Small hands grasp your nose as you stare down at the tiny miracle in your lap. You read focus and amazement in your baby's eyes as he/she scans your skin and features, tugging curiously at your ears and hair. It may all seem like quiet, peaceful fun, but the attachment your baby is making with you through touch is preparing his/her brain for a lifetime of learning.
We are now officially in the campaign season for the City of Memphis. We hope that our children, especially the youngest ones, aren’t overlooked as they often are in the blizzard of questionnaires sent to candidates by politically active groups and in the campaign speeches by candidates.
The growing racial and ethnic diversity of young children in Memphis reflects national trends. Growing up in an immigrant family can pose special challenges for early childhood development.
All of us believe it and most of us have said it at one time or another. The question for us then is this: why is it so hard for the reality of our youngest children to match our rhetoric? Often, it feels that on issues of early childhood, it’s one step forward, two steps back.
It's a fundamental principle of business - and life - that the best action is the one taken when it delivers the best result. That's not what we're doing when it comes to investing in educating the children of our community.
Touch. Talk. Read. Play. When it comes to a child’s ability to learn, these four little words hold huge weight and significance as the foundation for early brain development.
