Over the last 20 years, we have learned much about the extent to which early-life deprivation affects the mental health of children and adolescents. This body of evidence comes predominantly from studies of children raised in institutional care. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP) is the only randomized controlled trial designed to…

The Sustainable Development Goals mandate that by 2030, all children should have access to quality early child development opportunities, healthcare and pre-primary education. Yet validated measures of ECD in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are rare. To address this gap, a Systematic Review (SR) of measures available to profile the…

Summarizes presentations given at a recent White House Conference which showed that early experiences, particularly in the first three years of life, have a dramatic impact on brain development. Includes presentations on such topics as parent education, brain functioning, quality caregiving and child care services, and early intervention programs.…

This newsletter issue provides an overview of the book, "Critical Thinking about Critical Periods," which discusses the neural and behavioral sciences that undergird the notion of "windows of opportunity" in early brain development. The issue presents the book's table of contents; the major sections are: (1) "Critical…

This paper presents a brief overview of the array of neuroscience research as it applies to play and child development. The paper discusses research showing the importance of play for brain growth and child development, and recommends that families, schools and other social and corporate institutions rearrange their attitudes and priorities about…

The failure of compensatory education programs to demonstrate permanent increases in intelligence with early intervention has constituted a basic challenge to the validity of the early experience paradigm. A reconceptualization of the effects of early experience, emphasizing the cumulative and dialectical nature of development, is needed. (KH)

Young infants remember their prior experiences for relatively long periods with surprising specificity, and even seemingly forgotten memories can often be reactivated to further protract retention. These reactivations can be programmed in ways that optimize cumulative learning and retention, based on the principles embodied in the time-window…

A review of research indicates that early (including prenatal) continuous exposure to music not only positively influences children's advancing musical aptitude but also generates and increases children's abilities in some components of giftedness, such as problem solving, risk taking, and creativity. (Author/CB)

Challenging the prevailing belief that the first 3 years of a child's life comprise the most critical period for development, this book maintains that although there is valid scientific evidence for the existence of critical periods, the same research points to learning and development occurring throughout life. The book asserts that too many…

Reviews studies comparing short- and long-term effects of language-based socially and cognitively interactive play enrichment in day care and the home during infancy. Found that both day care and home children experiencing intervention advanced to high levels of language and cognitive functioning compared to control children. Advantages of home…

Explores several European models of early childhood education that have influenced day care in North America, noting such influences as religion, educational philosophy, and concepts appropriate to a child's cognitive development. (HOD)

The infant's impressions of his environment are viewed by several philosophers, including Jean Piaget. There has been some past tendency to suppose that, prior to the acquisition of language, the infant has no real impressions about his environment. More recent understandings consider that the infant is capable of conceptualization and can express…

Childhood abuse has been implicated in such difficulties as developmental lags, family dysfunction, social problems, and emotional distress. This paper presents a review of the empirical literature which examines the relationship between physical abuse and object relations impairment. Data in the literature were commonly derived from either…

This article focuses on the importance of school readiness to school success and long-term life success. Issues relating to school readiness include what constitutes readiness, types of fundamental knowledge, how children approach learning, children's mental and physical health, and how readiness is defined. The article first examines what is…

Noting that computers are reshaping children's lives in profound and unexpected ways, this report examines potential harms and promised benefits of these changes, focusing on early childhood and elementary education. Chapter 1 argues that popular attempts to hurry children intellectually are at odds with the natural pace of human development.…