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https://www2.ed.gov/programs/osepeip/index.html

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The Grants for Infants and Families program (Part C) awards formula grants to the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Department of the Interior, and Outlying Areas to assist them in implementing statewide systems of coordinated, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, interagency programs and making early intervention services available to children with disabilities, aged birth through 2, and their families. Under the program, states are responsible for ensuring that appropriate early intervention services are made available to all eligible birth-through-2-year-olds with disabilities and their families, including Indian children and families who reside on reservations geographically located in the State. Infants and toddlers with disabilities are defined as children who:

1. are experiencing developmental delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following five areas: cognitive development, physical development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development; or

2. have a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA) gives states the discretion to extend eligibility for Part C services to children with disabilities who are eligible for services under section 619 (Preschool Grants) and who previously received services under Part C, until such children enter or are eligible under state law to enter kindergarten or elementary school, as appropriate.

Funds allocated under this program can be used to:

1. maintain and implement the statewide system described above;

2. fund direct early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families that are not otherwise provided by other public or private sources;

3. expand and improve services that are otherwise available;

4. provide a free appropriate public education, in accordance with Part B of the IDEA, to children with disabilities from their third birthday to the beginning of the following school year;

5. continue to provide early intervention services to children with disabilities from their third birthday until such children enter or are eligible to enter kindergarten or elementary school; and

6. initiate, expand, or improve collaborative efforts related to identifying, evaluating, referring, and following up on at-risk infants and toddlers in States that do not provide direct services for these children.

The IDEA requires that early intervention services be provided, to the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments. These services can be provided in another setting only when early intervention cannot be achieved satisfactorily for the infant or toddler in a natural environment. The natural environment includes the home and community settings where children would be participating if they did not have a disability.

Allocations are based on the number of children in the general population aged birth through 2 years in each state. The Department of Education uses data provided by the United States Census Bureau in making this calculation. This is a forward funded program. Funds become available for obligation on July 1 of the fiscal year in which they are appropriated and remain available through September 30 of the following year.

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disabilities; early intervention; formula grants; infants; preschool education; special education; toddlers; federal aid; federal programs;

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Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities

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This program provides formula grants to states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. secretary of the interior, and the outlying areas to assist in maintaining and implementing statewide systems of coordinated, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, interagency programs of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

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https://www.parentcenterhub.org/ei-overview/

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Esta información en español | This information in Spanish
Current as of July 2021

If you're concerned about the development of an infant or toddler, or you suspect that a little one has a disability, this page will summarize one terrific source of help-the early intervention system in your state. Early intervention services can help infants and toddlers with disabilities or delays to learn many key skills and catch up in their development. There's a lot to know about early intervention. We present the "basics" here to get you started.

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What is early intervention?

Early intervention is a system of services that helps babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention focuses on helping eligible babies and toddlers learn the basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first three years of life, such as:

physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking);

cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems);

communication (talking, listening, understanding);

social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy); and

self-help (eating, dressing).

Examples of early intervention services | If an infant or toddler has a disability or a developmental delay in one or more of these developmental areas, that child will likely be eligible for early intervention services. Those services will be tailored to meet the child's individual needs and may include:

Assistive technology (devices a child might need)

Audiology or hearing services

Speech and language services

Counseling and training for a family

Medical services

Nursing services

Nutrition services

Occupational therapy

Physical therapy

Psychological services

Services may also be provided to address the needs and priorities of the child's family. Family-directed services are meant to help family members understand the special needs of their child and how to enhance his or her development.

Authorized by law | Early intervention is available in every state and territory of the United States. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires it-Part C of IDEA, to be precise. That's why you'll sometimes hear early intervention referred to as Part C.

Who's eligible for early intervention?

Early intervention is intended for infants and toddlers who have a developmental delay or disability. Eligibility is determined by evaluating the child (with parents' consent) to see if the little one does, in fact, have a delay in development or a disability. Eligible children can receive early intervention services from birth through the third birthday (and sometimes beyond).

For some children, from birth | Sometimes it is known from the moment a child is born that early intervention services will be essential in helping the child grow and develop. Often this is so for children who are diagnosed at birth with a specific condition or who experience significant prematurity, very low birth weight, illness, or surgery soon after being born. Even before heading home from the hospital, this child's parents may be given a to their local early intervention office.

For others, because of delays in development | Some children have a relatively routine entry into the world, but may develop more slowly than others, experience set backs, or develop in ways that seem very different from other children. For these children, a visit with a developmental pediatrician and a thorough evaluation may lead to an early intervention referral.

Parents don't have to wait for a referral to early intervention, however. If you're concerned about your child's development, you may contact your local program directly and ask to have your child evaluated. That evaluation is provided free of charge. If you're not sure how to locate the early intervention program in your community-keep reading. We give that information a bit further down the page.

However a child comes to be referred, evaluated, and determined eligible, early intervention services provide vital support so that children with developmental needs can thrive and grow.

What's a developmental delay?

The term "developmental delay" is an important one in early intervention. Broadly speaking, it means that a child is delayed in some area of development. There are five areas in which development may be affected:

Cognitive development

Physical development, including vision and hearing

Communication development

Social or emotional development

Adaptive development

Developmental milestones | Think of all the baby skills that can fall under any one of those developmental areas! Babies and toddlers have a lot of new skills to learn, so it's always of concern when a child's development seems slow or more difficult than would normally be expected. Our developmental milestones page outlines some of the typical skills that babies and toddlers learn by certain ages. It's a good resource to consult if you're concerned that a child may have a developmental delay.

Definition of "developmental delay" | Part C of IDEA defines the term "developmental delay." But the meaning of the term varies from state to state, because each state defines the term for itself, including:

describing the evaluation and assessment procedures that will be used to measure a child's development in each of the five developmental areas; and

specifying the level of delay in functioning (or other comparable criteria) that constitutes a developmental delay in each of the five developmental areas.

What's your state's definition? | To find out how your state defines the term "developmental delay," you can ask your child's pediatrician or the local health department. Most likely, the definition is also online, so you can also "search" for it, making sure to include the name of your state in the search.

Read more about developmental delay | We also offer a fact sheet on developmental delay that you may find helpful in understanding the developing child, what to do if you're concerned about your own child's development, and where to turn for more information.

If you're concerned about a baby or toddler's development

It's not uncommon for parents and family members to become concerned when their beautiful baby or growing toddler doesn't seem to be developing according to the normal schedule of "baby" milestones.

"He hasn't rolled over yet."

"The little girl next door is already sitting up on her own!"

"She should be saying a few words by now."

Sound familiar? While it's true that children develop differently, at their own pace, and that the range of what's "normal" development is quite broad, it's hard not to worry and wonder.

What to do | If you think that your child is not developing at the same pace or in the same way as most children his or her age, it is often a good idea to talk first to your child's pediatrician. Explain your concerns. Tell the doctor what you have observed with your child. Your child may have a disability or a developmental delay, or he or she may be at risk of having a disability or delay.

You can also get in touch with your community's early intervention program, and ask to have your little one evaluated to see if he or she has a developmental delay or disability. This evaluation is free of charge, won't hurt your child, and looks at his or her basic skills. Based on that evaluation, your child may be eligible for early intervention services, which will be designed to address your child's special needs or delays.

How to get in touch with your community's early intervention program | There are several ways to connect with the EI program in your community. Try any of these suggestions:

Contact the Pediatrics branch in a local hospital and ask where you should call to find out about early intervention services in your area.

Ask your pediatrician for a referral to the local early intervention system.

Visit the ECTA Center's early intervention "contacts" page, at:
http://ectacenter.org/contact/ptccoord.asp

What to say to the early intervention contact person | Explain that you are concerned about your child's development. Say that you think your child may need early intervention services. Explain that you would like to have your child evaluated under Part C of IDEA.

Referral | Write down any information the contact person gives you. You will probably be referred to either your community's early intervention program or to what is known as Child Find. Child Find operates in every state to identify babies and toddlers who need early intervention services because of developmental delays or disability. You can use the Parent's Record-Keeping Worksheet to keep track of this important information. In fact, in general, it's a good idea to write down the names and phone numbers of everyone you talk to as you move through the early intervention process.

The evaluation and assessment process

Service coordinator | Once connected with either Child Find or your community's early intervention program, you'll be assigned a service coordinator who will explain the early intervention process and help you through the next steps in that process. The service coordinator will serve as your single point of contact with the early intervention system.

Screening and/or evaluation| One of the first things that will happen is that your child will be evaluated to see if, indeed, he or she has a developmental delay or disability. (In some states, there may be a preliminary step called to see if there's cause to suspect that a baby or toddler has a disability or developmental delay.) The family's service coordinator will explain what's involved in the screening and/or evaluation and ask for your permission to proceed. You must provide your written consent before screening and/or evaluation may take place.

The evaluation group will be made up of qualified people who have different areas of training and experience. Together, they know about children's speech and language skills, physical abilities, hearing and vision, and other important areas of development. They know how to work with children, even very young ones, to discover if a child has a problem or is developing within normal ranges. Group members may evaluate your child together or individually. As part of the evaluation, the team will observe your child, ask your child to do things, talk to you and your child, and use other methods to gather information. These procedures will help the team find out how your child functions in the five areas of development.

Exceptions for diagnosed physical or mental conditions | It's important to note that an evaluation of your child won't be necessary if he or she is automatically eligible due to a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay. Such conditions include but aren't limited to chromosomal abnormalities; genetic or congenital disorders; sensory impairments; inborn errors of metabolism; disorders reflecting disturbance of the development of the nervous system; congenital infections; severe attachment disorders; and disorders secondary to exposure to toxic substances, including fetal alcohol syndrome. Many states have policies that further specify what conditions automatically qualify an infant or toddler for early intervention (e.g., Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome).

Determining eligibility | The results of the evaluation will be used to determine your child's eligibility for early intervention services. You and a team of professionals will meet and review all of the data, results, and reports. The people on the team will talk with you about whether your child meets the criteria under IDEA and state policy for having a developmental delay, a diagnosed physical or mental condition, or being at risk for having a substantial delay. If so, your child is generally found to be eligible for services.

Initial assessment of the child | With parental consent, indepth assessment must now be conducted to determine your child's unique needs and the early intervention services appropriate to address those needs. Initial assessment will include reviewing the results of the evaluation, personal observation of your child, and identifying his or her needs in each developmental area.

Initial assessment of the family | With approval of the family members involved, assessments of family members are also conducted to identify the resources, concerns, and priorities of the family related to enhancing the development of your child. The family-directed assessment is voluntary on the part of each family member participating in the assessment and is based on information gathered through an assessment tool and also through an interview with those family members who elect to participate.

Who pays for all this? | Under IDEA, evaluations and assessments are provided at no cost to parents. They are funded by state and federal monies.

Writing the IFSP

Having collected a great deal of information about your child and family, it's now possible for the team (including you as parents) to sit down and write anindividualized plan of action for your child and family. This plan is called the Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP. It is a very important document, and you, as parents, are important members of the team that develops it. Each state has specific guidelines for the IFSP. Your service coordinator can explain what the IFSP guidelines are in your state.

Guiding principles | The IFSP is a written document that, among other things, outlines the early intervention services that your child and family will receive. One guiding principal of the IFSP is that the family is a child's greatest resource, that a young child's needs are closely tied to the needs of his or her family. The best way to support children and meet their needs is to support and build upon the individual strengths of their family. So, the IFSP is a whole family plan with the parents as major contributors in its development. Involvement of other team members will depend on what the child needs. These other team members could come from several agencies and may include medical people, therapists, child development specialists, social workers, and others.

What info is included in an IFSP? | Your child's IFSP must include the following:

Your child's present physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, and adaptive development levels and needs

Family information (with your agreement), including the resources, priorities, and concerns of you, as parents, and other family members closely involved with the child

The major results or outcomes expected to be achieved for your child and family

The specific services your child will be receiving

Where in the natural environment (e.g., home, community) the services will be provided (if the services will not be provided in the natural environment, the IFSP must include a statement justifying why not)

When and where your son or daughter will receive services

The number of days or sessions he or she will receive each service and how long each session will last

Who will pay for the services

The name of the service coordinator overseeing the implementation of the IFSP

The steps to be taken to support your child's transition out of early intervention and into another program when the time comes.

The IFSP may also identify services your family may be interested in, such as financial information or information about raising a child with a disability.

Informed parental consent | The IFSP must be fully explained to you, the parents, and your suggestions must be considered. You must give written consent for each service to be provided. If you do not give your consent in writing, your child will not receive that service.

Reviewing and updating the IFSP | The IFSP is reviewed every six months and is updated at least once a year. This takes into account that children can learn, grow, and change quickly in just a short period of time.

Timeframes for all this

When the early intervention system receives a referral about a child with a suspected disability or developmental delay, a time clock starts running. Within 45 days, the early intervention system must complete the critical steps discussed thus far:

screening (if used in the state),

initial evaluation of the child,

initial assessments of the child and family, and

writing the IFSP (if the child has been found eligible).

That's a tall order, but important, given how quickly children grow and change. When a baby or toddler has developmental issues, they need to be addressed as soon as possible. So-45 days, that's the timeframe from referral to completion of the IFSP for an eligible child.

Who pays for the services?

Whether or not you, as parents, will have to pay for any services for your child depends on the policies of your state. Check with your service coordinator. Your state's system of payments must be available in writing and given to you, so there are no surprises or unexpected bills later.

What's free to families | Under Part C of IDEA, the following services must be provided at no cost to families:

Child Find services;

evaluations and assessments;

the development and review of the IFSP; and

service coordination.

When services are not free | Depending on your state's policies, you may have to pay for certain other services. You may be charged a "sliding-scale" fee, meaning the fees are based on what you earn. Some services may be covered by your health insurance, by Medicaid, or by Indian Health Services. The Part C system may ask for your permission to access your public or private insurance in order to pay for the early intervention services your child receives. In most cases, the early intervention system may not use your health care insurance (private or public) without your express, written consent. If you do not give such consent, the system may not limit or deny you or your child services.

Every effort is made to provide services to all infants and toddlers who need help, regardless of family income. Services cannot be denied to a child just because his or her family is not able to pay for them.

**Highly Rated Resource! This resource was reviewed by 3-member panels of Parent Center staff working independently from one another to rate the quality, relevance, and usefulness of CPIR resources. This resource was found to be of "High Quality, High Relevance, High Usefulness" to Parent Centers.
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Would you like to visit another page in the Early Intervention Suite of pages?

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Esta información en español | This information in Spanish Current as of July 2021 If you're concerned about the development of an infant or toddler, or you suspect that a little one has a disability, this page will summarize one terrific source of help-the early intervention system in your state.

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https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/making-hope-a-reality-early-intervention-for-infants-and-toddlers-with-disabilities/

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The birth of a new baby is a time of great hope and opportunity. This sense of hope is reinforced by science, which has significantly enhanced our knowledge about how infants and toddlers develop and the ways we can support them. We know that the early years establish the foundation upon which later learning and development take place. Although babies grow and develop at different rates, most follow a predictable path and learn to walk, talk, and gain new skills in expected ways. For some young children, however, development unfolds according to a slower timetable or in an atypical fashion. For those infants and toddlers with a disability or developmental delay, intervening early can make all the difference in the world. Early intervention provides services and supports to promote the best possible developmental outcomes, and it enhances the capacity of families to meet their child's needs. For children at significant risk, early intervention can serve as a protective buffer against the multiple adverse influences that may hinder their developmental progress. If the promise of a bright future is to be realized for all young children, policymakers should permanently authorize and adequately fund services of the Early Intervention Program of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA Part C) to ensure the optimal development of infants and toddlers with or at risk of developmental delays.

What is Part C of the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities (IDEA)?

The Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities, or Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of services and supports for children birth through 2 years old with developmental delays, including (at state option) children who are "at risk" of developing a delay or special need that may affect their development or impede their education.

Congress established the Early Intervention program (generally referred to as "Part C") in 1986, and most recently reauthorized the statute in 2004, in recognition of "an urgent and substantial need" to

enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities;

reduce educational costs by minimizing the need for special education through early intervention;

minimize the likelihood of institutionalization and maximize independent living; and

enhance the capacity of families to meet their child's needs.

States vary widely in the type of quantitative criteria they use to describe a developmental delay, as well as in the level of delay required for eligibility for Part C services. In addition to identifying children who are experiencing developmental delays or who have a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in development delay, states can choose to provide services to infants and toddlers who would be at risk of experiencing a substantial developmental delay if early intervention services were not provided.

Approximately 16% to 18% of children have disabilities or developmental delays.

In order for a state to participate in the program, it must ensure that early intervention will be available to every eligible child and his or her family. The governor must designate a lead agency to receive the grant and administer the program and must appoint an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) to advise and assist the lead agency. Annual funding to each state is based upon census figures of the number of children, birth through 2 years old, in the general population.

The current IDEA 2004 Statute (P.L. 108-446) for Part C contains many requirements states must meet, and it specifies the minimum components of a comprehensive statewide early intervention system. New proposed regulations for Part C were issued on May 9, 2007 by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education. These regulations, when issued in their final form, will reflect the changes resulting from IDEA 2004 and provide guidance to states on how Part C is to be implemented.

Policy Recommendations

1. Expand and enhance early identification of infants and toddlers to include greater coordination and collaboration among early childhood providers.

Expand and enhance early identification of infants and toddlers to include greater coordination and collaboration among early childhood providers. The earlier children are identified and provided with carefully designed intervention and family supports, the more they benefit by gains in cognitive, language, and social development, and later in higher academic and life achievement. These services and supports best serve children when they are coordinated and collaborative. For example, early screening and identification should include:

developmental screenings for low-income infants and toddlers under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program;

the use of standardized screening tools by primary care physicians to monitor child development;

coordination of screening efforts through a medical home;

improved information and referral networks;

health and mental health consultation to child care; and

collaboration between public health, child welfare and early intervention services to ensure children in the child welfare system are screened. Additional funding should be provided to support increased screening and referral efforts

Infants and toddlers who have been maltreated are six times more likely than the general population to have a developmental delay. Children entering early intervention are far more likely than the general population to be in foster care.

2. Permanently authorize and fully fund Part C of the IDEA.

The 2004 reauthorization of IDEA continued Part C as a discretionary grant program without permanent authorization. In addition, Part C funding is unusually designated as payor of last resort, requiring that all federal, state, local and private resources be exhausted prior to using Part C funds. As states continually struggle with the need to adjust or expand the array of resources to support an integrated early intervention system, they are faced with financing systems that are unstable, inadequate, and complex. It is important to permanently authorize the Part C program with a sufficient and stable base of funding. Doing so will ensure responsive and effective services and supports for infants and toddlers with or at risk of developmental delays or disabilities and their families-significantly boosting the promise of a bright future for children, families, and communities.

3. Include at-risk infants and toddlers in the state's definition of eligibility for Part C services.

Part C allows states to provide services to infants and toddlers who are at risk of developmental delay. States may include children with a history of significant biological or medical conditions (e.g., low birth weight or failure to thrive) and/or children who are at risk due to environmental factors such as poverty, homelessness, substantiated child abuse or neglect, parental age, parental illegal substance abuse, and parental mental illness. As of February 2008, only five out of 56 states and territories serve at-risk children, even though it is well documented that young children with multiple risk factors are the most vulnerable to poor health and development. States should expand their definitions to include these at-risk infants.

4. Fully implement the Part C and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) mandates requiring states to refer to Part C all children under the age of 3 with substantiated cases of abuse, neglect, and drug exposure.

Both the IDEA 2004 and CAPTA 2003 reauthorizations require state early intervention and child welfare systems to establish coordinated procedures for the referral of substantiated cases of abused, neglected, or illegal drug-exposed infants and toddlers to Part C services. Infants and toddlers who have been maltreated are far more likely than the general population to have a developmental delay. States should take steps to fully implement these mandates by structuring collaboration between Part C and child welfare agencies and by increasing staff training.

More than 50% of children in early intervention had two or more risk factors; one in five children had four or more. Research suggests that the potential for negative developmental outcomes increases substantially when a child has multiple risk factors.

5. Expand access to inclusive early care and education experiences for infants and toddlers across diverse settings.

Infants, toddlers, and their families thrive when they are able to live, learn, and play in the "natural environments" in their own communities-including the settings in which children without disabilities participate. To ensure inclusive experiences, children with disabilities and developmental delays should have full access to early care and to education, health, social, and recreational services. Successful inclusion requires collaboration at all levels, appropriately trained personnel, cultural responsiveness, and a framework that emphasizes parent-child and peer interactions in typical routines and natural environments.

6. Invest in the professional development of the early intervention workforce.

Research clearly links well-trained and qualified providers to better child outcomes. Expert consultation and training for providers is necessary to effectively support infants, toddlers, and their families who confront significant child developmental disabilities, experience special health care and mental health needs, or face the stresses of poverty, substance abuse, and child maltreatment. Training should be targeted to:

building expertise in early social-emotional development and mental health;

training providers from different cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds and preparing them to meet the needs of diverse populations; and

developing and implementing a set of standards for early intervention practice.

Research

Earlier identification and intervention is more effective and less costly. The science of early development highlights the remarkable opportunities to optimize child development. During the earliest months and years of life, the architecture of the brain is being built at an unparalleled rate in response to nurturing early experiences. Early identification and intervention for children with developmental delays or disabilities can improve cognitive and social skills, lead to higher achievement and greater independence, and promote family competence and well-being.

1 in 3 infants and toddlers who received early intervention services did not later present with a disability or require special education in preschool.

Supporting a family's capacity to understand and enhance their baby's unique development positively influences both parents and children. Supportive and caring relationships between babies and caregivers have a significant and enduring influence on young children's growth and development. Many studies have documented the link between early loving, secure relationships and a child's self-esteem, confidence, and ability to communicate, deal with stress, develop positive relationships, develop a conscience, and learn. We know that families are central to their children's development. It is through relationships that babies discover who they are and how to interact with others. Families of young children with developmental disabilities can be confronted with many challenges and stressors that can compromise their ability to foster their child's health and development. Child development, as well as parental well-being, is enhanced when parents and other caregivers are encouraged to understand each child's unique characteristics and respond with sensitivity and warmth.

Child development, as well as parental well-being, is enhanced when parents and other caregivers are encouraged to understand each child's unique characteristics and respond with sensitivity and warmth.

Programs that combine support for families with carefully designed services for young children appear to have the greatest impact. Intervention is most effective when approached from a whole-child perspective. multigenerational programs that focus on relationship-building and parent-child interactions, while providing carefully and individually designed programs for young children, can positively impact both children and parents. Comprehensive services in home and community settings provided by highly qualified staff, tailored to individual child and family needs and interests, embedded in typical family routines, and coordinated across agencies and systems have the most promise for the best developmental and societal outcomes.
Download the PDF for a full list of citations.

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Making Hope A Reality: Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities - ZERO TO THREE

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For children at significant risk, early intervention can serve as a protective buffer against the multiple adverse influences that may hinder their developmental progress. Policymakers should permanently authorize and adequately fund services of the Early Intervention Program of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA Part C) to ensure the optimal development of infants and toddlers with or at risk [...]

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https://www.education.pa.gov/Early%20Learning/Early%20Intervention/Pages/default.aspx

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https://dbhids.org/my-city-my-place/childrens-services/early-intervention

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Early Intervention

The Philadelphia Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program is an entitlement program for infants and toddlers between the ages of birth to 3 years of age. Anyone can make a referral to Early Intervention. All referred children will receive a developmental assessment, and many will also receive a multidisciplinary evaluation. All eligible children will be assigned a service coordinator, and all Early Intervention Services are delivered at no cost to the family.

What You Need

The following information is needed in order to make a referral to the Infant Toddler Early Intervention program:

child's first and last name

parent's first and last name

parent's address and phone number,child's date of birth

child's gender

the medical assistance number (if receiving MA)

and the child

Social Security number (if known)

At-Risk Tracking

Children who are evaluated and determined not eligible for services may be eligible for at-risk tracking if they meet the following criteria:

birth weight under 3.3 pounds

NICU graduate

elevated blood lead level

substantial abuse or neglect

born to chemically dependent mother

experiencing homelessness

Children who are followed in the "at-risk" tracking program receive regular developmental screenings until age three. A case will be opened for every child who meets any of the at-risk criteria.

Children who are ages 3-5 that have developmental delays are served in the Preschool Early Intervention Program. In Philadelphia this program is called Elwyn SEEDS. To make a referral to the Elwyn SEEDS program call 215-222-8054.

For additional information about IDS' Philadelphia Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program, please call the program intake line at 215-685-4646.

Visit the IDS Resources Page to learn about the additional array of resources available for children with intellectual disabilities.

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The Philadelphia Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program is an entitlement program for infants and toddlers between the ages of birth to 3 years of age. Anyone can make a referral to Early Intervention. All referred children will receive a developmental assessment, and many will also receive a multidisciplinary evaluation.

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https://fhfofgno.org/resources/early-intervention-babies-toddlers

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Early Intervention – Babies & Toddlers (Ages 0-3) – Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans

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Early intervention is the term used to describe the services and supports that are available to babies and young children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. It can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn new skills and overcome challenges and can increase…

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https://pafamiliesinc.org/understanding-systems/early-intervention/early-intervention-in-pennsylvania-faq

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What is Early Intervention (EI) in Pennsylvania?
Early intervention in Pennsylvania consists of services and supports designed to help families with children who have developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention builds upon the natural learning occurring in those first few years. It is a process that promotes collaboration among parents, service providers, and others significantly involved with your child.

Early intervention:
* Helps children with disabilities develop and learn to their fullest potential
* Enhances each family's capacity to meet the developmental needs of their child in the settings where children would be if they did not have a disability
* Respects the family's strengths, values, diversity and competencies and answers families' questions about their child's development
* Supports communities to become more aware of the gifts and abilities of all its children
* Helps prevent the need for more and costly intervention in the future

What are Early Intervention supports and services?
Early intervention supports and services are provided at no cost to families. Early intervention services can include: information about how children develop, parent or caregiver education, family supports, and developmental and instructional therapies that assist in child development.

Early intervention is individualized and provides supports to the child and family in the home and community. Early intervention can also assist families to link to a variety of community services and supports.

You are the expert about your child. The recommendations or suggestions that you have for your child and family are uniquely yours. Sharing them with other members on your early intervention team allows others to know what is important to your family. This information will help your early intervention team to create meaningful individualized services and supports.

Who is eligible for Early Intervention services?
If your child is:
Birth to 3 Years Old:
Infants and Toddlers who have:
* A 25 percent delay in one or more areas of development
OR
* A specialist's determination that there is a delay even though it doesn't show up on the assessments (called informed clinical opinion)
OR
* A known physical or mental condition that has a high probability for developmental delays (such as Down syndrome)
AGE 3 to age of entrance to first grade:
* A 25 percent delay in one or more areas of development
OR
* Any of the following physical or mental disabilities: autism/pervasive developmental disorder: serious emotional disturbance: neurological impairment; deafness/hearing loss; specific learning disability; intellectual disability; multiple disabilities; other health impairment; physical disability; speech impairment or blindness/visual impairment;
AND
* Are in need of special education services.

Through a unique collaboration between the Pennsylvania Departments of Education (PDE) and the Department of Human Services, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) administers the commonwealth's early intervention program for eligible infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

At a local level, the infant/toddler early intervention programs administer the services for children from birth to three years of age.

OCDEL contracts services through intermediate units (IUs), school districts, and private agencies for local services to preschoolers from three years of age to the age of beginners (age of entrance into first grade).

Where do I start?
Screening
A screening is a quick and way process, usually just a few questions about your child's development. The screening helps to determine if an evaluation is needed. You may request a multidisciplinary evaluation at any point during the screening process.

Planning for an evaluation begins with a team; you and your service coordinator or representative from the early intervention program. Other team members may participate as appropriate for your child's and family's needs. You are the expert on your child and your participation as a member of the team is very important.

How do I prepare for the evaluation?
* Inform the service coordinator or your early intervention contact person if you need an interpreter or other assistance.
* Be ready to share information that you think is important: current health appraisal, medical records, a baby book, growth chart, or other evaluations or reports.
* Think about your child and any questions or concerns you might have related to his or her development.
* Be prepared to share information about activities that are challenging for your child and family to participate in at home, in the community, and at child care or preschool, as well as what your child and family enjoy doing together.
* Think about where your current support comes from, for example, your extended family, a faith community, your neighborhood, a parent group, etc.

The evaluation will look at all areas of your child's development. During the evaluation, you and members of the team will talk about the good things your child is doing as well as identify any concerns. The evaluation will also determine the strengths and needs of your child and family.
If your child is determined eligible, the information from the evaluation will help the team know what is important to your family and will help create meaningful individualized services.

Your IFSP/IEP team will meet together and discuss the information gathered from the evaluation about your child's strengths and needs. The plan meeting is your opportunity to share ideas for your child and family with other members of the team. It is also your opportunity to share information about your daily routines, preferred activities, and activities that are challenging for your family. This information will provide your team with ideas about how to target early intervention supports and services to meet your child's and family's needs.

An IFSP or IEP must include:
* A statement of your child's level of development
* With your consent, a statement of the family's strengths, priorities, and concerns as they relate to your child's development
* Information or assistance to help you access community resources
* Special considerations that relate to vision, hearing, challenging behaviors, communication, and needs related to assistive technology or transitions
* The measurable goals or outcomes expected for your child and family, as well as how and when it is hoped they will be achieved
* A description of early intervention services that are to be provided, as well as in what setting they will occur
* A statement of when services are expected to begin and how long they will continue
* The name of your service coordinator or early intervention contact person
* A written plan for transitions as your child's needs change
* The date when the IFSP or IEP will be reviewed

You may request an IFSP or IEP meeting to discuss the potential need for changes at any time by getting in touch with your service coordinator or contact person.

How to prepare for the IFSP or IEP:
* Identify your child's unique qualities and strengths.
* Think about what you and your family want for your child now, and in one, two, or five years from now or even as an adult.
* Identify the questions you have regarding your child. All questions are important. For example: Why is she so fussy? Why is he so quiet? Is that ok? Is that a concern?
* List what you and your child really enjoy doing such as: playing with water or sand, watching TV, or going for walks. This will help you and the teams identify how you can use these routines to help your child develop and grow.
* Consider the special needs your child has. Think about what your child might need to reach his or her full potential: adaptive equipment, feeding or self-help skills, help to move around, or help to communicate.
* Consider issues for which you would like help in finding the solution. For example, do you as a family like to go to the beach, but you're concerned about how to take your child?

What does it mean when I am told we must transition?
Transition in early intervention services means movement from one program to another, such as:
* From the hospital to your home
* From an infant/toddler early intervention service to a preschool early intervention service
* From early intervention services to other early care and education settings such as
* Head Start or child care programs
* From preschool early intervention services to kindergarten or first grade

How does my family/team plan for a successful transition?
As a very important part of the team, you need to know all the options-ask questions:
* What is needed for my child?
* What is available?
* Who is involved?
* Where are they?
* When is this transition going to occur?
* How will the transition occur?
* What activities will help my child adjust to the transition?
* How can my family and child be supported through this change?

If your child is in the preschool early intervention program, during the year before your child is eligible for kindergarten or first grade, the early intervention program will invite you to a transition meeting to discuss options for your child. This transition meeting must occur before the end of February. If your child is kindergarten/school age, the funding for services is the responsibility of the local school district.

What does individualized supports and services mean?
Early Intervention supports and services are individualized for each child and family.
* This means that: The plan developed for each child and family will reflect their unique activities, values, and community participation. Services and supports should match the family's priorities and concerns, and will vary from family to family, and should change as priorities and concerns change. There are many ways for families to receive services and supports. Location, frequency, or type of service or support is not based on the child's age or type of disability. The outcomes identified by the family and the child's team will guide the choices of services and supports necessary to accomplish them. Friends, neighbors, early education practitioners, playgroups, churches, libraries, and other community supports enhance the quality of every family's life. Services using natural routines and activities support and encourage families to find and strengthen natural supports outside the Early Intervention system. These supports, established when the child is young, are likely to remain throughout the child's school years and into adulthood.
* Early Intervention can be provided at home, in childcare, in private or public preschools, Early Head Start and Head Start, or combinations of these that the family and the team determine are the most appropriate for the child's progress. Services and supports also change as needed.

What protections does the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) provide for Early Intervention?

In Pennsylvania, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention
Services, administers both Part C and Part B of the federal law IDEA.

Part B
(Section 619 is the Preschool Section) Provides services for eligible young children and their families from age three to the age of beginners (start of first grade). Services are developed by a team and written into an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Services are delivered in the least restrictive environment.

Part C
Provides services for eligible infants and toddlers and their families from birth until the child's third birthday. Services are developed by a team and written into an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).Services are delivered in a natural environment for the child and family.

Part B
(Section 619 is the Preschool Section) Provides services for eligible young children and their families from age three to the age of beginners (start of first grade). Services are developed by a team and written into an Individualized Education Program (IEP).Services are delivered in the least restrictive environment.

What is the Pennsylvania Act 212: Early Intervention Services System Act of 1990?
PA-Act 212, the state statute for early intervention services, requires the Departments of Education and Public Welfare to ensure that:
* Eligible young children (birth until the age of beginners) and their families receive early intervention services and programs
* Appropriate services under public supervision that are designed to meet the developmental needs of eligible children are available
* Services specifically designed to address the needs of the family to enhance their child's development are provided

What is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)? What are my rights and privileges?
The following information summarizes your rights and privileges under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974(FERPA). This is a federal law which protects the confidentiality of a child's educational records by limiting their disclosure. FERPA guarantees parents certain rights which are described below.
* Access to records: You have the right to inspect and review your child's records and to receive a copy of the records.
* Amend information in records: You have the right to request that your child's early intervention records be changed if they are inaccurate or misleading and to have a hearing if that request is refused.
* Disclosure of personally identifiable information: Generally, the early intervention program must have written permission from the parent in order to release any information from a child's educational record. However, FERPA allows early intervention programs to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions:
o Early intervention officials with legitimate educational interest
o Dissemination of directory information (e.g., child's name, DOB, and parent contact information)
o Other early intervention programs to which a child is transferring
o Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
o Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the early intervention program
o To the courts to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
o Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
* Complaints: If you believe that the early intervention program is not complying with FERPA or not guaranteeing you your rights outlined above, you may file a letter of complaint with the federal office in charge of enforcing the Act at the address below:
Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue
Washington, DC 20202-8520 202-260-3887
* Policy: A complete copy of the FERPA legislation is available at your request. You may receive a copy by contacting your early intervention program or http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

What is Parental Consent and Notice (PCN)? What does it meant to me?
* Prior written notice: You have the right to prior written notice before the early intervention program proposes, or refuses, to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or placement of your child or the provision of early intervention services.
* Parental consent: You must provide consent before any screening, evaluation or assessment; before early intervention services are provided; before public benefits or insurance or private insurance is accessed; and prior to the disclosure of personal identification information.

Who has access to a child's information?
Child information contained in the information management system is kept confidential and only persons authorized by federal and state confidentiality, privacy, and security laws have access to the records. Data in PELICAN ((Pennsylvania's Enterprise to Link Information for Children Across Networks; the name of OCDEL's information management system) is protected by security protocols, which require secure and encrypted servers, unique usernames with strong passwords and user roles that are assigned specific security roles and access. This means that:
* Only the staff directly involved with specific child has access to that child's information.
* State personnel have limited access to child information for the purposes of monitoring the delivery of early intervention services.
* Information about a child will not be shared outside a program, except as permitted by law with parental consent.

What are Pennsylvania's Parent Centers? How do I contact them?

These are federally-funded Parent Centers that are available to provide information, resources, and training opportunities to educate families about all aspects of Early Intervention and Special Education (from birth to age 21).

* Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership Center (PEAL) The PEAL Center helps parents with early intervention and education issues in western and central Pennsylvania. PEAL also helps families statewide with access to health care, health insurance, and access to services at home and in the community through the PEAL Family to Family Health Information Center (F2F). The PEAL Center provides individual information, technical assistance and training, including leadership training for families for children with disabilities and special health care needs (CSHCN). http://www.pealcenter.org/ 1-866-950-1040
* Hispanos Unidos para Niños Excepcionales (HUNE) HUNE serves, but is not limited to, Spanish-speaking families across the state. http://huneinc.org/ 215-425-6203

What is a Parent Guide?
GBYS Parent Guides are parents of children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind who have received special training that prepares them to function in this important capacity. This training provides a strong foundation in supporting families without a bias towards communication modes or methods, as well as a functional understanding of formal systems and services available to families and their children. Parent Guides are able to bring their direct experience, specialized knowledge, and personal compassion to their role while making the family's needs their primary focus. They have been where you are and are willing to listen and share their experiences.

Who is eligible for the program?
Families of Pennsylvania infants and toddlers (ages birth to 3) who have a hearing loss.

What is Hands and Voices Guide by your Side™ of Pennsylvania? What can the GBYS program do for my family?
GBYS Parent Guides located throughout the state provide:
* Timely emotional support at the point of diagnosis of hearing loss
* Direct parent/peer support and networking
* Unbiased information and resource sharing specific to hearing loss, including insights on navigating the systems from a parent perspective
* Support to families throughout the Infant/
Toddler Early Intervention years by combining an experienced parent's insight with knowledge of Early Intervention and educational systems
* Information about other parent support opportunities

How much does the GBYS program cost?
The GBYS program is provided to families at no cost.

How do I request a GBYS Parent Guide?
* Complete the GBYS Referral Form on the families page onwww.paearlyhearing.org
* Or call the Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side™of PA Program Coordinator at 800-360-7282 x3908(in PA only) or 717-541-4960 x3908

Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side™ of PA is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Guide By Your Side has an office at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) and shares resources with Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA).

What is the Early Learning Network (ELN)?
The Early Learning Network (ELN) is an initiative of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). ELN is a comprehensive unified data system that allows authorized users to assess individual-level child outcomes across multiple programs. It links existing data systems by child identifier and will collect additional information on child and family services across program areas. When fully implemented, the data will be used to inform state policy decisions, investments and improvement efforts for early education programs from birth to third grade.

What is the Early Intervention Technical Assistance System (EITA)?
Early Intervention Technical Assistance system (EITA) provides statewide training and technical assistance on behalf of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Pennsylvania Departments of Public Welfare and Education. The primary recipients of EITA training and technical assistance are the local Infant/Toddler and Preschool Early Intervention agencies that provide supports and services to children birth to school age with developmental disabilities and their families. EITA is part of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN). EITA is administered through the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit.

EITA provides both statewide and regional training initiatives that are developed through the analysis of statewide data, including program monitoring results, state and federal requirements, relevant research, and planning with state department staff. Statewide professional development training is provided across the Commonwealth when it is necessary to ensure a consistent message from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Family members are always welcome to attend. Examples of current statewide training initiatives include supporting children with complex needs including medically fragile, positive behavior supports, inclusion, assistive technology, literacy, autism, and parent leadership.

EITA also provides an individualized Technical Assistance Plan developed annually with each Infant/Toddler and Preschool Early Intervention program. The TA plan is based on findings from EI monitoring, self-assessments, OCDEL priorities, relevant research, and locally identified needs. The TA plan is linked to the state performance plan submitted to the United States Office of Special Education. Technical assistance planning is an ongoing process that is the result of conversations, data collection and review, research and clear identification of outcomes. The TA plan focuses on specific programmatic changes or outcomes and includes information on how the change will be measured. EITA TA plans focus on providing technical assistance and building local capacity through repeated contacts with the same persons/programs to assist with program-wide change. The TA plan is a flexible document that is updated as additional information or needs arise.

Acknowledgments:
A Family's Introduction to Early Intervention in Pennsylvania; Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)

Early Intervention Supports and Services: Facts for Families; Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Pennsylvania Early Intervention

PaTTAN: http://www.pattan.net/

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Early Intervention in Pennsylvania - FAQ

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What is Early Intervention (EI) in Pennsylvania? Early intervention in Pennsylvania consists of services and supports designed to help families with children who have developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention builds upon the natural learning occurring in those first few years. It is a process that promotes collaboration among parents, service providers, and others significantly involved with your child.

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https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Early Intervention...

Is the term used to describe the services and supports that are available to babies and young children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families.

May include speech therapy, physical therapy, and other types of services based on the needs of the child and family.

Can have a significant impact on a child's ability to learn new skills and overcome challenges and can increase success in school and life.

Programs are available in every state and territory (see each program's contact information below). These publicly funded programs provide services for free or at reduced cost for any child who is eligible.

How do I find out if my child is eligible for services?

Eligibility for early intervention services is based on an evaluation of your child's skills and abilities.

If you, your child's doctor, or other care provider is concerned about your child's development, ask to be connected with your state or territory's early intervention program to find out if your child can get services to help. If your doctor is not able to connect you, you can reach out yourself. A doctor's referral is not necessary.

If your child is under age 3: Call your state or territory's early intervention program (see contacts below) and say: "I have concerns about my child's development and I would like to have my child evaluated to find out if he/she is eligible for early intervention services."

If your child is age 3 or older: Click here.

U.S. State, Commonwealth & Territory Early Intervention Contacts

Commonwealths & Territories

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is my child eligible for early intervention

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how to get early intervention for my child

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What is "Early Intervention" and is my child eligible?

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Early intervention helps children improve their abilities and learn new skills. If you are concerned about your child's development, ask to be connected with your state or territory's early intervention program

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https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/early-brain-development.html

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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The early years of a child's life are very important for later health and development. One of the main reasons is how fast the brain grows starting before birth and continuing into early childhood. Although the brain continues to develop and change into adulthood, the first 8 years can build a foundation for future learning, health and life success.

How well a brain develops depends on many factors in addition to genes, such as:

Proper nutrition starting in pregnancy

Exposure to toxins or infections

The child's experiences with other people and the world

Nurturing and responsive care for the child's body and mind is the key to supporting healthy brain development. Positive or negative experiences can add up to shape a child's development and can have lifelong effects. To nurture their child's body and mind, parents and caregivers need support and the right resources. The right care for children, starting before birth and continuing through childhood, ensures that the child's brain grows well and reaches its full potential. CDC is working to protect children so that their brains have a healthy start.

The importance of early childhood experiences for brain development

Children are born ready to learn, and have many skills to learn over many years. They depend on parents, family members, and other caregivers as their first teachers to develop the right skills to become independent and lead healthy and successful lives. How the brain grows is strongly affected by the child's experiences with other people and the world. Nurturing care for the mind is critical for brain growth. Children grow and learn best in a safe environment where they are protected from neglect and from extreme or chronic stress with plenty of opportunities to play and explore.

Parents and other caregivers can support healthy brain growth by speaking to, playing with, and caring for their child. Children learn best when parents take turns when talking and playing, and build on their child's skills and interests. Nurturing a child by understanding their needs and responding sensitively helps to protect children's brains from stress. Speaking with children and exposing them to books, stories, and songs helps strengthen children's language and communication, which puts them on a path towards learning and succeeding in school.

Exposure to stress and trauma can have long-term negative consequences for the child's brain, whereas talking, reading, and playing can stimulate brain growth. Ensuring that parents, caregivers, and early childhood care providers have the resources and skills to provide safe, stable, nurturing, and stimulating care is an important public health goal.

When children are at risk, tracking children's development and making sure they reach developmental milestones can help ensure that any problems are detected early and children can receive the intervention they may need.

Learn more about supporting early childhood experiences:

A healthy start for the brain

To learn and grow appropriately, a baby's brain has to be healthy and protected from diseases and other risks. Promoting the development of a healthy brain can start even before pregnancy. For example, a healthy diet and the right nutrients like sufficient folic acid will promote a healthy pregnancy and a healthy nervous system in the growing baby. Vaccinations can protect pregnant women from infections that can harm the brain of the unborn baby.

During pregnancy, the brain can be affected by many types of risks, such as by infectious diseases like Cytomegalovirus or Zika virus, by exposure to toxins, including from smoking or alcohol, or when pregnant mothers experience stress, trauma, or mental health conditions like depression. Regular health care during pregnancy can help prevent complications, including premature birth, which can affect the baby's brain. Newborn screening can detect conditions that are potentially dangerous to the child's brain, like phenylketonuria (PKU).

Healthy brain growth in infancy continues to depend on the right care and nutrition. Because children's brains are still growing, they are especially vulnerable to traumatic head injuries, infections, or toxins, such as lead. Childhood vaccines, such as the measles vaccine, can protect children from dangerous complications like swelling of the brain. Ensuring that parents and caregivers have access to healthy foods and places to live and play that are healthy and safe for their child can help them provide more nurturing care.

Learn more about the recommended care:

What does CDC do to support early brain health?

CDC is committed to supporting early brain health through evidence-based programs and partnerships within communities. Below are just a few examples of CDC programs that support early brain health:

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Early Brain Development and Health | CDC

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Early brain development is important for later health and development. Learn more.

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https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/early-childhood-matters/brain-development/

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From birth to age 5, a child’s brain develops more than any other time in life. Early brain development impacts a child’s ability to learn.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ijGVM1h1nU

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https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-science-of-ecd/

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development

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Early experiences establish either a sturdy or a fragile foundation for all of the learning, health and behavior that follow.

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https://earlyconnections.mo.gov/early-childhood-brain-development

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Understanding Early Childhood Brain Development

In the first five years of life, experiences and relationships stimulate children's development, creating millions of connections in their brains. Their brains develop connections faster in the first five years than at any other time in their lives.

Babies are born ready to learn, and their brains develop with repetitive, consistent and familiar everyday routines and practices. Stimulating and caring environments with a variety of different activities give children plenty of ways to play, develop and learn. In addition, children need many opportunities to practice what they are learning.

Children's relationships shape the way they see the world and affect all areas and stages of their development. Warm and loving relationships between caregivers and professionals help develop the child's confidence, resilience and communication skills. These skills are necessary later in life when working through problems, dealing with stress and forming healthy relationships with other people in adolescence and adulthood.

Early Brain Development and Health

Brains are built and grow through touch, talk, sight and sound in early childhood experiences. This experiential learning starts long before a child steps foot into kindergarten and is strengthened through regular interaction and stimulation in the home and in quality early learning settings.

To learn more about Early Brain Development and Health visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Visit Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Caring Relationships: The Heart of Early Brain Development

A baby's early experiences in relationships, whether at home or in an early education environment, set the stage for future brain functioning.

To learn more about how caring relationships impact brain development visit the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) website.
Visit NAEYC

To learn more about the crucial role early care and education professionals play in building a baby's brain visit the Zero to Three website.

First Five Years Fund: Brain Builders-Why Healthy Development in Children is so Important

During the first five years, a child's brain is at its most flexible, making this a critical period for learning and growth. Science tells us that children who face adversity in the first years of life, often related to living in poverty, are more at risk for experiencing lifelong effects from toxic stress. Prolonged stress during childhood can do damage to a child's brain architecture, which can lead to lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health. To learn more about why healthy development is so important watch this video.

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In the first five years of life, experiences and relationships stimulate children's development, creating millions of connections in their brains. Their brains develop connections faster in the first five years than at any other time in their lives. Babies are born ready to learn, and their brains develop with repetitive, consistent and familiar everyday routines and practices.

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https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/early-childhood/early-childhood-health-and-development/early-brain-development/

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The first thousand days of life are a critical and important period of development. Primary care pediatricians and public health professionals play an important role in fostering healthy child development and opportunities to thrive by providing preventive care that promotes safe, stable, and nurturing caregiver relationships.

Brain development is cumulative in that early, simple connections and circuits form the foundation for more complex pathways and behaviors. Much like muscles, connections and circuits that are used frequently become stronger and more efficient over time ("neurons that fire together, wire together"). However, those connections and circuits that are not utilized are pruned and eliminated ("if you don't use it, you lose it").

Brain plasticity declines with age. Plasticity, or the ability of the brain to rewire itself in response to changes in the environment, is waning by the time children begin kindergarten.

See this Early Brain Development video from PBS.

Translating the Science into Practice

The basic developmental science is clear, but how do we take that science and apply it in the clinical setting?

Brain development is dynamic, with different structures/functions developing at different rates and times. Specifically, structures that underlie the physiologic stress response (e.g., amygdala) appear to mature sooner than those structures that assist in modulating or turning off the stress response (e.g., prefrontal cortex).

Brain development is disrupted by chronic exposure to the mediators of the physiologic stress response (CRH, cortisol, adrenaline, etc.). Significant adversity in childhood can lead to a vicious cycle of stress that is toxic to important structures like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This "toxic stress" is a "common denominator," a biological mechanism underlying well established associations between various forms of childhood adversity (abuse, neglect, domestic violence, parental mental illness or substance abuse) and less than optimal life course trajectories (see the ACE Study).

View training modules on the following topics:

Supporting Brain Development Through Well-Child Visits

Pediatricians can educate families that young children need safe, stable, and nurturing relationships to assist them in regulating their stress.

Connected Kids: Safe, Strong, Secure offers child healthcare providers a comprehensive, logical approach to integrating violence prevention efforts in practice and the community. The program takes an asset-based approach to anticipatory guidance, focusing on helping parents and families raise resilient children. Connected Kids Includes a Clinical Guide and 21 handouts for parent and teen topics such as bullying, discipline, interpersonal skills, parents, suicide and television violence.

The AAP's periodicity schedule for recommended preventive health care services provides several opportunities for primary care pediatricians to promote early brain development as well as assess for development, behavioral, and social-emotional concerns.

The well child health visit is an opportunity to

Building Partnerships to Support Early Brain Development

Supporting early brain development involves more than anticipatory guidance at well child visits. There are common messages and overlapping services that aim to build children's brain with early learning environments and/or positive parenting approaches.

See this Early Learning Systems PBS video.

Develop collaborative relationships with the resources in your community that might assist parents and caregivers and prevent and/or mitigate the precipitants of childhood toxic stress.

​Home visitation programs (eg, Nurse Family Partnership)

Early Intervention services​

Head Start

Infant and early childhood mental health providers

Parent/Family support systems (eg, Circle of Security, Triple-P, Nurturing Parenting, addressing illiteracy, unemployment, unsafe housing, food scarcity, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy).

Legal Aid and medicolegal partnerships, child care networks/resource and referral agencies.

Community libraries, assistance for victims of domestic violence, care for parents with substance abuse or mental health issues.

Advocate for the development of resources to fill the gaps that exist in your particular community.

Encourage consistent, community-wide messaging (prenatal, home visits, WIC, early intervention, preschools, early childhood PTAs, etc.) on issues related to early brain and child development (e.g., promoting Reach Out and Read, limiting screen time, alternatives to corporal punishment).

Identify (and collaborate with) high quality early education and child care settings.

Communicating with Families

Discuss with parents and caregivers the pivotal and foundation role of the first 1000 days.

Emphasize that early relationships need to be "safe, stable, and nurturing." Parents and caregivers should therefore "Protect, Relate, and Nurture" - PRN all the time!

Communicate and interact with parents and caregivers to provide anticipatory guidance that assists parents and caregivers in proactively building the critical social-emotional-language skills that buffer toxic stress. Examples include: Bright Futures, Connected Kids, the 6 Ps of Purposeful Parenting (Purposeful, Protective, Personal, Progressive, Positive and Playful), and the 5 Rs of Early Literacy: Reading, Rhyming, Routines, Rewards, and Relationships.

Assess the social-emotional status of the family at every visit ("the Relationship as a Vital Sign" surveillance).

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The first thousand days of life are a critical and important period of development. Primary care pediatricians and public health professionals play an important role in fostering healthy child development and opportunities to thrive by providing preventive care that promotes safe, stable, and nurturing caregiver relationships.

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https://www.ffyf.org/why-it-matters/brain-development/

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Brains are built and grow through touch, talk, sight and sound in early childhood experiences. This experiential learning starts long before a child steps foot into kindergarten and is strengthened through regular interaction and stimulation in the home and in quality early learning settings.

During the first five years, a child's brain is at its most flexible, making this a critical period for learning and growth. Science tells us that children who face adversity in the first years of life are more at risk for experiencing lifelong effects from toxic stress. Prolonged stress during childhood can do damage to a child's brain architecture, which can lead to lifelong problems in learning, behavior and physical and mental health.

Prevention through high-quality early learning and care provides the support children need to build a foundation for a healthy and productive future. Supportive, responsive relationships with caring adults as early in life as possible can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress in children. Often, these relationships exist between parent and child, but many children experience these "serve and return" interactions with other adults, like teachers.

Waiting until kindergarten is too late. Children who receive quality early education demonstrate greater cognitive and socioemotional growth than children who do not.

Consider the Following:

1. More than new neural connections are formed every second in the first few years of life.

2. Children are already rehearsing how to produce language at 7 months old.

3. The brain is most flexible and adaptable to learning during the earliest years of life.

4. Children who face greater adversity are at far grea ter risk for delaysin their cognitive, language or emotional development.

5. Even as babies, children are learning the social and emotional skills that determine their future social capabilities.

6. A supportive learning environmentreduces the risk of children experiencing developmental delays.

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Quality Early Childhood Education: Brain Development

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Brains are built and grow through touch, talk, sight and sound in early childhood experiences. This experiential learning starts long before a child steps foot into kindergarten and is strengthened through regular interaction and stimulation in the home and in quality early learning settings.

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https://www.parentingforbrain.com/brain-development/

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Early Brain Development

Early childhood is a time of tremendous brain development. The young developing brain literally changes shape and size in response to everything encountered in the early years. New environments, life experiences, caretakers, and relationships can all affect the way complex brain circuits are wired. This network of synaptic connections will ultimately determine brain function and the development of behavior.

Statistics

A baby's brain at birth has roughly 86 billion brain cells (neurons)​1​, almost all the neurons the human brain will ever have​2​.

Although a newborn has about the same number of neurons as an adult, it has only 25% of the adult size.

Infant's neurons are connected by only roughly 50 trillion new neural connections, called synapses, whereas an adult brain has about 500 trillion of them​3​.

By age 3, the synaptic connections have grown to 1000 trillion.

90% of brain development completes by the age of 5​4​.

During early adulthood, the synaptic density will be half of that of a toddler at age two.

Early Developmental Milestones

Here are some of the brain development stages:

Week 3 post-conception - neuron production begins in the fetal brain.

At birth - the auditory system matures​5​.

5 weeks - learning and memory formation.

9 months - large motor skills.

1 year 3 months - speech.

1.5 years - fine motor skills.

When Does the Brain Stop Developing

On average, the brain stops developing around age 25. Although an individual's brain growth trajectory can vary slightly, most people's healthy brain development is complete in their mid-20s.

The prefrontal cortex is the last brain region to develop.

However, it doesn't mean the brain stops changing.

Forming and changing interconnections in our brains is an ongoing process that takes place throughout our lives. Neuroplasticity allows new connections to form. But as we age, they do so at a much slower rate.

The experience-dependent brain

One of the most prominent characteristics of child brain development is synaptic pruning.

The network of synapses grows rapidly during the first year and continues to do so during toddlerhood.

Life experience will activate certain neurons, create new brain connections and strengthen existing ones, called myelination.

Unused connections will eventually be eliminated during synaptic pruning in the brain.

Synaptic pruning is the neuronal process in which unused neurons and synapses are eliminated to increase efficiency in neuronal transmissions. This process occurs between early childhood and puberty.

Because early childhood experiences can literally shape the brain, babies can adapt flexibly to any environment they're born into.

But that also means what parents do or don't do during these formative years can have a profound impact on the child's healthy development - mental health and physical health.

Critical Periods & Plasticity

Within early childhood, developmental timing is also important. There are windows of time when different areas of the brain become relatively more sensitive to experiences.

This period of childhood brain development is called a critical period or sensitive period.

During critical periods or sensitive periods, synaptic connections in certain brain regions are more plastic and malleable. Connections are formed or strengthened given the appropriate experiences. After the critical period has passed, the synapses become stabilized and less plastic.

For example, language skills learning is much easier for young children. They can learn a non-native language and attain proficiency more easily before puberty. So the sensitive period for language development, especially second language, is from birth to before puberty.
Also See: Benefits of Sensory Play to Brain Development

Nature vs Nurture In Child Development

Besides influencing a child's brain architecture, early life experiences have other lifelong effects on a child's development.

A large amount of scientific evidence indicates that life experience can affect gene expression - how information in a gene is used (epigenetics) - in some cases by slowing or shutting the genes off, and in others by increasing their output.

This is why identical twins are not carbon copies of each other.

Although their genes (DNA code) are identical, their epigenetic markers are different from birth and continue to diverge as they interact with the environment in distinctive ways.

Even more important, these epigenetic changes can be permanent and passed down from generation to generation.

In the age-old nature-versus-nurture debate, epigenetics offers a surprising middle ground.
Genes are profoundly important, but so are environmental factors. Also See: Specific Learning Disability

The Early Years Matter

Childhood is a time of tremendous sensitivity, a time when everyday experiences, both positive and negative experiences, bestow lasting effects.

Developmental outcomes can be seriously impacted if kids are deprived of basic social and emotional nurturing in this developmental process.

This is confirmed by various research.

Differences in socioeconomic status (SES) in the early years of a child can result in disparities in brain structure. Extreme poverty is associated with lower gray matter volume and academic achievement.

Children who experienced early neglect tend to have lower cognitive abilities. Early neglect affects the organization of white matter in the prefrontal cortex affecting its cognitive function. It also hinders emotional development affecting social behavior.

Also See: Asynchronous Development Of A Gifted Child And Their Unique Needs
Parenting For Brain Development

Neuroplasticity and epigenesis are two major cornerstones in understanding a child's neurological development in the early years of life.

While we don't need to be perfect parents (and who can be?), good enough parenting can do a child tremendous good. Quality early experiences provide a strong foundation for a child's healthy development.

Among the different types of parenting styles, authoritative parenting is the best parenting style associated with the best outcomes.

On the other hand, authoritarian parenting is associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Chronic stress experienced by children of authoritarian parents can lead to toxic stress and an overreactive stress response nervous system.

Early childhood education also plays an important role in a child's cognitive development and growth. Finding good child care providers and choosing a quality preschool for your child can benefit their development in early childhood and in the long term.

References

Gauvain M, Cole M. Readings on the Development of Children. 5th ed. Worth Publishers; 2008.

Pamela Li is an author, Founder, and Editor-in-Chief of Parenting For Brain. Her educational background is in Electrical Engineering (MS, Stanford University) and Business Management (MBA, Harvard University). Learn more

View all posts by Pamela Li | Website

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Early childhood is a time of tremendous brain development. Discover the secrets to raising children with healthy and optimal brain growth.

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https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/early-years/developmental-milestones/early-years-brain-development

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Why the early years count

​In the first years of a child's life, their brain development will create the foundations for all learning and development later in life. While genetics provide the initial 'map' for development, it is everyday experiences and relationships that shape a child's brain.

A baby's brain begins developing before birth and, in the early years, significant 'wiring' occurs within the brain, effectively programming the child's development. Between 2 to 6 months a baby will learn about emotions through watching how you react to them when they coo, cry, smile or yell.

Making important connections

In the first 9 months, a baby's brain is forming connections between what they see, hear, taste and feel.

From 9 months to 12 months, a baby will become increasingly vocal, as their understanding of emotions develops.

By the age of 3, a child has around 1,000 trillion brain connections (synapses), the most they will ever have in their life, as these are 'pruned' in later development.

These initial brain connections are formed as a result of the everyday experiences, relationships and care a child receives in their early years, and will provide the foundations for further brain development later in life.

What you can do

Parents, caregivers and family members play an important role in the ongoing development of a child. Providing a safe and caring environment for your child and engaging with them through talking, reading and playtime has a great influence on their early development.

Community and learning environments can also play a key role in supporting optimal development through providing support, learning opportunities and social experiences.

Brain development from birth

Essential brain development occurs in the first years of a child's life. When you look at the years in which the main brain development is made and the effect this development has in schooling and later years, the importance of positive experiences in the early years is clear.

As a parent or guardian, you can support your child's early development by providing a safe and nurturing environment with learning opportunities and minimal stress.

Ante-natal

Your child's brain has already started developing. All 5 senses begin to function before birth. During this time, prenatal sensory experiences help shape the brain and nervous system.

2-6 months

Significant 'wiring' of the brain occurs in the first years of a child's life and your baby's brain is developing as a result of the experiences and relationships they are exposed to each day. Babies learn emotions through observing their parents and caregivers, and how they react to various movements and sounds such as crying, yelling, smiling and cooing.

6-9 months

By 9 months your child's brain has already undergone a rapid growth spurt that helps form connections between what they see, hear, feel and taste. Playtime and interactions with parents and family members provides key learning opportunities for early development.

3 years

By 3 years of age a child's brain has around 1,000 trillion brain connections (synapses). The early years are a rapid period of brain development which can be fostered by positive relationships with parents and optimal community environments for families and children. Engaging with your child and providing a safe environment and physical care to your child has a significant impact on your child's development.

3-5 years

By school, a child's brain development is built upon the now solid foundation created in the first 5 years. It is more difficult for children to take advantage of learning environments, such as school, if they have not had optimal early learning experiences or a nurturing home environment.

Adolescence

When adolescence is reached, brain synapses will number around 500 trillion, a figure that remains relatively steady into adulthood. The brain development prioritises the connections used most often, resulting in 'pruning' of the brain networks and circuits.

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kindy; early childhood; brain development

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​In the first years of a child's life, their brain development will create the foundations for all learning and development later in life. While genetics provide the initial 'map' for development, it is everyday experiences and relationships that shape a child's brain.

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https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2017/caring-relationships-heart-early-brain-development

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Of all that brain science has taught us over the last 30 years, one of the clearest findings is that early brain development is directly influenced by babies' day-to-day interactions with their caregivers. Even before birth, babies have a built-in expectation that adults will be available and care for their needs (Shonkoff & Phillips 2000). Their very survival depends on this availability. If babies' expectations for protection and nurturance are met, their brains experience pleasure and delight. These pleasurable early interactions stimulate the brain, motivating the baby to relate to those who care for them with confidence and ease. If their expectations are less than adequately met, their confidence in getting their needs met through relationships may be challenged. When this occurs, emotional and social development suffer, and, because babies' emotional base is the foundation for all other learning, so do intellectual and language development (Greenspan 1990; IOM & NRC 2015).

A baby's early experiences in relationships, whether at home or in an early education environment, set the stage for future brain functioning. The information gathered in these early relationships is at the heart of a rich and complex brain-building process. As babies experience responses from their caregivers, their brains start to form expectations for how they will be treated and how they should respond. For example, when a baby fusses or cries, consistent adult responses that provide comfort help the child anticipate similar responses in the future. As the expectations are strengthened by similar experiences being repeated, babies' brains construct perceptions of the social and emotional world in which they live. Those perceptions influence how babies understand their environment, relate to others, and engage in learning. When those experiences are primarily positive, children perceive the behaviors and messages of others in positive ways and are motivated to explore more and more of the world (including people and things). When babies have repeated adverse early experiences, they come to expect the behaviors and messages of others to be negative, and they start to perceive new experiences with others in a negative way.

In early brain growth, experience creates expectation, which alters perception.

Whether babies' early relationships are largely positive or negative significantly impacts their ability to manage stress. From birth to age 3, stress can have an especially adverse effect on brain development (NRC & IOM 2009). When children have positive early relationship experiences, they develop emotionally secure attachments with their caregivers that can buffer stress at various levels of intensity. If stress is severe and persistent, it becomes toxic and the emotional buffers provided by secure relationships are crucially important (Center on the Developing Child 2007). When children have to cope with tolerable (less intense and temporary) stress, emotionally secure relationships help children regulate their responses and, once the stress subsides, refocus on exploration and learning. What we have learned from brain research in the last 30 years is that the "tender loving care" advocated by early childhood educators for many decades is not only the kind way to treat children but a crucial part of early brain development.

Healthy early brain development from birth to age 3

During the first three years of life, children go through a period of "prolonged helplessness," dependent on others for safety, survival, and socialization (Gopnik 2016). Because babies' brains are programmed to learn from their caregivers, this period of helplessness is a strength, not a weakness. Infants' and toddlers' time with others wires their brains for survival in anticipation of future functioning (Hamburg 1995). The brain builds crucial structures and pathways that serve as the foundation for future social, emotional, language, and intellectual functioning (Schore 2005; Drury et al. 2010). Therefore, the relationships a child experiences each day and the environments in which those relationships play out are the building blocks of the brain. By participating in learning experiences with their caregivers, babies shape their brains to function in the particular physical, social, and linguistic environments of those who care for them. Babies learn, largely by attending to their caregivers' modeling, how to feel, think, and act. Simple, daily interactions have an enormous impact. For example, a caregiver who performs routines in a gentle way and uses language to help the child anticipate what will happen next teaches the child to learn about caring relationships and supports language development. During this formative period it is critically important for caregivers to create a climate of care with healthy brain growth in mind. Simply stated, young children develop and function well when provided care in safe, interesting, and intimate settings where they establish and sustain secure and trusting relationships with knowledgeable caregivers who are responsive to their needs and interests (Lally 2006).

The infant brain is at once vulnerable and competent; both of these attributes need to be addressed simultaneously for healthy brain development. The vulnerable baby is dependent on relationships with adults for physical survival, emotional security, a safe base for learning, help with self-regulation, modeling and mentoring social behavior, and information and exchanges about the workings of the world and rules for living. Yet at the same time, the baby comes into the world with great competence as a curious, motivated, self-starting learner-an imitator, interpreter, integrator, inventor, explorer, communicator, meaning seeker, and relationship builder. For the brain to grow robustly, it needs a context of caring relationships that simultaneously provide emotional predictability for the baby's vulnerable side and a climate of intellectual novelty for the competent side (Lally 2013).

Preconception and prenatal development

When do caring relationships start to influence the development of the brain? Earlier than most of us think. Although this article primarily focuses on relationships established during the time period from birth to age 3, the developing brain before birth-and even before conception-deserves some attention. (For more information on supporting growth during preconception and pregnancy, see chapters three and seven in For Our Babies: Ending the Invisible Neglect of America's Infants [Lally 2013].)

A woman's health and habits before becoming pregnant shape the development of the embryo. From at least three months before conception, the prospective mother's food, drinks, drugs, toxins, stresses, and other experiences influence the early womb environment in which the brain develops; this may affect the child's future learning. Since many women become pregnant while in poor health or while engaging in unhealthy habits, the connection between preconception (particularly from three months before conception to awareness of conception) and healthy brain development needs to be addressed (Atrash et al. 2006; Kent et al. 2006). In addition to a public education campaign for all citizens about the preconception risks to the development of the brain, the United States should provide a safety net of preconception services to women of childbearing age and universal screening for depression and other mental health issues.

Once conception occurs and brain development starts in the womb, the fetal environment may positively or negatively influence the developing brain. Brain growth is more rapid during this period of life than any other, with neurons being produced at an astonishing rate. The neurons then migrate to the area of the brain where they will reside for a person's entire life, beginning to form connections and differentiate brain functions. Fetuses use information-such as the kind and amount of nutrients received, the stress experienced, and the languages and voices heard-to shape their brains and bodies to anticipate experiences once born. Just two-thirds of the way through pregnancy, a good portion of the basic wiring of the brain is already completed (Thompson 2010).

Birth to 9 months: Caring relationships and the brain during the attachment period

During the first stage of development outside the womb, much of babies' initial attention focuses on forming and strengthening secure connections with their caregivers. Rather than passively receiving care, babies actively seek it out. They come into the world with physical skills and social competences that prepare them to play an active role in their development. They are wired to react to those around them in ways that elicit interest and increase the likelihood of contact and closeness (Marvin & Britner 2008). Based on the feedback babies receive from early exchanges, they direct attachment behaviors toward developing secure relationships with their primary caregivers. Research has shown that this attachment-seeking fits with the finding that during the first two years of brain development, emotional wiring is the dominant activity. The brain builds crucial structures and pathways of emotional functioning that serve as the base for attachment, future emotional and social activity, and the language and intellectual development that will follow (Schore 2000). In this earliest stage, babies start using messages from caregivers to develop perceptions of the extent to which they are loved. Infants then use these perceptions to create an initial working model for how to engage with others. Thus, the care babies receive during these early exchanges directly affects the quality of attachment they form with their caregivers and influences the emotional stance they will take in interactions with others.

Young babies need relationships with caregivers who are:

Sensitive to their needs and messages

Timely in responding (especially to messages of distress)

Accurate in the reading of their cues

Understanding of appropriate levels of stimulation (Bornstein 2012)

Seven to 18 months: Caring relationships and the brain during the exploration stage

Between 7 and 18 months of age, babies are driven to search out their local environment, objects, and people; to build a primitive definition of self; and to test the strength and use of relationships. Using their emerging motor skills to explore, they venture from the safety of the physical closeness of their caregivers and test the strength of relationships. They come and go while carefully observing their caregiver's attentiveness and emotional availability. They are, in a sense, practicing independence (Calkins & Hill 2007; Eisenberg, Hofer, & Vaughan 2007). Also at this stage, babies' brains are preparing for a life that does not revolve entirely around physical proximity to the caregiver. Based on their caregivers' reactions to their actions, babies and toddlers begin to hold in mind lessons learned, such as which independent explorations are considered socially appropriate and which are not, and what activities are dangerous, like playing near an ungated stairway.

Babies' communication and language skills increase dramatically during the exploration stage. Although babies can say only a few words, they come to understand many more (Thompson 2011). The words they hear from adults stimulate the language development pathways in the brain. It is not only the words that matter, but also the larger patterns of communication-not just what is said, but how it is said and re ceived (Pawl & St. John 1998). After repeated exchanges with their caregivers, infants start to build a primitive sense of self. They come to expect:

"I am listened to or not."
"What I choose to do is valued or isn't."
"How I express my emotions is accepted or isn't."
"I am allowed to explore or not."
"Mostly my needs are met or not."

The thoughts, emotions, and shared experiences that the developing brain processes in interactions with adults have a profound impact on the developing child's self-perception and actions.

Fifteen to 36 months: Caring relationships and the brain during the self-definition stage

During the third stage, young children are developing an awareness of their separateness from their caregivers and peers as well as a sense of themselves as individuals (Vaughn, Kopp, & Krakow 1984). They begin to exhibit self-conscious emotions, are particularly sensitive to others' judgments, feel shame and embarrassment easily when others critique their behaviors and appearance, and start to develop a conscience. This stage is also characterized by an explosion of brain growth in several areas of development (in addition to the emotional development that was dominant earlier). Intellectually, children hold ideas in their minds briefly, engage in pretend play, and become increasingly able to focus their attention on topics, people, and objects introduced by others. Their use of spoken language increases greatly. They use many new words and complex sentence structures. Children develop perceptual and motor skills that allow them to run fast, climb high, and hit hard-making the development of self-control especially important (Brownell & Kopp 2007).

Fortunately, this self-definition stage also brings the early emergence of executive function skills, which include the development of working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control (Center on the Developing Child 2012). These emerging skills influence all areas of development, increasing children's capacity to explore and learn about their social environment-and to navigate conflicts with others. As children gain a clearer understanding of independent, separate interests, they realize they have choices, which is quite liberating. However, with choices-particularly those involving caregivers and peers-comes a dawning awareness of responsibility. This choice-responsibility tension is central to the drama of this stage. Once again, caring relationships play a prominent role in how the young brain becomes structured. How adults react during this tension filled period of life greatly affects how young children come to see their rights and others' rights. Interactions children have with their caregivers, peers, and others shape their brains' social and emotional future. What toddlers experience in their day-to-day lives forms their expectations for what constitutes appropriate behavior toward others (Barry & Kochanska 2010). These early experiences provide lessons for developing moral and ethical codes, gaining control of impulses and emotions, and learning and adapting to the rules of their family, culture, and society. As young children experience a growing sense of independence and self-control, their brains' capacity to regulate their behavior continues to develop; but they still need guidance from adults, and this guidance most often comes through caring relationships.

Caring Behavior During the Stage of Self-Definition

Predictable routines in safe, clearly defined environments; respectful responses; and consistent guidance provide the kind of care that strengthens self-regulation and the beginnings of executive function.

The young brain needs adults to act in ways that honor the child's rights to desire, hope, explore, and show preferences, while also helping the child learn to honor the similar rights of others. Although the child is growing older and more independent, the young brain remains vulnerable. Caring relationships, with clear rules for behavior that are consistently applied in reasoned ways, provide safety while the brain is still being formed, ensuring that individuation experiences and socialization lessons occur in a fair and predictable environment.

Conclusion

What we are learning from brain science helps us better understand the multiple factors that influence young children's development and provides us with caregiving strategies that are in harmony with the developing brain. In essence, brain development is about the whole child, from the health of the mother to the child's early experiences in the culture and language of their family, their community, and their early learning program. The foundation of brain development is social and emotional development grounded in caring relationships. If caregivers are mindful of how a child's whole experience-particularly the emotional tenor-influences the developing brain, they can provide caring relationships that help the child feel secure and open up to an engaging world of exploration and learning throughout the early years.

References

Atrash, H.K., K. Johnson, M. Adams, J.F. Cordero, & J. Howse. 2006. "Preconception Care for Improving Perinatal Outcomes: The Time to Act." Maternal and Child Health Journal 10 (Supplement 1): 3-11.

Barry, R.A., & G. Kochanska. 2010. "A Longitudinal Investigation of the Affective Environment in Families With Young Children: From Infancy to Early School Age." Emotion 10 (2): 237-49.

Bornstein, M.H. 2012. "Caregiver Responsiveness and Child Development and Learning: From Theory to Research to Practice." In Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Cognitive Development and Learning, ed. P.L. Mangione, 2nd ed. Sacramento: California Department of Education.

Brownell, C.A., & C.B. Kopp. 2007. "Transitions in Toddler Socioemotional Development: Behavior, Understanding, Relationships." Chap. 1 in Socioemotional Development in the Toddler Years: Transitions and Transformations, eds. C.A. Brownell & C.B Kopp, 66-69. New York: Guilford.

Calkins, S.D., & A. Hill. 2007. "Caregiver Influences on Emerging Emotion Regulation: Biological and Environmental Transactions in Early Development." Chap. 11 in Handbook of Emotion Regulation, ed. J.J. Gross, 229-48. New York: Guilford.

Center on the Developing Child. 2007. The Impact of Early Adversity on Child Development (InBrief). http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-the-impact-of-early....

Center on the Developing Child. 2012. Executive Function (InBrief). http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-executive-function.

Drury, S.S., K.P. Theall, A.T. Smyke, B.J. Keats, H.L. Egger, C.A. Nelson, N.A. Fox, P.J. Marshall, & C.H. Zeanah. 2010. "Modification of Depression by COMT val158met Polymorphism in Children Exposed to Early Severe Psychosocial Deprivation." Child Abuse and Neglect 34 (6): 387-95.

Eisenberg, N., C. Hofer, & J. Vaughan. 2007. "Effortful Control and Its Socioemotional Consequences." Chap. 14 in Handbook of Emotion Regulation, ed. J.J. Gross, 287-306. New York: Guilford.

Gopnik, A. 2016. The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Greenspan, S.I. 1990. "Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers." In Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Social-Emotional Growth and Socialization, ed. J.R. Lally, 15-18. Sacramento: California Department of Education.

Hamburg, D.A. 1995. "President's Essay: A Developmental Strategy to Prevent Lifelong Damage." www.carnegie.org/media/filer_public/af/ae/afae9e53-c3c4-47db-a444-a2bfb7....

IOM (Institute of Medicine) & NRC (National Research Council). 2015. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Kent, H., K. Johnson, M. Curtis, J.R. Hood, & H. Atrash. 2006. "Proceedings of the Preconception Health and Health Care Clinical, Public Health, and Consumer Workgroup Meetings." Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. www.cdc.gov/preconception/documents/workgroupproceedingsjune06.pdf.

Lally, J.R. 2006. "Metatheories of Childrearing." Chap. 2 in Concepts for Care: 20 Essays on Infant/Toddler Development and Learning, eds. J.R. Lally, P.L. Mangione, & D. Greenwald, 7-14. San Francisco: WestEd.

Lally, J.R. 2013. For Our Babies: Ending the Invisible Neglect of America's Infants. New York: Teachers College Press.

Marvin, R.S., & P.A. Britner. 2008. "Normative Development: The Ontogeny of Attachment." Chap. 12 in Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications, eds. J. Cassidy & P.R. Shaver, 2nd ed. New York: Guilford.

NRC (National Research Council) & IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2009. Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Pawl, J.H., & M. St. John. 1998. How You Are Is as Important as What You Do ... in Making a Positive Difference for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE.

Schore, A.N. 2000. "Attachment and the Regulation of the Right Brain." Attachment and Human Development 2 (1): 23-47.

Schore, A.N. 2003. Affect Dysregulation and Disorders of the Self. Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. New York: Norton.

Schore, A.N. 2005. "Attachment, Affect Regulation, and the Developing Right Brain: Linking Developmental Neuroscience to Pediatrics." Pediatrics in Review 26 (6): 204-17.

Shonkoff, J.P., & D.A. Phillips, eds. 2000. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Child Development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Thompson, R.A. 2010. Connecting Neurons, Concepts, and People: Brain Development and Its Implications. Policy Facts series. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers Graduate School of Education.

Thompson, R.A. 2011. "The Emotional Child." Chap. 2 in Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology: The Origins and Organization of Adaptation and Maladaptation, eds. D. Cicchetti & G.I. Roisman. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Vaughn, B.E., C.B. Kopp, & J.B. Krakow. 1984. "The Emergence and Consolidation of Self-Control From Eighteen to Thirty Months of Age: Normative Trends and Individual Differences." Child Development 55 (3): 990-1004.

RELATED RESOURCES FROM NAEYC

Powerful Interactions: How to Connect With Children to Extend Their Learning

Inspired by Reggio Emilia: Emergent Curriculum in Relationship-Driven Learning Environments

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Caring Relationships: The Heart of Early Brain Development

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Of all that brain science has taught us over the last 30 years, one of the clearest findings is that early brain development is directly influenced by babies' day-to-day interactions with their caregivers.

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https://www.education.pa.gov/Early%20Learning/Pages/default.aspx

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The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) (a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services) is focused on creating opportunities for the commonwealth’s youngest citizens to develop and learn to their fullest…

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https://www.phillipsbrooks.org/post/~board/features/post/the-importance-of-early-childhood-education#:~:text=%2D%20Children%20who%20are%20enrolled%20in,attend%20an%20early%20education%20program.

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https://www.umassglobal.edu/news-and-events/blog/what-is-purpose-of-early-childhood-education

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If you're like most adults, you didn't spend much time thinking about early childhood education (ECE) until you or a loved one had a child. You may have fond memories of your preschool days but can't recall much besides taking turns in games, singing songs, getting dirty outside, making friends and napping on the floor.

These activities often seem like merely fun and games, so it's easy to overlook the importance of early childhood education. But educators know the truth: Young children learn best through play, and starting early sets them up for success in life and school. In fact, children start learning from their parents and environment in utero, according to Dr. Hawani Negussie, assistant professor of early childhood education at UMass Global.

We enlisted Dr. Negussie's ECE expertise to help answer some important questions, like "What is ECE?" and "Why is early childhood education important?" Keep reading for an insightful introduction to this rewarding field.

What is early childhood education?

Simply put, early childhood education is considered the official term for teaching young kids. More specifically, it refers to formal and informal educational programs that guide the growth and development of children throughout their preschool years (birth to age five). Children at these ages are entirely dependent on their adult caregivers, including parents, daycare providers, babysitters, extended family members and teachers.

ECE encompasses a wide variety of activities designed to promote children's cognitive and social development before entering kindergarten. Some programs primarily focus on school and academic readiness while others embrace a "whole child" approach that emphasizes mental and emotional preparedness.

One challenge that ECE educators face is the fact that their work is often dismissed or devalued as "simply playtime." This could not be farther from the truth, according to Dr. Negussie.

"This misconception around what ECE teachers do is very common," she shares. "Often, stakeholders, like parents, community members and even other educators, have the attitude that whatever happens in preschool doesn't matter because learning only begins once they enter kindergarten."

Young children have incredibly impressionable and elastic minds that are constantly soaking up information from their surroundings and learning from interactions and experiences. They are born to learn and hardwired to perceive, imitate, experiment and explore. This is one of the reasons why ECE is important.

What is the purpose of early childhood education?

The purpose of ECE is to provide children with strategies that help them develop the emotional, social and cognitive skills needed to become lifelong learners. The Zero to Three Foundation considers the following skills to be the most important for young learners to master:

1. Language and literacy: Language provides the foundation for the development of literacy skills. Learning to communicate through gestures, sounds and words increases a child's interest in - and later understanding of - books and reading.

2. Children are born with a need to understand how things work. In their everyday experiences, they use and develop an understanding of math concepts, such as counting and sorting, and problem-solving skills that they will need for school.

3. Self-control: This refers to the ability to express and manage emotions in appropriate ways and is essential for success in school and healthy development overall. It enables children to cooperate with others, cope with frustration and resolve conflicts.

4. Self-confidence: When children feel competent and believe in themselves, they are more willing to take on new challenges. Self-confidence is also crucial for navigating social challenges, such as sharing, competition and making friends.

The fact that all of this early childhood learning can be facilitated without homework or tests is still difficult for some adults to believe. "There are always parents who don't understand that children learn best when they have the option to do so in a manner that is pleasurable," Dr. Negussie explains.

Making something fun helps them absorb the lesson. Play really is everything to kids.

ECE curriculums are set up to encourage young students to learn about themselves and the world via experiences. This could include indoor or outdoor play, cooperative or individual play, domestic play, sensory play and constructive play, to name just a few types.

Why is early childhood education important?

A newborn baby's brain is about a quarter of the size of an adult brain. Incredibly, it will double in size by the child's first birthday and will have completed 90 percent of its growth by age five. During the early childhood years, the brain is making millions of synapses every second. These neural connections allow us to move, think, communicate and comprehend the world around us. To say that this is a critical window of development is an understatement.

There is a large body of research that suggests a high-quality ECE program can have a positive long-term effect on the lives of children. The National Education Association (NEA) states that research shows children who receive a high-quality education before they turn five enjoy significant medium- and long-term benefits. Children in early childhood education programs are:

Less likely to repeat a grade

Less likely to be identified as having special needs

More prepared academically for later grades

More likely to graduate from high school

More likely to be higher earnersin the workforce

"We have a lot of scientific data about brain development at this age, but there is a huge gap between figuring out what young brains need to thrive and actually making policies or funding programs based on that information," Dr. Negussie shares.

She wishes that more people would understand that children have an impact on everyone - not just parents. "We forget that kids grow up and become leaders and decision-makers," she poses. "ECE should be at the forefront of political, social, state and federal discussions because every single child deserves a high-quality education, regardless of race, ethnicity or class."

What does a high-quality ECE program look like?

Successful childhood learning programs are dynamic, challenging, enriching and carefully planned. A typical ECE curriculum might incorporate songs, books, art, games, toys, experiences and nature exploration into the daily lesson plans for a class or group.

According to the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), the most important elements of a quality ECE program include:

Sufficient learning time and small class sizes with low student-teacher ratios

Well-prepared teachers who provide engaging interactions and classroom environments that support learning

Research-based, developmentally appropriate early learning standards and curricula

Assessments that consider children's academic, social-emotional and physical progress

Ongoing support for teachers, including coaching and mentoring

Meaningful family engagement

Dr. Negussie adds that for any ECE curriculum to be truly relevant and effective, it should be informed by the child's culture. "Children come to the classroom with background knowledge that is saturated in their particular culture," she explains. "Teachers shouldn't think of it as a foreign, exotic thing that we don't touch. Traditions, routines, communication styles - these are all steeped in culture."

Help shape success for the next generation

Now that you understand what early childhood education is and the crucial role it plays in society, you may feel a calling to build a career in this impactful field. Find out if you have what it takes in our article "Signs you should consider pursuing an early childhood education career."

You'll eventually need a degree to make your mark as an ECE professional. Learn more about UMass Global's flexible, affordable bachelor's degree in early childhood education.

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What is early childhood education? | UMass Global

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What is ECE? The importance of early childhood education cannot be overstated. Learn more about its purpose and the profound impact it has.

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https://www.nu.edu/blog/why-is-early-childhood-education-important/

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Early childhood education is a term that refers to the period of time from a child's birth to when they enter kindergarten, according to Dr. Jessica Alvarado, academic program director for the BA in Early Childhood Development at National University. According to Alvarado, it is an important time in children's lives because it is when they first learn how to interact with others, including peers, teachers and parents, and also begin to develop interests that will stay with them throughout their lives.

But Alvarado says it's a common misperception that early childhood education is only about learning basic skills. "It's so much more than that," she says. "It's a time when children learn critical social and emotional skills and a partnership is formed between the child, their parents and the teacher. When this is done successfully, it lays the groundwork for it to continue throughout the child's education."

Nations around that world are becoming aware of the importance of early childhood education as well. (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is an international governing body whose mission is "to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through education." Here's what the organization says about the importance of early childhood education:
"Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. ECCE has the possibility to nurture caring, capable and responsible future citizens."
What Specific Outcomes Does Early Childhood Education Have on a Child's Future?

The outcomes vary, as Alvarado explains, but all have been positive. "Studies have looked at everything from the broad social benefits of early childhood education, to something as specific as STEM learning outcomes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and how introducing children to these topics early on can have a lasting impact," she says.

She also stresses the importance of encouraging early childhood educators to really get to know their students and each of their specific interests. "When [teachers] do that, that relationship can really influence the students day to day and build trust - and studies have shown that when children are comfortable and trust the people around them, they learn more quickly and successfully," she says.

Parental involvement is also a big component of this relationship-building process, and Alvarado says its important for teachers at this level to work closely with the families. "When the partnership between teachers and the family is successful, we see that echoing positively throughout the child's life," she explains.

What Is It Like to Work in Early Childhood Education?

According to Alvarado, someone who enjoys working with children and wants to make a lasting impact on their lives will probably be happy with a career in early childhood education. "Helping children to learn and grow is a big part of it, but this field also provides lots of opportunities to grow yourself - not just in your knowledge but overall in your social emotional growth as well. It can help you develop leadership skills and to become a reflective practitioner."

If you're interested in pursuing a career in early childhood education, the first step is to earn a bachelor's degree. In addition to what's required in your degree program, there may be state or country-specific coursework. Depending upon where you'd like to work, whether in the U.S. or abroad, you should contact the state Department of Education or the country's Ministry of Education to learn about any location-specific course or licensure requirements.

What Are Some of the Biggest Challenges People Working in Early Childhood Education Face?

Alvarado says that one of the biggest challenges educators face is finding the right balance between working one-on-one with children and managing the larger group as a whole. "For example, if you're working in a classroom, you could be really focused on learning what a child's specific interests and needs are - meanwhile you've got lots of other children who also need your attention."

Figuring out how to apply and implement classroom standards can also be an issue for new teachers. "I went a little crazy with making charts in my first year," she says, "But the longer I was in the field, the more I was able to take a deep breath and realize that I didn't need to be so hard on myself."

She recommends that teachers not beat themselves up if they make a mistake. "Don't try to be perfect," she says. "It's more important that you just keep going."

How Can Teachers Maximize Learning Outcomes for Children at This Age?

In order to get the best outcomes in early childhood education, Alvarado strongly suggests working students' natural curiosities into lesson plans. "Yes, we want to look at standards," she says. "Yes, there are boxes we need to check, but a huge part of what we do with young children is looking at their interests and using those interests to better engage them in learning."

Alvarado explains that teachers can take the topics or subject areas that fascinate individual students and expand on it through in-class or at-home activities. Targeting these areas can help students develop critical thinking skills, allowing them to give more complex answers than "yes" or "no." To illustrate this technique, Alvarado describes a student who showed a passion for insects. At first, she says she was caught off guard and didn't know what to do, but then she realized she could use this interest in bugs to engage the child in a number of other subjects besides science. "There could be math in there, language arts - it was really about using the child's specific interest to open new doors for them."

Why Should Students Pursue a Career in Early Childhood Education?

Early childhood education is a wide and varied career path. If you enjoy working with children and are willing to put in the work necessary to earn your degree, Alvarado believes you will find it rewarding.

It is also a growing field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for individuals working in early childhood education is strong, with employment of preschool teachers expected to grow 10 percent over the next eight years.. In 2017, the median annual salary for preschool teachers was $28,990,with the highest 10% of earners making more than $54,000. The median in California is $36,760. (According to BLS statistics, "median" salary is the midpoint between half of workers who earn more than that amount and half of workers who earn less.)

But a preschool classroom isn't the only place you can go with your degree. Alvarado started her career in a children's shelter near San Diego. "It was a 24-hour facility," she recalls. "The children lived there and went to school on site. Sometimes the site served as a transition between families and foster care."

Alvarado adds that in addition to finding positions at schools, some of her past students have joined the teams at education-related non-profits - and fell in love with the work they do there.

According to the BLS, the top employers of preschool teachers are:

State, local, and private schools.

Individual and family services.

Religious, grantmaking, professional and similar organizations.

Child day care services.

Other career options are available with additional education in early childhood education.

"[I]f you go on to get your master's, you can work as an assistant director of an early education program or teach at a community college," Alvarado says.

According to the United States Department of Education, graduates of early childhood education programs can be qualified for a variety of positions beyond teaching preschool, including:

Family service staff.

Early learning and development programs.

Infant and toddler specialists.

Early intervention specialists.

Early childhood special educators.

Home visitors and related service providers.

Administrators.

Head Start and Early Head Start teachers.

What Makes National University's Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (BAECE) Program Stand Out?

Before joining the full-time faculty at National, Alvarado served as an adjunct professor for eight years. What struck her most about the program during her early years at the university was its focus on the students and the commitment level of faculty members.

"My program director called me all the time to check in on how my classes were going," she says. "He would say things like, 'We're thinking of changing something for this class you're teaching, what do you think?' He always wanted my input no matter how small of a matter it was."

National's BAECE program is aligned with national standards so students can be certain they will graduate with the right set of skills to enter the workplace. You'll learn from education professionals with first-hand teaching experience, including full-time and adjunct faculty members who are either still teaching in early childhood education or have taught in the field in the past.

"We are eager to share our own experiences with our students. Even in the online classes I'll bring up examples of what went really well and what didn't in a classroom setting," Alvarado says.

Another component of National's BAECE program that is popular with students is field experience. National students complete approximately five hours of field experience for each class they take. Alvarado explains the field experience learning component is always tied to a specific assignment in class. For example, if an in-class topic is learning how to create lesson plans, a student could then go into an actual classroom to put that concept into practice.

"Students love the field experience," she says. "It can be a little intimidating at first but afterwards my students always thank me because they see immediately where they are strong and where they need to put in work."

Alvarado also takes pride in National's online learning format. "It's never just read and write," she says. "There are videos, activities, and discussion boards. My students are never just thinking about what a book says about a topic; we're always challenging them to think about what it would be like to put it into practice."

What Are Some of the Most Important Classes in National's BAECE?

Alvarado cites two examples of classes that, while different from one another, have been critical in giving her students the skills and confidence they need to succeed as early childhood educators.

In Early Cognition , one of the first courses in the program, students learn about the nature and tasks of early cognition including social, cultural, and biological foundations. They also learn how to collaborate with families and staff in supporting active learning environments. Students look at current research implications in brain development and cognition and how they can affect classroom instruction. Students also learn how to use that research to assess a student's progress.

Play as Pedagogy is a case study class that focuses on play as the primary learning modality for young children. The course reinforces how impactful it can be for teachers to observe children at play. Each week students learn how to design lesson plans on an aspect of play, as well as learn how to explain play as a teaching tool and how to extend it through art, music, and dance.

"It's a fun course and it's important to talk about 'play' in general when it comes to early childhood education and to look at 'play' as education," Alvarado says.

In addition to the Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (BAECE) program, National also offers a Master of Early Childhood Education, which teaches students how to evaluate early childhood teaching practices and policies and examine their impact on children, family, schools, and the community. The master's degree opens up additional career possibilities such as teaching at the college level or directing an early childhood education center or program.

What Role Does Licensure Play in Your Career as an Early Childhood Educator?

As in most teaching careers, additional credentials beyond a related degree are often needed to be employed at a specific type of school or in a specific city, state, or country.

For example, in California, those seeking to become early childhood educators are required to apply for a permit from the state's Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Permits come in a variety of levels based on job responsibilities (such as if you'll be supervising others), and, thus, requirements vary for each.

What Does it Mean When a Class is Offered in a Precision Learning Format?

In order to make sure students get the most out of their classes, some (including the aforementioned '"play" course) are offered in a "precision learning format." Precision learning is a personalized way of instructing that allows students to get any support they need early on. Alvarado, who was one of the founders of this learning format, believes this format is critical to a student's success in the class; they'll understand how they learn and then can strategize their studying accordingly.

"In a precision learning format, students are given opportunities for learning in a more personalized way," she explains. "We set it up so they get the help they need, when they need it, and can thrive as a result."

According to Alvarado, the answer to "why is early childhood education important" lies in the fact these are critical development years. During this time, valuable relationships are formed in children's lives, and partnerships developed between teachers, peers, and parents.

If you are interested in taking the first step toward a rewarding and in-demand career, please visit the program page for National University's Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education available on campus and online to learn more. You can also get additional information and speak to an advisor by filling out the Request for Information form on the same page.

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Why Is Early Childhood Education Important? | National University

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Early childhood education is a term that refers to the period of time from a child's birth to when they enter kindergarten, according to Dr. Jessica Alvarado, academic program director for the BA in Early Childhood Development at National University.

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https://www.waldenu.edu/online-masters-programs/ms-in-early-childhood-studies/resource/what-is-the-importance-of-early-childhood-education

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https://kidcityusa.com/early-childhood-education/importance-of-early-childhood-education/

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Did you know children who are behind in kindergarten are more likely to fall behind for their entire educational experiences? The experts' message is clear - children who attend preschool are more prepared for kindergarten than those who don't.

The importance of early childhood education cannot be overstated. Why is early childhood education so important for our little ones? A large part of critical brain development in children happens before they even start kindergarten. It impacts everything from school performance to lifelong social skills.

Parents who are on the fence about enrolling their little ones in a preschool program shouldn't hesitate. Early childhood development programs are an investment in your child's future, not a cost. There are many high-quality and affordable childcare options out there that could be an excellent fit for your family.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about the importance of early childhood education.

What Is the Importance of Early Childhood Education?

Early childhood education is the time from when a child is born until they start kindergarten.

This time of life is about so much more than learning the necessary skills and preparing for K-12 education. In preschool programs, children learn how to interact with their classmates, teachers, and parents. They also start to discover interests that they hold for a lifetime.

Choosing the right preschool program for your child depends on your family's needs and location. But, there are key things you want to look for in your child's early education program. First and foremost, you want to look for quality, approachable teachers.

Programs that provide opportunities to learn art, music, STEM, and stay active are all positive signs of an excellent school.

Socialization: A Key Component to Early Childhood Education

Children who take part in early childhood education programs have improved social skills. In a preschool setting, children learn crucial skills like listening, sharing, and taking turns with others.

In school, pre-school teachers will use songs, games, stories, and more to teach children how to interact. Play is a critical component of learning the social skills necessary to take children through life.

Here are some specific social skills that your child will learn in an early childhood education program.

Children will learn to express their emotions, like happiness, sadness, and anger. They will also work on how to cope with their feelings.

In a group setting, children can work on their listening skills. With numerous children and only a few teachers, they will naturally learn to take turns with others. Circle time is also an excellent structured time for listening and taking turns.

When children attend early childhood education programs, they learn to cooperate with other kids their age. They learn to share and take turns speaking. It is especially important for children who don't have siblings at home.

Better Academic Performance

Data shows that children who participate in early childhood education perform better when they get to K-12 school.

Children who had access to preschool before starting kindergarten perform better on math and reading. There is a direct correlation between underperformance in school and children who stayed home with parents.

A Harvard study revealed that early childhood education leads to a lower chance of special education placement. It also increases the likelihood of graduating from high school.

Other studies have yielded similar results regarding academic performance and graduation rates. Another study showed that graduation rates were 80 percent for children who attended preschool. Graduation rates were only 60 percent for those children who didn't have the opportunity to go to preschool.

Love of Lifelong Learning

One of the significant benefits of early childhood education is that it builds a love of learning that lasts well past the preschool years.

In preschool, children's lessons are presented as fun games and activities. They get to discover all these new things about the world they're living in. There is also exciting music, art, and toys they don't have access to at home.

These early exposures inspire children to want to know more. They develop a passion for knowledge that will last them a lifetime.

Improved Self-Esteem and Confidence

When children attend preschool programs, they experience tons of positive reinforcement. They also have positive interactions with their teachers and their classmates.

These early interactions build up children's self-esteem at an early age. This confidence will carry them throughout life.

Our programs work with each family to build your child's self-esteem in a positive and loving environment.

Better Attention Span

What is an attention span? An attention span is the ability of a child to pay attention to the task at hand. That often involves blocking things out, like noise or visual stimulus.

Once children start school, one of the most important things they need to succeed is having a developed concentration span. If your child has trouble focusing in school, they will struggle to keep up and miss out on important information.

Attention spans are a challenging issue for many parents, especially while living in the digital age. Children need the help of their parents and their teachers to help them work on concentrating.

Early childhood education programs work on attention spans as part of their learning process. In preschool, children start understanding when it's time to work and when it's time to play.

Some parents think that if their child can concentrate while watching TV for a long time, they're not having issues focusing. This misconception is common among parents.

The truth is that screen time can shorten attention spans. Watching TV doesn't require concentration. Children are not engaged in the television program; it's a passive activity.

When children are at home, they're typically exposed to lengthier amounts of screen time than kids enrolled in pre-school. And who can blame busy parents for giving themselves a much deserved-break by letting their child watch a little TV? Especially parents who are trying to work from home and protect their children during a pandemic.

One of the marvelous things about early childhood education is it's a designated time for learning when your child is not on screens.

Exposure to Diversity

It just makes sense that children attend early childhood education programs, they are exposed to more diversity in their lives. In school, children are going to have the chance to interact with peers who are different than they are. Whether it's diversity in race, class, socioeconomic status, or religion, it's beneficial to the child.

The value of experiencing diversity cannot be understated and will play a crucial role in the future of the world.

Early Childhood Education Provides a Foundation of STEM Skills

In preschool, your child will get an early exposure to Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering, also known as STEM.

Kids can learn about STEM at an incredibly young age, and being exposed to STEM topics early can boost their STEM skills and critical thinking. STEM jobs are in demand and will continue to be in high demand when today's children enter the workforce.

What parents have time to sit around and google STEM activities every day? Early childhood education programs have a curriculum to do this for you. One day your child might learn about the wind, and another day they may explore gears.

A good program the teachers and tools needed to inspire your children to be curious and explore STEM concepts from an incredibly early age.

Here are some key points regarding STEM and early childhood education for parents to know.

Young children work well on STEM projects when they can do it as a group. Research has shown that children can stay motivated and concentrate on a complicated task for longer when they see other kids doing it.

In early childhood education programs, they emphasize curiosity. Teachers encourage children to ask critical questions like "why," "what," and "how." The positive emphasis on these questions at an early age is key to remaining interested in STEM later in life.

Staying Active and Healthy

Everyone knows that children don't like to sit still for very long. In recent years, there has been a push to develop curriculums that emphasize learning through movement.

When children attend a school that emphasizes physical activity, they get to learn and stay active simultaneously. Your kids will have access to a structured outdoor time where they can play on the playground or run around and explore nature.

Whether your child is engaging in sports or playing tag with other children, the important thing is they're getting up and moving. Getting into the habit of being active at an early age is key to building healthy lifelong habits.

Nurturing a child's mind and body at an early age is key to overall lifetime health.

Early Childhood Education Boosts Creativity

One of the best things about early childhood education programs is giving kids lots of opportunities to get creative and messy. Let's be realistic; most parents are less than thrilled to get out the messy paints and other arrays of art supplies.

Art projects are a vital component of early childhood education programs. Children can learn about the fall and paint leaves, or make the classic hand turkeys while learning about Thanksgiving. Kids love to paint, make arts and crafts, and get messy.

Another significant part of preschool programs is exposure to music. Kids get to sing, play instruments, and learn about sound at an early age. Music is just as important as things like reading and writing.

Making music, clapping, dancing, and other fun activities can help develop children's fine motor skills. Singing songs can build brain and body coordination. The skills that children learn while participating in music contribute to the child's overall brain development.

Early exposure to the arts in early childhood education is just as beneficial as social skills and STEM programs for curious little ones.

Benefits That Last a Lifetime

The benefits that children gain in preschool programs follow them throughout the rest of their life. Whether it's going to college or purchasing a home, many lifetime successes link to early access to educational programs.

Read on for some additional data on the lifetime benefits of enrolling your child in an early education program.

Attendees of early childhood education programs are less likely to commit a felony and go to prison.

Children who attend preschool are more likely to go to college, making them more likely to earn a higher income in their lifetime.

People who attended early childhood education programs are more likely to own their own house later in life. Homeownership is a crucial factor in wealth building.

There is less chance that people will need government assistance later in life if they attend preschool as a child. This concept supports the argument of investing in education early and saving money in the long run.

Children who participate in early childhood education programs are less likely to have dependence issues later in life. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, almost 20 million Americans age 12 and older had a substance abuse disorder in 2017.

Invest in Your Child's Future Today

The evidence proving the importance of early childhood education is overwhelming. Children who take part in early childhood education programs have improved social skills and do better in school. They also learn essential life skills that stay with them forever.

Most importantly, preschool is a place where children have fun in a safe and loving environment. Our teachers and programs are proven to help kids thrive. Kids love attending our schools.

With 37 locations in Florida and Indiana, we offer an engaging early childhood education program for your child. If you're looking for quality, affordable childcare, contact us today to learn more about our program or find your nearest location.

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This Is the Importance of Early Childhood Education

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Did you know children who are behind in kindergarten are more likely to fall behind for their entire educational experiences? The experts' message is clear - children who attend preschool are more prepared for kindergarten than those who don't. The importance of early childhood education cannot be overstated.

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https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/news-and-events/early-years-matter/early-childhood-education-matters-the-science-says-it-does

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Ninety percent of children's brains are formed by the time they turn 6. Rapid brain growth in the early years "builds the foundation of who we will become as people," said Dr. Jack Shonkoff, director of Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child. By Matthew Hansen, Managing Editor
Ninety percent.

That's the giant part of a child's brain formed by the time she blows out the candles on her sixth birthday cake.

Ninety percent. Those are the first two words that pop into Sam Meisels's head when the founding executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska is quizzed by a stranger.

Ninety percent is our starting point today, as we consider a basic but key question: Why does quality early childhood education matter, anyway?

In 2020, most Nebraskans tell us in surveys that early childhood education is important to them. To parents, especially, the need for help is obvious: Roughly 75% of all young Nebraska children grow up in homes where all parents work.

But what we may lack is a statewide understanding of just how crucial high-quality early childhood education is, and why.
A mountain of research shows that good early education can change
the lives of young children, especially those growing up in poverty.
If you understand its true importance, it's easier to understand why we need to ensure that every young Nebraskan has access to it. If you understand its true importance, it's easier to understand why we need to pay early childhood teachers more and end rampant child care shortages in our state. It's also why we should pay close attention to Thursday's release of the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission Report.

In the past half-century, researchers have learned stunning things about how and how quickly the brain develops-science revolutionizing how we view small children and learning. Experts have done decades-long studies on early childhood programs-work suggesting that a toddler's experiences in early care and education can alter the trajectory of his life.

Not so long ago, we viewed young children as blank slates who didn't need to learn much before entering Kindergarten. Now we know that stimulating brain growth long before Kindergarten can have a massive impact on her future education, her future earnings, and even her future health.

This shift in thinking began where we started today: 90 percent of a child's brain is formed by the time he turns 6.

Starting the moment you are born, a million neural connections form each second in all parts of the brain, says Dr. Jack Shonkoff, director of Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child. That insanely rapid early brain growth builds "the foundation of who we will become as people."

The growth of new connections slows rapidly before puberty. Rewiring existing connections also gets tougher with each passing year. That's why it is much easier to learn a new language at age 7 than age 77.

"It's more efficient, both biologically and economically, to get things right the first time than to try to fix them later," Meisels says.

So, how do we get things right the first time?

There are many ways. High-quality early childhood education can happen in a home, at a school, or an early childhood center.

But no matter how it is delivered, a mountain of research shows that good early education can change the lives of young children-especially young children growing up in poverty.

Consider the Perry Preschool Project, a 1960s study that provided free preschool to a group of Michigan 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income homes. Experts then studied those who got early education, and those who didn't, until the 3- and 4-year-olds were middle aged.

The kids who received quality early childhood education were less likely to be enrolled in special education classes; more likely to become good junior high students; and far more likely to graduate from high school.

Fascinatingly, the gains seemingly made at age 3 or 4 continued right on into adulthood.
It's more efficient, both biologically and economically, to get things
right the first time, said the Buffett Institute's Sam Meisels.
Four times as many Perry preschoolers as non-preschoolers ended up making a living wage. Triple the number of Perry preschoolers ended up owning their own home. Twice as many avoided welfare.

The Perry preschoolers had fewer teenage pregnancies. They got divorced less. Fewer ended up in prison.

Researchers have seen similar, eye-popping results from decades-long studies that followed early childhood students in Illinois and North Carolina. The North Carolina study even showed that young children who received quality early childhood education actually ended up healthier as adults, with lower rates of heart disease and diabetes for men, and better mental health for women.

Knowing all this, it's easy to see why James Heckman, the famed, Nobel-winning economist, views quality early childhood education as a better investment than the stock market. Other experts have calculated that every dollar we spend on early childhood education gets us back an average of $4-and as much as $13 in the case of at-risk children. Why? Because we spend less down the road on social safety net programs, special education, and even prison cells. And because a well-educated young child tends to turn into a well-educated young adult who tends to turn into an employed, taxpaying American.

Early childhood education is no magic bullet, no cure-all for everything that ails our state and country.

But the people who have studied it the longest, and those working at the cutting edge of brain development, tend to view early childhood education as the single best way make our future better than our present.

Nebraskans already understand this at a gut level. Public opinion polling in our state shows that a strong majority of Nebraskans-Republicans, Democrats, and Independents-support early childhood education. We care about families. We care about children. We want to help build that better future.

The groundwork is already being laid to do just that by improving early childhood education in this state. Schools, nonprofits, and small towns are building up their own early childhood offerings. Businesses are working to solve child care shortages for their employees. The Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission is offering a potential statewide path forward.

And now, with a little understanding of the science behind early childhood's value, you can help.

Ninety percent. That's how much of a child's brain is formed by age 6. Tell your friends, your neighbors, your brother-in-law, your elected representatives, anyone who asks why early childhood education matters. Because it most certainly does.
Matthew Hansen, the managing editor of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, is an award-winning journalist tasked with telling the stories of the Institute's work and early childhood care and education in Nebraska and beyond. His columns can be read at https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/news-and-events/early-years-matter.

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Buffett Institute - Early Childhood Education Matters The Science Is Screaming It Does

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Ninety percent of children's brains are formed by the time they turn 6. Rapid brain growth in the early years "builds the foundation of who we will become as people," said Dr. Jack Shonkoff, director of Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child. By Matthew Hansen, Managing Editor Ninety percent.

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https://www.pointloma.edu/resources/adult-degree-completion/why-early-childhood-education-important

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What are some of your most vivid childhood memories? Do you remember learning your ABCs or learning how to distinguish colors? People often assume that real learning begins when kids start elementary school; however, children learn a lot between the time they're born and the time they start kindergarten.

In fact, "preschool-aged children experience profound biological brain development and achieve 90% of their adult brain volume by age 6." Since early childhood education has an important lifelong impact on children, parents and educators strive to create educational environments where children can thrive and grow.

What Is Early Childhood Education?

Early childhood education simply refers to anything a child learns in their preschool years. For instance, identifying shapes, learning how to count objects, repeating words and sentences, learning hot from cold, recognizing faces, and learning to pray can all be considered aspects of early childhood education. Anything that impacts a child's mental, emotional, psychological, or behavioral growth is considered part of their early childhood education.

__________
It's not too late to start your journey.
Pursue your purpose at PLNU.
__________

In addition, official early childhood education (ECE) programs exist to create a framework for a child's education. Early childhood educators typically work in preschools or childcare centers, leading daily activities and monitoring children. They design state-approved lesson plans to teach their students letters of the alphabet or colors of the rainbow. Early childhood educators can also help teach parents new ways to encourage and engage their children when they're learning at home.

Why Is Early Childhood Education (ECE) Important?

Early childhood education yields many long-term benefits for children. Studies, such as one by Harvard, have shown how early childhood education programs can prepare children to develop the social and emotional skills they need to succeed and graduate high school.

Other benefits of ECE can include earning higher grades and having a lifelong enthusiasm for reading and learning. Studies have also shown that children who attend high-quality ECE programs as children can develop an improved attention span which can lead to more productivity in their adult careers.

What Careers Can You Pursue in ECE?

Early childhood educators have different job responsibilities depending on their specific positions. If you're interested in an early childhood education career, here are several options:

Preschool teacher

Childcare center director

Nanny

Childcare worker

Special education teacher

School counselor

Those who work in schools or childcare centers create lesson plans based on pre-approved curricula. They also distribute and grade homework assignments, making sure students are familiar with shapes, numbers, and colors. Preschool teachers and childcare directors attend staff meetings and meet one-on-one with parents. Keeping their classrooms clean and providing healthy snacks for their students is another essential job duty.

Early childhood experts working as school counselors or special education teachers have the opportunity to develop relationships with children and students in unique and personalized ways. They can conduct research studies in order to help advocate for students who may need extra emotional, behavioral, or educational support.

Degree Options for Early Childhood Educators

If you've just recently found a passion for teaching children and want to start your career, pursuing a bachelor's degree in child development can be a great first step. Point Loma Nazarene University's program offers classes such as: Development of Infants and Toddlers, Early Childhood Curriculum and Learning Theory, and Adolescent Development in the Family Context. Through hands-on courses, you'll learn how to meet the emotional, behavioral, and academic needs of children.

Becoming an early childhood educator, preschool teacher, school counselor, or special education teacher - among other ECE careers - can be incredibly rewarding in many ways. If you're already a working adult and want to further your career, earning a graduate degree might be the right step for you. If you've already been working as an educator in preschool, elementary school, middle school, or high school, a master's in teaching can set you up for more competitive positions.

Through hands-on courses, you'll learn how to meet the emotional, behavioral, and academic needs of children.

If you're interested in working as a school counselor or psychologist, earning your Counseling and Guidance, M.A. can help you prepare for the difficult, yet impactful conversations you'll have with students in your day-to-day life. Additionally, if you're interested in having a job that truly matters and has a lifelong impact on students, consider earning a Special Education, M.A., and becoming a special education teacher.

If you're interested in more administrative or leadership aspects of the educational world, earning a master's in educational administration or a Leadership in Learning, M.A. can set you up for a successful career where you can make decisions about the staff, structure, and curriculum of your early childhood education preschool or childcare program.

Begin Your ECE Career at PLNU

Working in early childhood education can be a life-changing experience for you, your students, and the families of your students. If you want to cultivate relationships with your students as they learn to find their place in the world, consider earning one of PLNU's accredited bachelor's or master's degrees.

You can choose to enroll in any one of our many education programs at our San Diego campus. Also, our School of Education has a campus in Bakersfield, specifically for education and teaching degrees. If you can see yourself earning your degree at PLNU and discovering a vocation that makes an impact on the lives of countless children, consider applying today.

About the Author
McKenna Themm is a poet who has her BA in Literature and Writing and is earning her MFA in Creative Writing. She is a freelance writer for PLNU, a Content Strategist at Circa Interactive, and the Managing Editor at The Los Angeles Review.

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Why Is Early Childhood Education Important?

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What are some of your most vivid childhood memories? Do you remember learning your ABCs or learning how to distinguish colors? People often assume that real learning begins when kids start elementary school; however, children learn a lot between the time they're born and the time they start kindergarten.

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https://www.parentingforbrain.com/benefits-play-learning-activities-early-childhood/

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In this article, we will look at nine amazing benefits of play in child development. We will also review research results that highlight the importance of children play.

Importance of Play in Early Childhood

Why is play important for children?

Many parents intuitively know the importance of play in child development, but despite its many benefits, we rarely associate play with learning.

For most people, learning involves acquiring a specific new skill, such as memorizing alphabets, counting, writing, etc. They often believe that playing is only for fun and involves no actual learning.

However, according to studies, playing is learning. Children learn through play experiences.

The importance of play in early childhood education cannot be underestimated because learning through play is essential to a child's growth.

For more help on calming tantrums, check out this step-by-step guide

9 Benefits of Play

1. Stimulate Early Brain Development

Child play can promote brain development in many ways, including providing the child with a better understanding of the world and setting the groundwork for later brain growth.

At birth, infants' brains are equipped with an overabundance of brain cell connections (synapses). Synapse overproduction allows information captured from the early years to build a foundation for the brain.

An environment enriched with play, sensory play, and play toys provide the perfect life experiences as building blocks. Lack of play will cause the neuron connections related to play to be lost.

Neuroscientists discovered that enrichment such as toys, games, and playing can alter a brain's chemistry and the child's development. The brain area associated with higher cognitive processing (the cerebral cortex) can benefit from environmental enrichment and children's play more than other parts of the brain.

2. Improve Intelligence

Early playing also has an important role in a child's intellectual development.

One study by the University of Arkansas shows that regularly offering toys to infants to play with leads to higher IQ by age three. Later, psychologist Edward Fisher analyzed 46 studies done on playing. He found that playing could enhance a child's cognitive, linguistic, and social development.

3. Spark Creative Thinking

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of playing is that it increases a child's creativity.

Creativity is closely tied to divergent thinking, which is the thought process that explores many possible solutions and generates new ideas. Many studies have found that playing is highly associated with divergent thinking.

To test this association in a study, researchers randomly assigned 52 children, aged six to seven, to two activities. In the first activity, the children copied text from a chalkboard. In the second, the children played with salt-dough.

Later, all the children were asked to perform a creative project. A panel of ten judges found that the projects created by the children in the salt-dough group had higher creative qualities than those in the other group.

Other studies have also associated free play, especially imaginative play, with significant improvement in divergent thinking.

Free play or independent play is an unstructured form of play that encourages children to design their own play. Pretend play requires a child to imagine scenarios and then act them out. The freedom of these types of play allows children to be creative.

Imagination fuels creativity and some studies have also found that creative adolescents tend to have had imaginary friends in childhood.

4. Improve Communication, Vocabulary, and Language

The link between early play and later communication skills is evident in research, too.

One study sought to understand whether communication could benefit from play. Researchers observed what happened when an infant began playing with a toy. They found that if the mother responded by manipulating and naming the toys, the baby - when tested three months later - would have better language skills.

Another study, conducted by the University of Georgia, observed sixty-five kindergartners in their classrooms over four weeks. The presence of play, especially dramatic play, was found to predict performance in pre-reading, language, and writing.

Pretend-play is especially beneficial because it allows young children to practice new vocabulary when they speak and try to understand others. During social play, they often reciprocate each other's words and actions to reach agreements.

Self-regulation is one of the most important skills for school readiness. Well-regulated children can wait for a turn, resist the temptation to grab objects from other children, control negative emotions, and persist through challenging activities.

In a New Zealand study, psychologists examined how children handled negative events during pretend plays. They found that children who had more pretend plays with their caregivers were better at regulating their emotions to continue playing.

Emotion regulation is not only essential for academic success but also for the psychosocial aspects of child development. It is a strong predictor of a child's social success. In preschool, children who exhibit better emotional control are more likable and socially competent.

6. Grow Social Competence and Empathy

Playing is crucial in enhancing social development in children. Unstructured active play with others - including parents, siblings, and peers - is a significant opportunity to cultivate social skills. While playing, the act of pretending as well as negotiating with peers enhances children's social skills.

Playing also provides opportunities for children to learn social interaction. Wehile playing together, children learn to cooperate, follow the rules, develop self-control, and generally get along with other people.

Psychologists found that the amount and complexity of fantasy play by preschoolers significantly predicted their social skills and popularity, as well as their positive social activity.

Playful children tend to be happier, better adjusted, more co-operative, and more popular with their peers than those who play less.

Children who play more also develop more empathy, another essential element that advances social skills. Such children grow to have a better understanding of other people's feelings and beliefs.

7. Better Physical and Mental Health

We already know that play promotes a child's emotional development. Emotional intelligence is vital for a child's resilience and mental health.

Playing that involves physical activities also promotes gross motor skills, strength, endurance, and physical health.

8. Teach Life Lessons

Play helps children develop problem solving skills.

When children act out life's problems in pretend-playing, it helps them cope with the struggles in their own ways. It also provides a safe opportunity for children to rehearse skills and future social roles.

When children try out various roles, they learn to take on different perspectives, which will further assist them in abstract thinking.
Also See: Parten's 6 Social Stages of Play and Why They Are Important

9. Strengthen Relationship with Caretakers and Peers

Parents who play with their children form a stronger bond with them. Even simple games like scavenger hunts can become a special bonding moment for both parents and children. These interactions provide positive life experiences that stimulate children's brain development.

Last but not least, happy, playful moments are some of the most precious gifts we can give our children.
Final Thoughts on Play
Because play is imperative in a child's development, play-based preschools may provide a better learning environment than other alternatives. When choosing a preschool, parents should pay attention to how classes are conducted, whether the "play to learn" approach is used, and how much free-play is allowed. Creating a Montessori home is also a good alternative.

References

1. Bergen D. The Role of Pretend Play in Children's Cognitive Development. Early Childhood Research & Practice. 2002;4(1).

2. Fisher EP. The impact of play on development: A meta-analysis. Play & Culture. 1992;5(2):159-181.

3. Russ SW, Wallace CE. Pretend play and creative processes. American Journal of Play. 2013;6(1):136-148.

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Importance of Play in Early Childhood (9 Benefits & Infographic)

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Find out the nine amazing benefits of playing for kids and why it plays an important role in child development.

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https://www.tulsaeducare.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Educare-Content-G-Articles-Importance-of-Play-Article.pdf

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https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/10-things-every-parent-play

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10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Play

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Oftentimes, children's play is more than what meets the eye. Read this article for ten great facts about your child and play!

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https://wonderspring.org/the-power-of-play/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAj4ecBhD3ARIsAM4Q_jH3QuyQDUE_jUwHZ9FVG7rfVuQd9yF7B7h5RlLuiLuwt6iNLhqZ5t4aAguFEALw_wcB

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Did you ever hear the expression "play is the work of children"? Well the fact is, play is an integral part of the way children learn. Play helps children develop:

cognitive skills - like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store

physical abilities - like balancing blocks and running on the playground

new vocabulary - like the words used in imaginative play

social skills - like playing together in a pretend car wash

literacy skills - like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant

What's more, play benefits children's physical and emotional health by helping them grow strong and healthy, counteracting obesity and providing an outlet for anxiety and stress.

Undirected play also allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. It enables to practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace and discover their own areas of interest

Wonderspring recognizes the value of play as a way to tap into a child's natural curiosity. Our programs utilize the Creative Curriculum which promotes investigation and discovery as a fundamental part of learning.

To learn more about our programs and our approach to learning click the button below.
Request More Information!
Written by Wonderspring Early Learning on . Posted in blog, Organizational News & Announcements

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The Power of Play - Wonderspring Early Education

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Did you ever hear the expression "play is the work of children"? Well the fact is, play is an integral part of the way children learn.

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https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

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https://raisingchildren.net.au/newborns/play-learning/play-ideas/why-play-is-important

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The importance of play

Play is central to your child's learning and development. When your child plays, it gives them many different ways and times to learn.

Play also helps your child:

build confidence

feel loved, happy and safe

understand more about how the world works

develop social skills, language and communication

learn about caring for others and the environment

develop physical skills.

It's important for children to have plenty of different types of play experiences. This includes unstructured and structured play, indoor and outdoor play, solo and group play, craft and creative play, and so on. When children get variety, it's good for all aspects of their learning and development - physical, social, emotional and imaginative.

Different types of play: unstructured and structured

Unstructured, free play is unplanned play that just happens, depending on what takes your child's interest at the time.

Unstructured, free play is particularly important for younger children because it lets them use their imagination and move at their own pace.

Examples of unstructured play might be:

creative play alone or with others, including artistic or musical games

imaginative games - for example, making cubbyhouses with boxes or blankets, dressing up or playing make-believe

exploring new or favourite spaces like cupboards, backyards, parks, playgrounds and so on.

You can be part of your child's unstructured play. But sometimes all you'll need to do is point your child in the right direction - towards the jumble of dress-ups and toys on their floor, or to the table with crayons and paper. At other times, you might need to be a bit more active. For example, 'How about we play dress-ups? What do you want to be today?'

Structured play is organised and happens at a fixed time or in a set space. It's often led by a grown-up. Older children are more likely to enjoy and benefit from structured play.

Examples of structured play include:

outdoor ball games like kicking a soccer ball

water familiarisation classes for toddlers or swimming lessons for older children

storytelling groups for toddlers and preschoolers at the local library

dance, music or drama classes for children of all ages

family board or card games

modified sports for slightly older children, like Cricket Blast, Aussie Hoops basketball, NetSetGO netball, Come and Try Rugby and Auskick football.

Structured and unstructured play can happen indoors or outdoors. Outdoor play gives your child the chance to explore, be active, test physical limits - and get messy!

How play develops with children

As your child grows, their attention span and physical skills develop and the way they play will change. Your child will get more creative and experiment more with toys, games and ideas. This might mean they need more space and time to play.

Also, children move through different forms of play as they grow. This includes playing alone, playing alongside other children and playing interactively with other children.

Your child will love playing with you, but sometimes they might prefer to play alone. Your child might just want you to give them ideas and let them know how their play and games are going. And sometimes your child might want to play with other children - no grown-ups allowed!

Newborns and babies: play ideas to encourage development

Just looking at your face and hearing your voice is play for your baby, especially if you're smiling.

You might like to try the following play ideas and activities with your little one:

Music, songs or bells develop hearing and movement. You could try gentle tapping on your baby's tummy while you sing.

Peekaboo is great for your baby's social and emotional development.

Gentle tickles or objects with different textures develop the sense of touch. You and your baby could experiment with things like feathers, mud, metal or foam.

Objects of different sizes, colours and shapes can encourage your child to reach and grasp.

Sturdy furniture, balls, toys or boxes can get your child crawling, standing and walking.

Regular tummy time and floor play are very important for young babies. Tummy time encourages your baby to move and roll and helps them develop muscle strength and control. It also lets your baby see and experience the world from a different perspective. All you need is a playmat or blanket on the ground or floor.

Toddlers: play ideas to encourage development

Here are some ideas your toddler might enjoy:

Large and light things like cardboard boxes, buckets or blow-up balls can encourage your child to run, build, push or drag.

Chalk, rope, music or containers can encourage jumping, kicking, stomping, stepping and running.

Hoops, boxes, large rocks or pillows are good for climbing on, balancing, twisting, swaying or rolling.

Dress-up games with scarves, hats and so on are good for imagination and creativity.

Hills, tunnels or nooks can encourage physical activities like crawling, climbing and exploring.

If you put on some favourite music while your toddler plays, they can also try out different sounds and rhythms. You might also like to sing, dance and clap along to music with your child.

Preschoolers: play ideas to encourage development

Here are some ideas to get your preschooler's mind and body going:

Old milk containers, wooden spoons, empty pot plant containers, sticks, scrunched-up paper, plastic buckets, saucepans and old clothes are great for imaginative, unstructured play.

Simple jigsaw puzzles and matching games like animal dominoes can improve your child's memory and concentration.

Playdough and clay help your child develop fine motor skills.

Favourite music or pots and pans are great for dancing or making music.

Balls can encourage kicking, throwing or rolling.

When you're encouraging your child to kick or throw, see whether you can get them to use one side of their body and then the other.

School-age children: play ideas to encourage development

Your school-age child can have fun with the following objects and activities:

Furniture, linen, washing baskets, tents and boxes are great for building cubbyhouses.

Home-made obstacle courses can get your child moving in different ways, directions and speeds.

Games like 'I spy' are great for word play. They also develop literacy skills.

Simple cooking and food preparation activities are great for developing science, numeracy, literacy and everyday skills.

Your child's own imagination can turn your child into a favourite superhero or story character.

If your child is interested, you could think about getting them into some sports or team activities for school-age children. Other possibilities include after-school or holiday art and craft activities.

Homemade toys and free activities can help children learn and develop. They're often the most creative ways for you and your child to have fun together.

If your child doesn't want to play

There might be times when your child doesn't want to play. For example, they could be tired or bored by doing the same activity for too long. This is common and usually nothing to worry about.

But sometimes a lack of play - or a lack of interest in play - can be a sign of a developmental disorder.

Here's when to consider speaking with a health professional or your child's educator:

Your baby doesn't seem to get into interactive play like peekaboo.

Your toddler has an extremely narrow interest in toys or doesn't use toys in a functional way. For example, your child is interested only in spinning the wheels of a toy car instead of driving it around the room like other children the same age.

Your preschooler isn't interested in playing with other children or in playing pretend games.

Languages other than English

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Play is more than just fun for babies and children. It's how they learn and develop. Playing with your child is one of the most important things you can do. Article available in: Arabic, Dari, Dinka, Hakha Chin, Karen, Persian, Simplified Chinese, Swahili, Tamil, Vietnamese.

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https://theirworld.org/resources/learning-through-play-early-childhood-development/

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Learning through play (early childhood development)

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Learning through play is vital for the healthy brain development of young children. It’s important to support play for all children from birth so they are ready for a school education.

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https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2018/promoting-social-and-emotional-health

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In a preschool classroom, some of the 3- and 4-year-old children smile, laugh, and giggle during free play; are curious about what happens next during story time; ask what and why questions while doing hands-on activities; and use words to express feelings and needs. In the toy area, Tom and Juan both reach for a small blue car. Tom says, "May I please have it first, then you have it later?" Juan replies, "You have it for five minutes and then I have it for five minutes." Noticing this exchange, their teacher says, "Tom and Juan, you are talking about taking turns. What a great way to play together!"

Tom, Juan, and their classmates are a model of social and emotional health in preschool. Children who are socially and emotionally healthy tend to demonstrate, and continue to develop, several important behaviors and skills (adapted from McClellan & Katz 2001 and Bilmes 2012). They

Are usually in a positive mood

Listen and follow directions

Have close relationships with caregivers and peers

Care about friends and show interest in others

Recognize, label, and manage their own emotions

Understand others' emotions and show empathy

Express wishes and preferences clearly

Gain access to ongoing play and group activities

Are able to play, negotiate, and compromise with others

Why social and emotional health matters

Children's social and emotional health affects their overall development and learning. Research indicates that children who are mentally healthy tend to be happier, show greater motivation to learn, have a more positive attitude toward school, more eagerly participate in class activities, and demonstrate higher academic performance than less mentally healthy peers (Hyson 2004; Kostelnik et al. 2015). Children who exhibit social and emotional difficulties tend to have trouble following directions and participating in learning activities. Compared with healthier peers, they may be more likely to suffer rejection by classmates, have low self-esteem, do poorly in school, and be suspended (Hyson 2004; Kostelnik et al. 2015). Thus, children's social and emotional health is just as important as their physical health, and affects their capacity to develop and potential to lead a fulfilling life.

Teachers can promote children's social and emotional health in many ways, for example, by organizing a material-rich environment to stimulate social interactions among children. This article focuses on two of the most important practices: building trusting relationships and conducting intentional teaching.

Establish trusting relationships

Young children develop and learn in the context of relationships. A trusting and caring teacher-child relationship is essential for children's optimum development (Raikes & Edwards 2009). Children who have trusting relationships with their teachers are, on average, more willing to ask questions, solve problems, try new tasks, and express their thinking than their peers without such relationships (O'Connor & McCartney 2007). In her work supervising student teachers, Ho (the first author) often sees children developing positive social and emotional health as a result of close relationships with their teachers. For example, children learn to use words to express their feelings-such as Amy saying to Emily, "I am sad when you use hurting words!"-and to show empathy-as when Arjun gently pats Brian's head and says, "Are you okay? Do you want to hold the teddy bear?"

Children benefit socially, emotionally, and academically when teachers intentionally create close, trusting relationships (Palermo et al. 2007). But gaining the trust of every child is not as simple as being nice and engaging. How can teachers create trusting relationships with all of the children? Consistently offering warmth, affection, respect, and caring is essential.

Showing warmth and affection consistently

Warmth and affection-even on bad days and when children are misbehaving-are critical to children's well-being in early education settings (Ostrosky & Jung 2005). They contribute to developing secure relationships between children and adults, provide models of gentle behavior, and are linked with children's ability to interact positively with peers (Twardosz 2005). The preschoolers we observed used gentle hands and kind words and positively interacted with peers most of the time. Their social and emotional well-being was nourished by their teachers' warmth and affection, which is shown in the following examples:

Ms. Johnson displays a pleasant facial expression throughout the day. She smiles when greeting children in the morning, says goodbye in the afternoon, and acknowledges children's appropriate behaviors.

Mr. Logan uses the appropriate tone of voice at all times. His speech is at normal pitch and volume; his tone is relaxed and soft. Even when he has to redirect a child's behavior, he remains calm and warm to convey that his concern is with the behavior-not the child.

Ms. Aragon gives appropriate touches when necessary, such as a pat on the back, a handshake, hugs, and brief tickles.

Ms. Lizama moves physically close to the children and bends or crouches to be at the children's eye level while talking to them.

Mr. Sharma often uses loving comments to show he cares: "I am so happy to see you this morning!," "I missed you yesterday," "I love seeing your smile!" And he is careful to make such comments to all of the children in his classroom.

Respecting and caring about every child

Showing respect is a key way to connect with children and strengthen positive relationships. It helps children feel more confident and competent to explore and learn (Dombro, Jablon, & Stetson 2011). Ms. Carnes establishes and maintains close personal bonds with every child in her classroom by consistently acting in respectful and caring ways. Specifically, she

Listens with full attenti on and restates what children say (often also seizing the opportunity to expose the children to new vocabulary). Jason, a 4-year-old, says, "Look, I made a truck with lots of Legos!" Ms. Carnes replies, "Oh, I see, Jason. You built a truck with dozens of Legos." Jason adds, "I use this truck to deliver apples and bananas to the grocery store." Ms. Carnes responds, "Using a truck to deliver nutritious fruits to the grocery store is helpful." Listening to children attentively and reflectively enhances their self-worth and confidence. When teachers actively listen to children, they convey that they care about what the children have to say, and the children are more likely to share their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and stories.

Accepts and reflects children's feel ings. Frowning, Jasper says to the teacher, "Michael has all the big blocks!" Ms. Carnes responds, "Jasper, you seem upset that there are no more large blocks to build with right now. It is difficult to wait!" Amy says with enthusiasm, "We are about to go outside!" Ms. Carnes answers, "The sparkles in your eyes tell me you can hardly wait to go outside. You are excited." When they accept and reflect children's feelings, teachers exhibit sensitivity and caring in a way children understand. Teachers' acknowledgments make children feel heard and accepted (Duffy 2008). As a result, children feel safe to express their emotions-and receive support in identifying, labeling, and better understanding their emotions.

Spends private, quality time with individual chi ldren through one-on-one activities, such as story reading and game pla ying. Emily is sad when her mom leaves. Ms. Carnes reads her a book in a cozy corner with soft pillows and stuffed animals. Afterward, Emily is ready to explore and play in the classroom. Judy complains that no one wants to play with her at the tactile table. Ms. Carnes sits at the table and plays with Judy until another child joins the play. In addition, Ms. Carnes spends quality time with individual children by putting aside other work, moving to the child's level, and conversing openly with the child. Ms. Carnes keeps track to ensure that she speaks with each child regularly, which deepens their relationship and builds trust (Gartrell 2007). Ms. Carnes finds time for these conversations throughout the day, especially during greeting, free play, snack, lunch, and departure time.

Teach social and emotional skills intentionally

Helping children develop social and emotional skills is the heart and soul of any good program for young children (Gordon & Browne 2014). Teachers (and all caregivers) play key roles in helping children develop social and emotional competence (Kostelnik et al. 2015). Teachers can intentionally support children's social and emotional health by using children's books, planning activities, coaching on the spot, giving effective praise, modeling appropriate behaviors, and providing cues.

Warmth and affection-even on bad days and when children are misbehaving-are critical to children's well-being in early education.

Using children's books

Reading and discussing children's books is an excellent way to invite children to identify the characters' emotions and relate the characters' experiences to their own (Roberts & Crawford 2008). To introduce a new social or emotional skill, Ms. Coz carefully chooses high-quality books to read aloud at circle time. Sometimes she chooses books related to children's recent social and emotional behaviors in the classroom. When she sees some of the children having trouble sharing toys, she reads aloud The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister. When she finds a child crying because her friend hit her, Ms. Coz reads aloud Hands Are Not for Hitting, by Elizabeth Verdick. (See " Children's Books for Teaching Social and Emotional Skills," for more titles to consider.)

To connect the characters and situations in the book with the children's experiences, Ms. Coz plans to read the book at least twice and also add it to the classroom library. During the second reading, she asks meaningful questions: "What do you think the characters are feeling?," "How would you solve the problem?," "Can you use words from the story to explain how you feel when you . . .?," "What could we do differently if this happens in our classroom?" These open-ended questions enable children to talk about their own experiences, learn new vocabulary words, and practice social and emotional skills.

Planning activities

To extend and apply what children learn from reading stories, Ms. Coz plans follow-up activities, such as hands-on crafts, games, and songs. She often uses Book Nook guides, created by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning ( http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html#booknook). These guides help her embed social and emotional development activities into daily routines, including read-alouds. (See " Activities for Supporting Children's Social and Emotional Learning " for some ideas adapted from Book Nook guides.)

Coaching on the spot

When they coach children on the spot, teachers help children realize what they are doing, understand how their actions affect others, and choose positive alternatives (Riley et al. 2008). For example, when Ryan and Ethan build a firehouse in the block area, Ethan grabs the fire truck from Ryan, and Ryan cries. Ms. Coz crouches down at Ethan's level to look into his eyes; calmly and warmly, she says, "Ryan was still using the truck. When you took it away from him, he got upset. What could you do to make Ryan feel better?" After Ethan says he is sorry and gives back the fire truck, Ms. Coz says, "Next time if you want to play with the toy Ryan is using, could you ask if he will share?" Ms. Coz follows up by observing Ethan and providing immediate positive feedback on his desirable behavior.

Giving effective praise

Meaningful feedback pertinent to the task at hand in the form of effective praise is a powerful strategy for fostering children's social and emotional development (Kostelnik et al. 2015). To make praise effective, teachers describe specifically what they see-without generalizing, evaluating, or making comparisons. When Emily finishes her drawing, Ms. Coz notices her picture and her smile. Ms. Coz says, "I see a blue sky, a yellow sun, and green grass around the big brown tree. This picture makes you happy, doesn't it?" This praise is effective because Ms. Coz offers detailed, positive comments immediately after desirable behavior occurs. Noticing Ethan asking Ryan politely for a policewoman figure, Ms. Coz says, "Ethan, you used the magic words May I plea se? to ask for that policewoman while you and Ryan were building the firehouse together. Great job!" Smiling, Ethan responds, "We are friends and we can share things."

Modeling appropriate behavior

Children learn by observing other people, getting ideas about how new behaviors are formed, and using the ideas to guide their actions (Bandura 1977). Many studies have found that modeling-or demonstrating appropriate behaviors-teaches and enhances children's social and emotional skills (Katz & McClellan 1997; Hyson 2004). This research-based conclusion is evidenced in Ms. Coz's and Ms. Carnes's classes. Both teachers implement several noninvasive strategies-including modeling-that their center administrators created to support teachers in promoting socially and emotionally healthy behaviors. They display the strategies on the classroom wall and put them into action by

Moving closer to children, when needed, as a nonverbal cue to rethink behaviors

Modeling appropriate warm and respectful behavior throughout the day and at specific moments when a gentle reminder is needed

Using nonverbal gestures and contact (e.g., nodding the head, giving thumbs-up signs, and touching children gently on the shoulder) to send messages

Employing simple language (e.g., "Walking feet, please" and "Use gentle hands") to set expectations and give reminders

Acknowledging a kind act on the spot or praising a group effort for a job well done

Placing a hand-gently-on a child's hand to redirect attention and behavior

When children see teachers demonstrate these noninvasive strategies, they often smile, use their gentle hands, say please and thank you, give hugs and high fives, and use words to express their feelings.

In addition to being role models, the teachers use the children's appropriate behaviors to model social and emotional skills. They carefully observe and record details about how children apply the target skills, and they share their observations with the children through puppet shows during circle time. Using puppets to demonstrate children's appropriate behaviors helps children learn social and emotional skills meaningfully.

Providing cues

Providing cues to engage children in appropriate social behavior has been shown over time to improve their social behavior with their peers (Bovey & Strain 2005). Ms. Coz and Ms. Carnes often provide verbal cues to help some children participate in activities. Before playtime, for example, Ms. Carnes asks, "James, who are you going to ask to play with you at center time?" During playtime, she suggests, "Saanvi, can you ask Anna to build an airplane with you?" To teach sharing and turn taking, Ms. Coz asks Steven, who has been waiting to play with a toy dolphin for a while, "What magic words could you use to have a turn with the dolphin John is using?"

Both Ms. Coz and Ms. Carnes prominently display visual cues in their classrooms to assist children's social and emotional interactions. For example, they provide teacher-made hand puppets to guide children to use quiet voices, helping hands, and walking feet. To help children calm down, they also created a "push wall"-a designated spot on the wall to push anger out-and use puppets to demonstrate the strategy. These puppets, demonstrations, and explanations are essential for clarifying and modeling appropriate behavior-and the visual cues are essential for reminding the children to practice what they have learned. Long-term visual cues function like a third teacher in the sense that children use the cues to remind one another of solutions and appropriate actions.

Teachers and caregivers promote children's social and emotional health by establishing trusting relationships, created when teachers express warmth, affection, and respect. Teachers can intentionally teach and enhance these skills using evidence-based strategies to teach, model, and reinforce positive behaviors. As evidenced in the preschool classrooms we observed, teachers who prioritize developing children's social and emotional health are richly rewarded with happy, engaged children who learn to avoid and resolve conflicts, share and take turns, and express their emotions in productive ways.

Children's Books for Teaching Social and Emotional Skills

Can You Be a Friend?, by Nita Everly

Care Bears Caring Contest, by Nancy Parent, illus. by David Stein

Fox Makes Friends, by Adam Relf

How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?, by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

How I Feel Frustrated, by Marcia Leonard

I Can Do It Myself (a Sesame Street Series), by Emily Perl Kingsley, illus. by Richard Brown

I'm in Charge of Me!, by David Parker, illus. by Sylvia Walker

Mouse Was Mad, by Linda Urban, illus. by Henry Cole

My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss, illus. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

Sharing: How Kindness Grows, by Fran Shaw, illus. by Miki Sakamoto

When I'm Feeling Sad, by Trace Moroney

When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry, by Molly Bang

Activities for Supporting Children's Social and Emotional Learning

Helping hands chain: Trace and cut out multiple hands for each child. Place them in a pocket or baggie that is easily accessible. As you recognize a child's helping hand behavior, have the child get a hand from their pocket and connect it to the class's helping hand chain. The hands can be placed on the wall to wrap around the room. On a regular basis, celebrate how long the helping hand chain is getting!

Hand puppets: Create character puppets by having children color or paint the pictures, cut them out, and glue them to craft sticks. Once dry, children can bring their puppets to circle time and act out the story while you read the story aloud. Later, they can take the puppets to the story area or puppet center.

Moving to music: Choose songs with lyrics that encourage movement. Before you start, remind the children that they need to listen closely to the words so they know what actions to take. Classic songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" work well. Many children's CDs have great songs that involve following directions (try "My Ups and Downs," and "Hands Are for Clapping," by Jim Gill). Do the motions with the children as you listen to the songs. After listening to each song several times, children will build confidence and know which motions to do on their own. Point out to the children that they know what to do because they are being such good listeners.

Pass the feeling bag: Place an assortment of scenario picture cards in a bag. As music plays, the children pass the bag. When the music stops, one child picks out a card and identifies it. Have the child talk about how each scenario or item makes him feel and why. Allow children to take turns pulling out picture cards.

Feeling faces collage: Have children cut out different feeling faces from magazines. Mix nontoxic glue and water together in a small bowl. The children put the pictures on top of a piece of paper, take a paintbrush and dip it in glue solution, and paint over their pictures. They can hang their feeling faces collages on the wall.

Share box: Create a special share box that is only introduced during circle time. Children can decorate the box with primary colors or with a bold pattern. Inside the box, place items that can be shared, such as musical instruments, a box of chunky sidewalk chalk, playdough, or several sensory bottles.

Singing: After a story about sharing with friends, sing "Share, share, share your toys; share them with a friend. Share, share, share your toys, let's all play pretend," to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." After a story about feelings, sing "If You're Happy and You Know It" with a variety of emotions and body gestures.

Note: Adapted with permission from Book Nook, created by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. To use Book Nook guides at no cost, visit http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html#booknook.

References

Bandura, A. 1977. Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Bilmes, J. 2012. Beyond Behavior Manage ment: The Six Life Skills Childre n Need, 2nd ed. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf.

Bovey, T., & P. Strain. 2005. "Strategies for Increasing Peer Social Interactions: Prompting and Acknowledgment." Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. What Works Briefs. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb17.pdf.

Dombro, A.L., J. Jablon, & C. Stetson. 2011. Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to Extend Their Learning. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Duffy, R. 2008. "Are Feelings Fixable?" Exchange 30 (6): 87-90.

Gartrell, D. 2007. A Guidance Approach for the Encouraging Classroom, 4th ed. Florence, KY: Thomson Delmar Learning.

Gordon, A.M., & K.W. Browne. 2014. Beginnings and Beyond: Foundati ons in Early Childhood Education, 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage.

Hyson, M. 2004. The Emotional Development of Young Chil dren: Building an Emotion-Centered Curric ulum, 2nd ed. New York: Teachers College Press.

Katz, L.G., & D.E. McClellan. 1997. Fostering Children's Social Competence: The Teacher's Role. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Kostelnik, M.J., A.K. Soderman, A.P. Whiren, M.L. Rupiper, & K.M. Gregory. 2015. Guiding Children's Social Development and L earning: Theory and Skills, 8th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage.

McClellan, D., & L.G. Katz. 2001. "Assessing Young Children's Social Competence." Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED450953.pdf.

O'Connor, E., & K. McCartney. 2007. "Examining Teacher-Child Relationships and Achievement as Part of an Ecological Model of Development." American Educational R esearch Journal 44 (2): 340-69.

Ostrosky, M.M., & E.Y. Jung. 2005. "Building Positive Teacher-Child Relationships." Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. What Works Briefs. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb12.pdf.

Palermo, F., L.D. Hanish, C.L. Martin, R.A. Fabes, & M. Reiser. 2007. "Preschoolers' Academic Readiness: What Role Does the Teacher-Child Relationship Play?" Early Childhood Research Quarterly 22 (4): 407-22. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856866.

Raikes, H.H., & C.P. Edwards. 2009. Exte nding the Dance in Infant and Toddler Caregiving: Enhancing Attachment and Relationships. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

Riley, D., R.R. San Juan, J. Klinkner, & A. Ramminger. 2008. Social and Emotional Developm ent: Connecting Science and Practice in Early Childhood Settings. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf; Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Roberts, S.K., & P.A. Crawford. 2008. "Real Life Calls for Real Books: Literature to Help Children Cope with Family Stressors." Young Children 63 (5): 12-17.

Twardosz, S. 2005. "Expressing Warmth and Affection to Children." Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. What Works Briefs. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb20.pdf.

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Promoting Young Children's Social and Emotional Health

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Trusting relationships and intentional teaching improve young children's social and emotional health.

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https://www.edc.org/why-does-social-emotional-learning-matter

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Preschool is a time of rapid growth for young children. Not only are they studying letters and numbers, but they are also developing social and emotional skills-skills like making friends, sharing toys, and listening to the teacher-that they will need to succeed in school and in life.

For 20 years, EDC's Karen Cairone has been helping early childhood educators build social emotional learning into the school day. She is also a consulting editor for the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Young Children Magazine. Here, she talks about the importance of social emotional learning in the early years and why more schools are teaching these skills now.

Q: Let's start with the basics. For preschoolers, what kinds of skills fall under the umbrella of "social emotional learning?"

Cairone: Generally speaking, social and emotional skills are what allow children to make friends, follow directions, and to be comfortable in a classroom. There are hundreds of social and emotional skills that teachers model and teach throughout the preschool years. But to whittle these into three main categories, I'd have to go with relationship skills, self-control/regulation, and initiative.

A lot of the work that preschool teachers do serves to bolster these skills. Relationship skills include the ability to get along with other children, make and keep friends, and enjoy playing with others. Self-regulation is all about being able to be patient, control strong emotions, and take turns. Finally, teachers look for initiative. Initiative is both a child's ability to advocate for his or her needs, as well as his or her ability to find activities of personal interest in the classroom.

Q: Why is social emotional learning important early in life?

Cairone: These basic skills set children up for success. In order to learn a new math skill, for example, you first have to be able to focus. It's really hard to learn if you are not comfortable paying attention and taking turns in a classroom setting!

Q: Shouldn't kids learn many of these skills at home?

Cairone: Absolutely. But if you have a family that is struggling to meet basic needs-whether economic or emotional-then the parents may not be focusing too much on things like sharing and being patient at home. So it's important for the school to teach those skills. This work is not undone when children leave the classroom; it actually gives children more skills to use at home. And in best case scenarios, you have families reinforcing and teaching these important social and emotional skills in the home environment as well.

Q: For a long time, schools seemed to emphasize academics over social emotional learning, but that seems to be changing now. Why do you think this change is occurring?

Cairone: I think it has to do with increased concern about bullying, suicide, and school violence. People are paying more attention to the importance of social emotional learning now; they are realizing that these skills matter. The goal of teaching social and emotional skills is to build students' mental health and resilience-so that as they grow, they can adapt and handle what comes at them. Students can have a hard time if they lack these basic mental health skills.

Another reason is funding. The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act provides opportunities to get creative about funding social emotional learning, so districts are able to take advantage of that. It's put a bigger spotlight on social emotional learning than in the past.

Q: Is there any research that shows social emotional learning can have a positive impact on children's lives?

Cairone: There is. Explicitly teaching social and emotional skills can help students become more resilient, which helps them deal with the effects of trauma or adverse events in their lives. These positive effects last well beyond a single school year. Some research has even shown that teaching social and emotional skills leads to better academic achievement and improved behavior.

Q: Are you encouraged by this greater focus on social emotional learning?

Cairone: Yes. Parents and educators are getting the message that these skills matter. And that message is reaching the upper grades, too. In one district I'm familiar with, every student in grades 5 through 12 is reading the book Wonder this year. It provides a common framework for teachers in the school to emphasize kindness and respect for differences. These are core social emotional values! So I think examples like this show that educators are taking social emotional learning seriously. It's an uplifting trend.

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Why Does Social Emotional Learning Matter?

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Preschool is a time of rapid growth for young children. Not only are they studying letters and numbers, but they are also developing social and emotional skills-skills like making friends, sharing toys, and listening to the teacher-that they will need to succeed in school and in life.

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https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/social-and-emotional-development-in-early-learning-settings.aspx

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Jennifer Palmer

Beyond the ABCs and 123s

In their first few years of life, young children acquire social and emotional skills, such as regulating emotions, sharing with others and following instructions. These skills lay the foundation for developing literacy, numeracy and other cognitive abilities that are critical for success in school and life.

Healthy social and emotional development is rooted in nurturing and responsive relationships with family members and other caregivers, including those who provide care in early learning settings. Early care and education professionals in child care and preschool classrooms are important partners in supporting social and emotional development and ensuring that the youngest learners are ready for school and on the path to success.

State legislatures often consider policies and resources to support school readiness. Increasingly, legislation to enhance social and emotional well-being in early learners is seen as a crucial component to promoting success in school.

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What Is Social and Emotional Development, and Why Does It Matter?

During their first few years of life, children's brains are rapidly developing, as is their capacity to learn essential social and emotional skills. Social and emotional development in the early years, also referred to as early childhood mental health, refers to children's emerging capacity to:

Experience, regulate and express a range of emotions.

Develop close, satisfying relationships with other children and adults.

Actively explore their environment and learn.

Social and emotional development is influenced by both biology and experiences. Together, genes and experiences shape the architecture of the brain: Genes provide "instructions" for our bodies while experiences affect how and whether the instructions are carried out. Children's early experiences consist of interactions with caregivers-parents, other family members, child care providers and teachers-and their environment. Due to the rapid nature of brain development in early childhood, the quality of early experiences can lay either a strong or weak foundation, which will affect how children react and respond to the world around them for the rest of their life.

For most infants and young children, social and emotional development unfolds in predictable ways. They learn to develop close relationships with caregivers, soothe themselves when they are upset, share and play with others, and listen and follow directions. All these signs indicate positive early social and emotional development.

This is not the story for all children. Among those birth to age 5 who are exposed to biological, relationship-based, or environmental risk factors, at least 10% experience disruptions in their social and emotional development and consequently, mental health problems. For example, children exposed to abuse, neglect or other forms of trauma often respond biologically by producing high levels of cortisol-a stress hormone the body releases to cope with threatening situations. Prolonged periods of high stress in early childhood can cause permanent negative damage to the brain and other developing systems in the body. Children who experience toxic stress, defined as persistent activation of the stress response systems in the absence of a buffering and responsive caregiver, are at risk of poorer social, emotional and physical development. They risk serious mental health problems in childhood and later life.

Who Plays a Role in Supporting Healthy Social and Emotional Development?

Responsive and nurturing caregivers are essential for healthy social and emotional well-being. When parents or other primary caregivers respond to an infant's babbles, cries and gestures with eye contact, touch and words (a process known as " serve and return"), new neural pathways are connected and strengthened. These connections support healthy physical and cognitive development. Positive relationships with a caregiver can also buffer against and reduce the disruptive effects of adversity for young children.

Social and emotional learning extends beyond parent-child relationships. Family, community and culture influence social and relationship norms, values, expectations and language, as well as beliefs and attitudes related to child-rearing. Other nonparental caregivers, family members and professionals also play a role in promoting healthy social and emotional development and treating mental health problems in young children. In addition, pediatricians and other health care providers help parents understand developmental stages, promote appropriate caregiver-child interactions, screen for developmental and behavioral issues, and refer families to additional services and supports.

Over 10 million children under the age of 5 are enrolled in early learning settings such as home- and center-based child care and prekindergarten classrooms. On average, young children spend more than 30 hours with nonparental caregivers in early learning settings each week. This makes the professionals who care for and teach young children important partners in supporting social and emotional development and school readiness.

What do mental health issues look like in young children?

Young children can experience a range of mental health problems that can have a lifelong impact and be as severe as those experienced by adults. Diagnosing mental health problems in young children, however, can be challenging because they process and exhibit emotions differently than older children and adults, and changes in behavior can be temporary. Still, certain behaviors may warrant an evaluation from a mental health professional.
Birth to age 3:

Chronic feeding or sleeping difficulties.

Inconsolable irritability.

Incessant crying with little ability to be consoled.

Becoming extremely upset when left with another adult.

Inability to adapt to new situations.

Easily startled or alarmed by routine events.

Inability to establish relationships with other children or adults.

Excessive hitting, biting or pushing of other children.

Flat effect or very withdrawn behavior.

Ages 3 to 5:

Engages in compulsive activities.

Throws wild, despairing tantrums.

Withdrawn; shows little interest in social interaction.

Displays repeated aggressive or impulsive behavior.

Difficulty playing with others.

Little or no communication; lack of language.

Loss of earlier developmental achievements.

How Is Social and Emotional Development Supported in Early Learning Settings?

Early learning settings are rich with opportunities to build and practice social and emotional skills; however, the quality of these settings affects the degree to which a child's social and emotional development is supported. In high-quality settings, children benefit from " frequent, warm and stimulating" interactions with caregivers who are attentive and able to individualize instruction based on children's needs and strengths. Early educators in high-quality settings are trained in early childhood education and tend to be less controlling and restrictive in their approach to classroom management.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is an evidence-based strategy to support healthy social and emotional development and "prevent, identify, and reduce the impact of mental health problems among young children and their families," according to the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. IECMH consultants help build the capacity of the adults in young children's lives to support healthy social and emotional development at home and in early learning settings. IECMH consultants have master's degrees and are licensed mental health professionals who provide indirect, prevention-based services. They partner with families to assess concerns, assist with implementing positive behavioral supports, and connect families to other services and supports. Within early learning settings, IECMH consultants provide classroom-focused interventions that target all children, home-based interventions for more high-risk children, and referrals for those children who need more specialized services. Additionally, IECMH consultants support early care and education professionals by providing reflective supervision, coaching, training and case consultation.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation emphasizes the field's role in promoting equity and reducing disparities in access to resources and outcomes for young children. Equity, according to SAMHSA's IECMHC Toolbox, is "the quality of being fair, unbiased, and just." Equity is essential to reducing disproportionalities among young children of color in suspensions and expulsions in early learning settings. IECMH consultants partner with early care and education professionals to "reflect on their own experiences, biases, and fears-and then move beyond them to see each young child as an individual within a unique family and community context." There is growing evidence that access to IECMHC reduces the occurrence of suspensions and expulsions for young children.

Licensure and accreditation, well-trained caregivers, low staff-child ratios and parent involvement are generally considered to be fundamental to high-quality care and education. Such elements not only promote strong, secure relationships and positive interactions between caregiver and child, but also improve attention to children's interest, problem-solving, language development, social skills and physical development.

High-quality early learning opportunities can also reduce the risk of children experiencing poor mental health. Research shows it can mitigate the effects of poverty, maternal depression and other risk factors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high-quality child care helps build resilience among at-risk children, partly due to the relationships they form with caregivers. When children perceive at least one supportive adult in their life, they are less likely to experience toxic stress and suffer the detrimental effects of adverse experiences.

Well-trained early care and education professionals are critical to supporting social and emotional competence in young children. First and foremost, they build nurturing and responsive relationships with the children in their care and model respectful and appropriate behavior. They weave social and emotional skill-building into day-to-day activities and implement targeted curriculum and lessons with books, music, games and group discussions.

Effective early care and education professionals consider and support the individual needs of each child within the context of their family and culture. Head Start, the federally funded, locally implemented birth-to-5 program for low-income children, emphasizes that "children's learning is enhanced when their culture is respected and reflected in all aspects" of an early learning program. Early childhood programs implementing culturally reflective policies and practices may look different depending on the setting, but at their core, they are learner-focused, promote a positive cultural and individual identity, and engage all children from unique cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds. Cultural awareness is key for early care and education professionals in forming strong relationships with children and families.

Early care and education professionals are also critical to identifying children who face barriers to healthy social and emotional development and helping families obtain the support they need. They sometimes partner with an early childhood mental health consultant to address challenging behaviors and develop behavior support plans.

An increasing number of early learning settings are implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) frameworks. The frameworks are designed to equip early care and education professionals with the skills and tools they need to support positive social and emotional development and address challenging behavior. A program-wide PBIS does not prescribe a specific curriculum. Instead, it includes a series of practices, interventions and implementation supports that are available across the system. One such framework, the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model), is specifically designed for programs serving infants and toddlers. Twenty-five states have established statewide coalitions and leadership teams to implement the Pyramid Model (often housed within a state's human services or education department). The Pyramid Model organizes evidence-based practices into three progressively intensive tiers: universal supports for the wellness of all children, targeted services for those who need more support, and intensive services for those most in need. The model emphasizes how essential early care and education professionals are to the social and emotional well-being of young children by positioning "effective workforce" as the foundation.

How Prepared Are Early Care and Education Professionals to Care for Children With Challenging Behaviors?

Despite the importance of their role, many early care and education professionals report not feeling adequately trained to respond to challenging behaviors or to support children at risk of mental health issues. A national survey of the early care and education workforce revealed just 20% of respondents received training on supporting social and emotional growth in the past year. When asked what types of support would help them better address the needs of children with challenging behavior, professionals in Maine most frequently selected additional training (61%) and greater access to early childhood behavioral specialists (57%). In a similar survey in Virginia, respondents identified access to specialists (63%), additional supports for families (54%) and increased training for staff (52%) as necessary to improving outcomes for children.

Implicit Bias in Early Learning Settings

In a study by researchers at Yale University, early care and education professionals were instructed to look for challenging behaviors in a video of an early learning classroom where none was present. Researchers used technology to track eye movements and found that when challenging behaviors were expected, teachers tended to observe the black children more closely, especially the black boys.

Another component of the study found that when teachers were provided additional information on a child's family and background, and when the teacher's race matched that of the child, teachers tended to lower the severity rating of the child's behavior. Researchers concluded by calling for greater connections between early care and education professionals and parents, as well as increased training to address biases and increase empathy.

Survey participants in both Maine and Virginia were also asked about the effects of challenging behaviors in the classroom. Concerns included the ability to attend to other children and ensuring the safety and ability of other children to learn. Respondents also noted the negative effect challenging behaviors have on their own well-being.

Without adequate training and supports to handle these stressful situations, early care and education professionals-among whom depression is not uncommon-burn out and leave the profession. Extremely low wages further contribute to their stress. At an average annual salary of just over $22,000, nearly half of the early care and education workforce is enrolled in at least one public support program. These include the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Researchers have found that stress negatively affects early care and education professionals' ability to provide positive, high-quality environments and is the primary reason they leave the field. Bringing the problem full circle, high turnover among early care and education professionals disrupts the relationships and attachments formed with the children they care for and is linked to poorer developmental outcomes for early learners.

Furthermore, early care and education professionals who lack training may be unprepared to distinguish concerning behaviors from those that are developmentally appropriate. Misinterpreting or mischaracterizing behaviors may lead to more punitive discipline and failure to provide appropriate supports. Underprepared professionals are more likely to over-identify children, especially children of color, for special education, disciplinary action and expulsions. Suspensions and expulsions are more likely to occur in early learning settings that have high student-adult ratios, private ownership, extended hours, limited access to early childhood behavioral specialists, and teachers who report high levels of stress.

Suspension and expulsion in early learning settings

Data collected in recent years by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has shined a spotlight on how common suspensions and expulsions are in early learning settings. In fact, expulsion rates among preschoolers are three times higher than those of K-12 students. Stark disparities in suspension and expulsion rates among young children based on race and gender led researchers to question the effect of implicit bias, or the "automatic and unconscious stereotypes that drive people to behave and make decisions in certain ways. Black children, who comprise just 19% of preschool enrollment, make up 47% of preschoolers who are suspended. Research shows students of color are more harshly disciplined for the same behaviors exhibited by their white peers. Furthermore, 75% of expelled preschoolers are boys, with black boys being suspended or expelled the most often. The consequences for young children who are suspended or expelled can be significant and long-lasting. The same children are more likely to be suspended or expelled again in later years and to drop out of high school, fail a grade or be incarcerated.

In 2016, U.S. departments of Health and Human Services and Education issued a policy statement and recommendations aimed at preventing and severely limiting suspensions and expulsions of young children. The departments recommended that early learning programs take the following steps:

Improve the workforce's skill set and capacity to support social and emotional development, address challenging behaviors appropriately, and form supportive and nurturing relationships with children and their families.

Provide training to deepen the workforce's understanding of cultures and diversity, practice self-reflective strategies and correct biases.

Increase access to behavioral specialists (including IEMCH consultants).

Promote the health and well-being of the workforce with reasonable work hours, breaks and access to supports, such as social or mental health services.

The policy statement also made recommendations directly to states, including enacting state policies severely limiting the use of suspensions and expulsions across all early learning settings, collecting data on the use of exclusionary discipline and setting goals for its reduction. It also recommended investing in workforce training and implementing policies to increase quality in early learning settings.

How Are State Policymakers Promoting Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Early Learners?

Well-trained and supported early care and education professionals are critical to reducing the occurrence of suspensions and expulsions in the early years, providing high-quality early learning experiences and supporting social and emotional well-being in young children. Below are actions policymakers across the country are taking to help children, families and early care and education professionals acquire the skills and resources they need to thrive.

Investing in targeted training and professional development for early care and education professionals

Most states include social and emotional development in their Early Learning Guidelines for early care and education professionals.

California provides training and coaching on trauma-informed care for in-home child care providers serving children in the foster care system.

Alaska requires programs at levels 4 and 5 in the state's Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) to participate in trainings specific to trauma and adversity.

Vermont's Early Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework includes evidence-based practices and trainings and is embedded in the state's QRIS.

Addressing compensation and workplace conditions in early learning settings

Five states fund wage supplements through the Child Care WAGE$ Program, a stipend available through the Child Care Services Association, in which early care and education professionals are placed on a "salary supplement scale." The scale rewards workers for obtaining higher levels of education and for remaining in the same child care setting. Wisconsin and Georgia have their own wage supplement programs.

Colorado, Louisiana and Nebraska passed legislation to provide tax credits for early care and education professionals who meet certain education or training requirements.

Twenty-two states include salary scales and/or benefits (e.g., paid leave and health insurance) as a quality indicator for center-based child care providers in their QRIS.

Thirteen states include paidtime for professional development as a marker of quality in their state's QRIS for center-based child care providers.

BehaviorHelp in Arkansas

In 2016, Arkansas extended its prohibition of suspension and expulsion in state-funded prekindergarten classrooms to include nearly 1,000 child care providers serving families with child care subsidies.

To support early care and education professionals with implementing the new policy, the state established BehaviorHelp, a program that provides individual support for addressing challenging behaviors in young children. Early care and education professionals, parents and child welfare case workers complete an online form detailing their issue. Behavioral health specialists then follow up with a phone consultation, classroom observation, training related to individual support plans for educators and parents, and referrals to additional services.

Data collected during the program's first two years revealed that over half of the children exhibiting challenging behaviors had experienced difficult or traumatic events, such as abuse or neglect, divorce or parent incarceration. A survey of users found that 81% felt better able to address their concerns because of the support they received from BehaviorHelp. Users also reported a significant decline in the frequency of challenging behaviors.

Improving access to infant and early childhood mental health consultation

Louisiana and North Carolina provide access to early childhood mental health consultants for child care providers through their state's QRIS.

Virginia funds a full-time coordinator to support a comprehensive IECMH system, including a series of trainings and an IECMH endorsement for practitioners.

Connecticut's statewide IECMH program provides universal access to consultants for all early childhood programs in the state.

Early care and education professionals in Arkansas (see text box on page 7) and Ohio can receive individualized consultations from an early childhood behavioral specialist through a hotline. Arizona's Birth to Five hotline is available to parents as well as early care and education professionals.

Reducing suspensions and expulsions in early learning settings

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia limit or prohibit the use of suspensions and expulsions in lower grades, including prekindergarten classrooms.

Legislators in Washington directed its Department of Children, Youth, and Families to develop a five-year strategy to expand training and awareness in trauma identification, provide positive behavior supports in early settings, and reduce the use of exclusionary discipline by 50%.

Colorado's state child care rules require providers to "outline how decisions are made and what steps are taken prior to a suspension, expulsion, or request to withdraw a child from care." The rules further require that child care providers adopt policies to 1) provide individualized social and emotional intervention supports for children who need them, 2) implement a team-based positive behavior support plan aimed at reducing challenging behavior, suspensions and expulsions, and 3) improve access to early childhood mental health consultants.

Learning about the mental health needs of young children

Georgia lawmakers established the Infant and Toddler Social-Emotional Health Study Committee to study the availability of services and make recommendations.

The Oklahoma Legislature established a task force on trauma-informed care to recommend options and strategies for implementing a coordinated approach to preventing trauma in children, as well as interventions for children and families who are at risk of experiencing trauma.

Conclusion | Additional Resources

Early childhood is a critical window of development for learning social and emotional skills. The quality of experiences and relationships during this time can have life-long implications. For children who face barriers to healthy development, the stakes are even higher. Nurturing the social and emotional development of all young children, so they are ready to succeed in school and beyond, depends on strong partnerships between parents and their out-of-home caregivers. State policymakers are taking steps to ensure young children are supported in early learning settings by investing in the training and well-being of the early care and education workforce, restricting the use of suspensions and expulsions, improving access to early childhood mental health specialists, and exploring additional policies to support the mental health needs of young children and their families.

Additional Resources

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national conference of state legislatures

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Jennifer Palmer, Alison May, Lesley Kennedy

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Social and Emotional Development in Early Learning Settings

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Jennifer Palmer In their first few years of life, young children acquire social and emotional skills, such as regulating emotions, sharing with others and following instructions. These skills lay the foundation for developing literacy, numeracy and other cognitive abilities that are critical for success in school and life.

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https://www.unicef.org/northmacedonia/learning-social-and-emotional-skills-pre-school

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Learning Social and Emotional Skills in Pre-School

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https://www.nu.edu/blog/social-emotional-learning-sel-why-it-matters-for-educators/

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL), what is it, and why does it matter to educators? As an educator, some of the worst things you can hear a student say is, "This is stupid," or "Why are we learning this?" Think back to when you were in school and the subjects that caused you the most frustration.

You'd likely find some common ground with your students in wishing you were given clear reasons why something was important and how learning a subject or skill would benefit you now, as well as years later. That frustration and finding constructive ways to deal with emotions and interact with one another in respectful ways are just a few of the guiding principles behind social emotional learning, or SEL.

Today, in an ever-diversifying world, the classroom is the place where students are often first exposed to people who hail from a range of different backgrounds, hold differing beliefs, and have unique capabilities. To account for these differences and help put all students on an equal footing to succeed, social and emotional learning (SEL) aims to help students better understand their thoughts and emotions, to become more self-aware, and to develop more empathy for others within their community and the world around them.

Developing these qualities in the classroom can help students become better, more productive, self-aware, and socially-aware citizens outside of the classroom in the years ahead. Learn more about the importance of social emotional learning, as well as its benefits both in and out of the classroom.

Table of contents

1. What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

2. T he Five Social Emotional Learning Competencies

3. How Educators Approach SEL

4. The Benefits of SEL

5. What is Social Emotional Learning Theory?

6. Incorporate Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom

7. Measuring Social-Emotional Learning Impact

8. Why is SEL Important?

What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

Social emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages to better comprehend their emotions, to feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others. These learned behaviors are then used to help students make positive, responsible decisions; create frameworks to achieve their goals, and build positive relationships with others

The Five Social Emotional Learning Competencies

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), an organization devoted to students and educators to help achieve positive outcomes for PreK-12 students, SEL involves five core competencies that can be applied in both the classroom, at home, and in students' communities. These five core competencies are:

Self-awareness

To recognize your emotions and how they impact your behavior; acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses to better gain confidence in your abilities.

Self-management

To take control and ownership of your thoughts, emotions, and actions in various situations, as well as setting and working toward goals.

Social awareness

The ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person who may be from a different background or culture from the one you grew up with. To act with empathy and in an ethical manner within your home, school, and community.

Relationship skills

The ability to build and maintain healthy relationships with people from a diverse range of backgrounds. This competency focuses on listening to and being able to communicate with others, peacefully resolving conflict, and knowing when to ask for or offer help.

Making responsible decisions

Choosing how to act or respond to a situation is based on learned behaviors such as ethics, safety, weighing consequences, and the well-being of others, as well as yourself.

How Educators Approach SEL

While SEL isn't a designated subject like history or math, it can be woven into the fabric of a school's curriculum. When educators make academic lessons more personal and relatable to students, students may be more inclined to participate and may be less likely to mentally check out during their subjects. By fostering a sense of empathy, self-awareness, and feelings of safety and inclusiveness in the classroom, SEL can have a positive impact that lasts a lifetime.

There are several different approaches to SEL. Some teachers have a more formally designated portion of the school day devoted to SEL - sometimes taught in homeroom. These lessons become a recurring theme throughout the rest of the school day to help make the core competencies of SEL more real to students.

Teachers may want to have students journal or write about their thoughts and feelings on a particular SEL lesson, or even have younger students partner with an older " buddy classroom " (or vice versa) to help students across different age levels bond or find common ground.

Other teachers work SEL-related lessons into more formal subjects, like math, history, or reading. For instance, examples of SEL-in-action can include assigning a group project where students self-delegate roles to work together for the good of the group, role playing as historical figures to understand the rationale behind a person's actions, or for students to conduct formal interviews with one another to take a pulse-check on current events.

Teachers can also work with students to set goals in areas where they may need improvement and help chart their progress, giving them a measurable way to show their achievement and feel a sense of accomplishment.

The Benefits of SEL

SEL is beneficial to both children and adults, increasing self-awareness, academic achievement, and positive behaviors both in and out of the classroom. From an academic standpoint, students who participated in SEL programs saw an 11 percentile increase in their overall grades and better attendance. On a more individual level, the skills learned within an SEL program have been shown to help students better cope with emotional stress, solve problems, and avoid peer pressure to engage in harmful activities.

Students who are equipped to deal with problems that affect them on a personal level are then better able to navigate the pressures of adult life. A report by the AEI/Brookings Working Group on Poverty and Opportunity noted that, "despite their importance to education, employment, and family life, the major educational and social reforms of the K-12 system over the last few decades have not focused sufficiently on the socio-emotional factors that are crucial to learning."

A study published by the American Journal of Public Health used data from the longitudinal, nonintervention subsample of the Fast Track Project, an intervention program designed to reduce aggression in children identified as at high risk for long-term behavioral problems and conduct disorders.

When educators are able to see which students do not grasp the core pillars of SEL, they can better work with them at an early age and help these students develop better self-control, empathy, and other positive qualities. Learning positive behaviors that extend beyond a purely academic level of achievement can help these students develop the "soft skills" required of many jobs, such as teamwork, and ability to understand others, and problem-solving. This can help set these students up for success throughout their school years and beyond.

What is Social Emotional Learning Theory?

Broadly speaking, social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process through which individuals learn and apply a set of social, emotional, and related skills, attitudes, behaviors, and values that help direct students. This includes thoughts, feelings, and actions in ways that enable them to succeed in school. However, SEL has been defined in a variety of ways ( Humphrey et al., 2011).

How Do You Incorporate Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom?

There are many ways to incorporate SEL in the classroom. The main idea is to provide an ongoing SEL influence throughout the day. In the beginning, you could start by checking in with students to see how they feel. Another great way is to provide students the opportunity to see how a tricky or troubling situation is being handled. This will give them some ideas on how to handle a tricky situation they may encounter. Utilizing students to role-play in front of the class would be a viable example. Make sure there is a place for students to calm down. This safe space will allow for the student to reflect.

Measuring Social-Emotional Learning Impact

Measuring the impact of implementing SEL inside the classroom goes way beyond just grades. As Dr. Christina Cipriano explains, "When students are struggling and school performance is poor, they are more likely to find school and learning as a source of anxiety, manifesting in diminished self-efficacy, motivation, engagement, and connectedness with school."

As a student is provided the tools associated with SEL, they will have more ownership of their actions, a sense of belonging, and will intrinsically care about their education. A student that has had consistent exposure to SEL is able to manage stress better and reduces the chance for that child to become depressed.

Why is SEL Important?

While SEL has been more formally stood up as a program in preschools throughout all 50 states, very few states have made SEL a designated part of school curriculum at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. To date, only three states have a fully-designed set of standards for SEL programs with benchmarks for students at every grade level from K-12, according to the AEI/Brookings report. These states are Illinois, Kansas, and Pennsylvania.

Because so few states have made SEL a part of their curriculum for K-12 students, statistical evidence showing the benefits of SEL has been anecdotal. However, preschool-age children who were able to participate in an SEL program and learned these principles early on in their school career were able to reap the intended benefits. As more states and schools consider weaving SEL into their curriculum, it can provide educators with more statistically significant evidence of the program's positive impact.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Becoming a teacher can be a rewarding experience that helps a new generation reach new heights and their full potential. If you've considered becoming a teacher, visit our program page to learn how National University's Sanford College of Education can help you achieve your goals. Learn more about our on-campus and online programs, including the Master of Arts in SEL program and the Education Specialist (EdS) in Leadership in SEL program. You can also hear more from our students and faculty.

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What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Why It Matters | NU

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Social emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students better comprehend their emotions & demonstrate empathy for others.