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Katharine Gammon's blog posts

Could Giving Families Cash Help Children’s Brain Development?
posted 09/22/2017
A new study will be the first to examine if extra cash for poor mothers may lead to better outcomes for kids.
FiveThirtyEight’s Anna Barry-Jester on how she reported the story of big disparities in South’s Black Belt
posted 07/21/2017
“I was really interested in the question of how slavery and historic institutions play out in health outcomes today,” Anna Barry-Jester of 538 told fellow journalists this week.
In some of Los Angeles' poorest neighborhoods, a rich cluster of services targets underserved kids
posted 07/20/2017
The Magnolia Place Community Initiative brings together more than 70 county, city and community services and organizations to make children's lives better.
How neglect and abuse change children’s brains — and their futures
posted 07/19/2017
Stresses like poverty, neglect and abuse all manifest differently in the brain and can cause different mental health issues later in life, explains researcher Katie McLaughlin of the University of Washington.
Reporter uncovers the hidden tragedies of children left behind when mom goes to jail
posted 07/18/2017
“In my newsroom, reporters are encouraged to have obsessions rather than beats,” Cary Aspinwall told fellows at the 2017 National Fellowship this week. “And my obsession is women in jail.”
New programs seek to narrow word gap between richer and poorer kids
posted 07/08/2016

It's well-known that there's a yawning gap between wealthier kids and their less affluent peers in the number of words heard as a child, a fact that has big implications for their future success. But do programs aimed at closing the gap work?

Katharine Gammon's Blog
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Keeping kids out of the doctor’s office much easier in well-off neighborhoods
Children living in low-opportunity neighborhoods were four times more likely to visit acute care... more »
posted 05/15/18
Q&A: Researcher Lauren Hale explains how lousy sleep is widening the health gap in kids
Social advantages are tied more sleep and better quality sleep, says Lauren Hale, who has found... more »
posted 04/04/18
From back pain to deportation fears, two journalists share how they reported stories of immigrant health
Ruben Castaneda of U.S. News and Cristina Londoño of Telemundo reported very different series on... more »
posted 03/28/18

Katharine Gammon's Work
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Lesson: New programs seek to keep children from falling into the word gap
Experts believe one reason the word gap is so prevalent is because it starts so early in life. But what if new programs could get all kinds of families to talk to their young kids in a richer, more varied way?
Project: How money shapes young minds
Only recently have researchers fully understood how critical “language nutrition” is for children’s cognitive growth. As a result, new programs aim to help parents increase their kids’ language skills.
Project: Tech can make your conversations with kids way more effective
New tech devices can help parents make sure they're talking to their kids enough. Such conversations drive healthy brain development and help kids keep up with their peers at school.