If you’re looking for a little more in-depth information about child development, we have thought-provoking articles to help you understand the many ways kids grow and learn!
How to Create a Literate Home
The “literate home” for this age child only needs a few inexpensive materials, but parent involvement is key. Your young child or kindergartner continues to build her language base (understanding and using language) in preparation for learning to read, so she still…
read more5 Ways to Raise a Reader… Starting from Birth
Zero to Three’s National Parent Survey shows that nearly half of parents (45%) think that reading to children starts to benefit long-term language development at 2 years or older—about a year and a half later than it actually does. Research shows that the benefits of…
read moreHow Curiosity Leads to Learning
“WHAT’S THIS?” At 3 months, Tessa has good control over her neck muscles. Sitting on her mother’s lap, she turns her head slowly from side to side to look at the brightly colored dishes and cups on the table in front of her. Twenty-month-old Natalie…
read moreHow Your Child Learns and Grows Through Play
How Your Child Learns and Grows Through Play from Birth to Three When you make time to play each day, you are giving your child a big dose of love and learning. Wise words from Mister Rogers. Play is more than just fun, it’s serious learning! It’s a very important…
read moreNine Elements That Power Positive Parenting
Parenting comes with mistakes and missteps. What makes a parent great is recognizing when things haven’t gone right and responding with love to repair the relationship. That’s positive parenting in action. Take time in everyday moments to show your child love and…
read moreHow does nutrition affect the developing brain?
Brain development is most sensitive to a baby’s nutrition between mid-gestation and two years of age. Children who are malnourished–not just fussy eaters but truly deprived of adequate calories and protein in their diet–throughout this period do not adequately grow,…
read moreHealthy Mealtimes: Feeding Your Baby and Toddler Right from the Start
Food is at the center of our lives. And it’s much more than the fuel that keeps us going. It can be a source of pleasure, celebration, and—sometimes—challenges. Mealtime routines helps build strong family relationships and a healthy relationship with food. Figuring…
read moreWhat’s Going On in Your Baby’s Mind in the First Year?
There’s a lot going on in babies’ minds in the first year of life, and their early experiences in the world affect how their brains grow in ways that can last a lifetime. Many parents underestimate just how deeply children are affected by early experiences and how…
read moreFeelings: The Foundation of Healthy Child Development
It’s important for parents to help their child learn how to cope with their feelings. Learn how parents are their child’s guide in sharing the joys and coping with the challenges, starting on day one. It wasn’t that long ago that the conventional wisdom was that…
read moreHelp Your Child Learn To Resolve Conflict
Help Your Child Learn to Resolve Conflicts in a Healthy, Appropriate Way Teddy and Brian, both 2-year-olds, love the book area of their day-care. Teddy picks up a big book about dinosaurs. When Brian sees this neat book, he can’t help himself—he wants it, too! So he…
read moreInfant Sleep Safety
Ask any new mom or dad what they find most difficult in a child’s first year, and they will probably mention sleep deprivation. By a baby’s first birthday, most parents have tried some sort of intervention – something to help their child learn to fall asleep and stay…
read moreTips on Nurturing Your Child’s Curiosity
The more curious a child is, the more he learns. Nurturing your child’s curiosity is one of the most important ways you can help her become a lifelong learner. Babies are born learners, with a natural curiosity to figure out how the world works. Curiosity is the…
read moreWhy Do Babies Like Boxes Best?
Why Do Babies Like Boxes Best? It is Ella’s first birthday, and her mom is excited. She places a brightly wrapped present in front of Ella and tears just a small portion of the shiny paper. Ella takes over, pulling on the paper and scrunching it in her hands. Some…
read moreBest Books to Read to Infants and Toddlers
Many families are familiar with classic books like Goodnight Moon and read them over and over with their very youngest children. Here are some more recent titles and reissues you and your baby will both love. (Note: Many of these books are available in Spanish, and…
read moreHere’s to Healthy Eating: Habits to Start and Habits to Avoid
Is your child struggling to try to new foods? Ask them if they can lick it! As silly as it sounds, even licking a new food is a way to introduce the taste. You may have to introduce a new food more than 10 times before a child will eat it. Learn this and other…
read moreTop Five Ways to Enjoy Every Moment With Your Little One This Summer
Summer means sunshine, bright colors, warm weather and outdoor fun. Here are some simple tips to help you and your baby make the most out summer! Pay attention to and talk about your surroundings. Discuss colors and shapes you see outdoors, asking open-ended questions…
read moreThe Case of Brain Science and Guided Play
Why Play? Monkeys play. Dogs play. Rats play. Even octopuses play. And without any instruction, children of all races and genders, in all cultures of the world, invent and reinvent play in every generation. Something this ubiquitous must provide evolutionary…
read moreHow Partnering With Your Child’s Caregiver Supports Healthy Development
ZERO TO THREE’s podcast series, Little Kids, Big Questions, addresses some of the most common (and challenging) issues facing parents of babies and toddlers. This podcast welcomes Dr. Jerlean Daniel who is the executive director of the National Association for the…
read moreFrom Feelings to Friendships: Nurturing Healthy Social-Emotional Development in the Early Years
The bond between a parent and child builds the child’s ability to form relationships with others, express emotions, and face difficult challenges. Through supportive relationships, young children can explore the world, develop empathy, and understand the difference…
read moreHow To Help Your Child Develop Empathy
Empathy is the ability to imagine how someone else is feeling in a particular situation and respond with care. This is a very complex skill to develop. Being able to empathize with another person means that a child: Understands that he is a separate individual, his…
read moreFor Parents: How to Prepare Babies for Their First Babysitter
Helping your baby develop a relationship with her babysitter is a gift to her. She learns that her community is filled with loving people who will take good care of her. Learn how to prepare your baby for their first time with a babysitter. Q: We’re planning to leave…
read moreStrong Bonds Yield Strong Learners
The question for all of us is how we can give all babies and toddlers the best start on a life-long journey of learning? The first day of learning — when a child begins preparing for the first day in the classroom — happens much earlier than the first day of school….
read moreFathers as a Resource in Early Child Care Settings
Fathers—and men—are an important part of a child’s world. Fathers interact with children differently than mothers. They tend to engage in more physically stimulating and unpredictable play. This type of play can help children develop independence, self-regulation,…
read moreTips on Playing with Babies and Toddlers
Try these tips the next time you play with your child and watch how even the simplest interactions encourage them to learn and explore the world around them. Playtime is special. Not only is it fun, but it is critical to children’s development. Play is their “work”…
read moreHelp Your Child Become a Great Problem Solver
Preschoolers who can solve their own problems feel confident and enjoy learning. They are willing to make mistakes and learn from them and keep trying until they succeed. Families can help children develop problem-solving skills by taking advantage of opportunities to…
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