22 Kasım 2010 Pazartesi

Parent Involvement and Children’s Mental and Social Development



Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development (= 1,364) were used to investigate children’s trajectories of academic and social development across 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine within- and between-child associations among maternal and teacher reports of parent involvement and children’s standardized achievement scores, social skills, and problem behaviors. Findings suggest that within-child improvements in parent involvement predict declines in problem behaviors and improvements in social skills but do not predict changes in achievement. Between-child analyses demonstrated that children with highly involved parents had enhanced social functioning and fewer behavior problems. Similar patterns of findings emerged for teacher and parent reports of parent involvement. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

20 Kasım 2010 Cumartesi

IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT


Consult these experts’ papers in the According to experts section“Learning starts in infancy, long before formal education begins, and continues throughout life. Early learning begets later learning and early success breeds later success, just as early failure breeds later failure.” (James J. Heckman)
“Early childhood interventions of high quality have lasting effects on learning and motivation.”
(James J. Heckman)
“ECD has taken its place in the economic literature besides schooling, on the job training, public health and informal learning.” (David Dodge)
“A wide range of policies, including those directed toward early care and education, primary health care, child protective services, adult mental health, and family economic supports, among many others, can promote the safe, supportive environments and stable, caring relationships that children need.”
(Jack P.Shonkoff
“The early years of human development establish the basic architecture and function of the brain.”
(J. Fraser Mustard)
"The interplay of the developing brain with the environment is the driving force of development."
(Clyde Hertzman)


..eLePhAnT..


Some Interesting Facts


  • Bone is five times stronger than steel.
  • Sharks can live up to 100 years.
  • ELEPHANT teeth can weigh as much as 9 pounds.
  • Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing
  • The only 2 animals that can see behind itself without turning it's head are the rabbit and the parrot.
  • Insects do not make noises with their voices. The noise of bees, mosquitoes and other buzzing insects is caused by rapidly moving their wings.

The Two Frogs- a short story :)

Two frogs had lived in a village all their lives. they thought they would like to go and see the big city that was about ten miles away.

 They talked about it for a long time, and at last they       set off to see the city.

 It was a hot day, and they soon began to feel tired.  They had only gone a little way when one said to the  other, "We must be nearly there. Can you see the city?"

  "No," said the other frog; "but if I climb on your back I might be able to see it."


 So he climbed up on the back of the other frog to see the city.

Now when the frog put up his head, his eyes could only see what was behind, and not what was in front. So he saw the village they had just left.

"Can you see the city?", asked the frog who was below.

"Yes," answered the frog who had climbed up. " I can see it. It looks just like our village."

Then the frogs thought that it was not worthwhile going any farther. They went back and told the frogs round the village that they had seen the city, and it was just like theirs. 

INCY WINCY SPIDER

Prenatal Environmental Influences



Prenatal Development - Prenatal Environmental Influences


    During the first three months of pregnancy, tissues and important body systems develop in the embryo. Adverse influences during this period will affect the basic structure and form of the body and may have particularly serious effects on the nervous system. 

Teratogens
The scientific study of congenital abnormalities caused by prenatal environmental influences is known as teratology (from the Greek word teras, meaning "marvel" or "monster"), and the environmental agents that produce abnormalities in the developing fetus are called teratogens.

Drugs
The severity of the abnormality depends on the amount of the chemical the mother is exposed to, the developmental stage of the fetus, and the period of time over which the mother's exposure to the chemical takes place.
In terms of narcotics, women who are addicted to heroin, morphine, or methadone give birth to addicted babies. Soon after birth, the babies show symptoms of withdrawal, including tremors, convulsions, difficulty breathing, and intestinal disturbances.

Smoking and Nicotine
Cigarette smoking has already been shown to have dire consequences for the smoker, and it can be hazardous for the fetus and the newborn child. 
Maternal smoking increases the risk of spontaneous abortions, bleeding during pregnancy, prematurerupture of the amniotic sac, and fetal deaths and deaths of newborns. 

Alcohol
The effects of alcohol are almost undisputed.  And it is not just the heavy drinker who may place her fetus in danger. It has been found that women having one or more drinks daily were three times more likely to miscarry than women who had less than one drink daily.
 Other possible complications include permanent growth retardation, malformations of the face, brain damage, hyperactivity and learning disabilities, and heart defects.

Results of research also indicate that moderate drinking can affect the later development of a child's intelligence as measured by IQ scores at age four.