One of kindergarten's challenges is that it is often the first time a child must interact with unfamiliar adults and groups of similarly aged children.
Children develop in response to their environments, and experiences in early childhood influence a child’s lifelong health and success. Parents can help to support optimal early development by encouraging healthy eating habits and physical activity.
As you can see in the Baby Small video, the first three years of a baby's life are crucial to healthy brain development.
Even at birth, a child's brain is rapidly growing and developing. A child's brain doubles in size during the first year of life and reaches 80% of its adult size by age three. This period offers a tremendous window of opportunity for making a positive impact on a child's life.
What does it mean to be Kindergarten-Ready? The answer to that question will depend on who you ask: parents, teachers, policymakers, and scholars tend to look at different sets of skills that help a child thrive in school.
Early brain development establishes the foundation for kindergarten readiness, across both thinking and social and emotional skills. This month, we examine two important dimensions of readiness.