Lark Sontag
Author • Speaker • Early Childhood Educationalist
Be kind,
Ask why
Another childhood is possible.
Create a world where Children can thrive not just survive.
Support policies that help children inside and outside the classroom.
Challenge media to create media that supports children in creativity and kindness.
Free and robust Internet access for all children.
Create systems that put Children first.
Create a mindset where Young Children are always at the forefront and are included whether it be a March on Washington or a discussion on the environment.
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
Albert Einstein
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
Logic and mathematics are nothing but specialized linguistic structures. Jean Piaget
Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.
Marian Wright Edelman.
By giving our students practice in talking with others, we give them frames for thinking on their own. Lev S Vygotsky
The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.
.Jean Piaget.
About us
The Manifesto of Early Childhood
Will Start Small supports people in creating policies, ideas, and a world that doesn’t expect Children to endure suffering for the betterment of capitalism. Will Start Small supports in creating a world for Children that begins at the root of society and at the start of planning policies.
Will Start Small came into existence, because as 15 years in early Childhood education we as teachers saw that policies for Children were siloed into the lane of education and Young Children between the ages of 2-6 years of age were even further siloed into the realm of early Childhood education.
While people often state, “What about the Children.” The Children are always an afterthought. All of us start off as Children. Young Children should be centered in talks about housing, economics, and the environment. Children spend most of their life outside of the education system and even within the education system the majority of the people creating and passing policy are often ignorant of Childhood and human development, and many are proudly ignorant, because they after all “just children.”
Will Start Small educates and works with policymakers, curriculum developers, social agencies, families, and Children to create a world for children under 6 that while is inclusive of education, does not stop at education.
Young Children should be included and centered in conversations about gender identity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic class.
Will Start Small is Anti-Racist, but has a special focus on Black Children as within the urban environment Black Children are the most hypersegregated and adversely impacted by white-centric. Policies that are created to harm Black Children, Black Families, and Black Queers –in the end hurt all Children, because white-centric is often the carrot used to push policies that are economically cruel and send Young Children and their families into economic freefalls.
Our goals are small and simple:
CREATE A WORLD WHERE CHILDREN CAN THRIVE NOT JUST SURVIVE.
SUPPORT POLICIES THAT HELP CHILDREN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
CHALLENGE MEDIA TO CREATE MEDIA THAT SUPPORTS CHILDREN IN CREATIVITY AND KINDNESS.
FREE AND ROBUST INTERNET ACCESS FOR ALL CHILDREN.
CREATE SYSTEMS THAT PUT CHILDREN FIRST.
CREATE A MINDSET WHERE YOUNG CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT AND ARE INCLUDED WHETHER IT BE A MARCH ON WASHINGTON OR A DISCUSSION ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
Economic policy affects Children.
Environmental policy affects Children.
Housing policy affects Children.
Health policy affects Children.
Labor policies affect Children.
The point of Childhood is not to create future exploited workers, the point of Childhood is to be a Child.
Ideas on childhood
Be open to
the world!
And have fun!
A child cannot be taught by anyone who despises him, and a child cannot afford to be fooled. A child cannot be taught by anyone whose demand, essentially, is that the child repudiate his experience, and all that gives him sustenance — James Baldwin
Support children's literature
Black Protagonists in Children's Literature Matters
Support children's literature by diverse authors.
