Tell us more! Where do you work? Do you think they are unusual in having someone on staff to pay attention to academic work?
The sort that gives data and backs its claims up by evidence (empirical, controlled etc.) if possible.
This is what I recently recommended to new employees at my company. The three authors are highly respected researchers in the field. Here is a TED talk by Alison Gopnik (the main author) for a sense of her work on babies' and young children's natural readiness and ability to learn: http://www.ted.com/talks/alison_gopnik_what_do_babies_think