Building Children's Self Esteem
One of our primary goals for children is for them to develop a good self-image and self-esteem. Self-esteem and self-image are very closely related to each other. Self-image refers to an individual's idea of who he is. His feelings of self-esteem result from his reaction to what he judges himself to be and to his anticipation of being accepted or rejected. Without a good sense of self, it is difficult for children to be effective learners. Children need to feel that they are worthy of love and that they can make a worthwhile contribution to the world and to people around them. Each child is unique and needs to know that he/she is appreciated just as he/she is. The children entrusted in our care should daily have the opportunity to bask in our love, admiration and respect for them. If we provide an enviornment of warmth and acceptance for our children, they will strive to perform at their full potential. It is crucial that we help children feel comfortable with themselves, their families, and their cultures. As we treat each child with respect, so will they learn respect for themselves and for others.
10 Simple Things That Can Boost Your Child's Brain Power
- INTERACTION - Spend time watching me and responding to my cues. It tells me I'm important and special to you.
- LOVING TOUCH - Cradle me, hold me. Give me lots of hugs. It keeps me calm and comforts me, and gives me courage to move on.
- STABLE RELATIONSHIP - I need someone special to be there when I call. When I look around and see you I know I can go far.
- SAFE, HEALTY ENVIRONMENT - Plug the outlets, block the stairs. Keep lead away for sure! Make a safe, special place so I am free to explore.
- SELF-ESTEEM - I can do it, yes I can, if you tell me so. Pay attention, give me praise and watch me go, go, go!
- QUALITY CHILD CARE - When you're gone I need to be with people you can trust to help me grow and teach me new, exciting stuff.
- COMMUNICATION - I may not talk, but don't be fooled, I understand a lot. Our little conversations mean very much!
- PLAY - Play is fun, play is work, it's how I learn the ropes. When we play together you help me more than you know.
- MUSIC - 1, 2, 3 sing to me and make up silly tunes. Music is special time that's fun to share with you.
- READING - Read to me, show me books with lots of pretty pictures. Write my stories out in words I'll love to read forever.
The Amazing Infant Brain
There is a very important time in a child's life, beginning at birth, when he should be living in an enriched environment -- visual, auditory, language and so on -- because that lays the foundation for development later in life. (Thorsten Wiesel, Nobel Prize recipient for discoveries on the importance of sensory experience to brain development.)
Babies are born with billions of brain cells, many more than they have at age three and nearly twice as many as they have as adults. During the first months of life, connections between these cells, called synapses, multiply rapidly to 1,000 trillion, forming the structures that allow learning to occur. (Rochelle Sharpe, The Wall Street Journal, 1995)
The number of connections could easily go up or down by 25 percent or more, depending upon whether a child grows up in an enriched environment. (Ron Kotulak, cited in "Unlocking the Mind," Chicago Tribune, 1993)
Research findings from the behavioral sciences to biology and neurology now leaves no doubt that the first three years of life are crucial. The brain grows most rapidly then and becomes hard-wired into an organ of thinking. The foundations for lifelong learning are laid. And children learn to trust and begin to acquire the self-confidence that encourages them to keep learning. (Joan Beck, Chicago Tribune, August 27, 1995)
Negative experiences can have lasting effects, scientists say, because they can alter the organization of the brain. Children raised in poor environment can display cognitive deficits by 18 months that may be irreversible. (Rochelle Sharp, Wall Street Journal, 1995)
Research shows that infants' sensory experiences and social interactions with supportive adults advance their cognitive abilities. (Bornstein & Tamis-LeMonda, 1989, cited in Day Care and Early Education, Summer, 1994)
Based on extensive research conducted with children as young as six weeks of age, some scientists believe that the quality of the environment and the kind of experiences children have may affect brain structure and functioning so profoundly that they may not be correctable after age 5. (Research of William Greenough, neuroscientist, The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and Craig Ramey, psychologist/educator, The University of Alabama, cited in "Unlocking the Mind," by Ron Kotulak, Chicago Tribune, 1993)
Other Facts About Early Childhood
Most brain development occurs before the age of four, starting before birth and accelerating immediately after, establishing the foundation on which all future learning depends.
The infant brain is developmentally marvel, absorbing information from the world around it to rapidly form the trillions of mental connections, or synapses, that allow learning to occur.
Studies suggest that a child's ability to learn can increase or decrease by 25% or more, depending on whether he or she grows up in a stimulating environment.
If we feed the hungry infant brain good things (attention, caring, reading and stability), it grows strong and pliable, feed it "junk food" (neglect, abuse, instability and isolation), and a child's learning capacity is stunted, perhaps irreversibly.
More than half of mothers with children under age six are now in the workforce. Unfortunately, only nine percent of children are in "quality" programs where they are growing and learning and are considered "good" by a recent study; at least 35 percent of children's programs are actually considered "bad."
Then we speak of quality, we're talking about settings that offer a steady diet of nurturing care and stimulation. Well-trained teachers and caregivers, supportive and varied activities, high levels of parent involvement, reliable health, safety and nutrition, are the quality indicators.
Quality early childhood care and education are linked to reduced school dropout rates, reduced teen pregnancy rates, reduced unemployment and enhanced lifetime earnings, along with lower rates of crime and delinquency.
