The first few years of life are a period of intense brain development. This period is vital, for example, in early language development, in the formation of pre-reading and pre-math skills, in symbol and pattern recognition, and in the early development of emotional control and social skills that lead to school success.
This month’s issue of Research to Policy discusses the relationship between nutrition and early childhood brain development. As we learn more and more about the importance of the first years of life, we are increasingly aware of the significance of nutrition for the developing brain.
'Til Death Do Us Part
February 14, 2011
When I met my husband Monroe, it was not love at first sight. More like second sight. However, the second look revealed the person with whom I would live until death parted us. It also revealed a man of character, one who deeply loved his God, his family and his community. Based on those values, our relationship and our love for each other began to grow, and we married after a nine-month courtship.
In the past, we have devoted this space to one aspect of demographics: growing up in poverty. We know that children who spend their first years in poverty have fewer opportunities to develop to their full potential.
As 2010 comes to a close, it is a good time to pause and reflect on the stack of reports released over the past year that comment on the well-being of children, and ask how these studies apply to Memphis, particularly in terms of what they can tell us about early childhood brain development, and
