National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
I chose
to do the alternate assignment this week and share information from the Harvard
University's Center on the Developing Child. There are many different areas
that captured my attention. The site had a media article called, “Child
Development Core Story” which featured four videos on the following areas: Brain Architecture; Serve and Return; Stress;
and Pay Now or Pay Later. I reflect back
on learning how investing in children and ensuring they have everything they
need to be successful should be a number one priority. We talked about
achievement gaps and how starting early in life will bridge the gap will result
in a higher payoff in the future. This does not resonate only in the United
States but all over the globe. We as a
society will pay a huge price in the future and children will not achieve their
full potential because we have the same policies and procedures in place that
do not work. If we just step outside the box and implement the advances that we
have learned in science, it will help achieve a promising future for all
children. ( Center on the Developing n.d.).
The
Project for Babies” was an initiative of the University Of Minnesota Center for
Early Education and Development. ( Project for Babies, n.d.). They developed an
educational video series on the importance of the early years. The main points
each of the videos relate to children no matter where they may in the world.
(Center on the Developing n.d.). I
gained more insight and a better understanding of how crucial the early years
of a child life are in child development.
1. Child Development Core Story, Part 1: Brain
Architecture
No matter
where children are in the world early brain development affects the course of their
later life. The disconnection between
knowledge and science is at the roots of problems and is traced back to early
childhood. Years of research on how the
brain develops and functions now informs best practices in the nurturing of
children. The gap formed between knowledge and practice has significant
repercussions for society.
2. Child Development Core Story, Part 2: Serve and
Return
Brain Architecture is impacted by the experiences children “are having” and the experiences that they “are not having”. The first four years of a child’s life are critical to their later development, and it’s when the brain is developing the most. If children are not getting the basic care required during this time, it thwarts their development. One factor that is very important is “engagement “and interaction with adults. Children need caring, nurturing adults around them to provide the adult/child interaction that is crucial for later social and academic skills in their lives.
3. Child Development Core Story, Part 3: Stress
Stress is a part of life, and can have devastating
effects on the developing brain. There are several types of stress that we can
encounter, positive stress, tolerable stress, and toxic stress. Positive stress is something that you may
confront, but you know you can handle. Tolerable stress is when things happen
such as a car accident, illness or even death of a relative that you can
tolerate with the help of others. Toxic stress is a prolonged severe release of
stressor chemicals. Toxic stress can kill brain cells and change the way they
develop. Toxic stress can have a serious impact on long-term health.
4. Child Development Core Story, Part 4: Pay Now or Pay
Later
I gained a lot of new insight by viewing the four videos. In order to have equity and provide all children with the tools necessary to lead successful and productive lives we must make them the number one priority.
References
Center on the Developing Child - What We
Do. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/
Project for Babies -
developingchild.harvard.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/project-for-babies/
1.
