Early Learning
Newly born children begin to connect to other people and learn about their world in the first years of life. Babies are born social and ready to interact! For example, newborns often imitate facial expressions of adults. Babies are attracted to the human face –and even shapes that only vaguely look like human faces. Young children notice and follow the eye gaze of adults to learn.
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Responsive nurturing interaction shapes early infant/toddler brain development and builds connections that allow the development of lifelong skills.
An Early Care and Education Provider’s Guide for Developmental and Behavioral Screening as an early care and education provider you are on the front lines of watching children develop.
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Developmental & Behavioral Screening
Responsive nurturing interaction shapes early infant/toddler brain development and builds connections that allow the development of lifelong skills.
Head Start and other early childhood programs must create stimulating learning environments and implement intentional teaching strategies that ensure all children are ready to succeed in school. Family engagement and comprehensive services also play critical roles in children’s development & school readiness.
Early childhood education (ECE) aims to improve the cognitive and social development of children ages 0-5 years. Early childhood education interventions can improve all children’s development and act as a protective factor....
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What is Early Education?
In this brief, learn why story time is key to children’s development. Explore how home visitors can help families set aside more time to read books with their children. Find the most up-to-date information.
Toolkit on building social and emotional development. Beneficial tools/tips to talk, read and sing with your child. Using language and so much more.
Good activity habits begin early in your child’s life. As early as infancy, you can help your child grow lifelong healthy play habits. Your child learns from you, so while you help him be active, try to do the same activities!
Special playtime is a chance for you to focus on your child’s good behaviors and build a strong, nurturing relationship. It can be a fun way for you to learn how to communicate with your child.
What is High-Quality Child Care?
How it's Strongly Related to Children's Development
A growing body of research evidence indicates the quality of child care is strongly related to the course of children’s development. High quality care is associated with higher cognitive development, better communication skills, greater school readiness, more positive emotions, fewer behavior problems, and decreased need for special education. Quality care also is related to long-term positive effects such as higher graduation rates, higher employment rates and income levels, and lower arrest rates.
High-quality early learning is critical to a child’s development, but what does high-quality really mean? Experts in the field of early education agree on certain standards they feel child care programs should provide.
One valuable tool that is available in many states is the quality rating and improvement system (QRIS). QRISs help child care providers provide higher-quality care, and they give families a way to see and compare programs’ quality ratings .....
When you’re choosing a child care provider, it is important to look for evidence that your child’s health and safety will be a priority.