Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/how-to-incorporate-research-into-early-education/5024748/
Preparing the next generation for success is a daunting task, but it is a responsibility that we, as educators, enthusiastically accept. Over my career, the definition of preparing children for success has become more comprehensive as the volume of research around early learning and development has increased.
A key area of that research, which is now well established, is the critical importance of the first five years. A report by the National Research Council states that brain development is most aggressive between the time a child is born and when he or she turns 5. Moreover, according to research by ZERO TO THREE, newborns’ brains grow to roughly 80 percent of adult size by age 3 and 90 percent by age 5.
Evidence of this once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity that exists early on in children’s lives has since spurred additional research to determine how we make the most of it. Now, early childhood educators and providers are in an incredible position of opportunity. We have the ability to create carefully structured, research-informed learning approaches that are tailored to young, developing minds and proven to deliver superior outcomes.
Simply put, we now have research that enables us to nurture ...