Blog
Which is Best for Babies: ‘Baby Talk’ or Complex Sentences?
Speaking directly to babies and toddlers in rich, complex sentences like this one will help them build language and vocabulary skills by connecting words and meaning, and learning through context, said Stanford researcher Anne Fernald at a symposium last week.
Investing Early in Children Is Sound Strategy for Cutting Corrections Costs
Nebraska would save $25,419 in victim, court and incarceration costs for every child enrolled in full-day, center-based early childhood education programs, says the University of Nebraska‒Lincoln’s Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS).
LB944 Would Help Children Struggling with Self-Regulation Skills
Taking turns, following instructions, getting along with others and dealing with distractions—all of these are components of an important set of skills that help children succeed in school and later become independent, self-sufficient adults.
First Five Nebraska Priority Bills Focus on Giving Children a Great Start
It is in Nebraska’s best interest to ensure that our children enter kindergarten with the experience they need to become successful students. A child’s first five years are critically important for healthy brain and social/emotional development, and First Five Nebraska is committed to supporting legislation that helps children get the start they need to grow into confident, capable, productive citizens.
Board Games Improve Math Skills
Simple things can make a big difference. Studies show that time spent playing board games boosts the math skills of children in early childhood programs.
‘Word Gap’ Leads to Slower Learning
Researchers tell us that by the time children from low-income homes enter kindergarten, they have heard 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers. The result of this word deficit is a smaller vocabulary, which leads to slower learning. Children learn words spoken directly to them, and the more words they hear at a very young age, the better prepared they’ll be when they start school.
Play It Forward
Families that play together build strong relationships. Whether it's reading together, playing board games during cold, blustery days or playing outside in the summer, interacting with young children helps build the strong neural foundation and social-emotional skills they'll need to succeed in school and later in life.
Science of Brain Development
Babies are born ready to learn. At birth, the brain contains about 100 billion neurons that are connected by synapses carrying electrochemical signals in response to stimuli from the world around us. During the earliest years, those synapses are firing at an astonishing rate, and they become the neural foundation upon which everything else is built.
Science and Data Drive Our Work
Science and data drive our work. A child’s ability to learn is built upon a neurological foundation that begins before birth and is largely in place by age 5. The quality of a child’s earliest experiences, interactions and relationships physically shape the neural architecture of the developing brain during those first five years.