Today is a day to celebrate you, the unsung heroes of your child's life - parents. On National Parents as Teachers Day, we pay tribute to your incredible role as the first and most important teacher in your child's life.

But STEM/STEAM Day is not just for adults – it's a perfect opportunity for parents to engage their little ones in fun and interactive activities that can promote an early interest in STEM/STEAM and prepare them for success in school and life.

Barbershop Books works "to expand reading opportunities for Black boys by creating and supporting fun reading experiences in barbershops," according to their website.

The organization also reports that 82% of Black male 4th-grade students in the United States are not proficient in reading. A stat DJ called "astonishing."

"There's just not a lot of books that entertain them as far as their history, as far as where they come from," DJ explained while touching up Zeckarias' hair. "I think it's hard to read when there's nothing that represents you."

Dea Wright, the Director of the Office of Early Childhood Initiatives, is the one responsible for bringing the program to Wisconsin.

Parents can explore Milwaukee-area parks with their little ones in a new way with the installation of storybooks that can be read by walking along park pathways.

The Story Paths are the latest PopSpots, interactive spaces designed to create a mighty small moment of learning for a young child, featuring colorful illustrations, simple phrases, and an opportunity to be active while learning. The Story Paths are located at the 12th & Wright St. playground and Southgate Playfield in Milwaukee.

The city of Milwaukee's Office of Early Childhood Initiatives (OECI) is building their "Mighty Small Moments" mission, to make parents the first teachers for children.We want to transform everyday places and spaces by doing our part to make sure parents have access to literacy and language-rich opportunities," said Dea Wright, OECI's director.

Their newest initiative brings reading opportunities to a favorite space for families - community parks.

Just 15 minutes of playing, reading, singing and interacting with your child can help build important connections to family members and the community.

That’s the message the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Early Childhood Initiatives, or OECI, is stressing as it rolls out the Mighty Small Moments public service campaign.

One of the campaign’s messages is that kids are like sponges, which is to say they are constantly absorbing information and experiences, all of which affects the people they become as they age.

The city of Milwaukee’s Office of Early Childhood Initiatives and Serve Marketing, a volunteer advertising agency, launched the Sponge Babies campaign last Monday with ads in English and Spanish on bus shelters and billboards. The creative elements depict babies that literally look like sponges.

Early childhood education is essential for giving children a strong foundation for their future academic and personal success. Research has shown that children who attend high-quality early childhood education programs have better cognitive skills, social and emotional skills, and academic outcomes.

One of the most important things we can do for our children is to read to them. Reading is not only a way to introduce our children to new ideas and concepts, but it also helps to develop their language skills, imagination, and creativity.

Play is essential for young children to develop their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills. Through play, children learn to explore their environment, develop their imagination and creativity, and build relationships with others. They also learn problem-solving skills, communication skills, and self-regulation skills.

By participating in the Week of the Young Child, families can create #MightySmallMoments that will make a big impact on their child's development and prepare them for success in school and beyond.

Symbolic play is an important milestone in young children’s play. It is a natural process that is crucial for a child’s healthy development.

Here’s what you need to know about this kind of play and how you can foster it at home or school while watching the fascinating process unfold before your eyes.

September is National Yoga Month! Check out these yoga benefits for kids.