Saturday, June 9, 2012

Extending Web Resources


The link I followed was Zero to Three.
http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/

 ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.  Neuroscientists have documented that our earliest days, weeks and months of life are a period of unparalleled growth when trillions of brain cell connections are made. Research and clinical experience also demonstrate that health and development are directly influenced by the quality of care and experiences a child has with his parents and other adults.
ZERO TO THREE mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.  We know that as babies, the way we are held, talked to and cared for teaches us about who we are and how we are valued. This profoundly shapes who we will become.  Early experiences set a course for a lifelong process of discovery about ourselves and the world around us. Simply put, early experiences matter. We encourage you to learn more about very young children, early development and the work of ZERO TO THREE by exploring our site.


Equity and excellence in early care and education

From birth, babies look to trusted adults to meet their needs.  When their needs are met, babies thrive. When their needs are not met, their social-emotional development (mental health) is compromised. In either case, babies’ brains are learning what to expect from the world, and whatever happens during the first three years becomes part of the brain’s hard wiring. The zero-to-three age range is the time when the greatest amount of development occurs in the brain.

Even though the brain is constantly growing, changing, and forming new connections during early childhood, recovering lost connections becomes much harder with age. Babies are born with just a portion of the connections they will later develop. Through their relationships with caregivers and trusted adults who talk to, play with, and comfort them, the brain will build many connections. In fact, a newborn’s brain produces many more connections than will be needed during childhood. The connections that are not used or needed become weaker and are eventually tossed away, or pruned from the brain.


Issues and trends in the early childhood field.

In 2007, ZERO TO THREE was awarded an ECEPD grant for Project CLICK (Cradling Literacy in Children in Kentucky), a partnership of ZERO TO THREE, Save the Children, and the Eastern Kentucky Child Care Coalition. Over the course of three years, and using ZERO TO THREE’s Cradling Literacy:  Building Teachers’ Skills to Nurture Early Language and Literacy from Birth to Five professional development curriculum, the project trained and mentored early childhood educators in enhancing language and literacy development in children ages birth-to-5 years who were located in six high-need counties in Eastern Kentucky. The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina served as the project’s independent evaluator.

References



2 comments:

  1. When we watch some mothers with their babies, and how they are showing that they care for them and the love that they have for them, it makes you happy. But when we look at countries like Africa and how they are starving and dying, you have a heavy heart. When children needs are met, babies will thrive to their full potential..

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  2. I have heard about this website and I forget who else I posted something about it and I commented on it. It is an amazing site. As I shared last time I am very interest in this one because of the my kids age range (a three year old, and a set that just turn 1 on the June 8th). Gloria I agree it is painful to hear and see others in other countries dying and starving. Thanks for sharing and great information.

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