The annual observance of Memorial Day serves as a gentle reminder that summer is right around the corner.
During this time of year, adults and children of all ages relish thoughts of long-awaited opportunities to enjoy extended periods of daylight, playtime, rest and relaxation.
Ethnographers have long noted a striking phenomenon: Inuit and African babies generally tend to be much calmer than western babies. In fact, they cry very little – certainly much less than babies in much of the rest of the world.
Through my work and involvement with The Urban Child Institute, I have learned that during the first three years of a child's life, family, home environment, and interactions with adults are the major factors in shaping the mental foundation for learning. Making the most of children's early upbringing has the potential to improve education and health and decrease poverty and unemployment – issues that are of great interest to me as someone who is concerned about the future of our community and our country.
Talk to Your Baby - in Utero and Out
May 15, 2012
Has anyone ever told you how important it is to talk to your baby? Have you thought to yourself, "That's silly; my baby is too little to know what I am saying"? Even though babies can't answer back in conversation, that isn't an excuse not to talk to them. Studies have shown that the more you talk to your baby, the greater the chance he or she has of learning to speak and understand words.
Make Time for Story Time
May 4, 2012
Everyone is familiar with the "three Rs": Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. This phrase has long been used to describe the essential components of education – the three skill areas that all subsequent learning is built upon. But there is another phrase that we wish were just as familiar: Touch, Talk, Read, Play, or TTRP. These represent the most important activities that parents share with their babies and toddlers, and when it comes to learning, they are just as important as the three Rs.