Susan Magsamen Hs 0020Ed

Susan Magsamen

Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Susan Magsamen is formerly the Senior Vice President of Early Learning at HMH. She is a member of the Educational Advisory Board for the Goddard School and the senior advisor to The Science of Learning

 
Literacy Conversations Thumb

HMH SVP of Early Learning Susan Magsamen talks with Dr. Anne Cunningham about why reading is a key component for healthy cognitive and socio-emotional development, and how to create literacy-rich environments for all kids.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Sxswedu 2016 Thumb

HMH SVP of Early Learning Susan Magsamen reflects on the 2016 SXSWedu Conference and her panel discussion about how early learning experiences impact healthy development.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Steam Thumb

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math---all essential skill areas for our children in their future. Introducing STEAM skills and activities early encourages young minds and taps into their natural curiosity.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Scaling 250

At its inception, the internet was created primarily to allow scholars and scientists to exchange data, theories and resources, and to provide a forum for intellectual curiosity. Today, this access to limitless information is available to anyone with an internet connection.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Conversations Thumb 3

The early learning field has reached a galvanizing moment. A confluence of research, practice, policy, content development, informal learning and advocacy work has cultivated fertile ground for the community’s shared commitment and growth by providing the tools we need to ensure that all young learners have access to essential education experiences.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Hmh Logo 250

We know that relationships are essential to healthy child development. We can observe organic collaborative behaviors even in very young children, who often explore their worlds and gather information while they play independently, but then eventually come together to learn and share experiences with others.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Grey Matter Thumb

At the beginning of this year, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center published Ten for 15: Education Reform for a Shared Future, a list of ten takeaways and resolutions designed to give educators inspiration as they plan for a successful 2015.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Digital Divide 250

Just over 30 years ago, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates shared a vision for a society with “a computer on every desk and in every home.” We’ve made great progress since then - over 80% of the American population now has a home computer and more people than ever use the internet.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

The more I think about it, the more I love the analogy of a “diet” when considering children’s digital media consumption. Just as calories from the most wholesome foods nourish and strengthen our bodies, the right mix of high quality, engaging digital content can nurture intellectual growth and spark curiosity.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Digital Diet Thumb

It’s a blizzard out there – and I’m not referring to this week’s return of the polar vortex! I’m referring to the astounding number of new eBooks, apps and websites now available for young children.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Distractions 500

My own love of reading was cultivated in an era with fewer distractions than today. At that time, all of our play was physical and concrete – we played with hands-on toys and games, we rode bicycles and played outside (which held opportunities for all sorts of mischief).

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Binoculars Cropped

I recently did a random “man on the street” survey, asking for single-word responses, and found that people associate curiosity with many things.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Teen Girl Reading 500

It just amazes me the way newborn babies come into the world as natural communicators. After their first wail, they quickly become full-bodied communicators, successfully telling us their needs through gestures and gesticulations.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Teen Girl Reading 500

Young children are natural experts when it comes to learning critical skills. Unlike other mammals, babies need adult help for nearly everything.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Teen Girl Reading 500

One of my favorite sayings is “If you take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.” I can think of no other moment more precious and invaluable to ensuring a strong foundation than reading with a child.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning

Launch Reentry

When it comes to weekly errands, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to get up and out of the house, let alone persuade your kids to come along with you.

Susan Magsamen
Former Senior Vice President of Early Learning