Big Brains The Science Behind Raising Successful Kids, with Ariel Kalil
Mar 20, 2025
Ariel Kalil, a developmental psychologist and professor at the University of Chicago, dives into the pressing educational challenges facing American children. She highlights the widening achievement gap between socio-economic groups and stresses the critical role of parental engagement in nurturing childhood development. Kalil shares fascinating insights into how simple interventions, like just 15 minutes of reading a day, can make a significant difference. She also explores how AI and behavioral economics could offer innovative solutions to support parents navigating rising inequality.
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Parenting and Child Outcomes
- A correlation exists between the achievement gap among children and disparities in parental behavior.
- Less advantaged parents tend to engage less in activities that promote cognitive development.
Reading Habits and Education
- Less educated parents have more days with zero minutes of reading to their children compared to higher educated parents.
- This difference is a key factor contributing to the gap in children's reading skills.
Income vs. Reading Habits
- Simply transferring income to less advantaged parents doesn't solve the reading gap.
- The issue is not total reading time, but the frequency of reading, with even 15 minutes daily making a big difference.