Over the past few months, we've had the chance to talk with a number of kindergarten teachers about what it means for a child to be kindergarten-ready. Many of their answers were striking: kindergarten-ready children are excited to come to school, they are eager to hear what their teachers and classmates have to say, they love books and are eager for story-time, and they "use their words" to solve problems!
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Prematurity takes a high toll on families, and imposes high costs to society. More babies die each year from causes related to prematurity than from any other single cause, and children born prematurely are much more likely to require extended hospital stays, and they run much higher risks of long-term health problems.
When we speak about kindergarten readiness, we often prioritize the critical cognitive skills, like simple memorization or early steps of math. These cognitive skills often overshadow basic social and emotional skills like knowing appropriate classroom behaviors, or demonstrating basic interpersonal skills.
One of my first memories is of my mother putting on the soundtrack to Cats the musical. My siblings and I would crawl and climb around the house, pretending to be cats. It was a simple, silly activity, but it got us moving and using our imaginations. It also tired us out just in time for a nap. Physical health is vital to optimal early childhood development.
As adults, we do many things instinctively, like having a conversation or working our way through a problem. Even activities as complex as flawlessly playing an instrument or learning a foreign language come very naturally to some.
The Urban Child Institute recently launched its Baby Small campaign, offering a big idea: we can improve the future of our community through small, smart decisions and actions that promote optimal early childhood brain development. Baby Small reminds us that the first years of life are a period of both extraordinary development and extraordinary opportunity. Babies' brains develop in response to their environments.
