Introduction: Early Childhood Essay

Submitted By xxkimberzxx
Words: 822
Pages: 4

The first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a baby’s development. Below is a list of key behavior and development topics you will find on our site.

In each of these sections, you will find information, interactive tools, parent handouts, charts, Tip Sheets, FAQ’s, articles, and powerpoint slideshows all designed to help you in supporting and nurturing the health and development of babies and toddlers.

In This Section
Little Kids, Big Questions: A ZERO TO THREE Podcast Series on Early Childhood Development - This series of 12 podcasts addresses some of the most common (and challenging) issues facing parents of babies and toddlers today, including sleep, crying, feeding and the development of self-control and self-esteem. Each podcast features an interview with an expert that focuses on how to apply the research of early childhood development to your daily interactions with your baby or toddler.

Brain Development - The first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a baby's development. A newborn's brain is about 25 percent of its approximate adult weight. But by age 3, it has grown dramatically by producing billions of cells and hundreds of trillions of connections, or synapses, between these cells. In this section you will learn about the many ways parents and caregivers can help children get off to a good start and establish healthy patterns for life-long learning.

Challenging Behaviors - This is a set of resources designed to help you better understand and cope with some of the typical challenges parents and those who work with families of young children face in the early years: Aggression, Defiance, Inconsolable Crying, Children who are slow-to-warm-up and Sleep.

Early Childhood Mental Health - Infant and early childhood mental health includes a full spectrum of social and emotional functioning. This ranges from the ability to form satisfying relationships with others, play, communicate, learn, and express emotions, to the disorders of very early childhood. In this section you will find a range of resources for understanding this critical aspect of a young child’s development, and for identifying and treating mental health concerns.

Early Development - Between birth and age 3, babies learn to give and receive love; to roll, crawl, stand, walk, and run; to talk, joke, rhyme, and sing. But development doesn’t happen in the same way, at the same time, for all children. Each child develops at his own pace and in his own way. This section includes information and resources about how early development unfolds and what you can do support young children’s healthy growth.

Health & Nutrition - Here you will find resources on a range of health issues that will help you nurture your child’s overall growth and development.

Mental Health Screening & Assessment - This section provides resources for early childhood practitioners and parents who may be concerned about the developmental progress of a very young child. Included are strategies for professionals and family members to work together to determine the nature of the delay and need for services.

Play - There’s a lot happening during playtime. Little ones are lifting, dropping, looking, pouring, bouncing, hiding,