As a parent you want what is best for your child. You should know about recent research in brain development that emphasizes the importance of a child’s early years. Neuroscientists have discovered that a child’s environment and positive or negative experiences during the early childhood years can affect that child’s brain development and have consequences that last a lifetime.

Researchers, using modern medical imaging technology such as MRI scans, can now look deep inside the human brain to see how it works, to watch how and where the brain processes sensory input, and to learn much more than has ever previously been known. Discoveries are being made that provide new information about how a child’s brain develops.

Did you know . . . ?

• Humans are born with over 100 billion brain cells, but at birth most of the connections between the cells have not yet formed.
  
  
• Learning is making brain cell connections. A human brain is the most active and receptive to learning between the ages of three and ten.
  
  
• Connections are formed at an incredible rate over the first few years of life. A child’s brain almost triples in weight between birth and age three. By age five, approximately 90% of brain development is completed.
  
  
• Early experiences can result in a significant variation in the number of brain cell connections. Research shows that by age four, children have developed half of their ability to learn.
  
  
• If babies are not held or touched in a loving manner and do not develop close, stable relationships with consistent caregivers, social, emotional, and communication skills do not develop normally.
  
  
• "Windows of Opportunity" – critical, relatively short periods, exist in which a child’s brain must have appropriate stimulation in order to develop properly. For example, if a baby has a serious vision problem, it must be corrected at a very early age, or permanent blindness may result because the vision connections in the brain did not develop properly.
  
  
• The major milestones of the first years including smiling, babbling, talking, crawling, walking and fine motor coordination in the fingers, all follow a built in pattern of brain development. Children need age appropriate learning experiences. Children should not be forced to do activities that are beyond their developmental abilities.
  
  
• Exposure to physical and emotional trauma during the early childhood years can actually change the physiological development of children’s brains, making it more difficult for them to control their emotions, and leading to impulsive and aggressive behavior.
  
  
• The years from birth to age five are crucial for oral language development, upon which reading and written language are based. Talking with and reading to young children are important for language development.
  
  
• Quality child care programs enhance brain development and have long term positive results. Quality programs include rich and responsive language experiences with caring adults and a learning environment which gives children the opportunity to take part in music and art experiences and explore a variety of learning materials.
  
  

The Importance of Quality Child Care

If your child is in child care, it should be quality child care. Experts identify several key components of a quality child care program:

• Parent involvement – Quality child care is available in Florida. However, because the state standards are among the lowest in the U.S., it is very important for parents to choose wisely. Parents should be welcome in the classroom at any time and encouraged to be involved with the program.
  
  
• Favorable staff to child ratio – Choose schools with low staff to child ratios. Florida standards for child care staffing ratios for two, three, and four year olds allow about twice as many children per caregiver as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
  
  
• Small Group Size – Look for group sizes small enough for teachers to give individual attention. Florida has no limits on group size.
  
  
• Low staff turnover – Children need consistent caregivers. Department of Labor statistics show that almost forty percent of caregivers leave the field each year. Teachers need better pay and working conditions for the important work they do.
  
  
• Adequate staff training – Young children need caregivers who are patient, understanding, experienced, well-trained, and knowledgeable about child development.
  
  

Stop to ask questions about ratios, group size, staff turnover and training.

Look for posted daily schedules, meals and lesson plans, plus a variety of quality play and learning materials.

Listen for pleasant sounds such as children’s happy voices and teachers using positive words.