ten

simple
ways
to encourage
learning

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© 2005 Foundation for Early Learning. Credits: Photo pg. 5: MedioImages; Photo pg. 8: JupiterImages;
Photo pg. 13: Chris Karges Photography; Photos pg. 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14: comstock.com
 By Five-Years Old, I Get It. The Early Years Are
the Brain Is 90% Developed Important. So What Do I Do?
The way a child is nurtured during the first five years shapes her behavior for Parents are baby’s first teachers. And the good news is that helping your
the rest of her life. baby grow into a healthy, happy child and confident, competent learner is
simpler than it seems. Follow these guidelines:
When a baby is born, her brain is not fully developed. It grows in weight
and complexity to become 90% developed by the time she is five. So those
first years are vitally important. Baby’s relationships with parents and care • Be warm, loving, and responsive
givers; the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings she experiences; how secure • Respond to the child’s cues and clues
she feels – all these have a profound impact on the way her brain develops.
• Talk, read, and sing to your child
And this, in turn, affects how she learns, thinks, and behaves as a child –
and as an adult. • Establish routines
• Encourage safe exploration and play
It’s All Based on Science • Make TV watching selective
The brain is made out of nerve cells or neurons. These neurons con-
• Use discipline as an opportunity to teach
nect together to create systems that control various functions such
as seeing, hearing, movement, and behavioral responses. Trillions of • Recognize that each child is unique
these connections are made during the first five years of life.
• Choose high-quality child care and stay involved
Importantly, experiences a child gains in interaction with people and
things in the world are instrumental in forming these vital neural con-
• Take care of yourself
nections. If a system is not used, it may be dismantled.
Consider a person who was born blind because of a physical problem
with his eyes. Years later, medical science is able to fix the physical
problem. But the grown man still can’t see. Why? Because his “sight
system” did not receive appropriate stimuli during his first years of
life.
Look at another example. When a baby is hungry or uncomfortable, Remember to bring your
the brain’s stress-response systems release stress hormones. When a child for regular check-ups
care giver responds to the baby’s cries, the stress-response systems are and timely immunizations.
And consult a doctor or nurse
turned off and the infant’s brain begins to create systems that help the
when children are ill or some-
baby soothe himself. This “self-calming system” is less well developed
thing does not seem right.
in babies who are neglected and abused. And studies show that as
adults, people who were neglected or abused as young children pro-
duce a strong stress response even when exposed to minimal stress.
 1 2
Be Warm, Loving, and Responsive Respond to the Child’s
Touch. Rock. Chatter. Smile. Sing. Coo. Cues and Clues
All those silly things adults do with babies make the infant feel more safe Infants can’t use words to communicate their moods, preferences, or needs,
and secure. These “secure attachments” affect how your young child’s brain but they send many signals to the adults who care for them. Listen to the
is “wired” and influence later learning and behavior. sounds they make. Watch them move. Notice their facial expressions and
the way they make or avoid eye contact.
Touch is especially important; You’ll soon learn to read these signals and can respond appropriately. An
holding and stroking stimulates infant needs to know that when he smiles, someone will smile back. When
the brain to release important
she is upset, someone will comfort her. When he is hungry, someone will
hormones necessary for growth.
feed him. This sensitive response helps babies form secure attachments.

If you watch closely,

you’ll quickly recog-
nize when your child
is hungry. All children
need to be well-nour-
ished in order to thrive.
If possible, infants
should be breast-fed.
Offer older children a balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, proteins, and vitamins,
taking care not to have too much fat, salt, or preservatives.

Loving Care Leads to More Security

You Cannot Spoil a Newborn Baby
L. Alan Sroufe, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of Minne-
sota have found that children who receive warm and responsive care by Responding to Her Needs
cope with difficult times more easily when they are older. They are Studies show that when caregivers quickly and warmly respond
more curious, get along better with other children, and perform better to a crying newborn, the infant typically cries less and sleeps more
in school. at night.
 3 4
Talk, Read, and Sing to Your Child
Tell baby what you are doing and describe the objects around you, sing
songs, make up stories:
“Mommy’s doing the dishes. This is a cup. A blue cup.
Mommy is washing the blue cup.”
Don’t feel embarrassed about talking to your baby this way. When he hears
you say words over and over, the parts of his brain that handle speech and
language develop. Telling the same stories or singing the same songs over and
over again may feel boring to you, but children learn through repetition.
Talking, singing, and reading to your child is not only important for brain
development, but a wonderful opportunity for the two of you to be close.
Be Interactive When You Read
Studies find that the way you read to children makes a differ-
ence. Encourage older babies and toddlers to participate. Ask them
questions: “Where’s the yellow triangle?” “Who is hiding behind
the door?” “Let’s say the rhyme together. Can you help Daddy
sing? The itsy-bitsy spider....”
Establish Routines
One toddler knows it is nap time because his mom sings a song and closes
the curtains, as she always does. Another toddler knows it is nearly time
for her dad to pick her up because her child care provider gives her juice
and crackers.
Positive daily routines make children feel more secure because they know
what to expect from their environment and the people around them.
These repeated happy experiences help build strong relationships which
are important for building a sense of self, a sense of trust, the ability to regu-
late emotion and behavior as well as cognitive skills necessary for
school readiness.
When young children ride in cars, they should always be in the back seat and
strapped securely into a car seat. You’ll find that your child gets used to the
routine and a toddler will climb into the car seat and try to buckle it himself.
 5 6
Encourage Safe Make TV Watching Selective
Exploration and Play Turn off the television set.

Children learn through play and by exploring. A simple game of “peek-a- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television
boo” helps a baby learn that objects are permanent – even when she can’t for children age 2 or younger. For older children, the Academy recommends
see them. A toddler playing with stacking cups learns about size, color, no more than 1 to 2 hours per day of educational, nonviolent programs.
and shapes.
Help your child learn through play by interacting with him. “Can you put
the red cup in the blue cup?” But also allow your child to explore on her
own – let her crawl or walk around the room, touch things to see how they
feel, push them to see if they roll, shake them to see if they make a sound.
Watch your three-year-old run away from you at the park, always looking
over his shoulder to make sure you’re still there. And hold out your arms for
a big hug when he goes a step too far away and runs back for reassurance.

The places where

children spend time
need to be safe and
“child-proofed.” Use
safety plugs, put
items that might be
broken or swallowed
out of reach. Remove
lamps or other items
a child might pull
down on herself.

Children who watch too much TV perform less well in school

than those who watch only limited amounts.

As your child gets older, it’s okay to allow some TV. But don’t use TV as a
baby sitter. And be selective. Some TV images are great, but others are con-
fusing, even frightening. Young children don’t always understand the differ-
ence between what is real and what is pretend. Whenever possible, watch
programs with your child and talk about what you are viewing.
 7 Approaches to Teach, Rather than Punish
Use Discipline as an
Opportunity to Teach
As your child grows, he will experiment and test. In the process, he will
try to do things he isn’t yet capable of. Don’t be surprised when your tod-
dler has a tantrum because she is frustrated or because you’ve said “no” to
climbing higher or having another cookie. A young child’s feelings are very
intense and he frequently cannot control his anger or frustration. It is also
inevitable that your child will be upset by your discipline or disapproval.
Help him know you still love him.
As a parent or caregiver, you need to set limits and provide consistent
responses. The goal of discipline is to teach, not punish. If you are support-
ive but consistent, you help your child feel safe in the world and help teach
her about self-control.
• Communicate to your child what needs to be done at that
moment: “I know you’re having fun at the park, but it’s time
to get ready to go now.”
• Redirect your child’s attention or activity by using neutral or
positive language: “It’s not OK to draw on the wall, here is
some paper you can use.”
• Say no while maintaining love: “I love you, but I don’t love
what you’re doing.”
• Give the reason for your rule: “Don’t run with scissors – you
might fall and hurt yourself.”
• Give limited tasks and be specific in your request: “Please
pick up your stuffed animals” (instead of “Please clean up
your room”).
• Acknowledge children’s feelings, but set limits: “I know you’re
angry, but no biting.”
• Help children see how their actions affect others: “Your sister
is upset because you pinched her. How would you feel if she
hurt you?”
• Help children see how they can use their words to communi-
cate their feelings: “Tell your brother you don’t like
it when he hits you.”
• Acknowledge positive behavior: “You did a good job picking
up your stuffed animals. Thank you.”
Never Hit or Shake Your Child
Brain research has shown that physical punishment can have
long-term negative effects. Discipline is about learning. All a child
learns from this kind of interaction is fear, humiliation, and rage.
And she is far more likely to feel that violence is an acceptable
way of reacting. Take a time out for yourself. Count to ten. Call a
friend or relative for support. Do not harshly criticize and shame
the child. Direct your comments to her behavior, not to who she
is as a person.
 8 9
Recognize that
Each Child Is Unique
Children have different temperaments. They also grow at different rates.
How your child feels about himself reflects your attitude toward him. If
you tell your child that he’s stupid or incompetent, he’ll believe you and
have low self-esteem. If you tell your child that he’s smart and capable, he’ll
believe that as well.
When a child masters a challenge of everyday life, she feels good about her-
self. When you give concrete praise for that accomplishment, you reinforce
her self-worth. “You climbed those steps all by yourself. Good job!”
Don’t compare one child to another or expect them to like the same things.
Every child is unique and wonderful. Look for each child’s accomplishments
and interests and reinforce them to build self-esteem.
Celebrate Who You Are
Culture, ethnicity, and family traditions also make your child unique.
Helping your child understand and value your culture and back-
ground will help build her self-esteem. If your child uses child care,
help her provider understand your customs. Your child will be
proud if you come in with traditional food or games to celebrate
your special holidays. Also, teach your child to accept and be open
to the traditions and values of others.
Choose High-Quality Child Care
and Stay Involved
Choosing a child care provider is one of the most important decisions fami-
lies make. Research shows that children who have high-quality child
care and whose families stay involved in their care and education do better
in school – both academically and socially.
Visit the Knowledge Center at www.earlylearning.org for
tips about selecting child care that works for your family.
Visit each provider and observe how she responds to and interacts with
children. Seek a provider who responds to each child’s needs, who is eager
to learn about their development, and who engages children in creative play
and exploration. Find a setting that is clean and safe. Make sure that there
are enough care givers so that your child can get individualized attention.
Carefully check the provider’s references.
Your child care should be safe
and clean. There should be
enough care givers to respond
to each child’s needs. Children
should be engaged in creative
activities.
After choosing your child care provider, stay involved. Drop in unan-
nounced occasionally so you can see what your child’s day is like. Ask for
frequent “progress reports.” And don’t be afraid to offer constructive sugges-
tions to improve your child’s experience.
 10
Take Care of Yourself
Modern life is busy and it can be difficult to balance competing demands on The Foundation for Early Learning recognizes that parents are their chil-
your time. Taking on the role of a parent requires changes in your routine dren’s first and most important teachers. The information outlined in this
and may require that you stop doing some of your previous activities to booklet is designed to support early learning and make sure children are
make sure you get enough rest and time for yourself and the rest of your ready for school. To learn more, go to www.gettingschoolready.org.
family. If you can, find someone to care for your child and make a regu-
lar date with yourself to relax. Your baby will be fine and you will manage
this challenging and rewarding job as your child’s first and most important
teacher much more easily.

State-Wide Resources
Foundation for Early Learning Child Profile
Depression Getting School Ready information Washington State’s healthy
After Delivery and tools. promotion and immunization
• www.earlylearning.org registry.
Many mothers suffer • 1-800-325-5599
from various degrees of Healthy Mothers, Healthy • www.childprofile.org
depression after giving Babies Coalition
birth. This is caused by Information and referral to health Department of Social & Health
the hormones chang- services and postpartum support. Services/Division of Child
ing in your body and is • 1-800-322-2588 Care and Early Learning
perfectly normal. When • www.hmhbwa.org Providing seamless, coordinated
depression eases during child care services to families and
the first six months, Washington State Child Care child care providers.
Resource and Referral Network • 1-866-482-4325 (toll free)
children are generally
• http://www1.dshs.wa.gov
not affected. If depres- A network of child care and
go to “Quick Links - Child Care”
sion lasts for a year resource and referral programs
or more, it can have a with information on licensed
child care and tips for selecting a Postpartum Support
long-lasting impact on International
provider.
the child. Please seek • 1-800-446-1114 Washington
help if you think you are • www.childcarenet.org • 1-888-404-PPMD
depressed after having a • http://ppmdsupport.com
baby. For your sake and
your baby’s.