By Niyoka McCoy, Ed.D., Chief Learning Officer, Stride/K12

Swinging side by side with a friend on the playground. Sharing chalk over bright, colorful sidewalk drawings. Hiding behind a tree during a spirited game of hide-and-seek. These simple moments between children may seem small, but they matter more than we think: They lay the foundation for some of life’s most important skills.

Through everyday play, young children begin learning essential social and emotional skills like sharing, resolving conflicts, showing empathy, and managing their emotions. These social skills help shape emotional growth and set kids up for long-term success. Socialization in early childhood isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential for development.

Yet today, many young children who haven’t yet started school aren’t getting enough consistent, meaningful interaction with peers. Research shows that there’s a decline in active free play and peer socialization when compared to previous generations.

There are many reasons for this. Children who are home with a parent during the day may spend most of their time with adults, limiting opportunities for peer play. Those in daycare or preschool may have restricted free play, and large classrooms can reduce supervision and social coaching. Some children live in rural areas, are homebound due to illness, have full schedules, or rely on screens to fill their playtime. And for some families, finding other families with young children to connect with isn’t easy.

While these challenges can feel significant, opportunities for connection still exist in every community. Families can take simple steps to help children build friendships, create a sense of belonging, and strengthen social skills. Here are some ideas to get started:

• Storytime sessions at libraries or local bookstores
• Community offerings such as parent-child workshops, art, music, gymnastics, swimming, or sports programs
• Weekly events at children’s museums, which may include art projects, music workshops, or science experiments
• Outdoor exploration, where kids can play with peers
• Local parenting groups that organize playdates and group activities
• Volunteer opportunities where children can participate, such as pet adoption events or packing meals at a food bank
• Classes for kids at local businesses, including hardware, grocery, or craft stores

Some of these community activities are free or low-cost and give kids the chance to build friendships and practice social skills. Parents can also model positive social behavior by interacting with other parents and encouraging their children to play with their peers.

These may seem like small moments of connection, but they can have a powerful impact. Every time your child shares a toy, plays make-believe with peers, or races a friend down the slide, they’re not just playing—they’re learning the skills that build confidence, empathy, and lasting friendships. And it’s good for you, too. Creating intentional opportunities for play also helps you strengthen your own network of parents who can support one another as your children grow together.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

By Niyoka McCoy, Ed.D., Chief Learning Officer, Stride/K12

Swinging side by side with a friend on the playground. Sharing chalk over bright, colorful sidewalk drawings. Hiding behind a tree during a spirited game of hide-and-seek. These simple moments between children may seem small, but they matter more than we think: They lay the foundation for some of life’s most important skills.

Through everyday play, young children begin learning essential social and emotional skills like sharing, resolving conflicts, showing empathy, and managing their emotions. These social skills help shape emotional growth and set kids up for long-term success. Socialization in early childhood isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential for development.

Yet today, many young children who haven’t yet started school aren’t getting enough consistent, meaningful interaction with peers. Research shows that there’s a decline in active free play and peer socialization when compared to previous generations.

There are many reasons for this. Children who are home with a parent during the day may spend most of their time with adults, limiting opportunities for peer play. Those in daycare or preschool may have restricted free play, and large classrooms can reduce supervision and social coaching. Some children live in rural areas, are homebound due to illness, have full schedules, or rely on screens to fill their playtime. And for some families, finding other families with young children to connect with isn’t easy.

While these challenges can feel significant, opportunities for connection still exist in every community. Families can take simple steps to help children build friendships, create a sense of belonging, and strengthen social skills. Here are some ideas to get started:

• Storytime sessions at libraries or local bookstores
• Community offerings such as parent-child workshops, art, music, gymnastics, swimming, or sports programs
• Weekly events at children’s museums, which may include art projects, music workshops, or science experiments
• Outdoor exploration, where kids can play with peers
• Local parenting groups that organize playdates and group activities
• Volunteer opportunities where children can participate, such as pet adoption events or packing meals at a food bank
• Classes for kids at local businesses, including hardware, grocery, or craft stores

Some of these community activities are free or low-cost and give kids the chance to build friendships and practice social skills. Parents can also model positive social behavior by interacting with other parents and encouraging their children to play with their peers.

These may seem like small moments of connection, but they can have a powerful impact. Every time your child shares a toy, plays make-believe with peers, or races a friend down the slide, they’re not just playing—they’re learning the skills that build confidence, empathy, and lasting friendships. And it’s good for you, too. Creating intentional opportunities for play also helps you strengthen your own network of parents who can support one another as your children grow together.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

The American press is facing a crisis deeper than shrinking newsrooms or digital disruption. A new study from the News Literacy Project finds that teenagers overwhelmingly believe the nation’s news media is fake, chaotic, and dishonest, a view that threatens the foundation of an informed society at the same time a sitting president intensifies his attacks on journalism. The findings land in an era where corporate consolidation, political pressure, and presidential intimidation collide with the public’s fading confidence in the institutions meant to hold power accountable.

According to the report, 84% of teens use negative words to describe news media. They use words such as “fake,” “false,” “lies,” “chaotic,” “overwhelming,” “distorted” and “boring.” Many teens believe that journalists lie more than they inform. One in three teens said journalists are doing well at “lying or deceiving.” Half believe reporters “make up quotes.” Six in ten believe reporters “take images out of context.” Very few believe journalists confirm facts before reporting them. Only 30% said journalists regularly verify information. Only 23% said reporters correct errors. Even when asked to name one thing journalists are doing well, 10% of teens said “nothing.”

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The study shows how fragile the understanding of real journalism has become. Just 9% of teens used positive words such as “informative” or “good” when asked to describe the media. Their limited exposure to journalism in entertainment is dominated by superhero movies. The most common reference teens made to journalism on screen was Spider-Man.

Authors of the report warn that this weak grasp of journalism principles leaves young people open to manipulation and political propaganda. They are susceptible to conspiracy theories, falsehoods, and partisan content disguised as news. The findings reflect a national trend. Only 28% of adults say they have confidence in mass media to report news fully, accurately, and fairly. A Reuters Digital News Report found that only 30% of Americans trust most news most of the time.

At the same time distrust grows, the Trump administration has escalated unprecedented attacks on the press. The president routinely insults reporters, pressures media executives and encourages regulators to punish newsrooms. On Air Force One, when pressed about the Epstein files, he told a Bloomberg reporter “quiet quiet piggy.” During a joint appearance with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his response to a question about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder was “You are a terrible person.” He has mocked disabled reporters, told an Asian American journalist she should “ask China” about COVID, and accused Black reporters of being racist.

These confrontations have coincided with federal pressure on media companies. After Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chairman publicly targeted Jimmy Kimmel, ABC briefly suspended the late-night host. The FCC has launched investigations into nearly every major broadcast network. Trump has sued newspapers, broadcasters, and social media companies, sometimes winning multimillion-dollar settlements despite filing meritless claims. The White House now maintains a website cataloging journalists it labels “biased,” listing their names and work under headings such as “malpractice” and “left-wing lunacy.” A leaderboard ranks the Washington Post at the top of what the administration calls offenders. The site claims the press “subversively implied” wrongdoing and calls several outlets “media offenders of the week.”

Conflict has also erupted within the conservative media ecosystem. Trump earlier echoed Newsmax’s position in a regulatory fight over TV station ownership, writing “NO EXPANSION OF THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS” and “If anything, make them SMALLER!” after executives warned him that lifting ownership caps could harm conservative voices.

For teenagers watching this environment, the news appears hostile, fractured, and untrustworthy. Yet while many traditional outlets struggle to maintain credibility under political pressure, the Black Press of America continues to operate with a clear mission that has never shifted from its roots in 1827 when Freedom’s Journal became the first Black owned newspaper in the United States.

That legacy was front and center at this year’s Black Press Day in Washington. The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which is chaired by San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Publisher Dr. John Warren and represents more than 200 Black owned publications, marked 198 years of African American publishing with a celebration of the institution’s role in documenting and defending Black life.

“The Black Press of America continues to plow up the ground with our publications and our applications. It is our job. It is our calling. It is our legacy. It is our responsibility to fight and advocate for freedom, justice, and equality,” said NNPA President Dr Benjamin Chavis Jr. “We are the trusted voice of Black America, and we will not give up that trust for anything.”

At the event, Westside (Fla.) Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry Sr. helped to honor the founders and journalists who built the institution that remains indispensable today. “The publishers we honor today were more than just storytellers. They were guardians of history, fearless in their pursuit of truth, unwavering in their service to our people,” Henry remarked. “Their newspapers were battlefields of justice, their words weapons against oppression. Their legacy is forever enshrined in the fabric of our history.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown