My son has been learning about baby chicks. His school has a small brood of 10 chicks. It’s a new experience for him. I have always found animals in school to be refreshing. What better way to learn than from living things themselves. Everyday, his class gets to watch as the baby chicks prance around their small coop. Learning and helping to care for new life has numerous rewards. For starters it helps my son develop his sense of empathy and compassion. They are not only learning about what temperature matters for these chicks, but how to keep them warm, and what they need to eat to grow. There is true love between the kids and the chick. It’s generally believed that animals can have a positive influence on children’s learning. I see this with my son. Two other learning concepts I have observed animals teach. The notion of change and the concept of time. For starters, change occurs constantly. Baby chicks are prime examples of this change. To go from being eggs to a chick is a significant change. One my son observed from the beginning. Then there is also the concept of time. Growth cannot be rushed, even for baby chicks. He told me their baby chicks sit in incubators for 21 days before they hatch. He made art to illustrate this. I smiled. I see the importance of critically engaging little kids in constructive discussions about animals, including baby chicks. Not only do they learn to care for others, but they see firsthand why change matters and the significance of time. It’s for this reason I say keep baby chicks and little kids together. They help each other learn about the world as it ought to be. With love and love and love.