Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.
-Willa A. Foster
"Sleep has a crucial role in learning and memory," writes Annette Karmiloff-Smith from the University of London, in Developing Brains, a publication of The Open University, with the support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation.
"It used to be thought that sleep was when the brain took a rest, ticking over for vital functions like breathing. In reality, some parts of our brain are more active during sleep than when we are awake. Between infancy and adulthood, we spend more than one-third of our lives asleep, during which the body replenishes its energy and the brain re-processes experiences stored during waking hours.
"[In a study] infants who napped within 4 hours of exposure to an artificial language remembered the general grammatical pattern of the language 24 hours later, whereas those who had no nap showed no evidence of remembering the language. The findings support the view that infants' frequent napping plays an essential role in consolidating knowledge in long-term memory."
Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care is a great resource for both beginning and experienced caregivers. Each chapter describes an issue that caregivers face daily, offers scenarios that illustrate the challenge, suggests solutions caregivers can use to address the issue, and concludes with a review of key points. Being with Babies teaches caregivers how to handle everyday challenges while learning about developmental stages. This hands-on resource is perfect for caregivers of children 6 weeks to 18 months old, as well as for staff development and resource libraries. Chapters include information on:
- Developing relationships with babies
- Using observation to understand babies
- Communicating with babies
- Selecting appropriate toys
- Setting up safe and effective learning environments for babies
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