Karen D'Souza
Karen covers arts education, literacy, and early education. She is an award-winning writer who comes to EdSource after covering lifestyle, parenting, health, housing, education and the arts for the San Jose Mercury News. She is a four-time Pulitzer juror and her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Times. She has an MA in journalism and a BA in political science and dramatic art from UC Berkeley.
All articles by Karen D'Souza
What parents should know about getting kids ready for transitional kindergarten
This year even more than usual, teachers say, parents might want to help their children prepare for TK.
Karen D'Souza
August 15, 2022
Can arts education help kids heal from the trauma of the pandemic?
The arts can be a safe haven for California schoolchildren to face big emotions, experts say, to channel fears and frustrations into acts of creativity.
Karen D'Souza
June 9, 2022
Should kindergarten change in California?
Children from low-income families often start school with fewer academic skills than their more affluent peers, experts say, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic.
Karen D'Souza
May 20, 2022
Kindergarten may change in California if two new bills pass
Two bills in the California Legislature would fundamentally change the kindergarten experience to reflect the current heightened attention to the importance of early childhood education.
Karen D'Souza
April 13, 2022
A child development expert talks about parenting through the pandemic
It will be important to continue to monitor the generation of children born during the pandemic, experts say, to provide any extra help they might need.
Karen D'Souza
March 21, 2022
Will the pandemic leave a lasting mark on baby brains?
Science shows that trauma interrupts brain development in young children, which is why some may have developmental delays due to the pandemic.
Karen D'Souza
March 11, 2022
California child care workers struggle to survive
Hunger has emerged as a key issue. within the child care workforce. Of the roughly 1 million child care workers in the country, research shows, 1 in 3 experienced food insecurity.
Karen D'Souza
February 22, 2022
California’s subsidized preschool program may expand to toddlers
Growing California's supply of toddler care options, particularly subsidized preschool, helps the state’s working families, experts say.
Karen D'Souza
February 15, 2022
Children acted out more during distance learning, parents say, deepening learning loss
Children, who are creatures of habit, can be negatively influenced by any educational disruption, such as remote learning, experts say.
Karen D'Souza
February 2, 2022
Stressed-out parents divided over going back to school amid surge
Some are most worried about schools shuttering again, fearful of remote learning, which caused emotional damage and learning loss for many.
Karen D'Souza
January 18, 2022
One early educator explains the importance of transitional kindergarten
Today's kindergarten is not the same kindergarten parents and guardians experienced when they went to school, some teachers say. Today's kindergarten is really more like first grade.
Karen D'Souza
December 22, 2021
Why child’s play is serious business in early education
Play is such a powerful force, some research suggests, that it can be used as a tool to close achievement gaps and improve mental health.
Karen D'Souza
December 8, 2021
Benefits of early math experiences add up
In kindergarten, some children already have a sense of what math means and how it functions while others lack a basic understanding of numbers.
Karen D'Souza
November 23, 2021
Universal preschool and affordable child care: What survives in Biden’s spending bill
The $2 trillion House-passed social policy bill includes about $400 billion earmarked for universal preschool and affordable child care and an extension of the child tax credit.
Karen D'Souza
November 19, 2021
Can you teach reading on Zoom?
High-tech literacy projects emerged out of the pandemic as a way to ensure young students stay on track as they learn to read.