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 (N = 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.

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.

http://social.jrank.org/pages/515

The Stages of Prenatal Development

The Germinal Stage

The germinal stage begins with conception, when the sperm and egg cell unite in one of the two fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg, known as a zygote, then moves toward the uterus, a journey that can take up to a week to complete. Cell division begins approximately 24 to 36 hours after conception.
Cell division continues at a rapid rate and the cells then develop into what is known as ablastocyst. The blastocyst is made up of three laters: the ectoderm (which will become the skin and nervous system), the endoderm (which will become the digestive and respiratory systems), and the mesoderm (which will become the muscle and skeletal systems).
Finally, the blastocyst arrives at the uterus and attached to the uterine wall, a process known asimplantation.


The Embryonic Stage

The mass of cells is now know as and embryo. The embryonic stage begins after implantation and continues until cell differentiation has been mostly completed. Structures important to the support of the embryo develop, including the placenta and umbilical cord.
During this time, cells begin to differentiate into the various body systems. The basic outlines of the organ, body, and nervous systems are established. By the end of the embryonic stage, the beginnings of features such as fingers, eyes, mouth, and ears become visible.

The Fetal Stage
Once cell differentiation is mostly complete, the embryo enters the next stage and becomes known as a fetus. The early body systems and structures established in the embryonic stage continue to develop. The neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord and neurons form. Sex organs begin to appear during the third month of gestation. The fetus continues to grow in both weight and length, although the majority of the physical growth occurs in the later stages of pregnancy.

10 Toys Great For Keeping Your Child's Attention

The best toys are those that require imagination and can be used in a variety of ways.  Here are ten toys that are good for keeping your child's attention.

1.  Blocks Blocks are a staple for kids and they never seem to outgrow them.  They are one of the simplest types of toys around, yet their possibilities are limited only by the child's imagination.  Younger children can also use them for such learning activities as counting games and experimenting with basic addition and subtraction.  Blocks provide numerous learning opportunities and keep kids busy.

2. Dolls and Stuffed Animals Children love to pretend that their dolls, action figures and stuffed animals are real people or animals.  This can provide them with hours of entertainment.  They may even play with two or more at a time, making different voices for each one.  That's not only fun for them, it's fun for you to watch too.

3. Play-Doh You probably played with Play-Doh when you were a kid.  Chances are that if you did, you have fond memories of it.  Similar to blocks, Play-Doh allows children to make anything they can imagine.  The factories and tool sets you can buy to go with it are nice but they are not a necessity.

4. Wagons A wagon can be used in numerous ways.  Kids can use it to transport their toys from one place to another  but that's only the beginning.  It can serve as a vehicle for their stuffed animals or dolls, a pull-along "tray" when they're playing restaurant or even as transportation for the child himself with you pulling it.

5. Art Supplies Budding Picassos can spend hours making new masterpieces.  Art is a great way to keep kids occupied because it fosters creativity and self-esteem.  And you get the added bonus of new refrigerator decorations.

6. Musical Instruments Most children love music.  The only thing better than listening to it is making it themselves.  If real musical instruments are not an option, there are toy drum sets, xylophones, kazoos and more that kids can play with.  They could even get other kids together and form a band.

7. Housekeeping or Gardening Tools - Kids love to imitate adults.  A kitchen set, toy vacuum cleaner or a set of gardening tools can help them do so more accurately.  You could enlist them to help you when you're doing housework or yard work.  They will stay occupied and feel a sense of accomplishment.

8. Sandboxes A sandbox full of toys provides a wealth of opportunities.  Kids can learn a lot by playing in sand.  They can use sticks to make designs, add water and make sandcastles, or make trails with their toy cars.

9. Dress-up Clothes Playing dress-up lets kids put together outfits and pretend to be anyone or anything.  You don't have to buy a dress-up set.  Just get out all of the old clothes you can find and let their imaginations run free!

10. Balls Balls not only keep a child busy, they also encourage physical activity.  There are numerous ways that children can play with them, so they never get boring.

(www.childdevelopmentinfo.com)