What Matters Most: Your Child's First Five Years | Program |

Milwaukee PBS

9 Apr 201758:00

EducationalLearning

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TLDRHost Portia Young introduced four experts on early childhood development to share guidance for parents and caregivers of young children. Dr. Dipesh Navsaria emphasized the importance of nurturing relationships in children's brain development and skills mastery. The panel highlighted setting routines, reading together daily, limiting screen time, fostering curiosity and emotional skills, advocating for community resources and equal opportunities. The takeaway message was that caring, consistent relationships with at least one adult who cherishes them makes children feel safe to explore and grow.

Takeaways

😊 The early years of a child's life are critical for brain development and shaping who they'll become
👶 Parent-child relationships and interactions drive development more than anything else
🧠 Adverse experiences like trauma or neglect can have measurable negative impacts on the brain
🤗 Just one stable, nurturing caregiver can buffer those negative impacts significantly
📖 Reading together builds important language and literacy skills for school readiness
😴 Consistent bedtime routines help young kids feel secure and settled
🤾‍♀️ Unstructured play time is essential for developing social-emotional skills
👩‍🏫 Teachers and caregivers should tailor activities and expectations to be age-appropriate
🚸 Setting kind but firm limits gives children needed structure and security
👪 Two-generation approaches that support both parents and children can create lasting change

Q & A

What is the Pediatric Early Literacy Project and what is its goal?
-The Pediatric Early Literacy Project is a program founded by Dr. Dipesh Navsaria at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Its goal is to promote early childhood literacy by reaching out to families through pediatric primary care.
How can parents build their child's language and literacy skills from an early age?
-Parents can read books with their child daily, even if just for 5 minutes. They can engage in back-and-forth dialog while looking at books together. Limiting screen time and using libraries are also great ways to promote early literacy.
What is the 'two generation approach' to child development?
-The two generation approach focuses on building both the child's and the parent's skills and well-being over time. It recognizes that supporting parents and caregivers is just as important for the child's healthy development.
How can childcare providers create good experiences for children without spending money?
-Childcare providers can use creativity and imagination to create learning experiences from simple household items. Singing, dancing, make-believe play centers, and engaging children in daily routines are all free activities that stimulate young minds.
What are some ways to ease separation anxiety when dropping a child off at daycare?
-Talk the child through the process and what will happen next. Maintain set routines the child can expect each day. Reassure them that mom or dad will be back after naptime. These strategies provide comfort and security.
Should parents speak to their child in their native language or English at home?
-Experts recommend continuing to speak your native home language with your child. Children will learn English through school and community immersion. Speaking the home language promotes family connections and children can learn multiple languages.
How can emotional literacy and coaching help young children's development?
-Teaching children words to label their emotions allows them to understand and regulate their feelings from an early age. Emotional coaching teaches caregivers to notice emotional states in themselves and their children, promoting healthy development.
Does baby sign language aid speech development?
-Some evidence shows baby sign language can help speech delayed children communicate basic needs and reduce frustration. While more research is needed, it cannot hurt for parents to start using simple signs with their babies.
What did the panelists emphasize is the most important thing for child development?
-The panel unanimously emphasized that positive, nurturing relationships and interactions are the most critical component of healthy early childhood development. One caring, consistent adult can make a profound difference.
What gives the panelists hope for improving child outcomes in underserved communities?
-The panelists expressed hope in continuing to collaborate, advocate for better policies, and push for change at a societal level. Quality early education and relationships must be accessible to all children regardless of backgrounds.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Opening Remarks and Introduction

The host Portia Young welcomes the audience and introduces the panelists - Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, Ms. Toshiba Adams, Ms. Ivelis Perez, and Ms. Lana Nanide. She states the goal of the event is to provide helpful advice to parents on supporting their child's development in the first five years.

05:03

👶🏻 Early Childhood Brain Development

Dr. Navsaria explains that a child's brain development is driven by loving, nurturing interactions and relationships. He highlights research showing how adversity affects brain structure and chemistry. However, just one caring, consistent adult relationship can buffer against developmental issues.

10:04

😌 The Role of Early Relationships

Dr. Navsaria expands on the science of early childhood relationships. Neural connections multiply rapidly in a baby's first years. Positive interactions build skills and capabilities. He advocates using pediatric visits to coach parents on skills like reading together daily.

15:05

📚 Reach Out and Read Program Overview

Dr. Navsaria describes the Reach Out and Read program which partners doctors and libraries to promote early literacy. Simple coaching during checkups on reading, singing, and play can make a big difference. The goal is to set up lifelong reading habits before kids start school.

20:08

🚼 Supporting Healthy Eating Habits

The panelists suggest strategies for encouraging healthy eating in young kids - role modeling by parents and caregivers, involving a dietician, limiting sedentary time, using creativity over gadgets. Building joyful, non-combative mealtimes is key.

25:11

😢 Managing Separation Anxiety

The panel advises on dealing with child separation anxiety. Maintaining politeness between parents shows good relationship skills. Prepare kids by explaining the daily routine. Consistent schedules and expectations provide security.

30:12

👅 Promoting Home Language Development

Ivelis Perez affirms the importance of continuing to read to kids in native home languages. Children easily pick up English from school and community. Promoting literacy in multiple languages has lifelong benefits.

35:15

✨ Encouraging Responsibility

The panelists suggest age-appropriate ways to encourage responsibility in young kids - helper tasks like passing out items, cleaning up. Praising efforts and involving kids in daily routines makes them feel part of the community.

40:15

😤 Addressing Aggression Issues

Dr. Navsaria notes that forced apologies don't work well in young kids. High quality books can help kids relate to story characters, building empathy and emotional skills over time.

45:16

👪 Strengthening Families and Communities

The panel emphasizes that society must invest to support families across economic backgrounds. High quality early childhood interventions have demonstrated results but need funding and political will to scale.

50:17

🙏 Hope for the Future

Despite challenges, the panel remains hopeful that stakeholders can advocate for evidence-based, developmentally appropriate policies and practices supporting all children.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡relationships

Relationships are repeatedly emphasized in the video as the most important factor for child development. As Dr. Navsaria states, the main driver of development in children is relationships - specifically, loving, nurturing, reciprocal interactions with caregivers. He provides evidence showing how critical relationships are in shaping brain development. The video highlights that just one caring, consistent adult can counter the impacts of adversity. So nurturing relationships are seen as essential for healthy childhood growth.

💡adversity

Adversity refers to difficult circumstances or trauma faced by children, especially in early life. The video discusses research showing how adversity like violence, instability, or neglect can negatively impact brain structure and child behavior. However, positive relationships are said to act as a buffer against adversity. For example, Dr. Navsaria shares scans comparing the brains of a typically developing child versus one facing extreme neglect.

💡coaching

Coaching refers to guiding and supporting parents on how best to interact with and nurture their children. Rather than just telling parents to talk or read to kids, the experts emphasize modeling and coaching behaviors. This helps build parental skills and confidence. For instance, Dr. Navsaria demonstrates how to engage a child with a book in an informal, dialogue-based way.

💡literacy

Literacy is discussed in terms of early language and reading skills that prepare children for educational success. Promoting early literacy through activities like reading together helps form critical brain connections. The video advocates literacy habits like daily book sharing and nightly reading to foster child vocabulary and interest in books.

💡brains

Child brain development is a science-based theme in the video. Dr. Navsaria shares MRI scans showing how early adversity physically impacts young brains by reducing gray matter density. He also discusses neuron formation, explaining how babies produce 700 new connections per second, making early years key for healthy wiring.

💡poverty

Poverty and socioeconomic status are noted as major factors influencing child outcomes over genetics. Dr. Navsaria explains how a child's zip code can better predict their developmental trajectory than their genetic code. Poverty often clusters with other adversity, further threatening healthy growth. So societal-level interventions are said to be needed.

💡learning

Learning is positioned as beginning at birth (not age 5-6), helped tremendously by nurturing relationships. The video traces how this scientific understanding has evolved over history. Now, parenting interactions are seen as actively shaping learning versus just genetics dictating skill development. Promoting learning early on is presented as more effective than trying to catch children up later.

💡caregivers

Caregivers refer to parents, relatives, teachers, or any adults caring for and interacting with a child. So while parents are considered most important, others can also support development through loving engagement. This reinforces the message that relationships are the critical ingredient in childhood growth, no matter the caregiver's identity.

💡skills

Skills gaps amongst parents are cited as greater barriers to child outcomes versus informational gaps. Many parents know the value of reading, talking, etc. but may lack abilities to act on that knowledge effectively. So modeling and coaching parental skills in areas like book sharing are presented as pragmatic solutions for nurturing sturdy development.

💡communication

Communication comes up frequently, whether parent-child interactions, emotional literacy, language development, etc. Fostering early communication skills like expanding a baby's babbles or reading picture books together trains children over time for later verbal fluency and educational communicating.

Highlights

A child's zip code matters more than their genetic code when it comes to development.

The main driver of development in children is loving, nurturing, reciprocal interactions.

Learning starts at birth, not age 6 as previously thought over 100 years ago.

One nurturing, loving adult can counter so much adversity in a child's life.

High quality children's books teach social-emotional skills like kindness and curiosity.

Routines and expectations make children feel secure.

Teach children emotional literacy using labeling of feelings.

Every child needs a caring, consistent adult who is crazy about them.

Relationships matter - be present and available for children.

Language development has a lasting impact on educational achievement.

Standardized tests create barriers for kids who don't test well.

Remain hopeful and believe we can make societal changes.

As advocates, push for developmentally appropriate practices.

Balance social-emotional learning and pre-academics.

If a child is not ready emotionally and cognitively, they will not be successful later on.

Transcripts

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