have...

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