For educators to help children exposed to adverse life experiences, it is necessary to understand how adversity impacts different mechanisms of learning, emotion, and planning as these capacities underpin success in schools and beyond. The goal of this paper is to review essential findings on how early life adversity transforms the brain which, in…

This article is an excerpt from the forthcoming book, "Mental Health in the Early Years: Challenges and Pathways to Resilience', by Gail L. Ensher, David A. Clark, and Melissa M. Luke with contributing authors. This excerpt includes the value of a family systems and an ecological perspective; provides an overview of social--emotional…

This practical resource explains brain development from prenatal to age 8 with suggestions for activities educators and caregivers can use to foster children's cognitive growth. The authors begin with the basics of brain development, and the issues that affect it, and then provide information specific to infant, toddler, preschool, and…

Media use by young children, even those 2 years old and younger, continues to increase. Many parents and professionals believe media, including digital devices, enhances cognitive and overall development. However, there is a misconception about what promotes healthy minds and bodies. Brain development, the foundation for all abilities, including…

New advances in neurobiology are revealing that brain development and the learning it enables are directly dependent on social-emotional experience. Growing bodies of research reveal the importance of socially triggered epigenetic contributions to brain development and brain network configuration, with implications for social-emotional…

Children in the 21st century are avid users of technology--more so than generations past. This rise in use has led to much attention on the consequences of technology use, and how this impacts children's brains and their socio-emotional, cognitive and physical development. Much of the research in these fields, especially brain-based research, is…

Among families with an infant or toddler, health and high-quality care are top concerns. How those who study children think about these needs has evolved in recent years, especially with recent understandings from brain science. In the first three years of life, more than one million brain connections are formed every second. This remarkable brain…

This article proposes the existence of an "Isadora Effect": the propositions that motor development plays a primal role in brain development, and the first understanding of symbolic meaning among young children occurs from an understanding of movement and gesture. Anecdotal evidence for the past few decades has demonstrated that dance…

The recent attention being given to early childhood trauma and its negative effects on long-term learning and development has led many policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to focus on developing practices that support children and families who are experiencing trauma. Given the fact that many young children spend a significant amount of…

Apert syndrome is a rare condition, with a birth prevalence of approximately one in 65,000. This article provides an up-to-date review of the literature on Apert syndrome from a variety of perspectives, ranging from surgical management to personal accounts. The purpose of the review is to provide a holistic description of the syndrome which should…

Never give up on any child. Tying together the theory and developmentally appropriate strategies of child guidance and behavior, this book provides you with best practices for teaching children healthy social-emotional behavior and conflict management. Through current brain research, real-life stories, and a plethora of key concepts and discussion…

Many parents find it hard to make decisions about screen time for their kids because advice comes from different directions and often conflicts. In the field of child development, there are decades of theory and research that can be very helpful as a guide for screen and digital device use with young kids. These ideas can be a resource for parents…

"Teaching, Learning and Psychology" offers comprehensive coverage of contemporary psychological issues and new directions in education. With its focus on the non-deficit nature of human behaviours and positive psychology, the book emphasises the importance of appropriate pedagogical practices for effective learning. Comprehensive and…

Parenting influences child development, but it is unclear whether early parenting behavior can influence school-age outcomes in very preterm (VPT) children, and/or if certain groups of VPT children may be more affected by early parenting behavior. These research questions were examined. Participants were 147 children born <30 weeks' gestation…

Alison Gopnik, PhD, a researcher and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, responds to questions about the ways researchers are discovering the complex processes of early cognitive development. Dr. Gopnik shares some of the creative research methods that are demonstrating how infants are figuring out what is going on in the mind of…