It is a busy week for early learning news, so before we fall too far behind, here’s an update:

Babies Can Be Fair: New research shows babies understand fairness and, contrary to battles I’ve seen at my kid’s child care, can share.

First, in contrast to past work suggesting that fairness and altruism may not emerge until early to mid-childhood, 15-month-old infants are sensitive to fairness and can engage in altruistic sharing. Second, infants' degree of sensitivity to fairness as a third-party observer was related to whether they shared toys altruistically or selfishly, indicating that moral evaluations and prosocial behavior are heavily interconnected from early in development. -- “Fairness Expectations and Altruistic Sharing in 15-Month-Old Human Infants.” Abstract.

Thanks TodayMoms for highlighting this story and writing about it here.

Babies as Scientists: After reading the study about baby fairness, check out Alison Gopnik’s fascinating video “What do babies think?”.

Instead of being barely conscious, “in some ways we think that this baby’s thinking is like the thinking of the most brilliant scientist,” Gopnik, a leading researcher on early brain development and well-known author, says in the TED presentation posted this month.

New Support for PreK-3rd: Another group called for better integration of early learning and elementary school, Early Ed Watch reports.

Early learning and elementary school partnerships must be at the heart of our improvement equations. Elementary principals understand the need to support high-quality early learning experiences, especially through the third grade, to lay a foundation for successful lifelong learning.”  -- Gail Connelly, executive director, National Association of Elementary School Principals, said in the report.

The Pre-K Coalition released a new report last week “Ensuring America’s Future: Policy Statements and Recommendations from National Education Organizations."

The coalition is made up of the American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Education Association and the National School Boards Association.