In early childhood classrooms, silence is one of the most mysterious behaviors we meet.

Dear Mother of a Quiet Child, I know you worry. You’re told at every parent-teacher conference: “Your child is so quiet” or “She needs to speak up more.” You think to yourself, “How will my child ...

Three-year-old Vihaan sits on the floor, flipping through a picture book on space. His mother, Ananya, watches from the couch, half proud, half anxious. "He can name all the planets," she says softly, ...