Erika Christakis

Erika Christakis is an American educator and author, with a background in both literature and public health. She is known for her particular ability to take abstract topics, such as social dynamics and community values, and make them accessible to the general reader. She is the author of two books – The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need From Grownups and The New Preschool Are Criminalizing Childhood – which focus on the well-being of children and advocate for a more supportive social and academic environment.

Christakis was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in English and a minor in Secondary Education. She worked as a teacher in a high-needs public school in the South Bronx before pursuing an MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan. It is this background in both education and health that informs her work, combining an international understanding of social dynamics and public health with a personal passion for children.

The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need From Grown Ups is Christakis’ most comprehensive work to date. In it, she examines the importance of designing spaces and fostering relationships in which young people can grow up into compassionate adults. With a focus on what Christakis calls the “little years” – from infancy to around four or five years of age – she argues that even the most minute details can have a huge impact on a child’s development. From time spent outdoors to the value of silence and independence, The Importance of Being Little is both an argument for something greater than what we’re currently doing for our youngest population, and an opportunity for readers to better understand why such things matter.

The New Preschool Are Criminalizing Childhood is the sequel to the former, and takes a different approach to the question of early childhood development. In it, Christakis argues that many of the structures in place that are supposed to protect children are instead doing them harm, criminalizing everyday childhood behaviors in the schoolyard, the classroom and the playground. Drawing on case studies from schools in both urban and rural communities, as well as her own work in urban settings, she presents an argument that shifts power away from traditional authorities and back into the hands of families, teachers and caregivers.

The issue of early childhood development has been near and dear to Christakis’ heart for years, and she has served as a guest lecturer and an educational consultant around the world, advocating for better educational and social climates for the youngest citizens of our communities. She has also been featured for her work in national publications such as The New York Times, Psychology Today, and The Washington Post.

Erika Christakis’ work is important and relevant in today’s society, providing readers with a new perspective on child education and what it takes to raise the healthiest, most socially aware citizens of the future. Her books are must-reads for those with an interest in creating more supportive and understanding environments for our children.