Quick Hits (2.22.13)

Judging a book by its cover. An opinionated first-grader gives her take on who should win the Academy Awards based on each movie poster. When shown a poster of “Lincoln,” she responded: “It’s about Lincoln and how he became the president. But the movie looks creepy and weird and he has a humongous chin.” (Huffington Post)

Free preschool in Japan. Japan is considering offering free preschool to children between the ages of three and five. The idea is to encourage families to have more children without having to worry about the cost of education. (Inside Japan)

Reading toward success. Children whose mothers read to them are more likely to succeed in an academic setting. (Joanne Jacobs)

Dance like everyone is watching. Maryland’s win over Duke wasn’t the only news of the day; during the game the entire student body performed a well-collaborated flash mob to show support for their team. (YouTube)