Expecting parents usually talk about how they hope their child is born healthy and happy. There are so many pieces that make children healthy, and for Children’s Health month we are going to focus on early brain development.
Photo credit: Zero to Three
Believe it or not, our brains develop the most between birth and age three. By the time your child is ready to enter kindergarten, much of their brain architecture is already in place. Think of yourself as a contractor who helps build the support network for your child’s brain. All the (positive or negative) experiences your child has in the first years of life structure their brain, and teach them to make sense of the world. This month we’ll give you some suggestions for building materials for positive experiences that will hopefully make your child’s future healthy and happy.
This topic is a key component of the following early learning domains and goals:
Click here to learn more about the State of Alaska Early Learning Guidelines
Educational Domain: Physical Wellbeing, Health, and Motor Development
Goal: Children engage in a variety of physical activities
Goal: Children use their senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch to guide and integrate their learning and interactions
Educational Domain: Social & Emotional Development
Goal: Children develop positive relationships with adults
Educational Domain: Approaches to Learning
Goal: Children show curiosity and interest in learning
Goal: Children learn through play and exploration
Educational Domain: Cognition & General Knowledge
Goal: Children collect information through observation and manipulation
Educational Domain: Communication, Language, and Literacy
Goal: Children listen and understand communication
Goal: Children demonstrate appreciation and enjoyment of reading
