The science of child development shows that the foundation for sound mental health is built early in life, as early experiences—which include children’s relationships with parents, caregivers, relatives, teachers, and peers—shape the architecture of the developing brain. Disruptions in this developmental process can impair a child’s capacities for learning and relating to others, with lifelong implications. The brief provides an overview of Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health Begins in Early Childhood, a Working Paper by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.
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Previously in the Inbrief Series:
InBrief: Executive Function: Essential Skills for Life and Learning
Being able to focus, hold and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having a sophisticated air traffic control system to manage information at a busy airport. In the brain, this mechanism is called executive function and self-regulation, a group of skills that, with the right formative experiences, begin to develop in early childhood and continue to improve through the early adult years. A new evidence base has identified these skills as essential for school achievement, success in work, and healthy lives. This two-page summary outlines how these lifelong skills develop, what can disrupt their development, and how supporting them pays off in school and life.
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InBrief: The Foundations of Lifelong Health
This edition of the InBrief series explains why a vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. The brief summarizes findings from The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood, a report co-authored by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.
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InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development
This edition of the InBrief series addresses basic concepts of early childhood development, established over decades of neuroscience and behavioral research, which help illustrate why child development—particularly from birth to five years—is a foundation for a prosperous and sustainable society.
The PDF format of this brief was designed to be printed on one page, front and back.
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