Why Focus on the First Years?

Forty to fifty percent of Vermont’s children are not ready for kindergarten. Why are so many of our kids unprepared for school?

Science points to the earliest years. Modern research tells us that the most critical time for a child’s development is the first five years. Eighty percent of the brain develops by age three, and ninety percent by age five. Seven hundred to one thousand new brain connections are created every second, forming a mental foundation for more complex learning. The connections that are stimulated and used are strengthened, and those that are not used will be lost. Therefore, it’s important that children have quality experiences during the earliest years that stimulate their brain connections in a healthy way.

“Serve and return” interactions are an important element of healthy brain development. Scientists use this phrase to describe the back-and-forth interactions between an infant and an adult: the baby makes a bid for attention with a coo or gesture, and the adult returns it in a direct and meaningful way—perhaps with encouraging words or a smile. These simple interactions actually strengthen the connections in the growing brain. As Dr. Lewis First writes in his Let’s Grow Kids blog post on serve and return interactions, “[Such] interactions play the critical role of strengthening brain connections between all of the different areas of the baby’s brain—helping them develop the emotional and cognitive skills they need for life.”

Just as you wouldn’t build a house on a weak foundation, children need to form a strong mental foundation in the early years for the more complex development required later on for success in school, relationships and the workforce. Serve and return interactions are one aspect of the quality early experiences that are key to helping children develop strong brains. Other quality early experiences entail:

• • • Nurturing and supportive relationships with trusted adults. Positive relationships with adult caregivers help children develop trust, confidence, compassion and learn right from wrong. Also, those relationships serve as an important buffer against the toxic effects of unhealthy stress.

• • • A safe and stable environment. Children need consistency and stability to feel safe and develop trust in caregivers so that learning can occur.

• • • A nutritious diet. A nutritious, balanced diet ensures healthy mental and physical development during this period of rapid growth.
  • • Stimulating learning opportunities. As mentioned above, interactions with caring adults strengthen brain connections. Activities like reading, singing, talking and playing enable development in the language, literacy, visual and speech areas of the brain, and help children learn motor skills. Interacting with a baby also helps him or her learn social-emotional skills.

Nowadays, with so many parents having to work outside of the home (72 percent of Vermont children under the age of 6 have all parents in the workforce), it’s essential that we meet the enormous demand for quality childcare that’s affordable and accessible. Considering that our youngest children will grow up to be our future leaders, policymakers and workforce, ensuring that they reach their full potential is good for us all.

For more about the importance of the early years, check out this short video produced by the Let’s Grow Kids campaign.

Robyn Freedner-Maguire was named campaign director for Let’s Grow Kids in December after serving as coordinator for Vermont’s Early Childhood Alliance. She worked previously at the Vermont State Employees’ Association (VSEA). Before joining VSEA, Robyn worked as the field director of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force where she oversaw the field campaign that gained marriage rights for same-sex couples. Robyn and her partner of 10 years, Naomi, are parents to three amazing children, Margot (5) and the twins, Adem and Aldin (2). Find more about the Let’s Grow Kids campaign at www.letsgrowkids.org.