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Nancy Devlin

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Nancy Devlin
BornFebruary 21. 1929
DiedJanuary 19, 2022 (aged 92)
OccupationsEducational psychologist, author, columnist
Known for"Today’s Parents" column Parenting and education advocacy
SpouseTom Devlin
Children
  • Paul Devlin (producer)
  • Tom Devlin
  • Mark Devlin

Nancy Devlin (February 21, 1929 – January 19, 2022) was an American educational psychologist, author, and columnist. She was born in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York during the Great Depression.[1]

She earned degrees from Hunter College and later received a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.[2]

Career

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Devlin worked for more than 20 years as a psychologist in the Princeton public schools and lectured at Rutgers University.[1]

Publications

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Columns and letters to the editor

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Devlin became widely known for her weekly Today's Parents column in The Star-Ledger, writing nearly 700 articles on parenting, education, and child development during the 1980s and 1990s. Her work emphasized the importance of family relationships and communication between parents and children.[1]

Selected columns

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  • New Jersey Opinion: The Dangers of Labeling Children[3]
  • Socially anxious? or Just Plain Shy?[4]
  • Turn off TV and Talk with Tot[5]
  • Parents should be involved in teacher selection[6]
  • Don't let ads con you into buying gifts that disappoint[7]
  • Individual assessment needed before deciding child makes grade[8]
  • Harsh discipline is never for a child's 'own good[9]
  • IQ tests don't measure innate intelligence[10]
  • Best role models teach children to 'Do as I do"[11]
  • Child's burnout at risk[12]
  • Too much homework can harm kids and parents[13]
  • Drawbacks to giving children all the best[14]
  • Homework fails to make the grade[15]
  • Helping kids develop and keep friendships[16]
  • Legacy of divorce need not be passed down[17]
  • Emphasis on SAT takes toll on students, schools[18]
  • No such thing as 'non-abusive spanking'[19]

Books

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  • Cassandra's Classroom: Innovative Solutions For Education Reform (2012)[1]
  • Arrows Swift and Far – Guiding Your Child Through School: Essays on Education (2012)[1]
  • READ to me TALK to me LISTEN to me, Your Child’s First Three Years (2015)[1]

Travels and personal life

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In the 1950s, Devlin taught children of U.S. military families in Germany, Denmark, and Japan. Afterward, she traveled across Asia, Africa, and South America.[2]

She later married physicist Thomas J. Devlin. They had three sons: Paul Devlin, Tom Devlin, and Mark J. Devlin.[1]

Death

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Devlin died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 2022, at the age of 92 after suffering a stroke.[1][2]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Miles, Gary (February 3, 2022). "Nancy Devlin, educational psychologist, author, and newspaper columnist, dies at 92". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nancy Devlin, former Star-Ledger columnist, dies". Nj.com. January 31, 2022.
  3. ↑ Devlin, Nancy (1985-09-01). "New Jersey Opinion; The Dangers of Labeling Children". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  4. ↑ "Opinion | Socially Anxious? Or Just Plain Shy?". The New York Times. 2007-09-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  5. ↑ "Turn off TV and Talk with Tot". The Saginaw News. 1999-08-10. p. 26. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  6. ↑ "Parents should be involved in teacher selection". The Kalamazoo Gazette. 1996-08-15. p. 46. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  7. ↑ "Don't let ads con you into buying gifts that disappoint". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 1996-12-16. p. 7. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  8. ↑ "Individual assessment needed before deciding child makes grade". The Houston Chronicle. 1997-05-15. p. 62. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  9. ↑ "Harsh discipline is never for a child's 'own good'". The Times. 1999-08-29. p. 139. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  10. ↑ "IQ tests don't measure innate intelligence". The Times. 1999-06-13. p. 149. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  11. ↑ "Best role models teach children to 'Do as I do"". The Times. 1999-01-10. p. 167. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  12. ↑ "Child's burnout at risk". The Times. 1999-09-12. p. 86. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  13. ↑ "Too much homework can harm kids and parents". The Times. 1998-10-11. p. 137. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  14. ↑ "Drawbacks to giving children all the best". The Times. 1998-07-26. p. 135. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  15. ↑ "Homework fails to make the grade". The Times. 1997-10-05. p. 141. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  16. ↑ "Helping kids develop and keep friendships". The Times. 1998-09-13. p. 159. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  17. ↑ "Legacy of divorce need not be passed down". The Times. 1998-04-05. p. 149. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  18. ↑ "Emphasis on SAT takes toll on students, schools". The Times. 1999-01-31. p. 123. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  19. ↑ "No such thing as 'non-abusive spanking'". The Times. 1996-12-15. p. 154. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
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