Name - Sakshi

Roll No - 138

Aim : To watch the documentary "Sensitive periods in early childhood development and write the
review.

Background information;
Name - Sensitive periods in early childhood development
Presented by - Centre for learning resources
Association with - ICDS Chattisgarh & UNICEF
Narrator - Prof. Chittaranjan
Duration - 11 min 10 sec
Date & day of watching -24 August 2020/ Monday

Review :
Professor Chittranjan, has worked really well. He has made the topic sensitive period in early
childhood so easy to understand. He has put all the information short & crisp that helps one to
understand the topic easily.
Its is a simple, yet profound documentary on early childhood care. The title is “Sensitive Period in
early childhood” presented by The Centre of Learning Resources. I found the film to be well
informed scientifically about why early childhood care is necessary for the development of a human
being.
It starts with what are expectations of friends, family, and society when a child is born, whether he
will be able to solve societal problems or not, and whether he becomes someone’s idol or not, and
whether he believes in a fraternity or not. These questions are confided in what they see, learn,
behave, and experience in their early childhood. Every parent wants to be their child healthy,
intelligent and successful in life. Science told us whether the child fulfill these expectations or not,
it depends on their early years i.e 7-8 and the culture they imbibed. Just a say if a 6-month child
does not get the feeling of security, happiness and warmth of family then he won’t be able to give
love to someone when he is in their 20s. It explains if the child is familiar with the learning of new
things, playing with others and feeling of being loved in their early life, it turns out they are good in
problem-solving, teamwork and relations.
Mr. Chittaranjan who is the narrator gave a scientific explanation that thousands of crore neurons
are present in a brain when a child is born. He compares the number of neurones in brain to the
number of stars in the sky. They start connecting when the child gets an exposure to new situations
and the resultant information started to store in these neurons according to the experiences in the
situations. Recurrence situations make deep connections and increase the possibility of learning and
doing things increases when the experiences are good more or less. These insights make them a
confident person. And he also talks about when a child has not experienced certain things in child
days will impact their capabilities of thinking, learning and doing which make them introvert in
their later years. He also describes it in a very interesting way, he compared brain with a pot which
is very fragile during the early days and whenever some new drops fall, which means new
experiences, the pot becomes vast means a person becomes wise.
Later in the documentary, he explained early care importance in language learning, habits, tolerance
capacity as they are more receptive in this age. This time also formulates their ideology of living
which is the foremost thing to leading a good life. At the last, he talked about economic disparity
does not impede the development of the brain.
This 11-minute film makes me realize the importance of early childhood and the intent of our
constitution framers which make early childhood care a fundamental right. This documentary will
help to guide people about parenting and give them insights all ages of childhood is important to
inculcate new habits and direct them to make a happy and healthy surrounding around a child.
Answer the following questions:
A) What is an ECCE programme ? Why it is important?
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is generally defined as the care and education of
children from birth to eight years. It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional,
cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and
wellbeing.
It includes:
▪️Early Stimulation Programmes through Creches/Home Stimula-tion for 0-3 year olds
▪️Preschool/Early Childhood Education Programmes (ECE) for 3-6 years olds
▪️Early Primary Education Programmes as part of primary schooling for 6-8 year olds
Importance of ECCE :
▪️Because it helps to develop in the child a good physique, adequate muscular coordination and
basic motor skills.
▪️It develop good health habits and build up basic skills necessary for personal adjustment, such as
dressing, eating, washing, cleaning, etc.
▪️It helps in developing desirable social attitudes and manners in child, like encourage healthy group
participation and to make the child sensitive to the rights and priveleges of others.
▪️It encourage aesthetic appreciation in child.
▪️It helps in stimulating intellectual curiosity and help child understand the world in which he lives
and to foster new interests through giving opportunities
▪️It is important because it gives child a platform to explore investigate and experiment.
▪️It encourage independence and creativity in child by providing him/ her with sufficient
opportunities for self-expression.
▪️It helps child to develop the ability to express his thoughts and feelings in fluent, corect, clear
speech.

B) What is the significance of early childhood experiences?

Early childhood experiences between birth and age 5 matter significantly to children's long-term
emotional and psychological health. Childhood experiences plays a vital role in a child's life. The
way the early childhood experiences the child face, most probably the way he / she act in future. If a
child in his / her early childhood years stays alone everythime, didn't involve in the group activities
will face difficulty while working in team in future at the workplace he/ she will work. Usually the
child with no experience of proper love and attention give rise to a future human with short temper
and anti-social behaviour. Early childhood experiences are important to build a sense of confidence
in the child because it has been seen that child with no interaction & opportunity usually grow up as
less self confident person. At their early years if the children don't get a proper & suitable
environment where they can have good experience leads to the future loss. For a healthy and full
development early childhood experiences are required. The young mind is like a pot which is just
start making. The way we mould that the way it will be form. Early childhood experiences helps in
shaping that pot. If experience child is getting is postive then the pot which is mind get developed
properly whereas if didn't then the mind can't able to develop its fullest.

C) What are sensitive periods?

Sensitive periods are periods of psychological development in the child. This period is a time of
limited duration. One of the most important discoveries made by Maria Montessori
was that of the sensitive periods.During the sensitive periods, the child has very powerful
capacities. The child is able to do great things and make very important acquisitions, like language
and movement.But after some time, these powers disappear. If we see during the sensitive period
for language, children can learn any language. Sensitive periods give a direction to the unconscious
powers.
Sensitive periods manifest in two ways – either positive or negative. Some examples of positive
manifestations are language and concentration. Negative manifestations occur when a sensitive
period has not been allowed to take its course because the environment fails to correspond to the
needs of the sensitivity.

D) What are the neurological perspective of promoting ECCE ?

In the first 3 year of life, every second 700 neurons are connected to each other.
Interaction and the stimulation child get from the environment helps the neuron to
grow. The type of environment and experience child will get will decide the way the
neuron will collect information. For e.g. a child who is not getting enough attention
and a healthy environment will lead tue neuron store information to being rude and
anti - social. As stated in the documentary neuron are being compared to the number
of stars in the sky. So this made us understand how important is the development of
neurones are.
▪️ECCE plays a important role by providing a effective healthy environment which in
improving cognitive development. It aims to provide holistic development to child.
▪️It also enhance theoretical underpinnings of learning and development at early ages.
▪️It provides a platform to improve social perspective, cultural, behavioural , human
morals, values of respect , love. It promotes child to grow as a happy helpful child by
providing a happy , creative and caring environment.
E) What are the learning outcome from the documentary?
▪️Importance of care and attention given by the caregiver in development of child
cognitively as well as socially.
▪️The child will lack in self confidence if doesn't get chance to have healthy
interactions and proper opportunities.
▪️In the early ages of childhood the child mind is very flexible. The more the good
experience the more beautifully the child mind develop.
▪️For a holistic and healthy development good experience are very important.
Interaction and experience stimulate the neuron growth which is very rapid during the
early stages of life.
▪️The type of experience the child get will decide the way the neuron will developed.
If child gets proper love and attention them neuron will lead building up confidence,
trust, love and if child get ignorance from the caregiver and not a stimulating
environment then it wil lead neuron to develop anti - social , anger, less confidence
kind of character.
▪️If the child doesn't get proper time & attention not only it will effect growth of them
of those early years but it will lead to the future loss.
▪️At the age of 2 to 2.5 years child is more on making relationship with others. He/
she start feeling an emotional bond with the caregiver and family members. He/ she
start recognising and gives different reaction to different people.
▪️At the age of 1 year child is more sensitive towards hearing. He/ she actively
respond to the sound he/ she hears. Child will react according to the different voice
they hear.
▪️The early years of childhood are full of sensitive periods for different domains that's
why need proper attention and care for a holistic development.
▪️Documentary shows that it is completely dependent on first 8 years of birth that will
decide his wise decision of choosing the paths shown by his family which will help
him/ her when he becomes an adult.
▪️Children who lack love, care, attention, sympathy is most probably the one who
grow up as vulnerable one who finds difficulty in interacting and lacks the team spirit
and find problem in mixing up with environment.
▪️During childhood years, external stimuli leaves an everlasting impression on brain
so if child encounter good experience it impacts with forever memory on his brain.
Same if things turn rude and harsh it leave a bad impression giving child a sense of
resistance towards trying new things & being confident throughout the life.
▪️In the early 4 years of life, language development is at its pick. The child can learn
any language if given a interactive environment. By the increase of age child,
language development slows down and it become difficult for child to jave linguistic
development lately.
▪️Interaction and environment plays a vital role in holistic development of child.
Early childhood years are very important years of whole life span and every child has
right to his/ her childhood to live happily.