National Week of the Young Child
April 19-25, 2009

About National Week of the Young Child: The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

Week of the Young Child in South Carolina:
During National Week of the Young Child 2009, South Carolina First Steps is highlighting early childhood brain development. Cutting-edge research in this field is empowering parents and policymakers alike in creating the brightest of futures for young children. Click here for TIPS FOR BRANIACS.

Governor Mark Sanford Proclaims 2009 Week of the Young Child in South Carolina:

Click here to download a PDF of this proclamation.

TIPS FOR BRANIACS

Tip 1: Priming young brains for lifelong success: Did you know that at birth, the brain is only 25 percent of adult size and reaches 90 percent of adult size by age 5?
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Tip 2: Feeding young brains when they need it most: Learn about the peak
development periods for different brain functions such as vision and hearing, language
and speech, and higher cognitive functions such as self-control.
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Tip 3: Young brains need social-emotional development, too: Did you know a child’s social-emotional development is peaking between ages 1 and 3? This period primes children for the development of lifelong skills such as empathy.
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Tip 4: Building brain capacity for language development starts at birth: When
babies are born, their brains are primed to learn language, including millions of brain
cells for controlling language.
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Tip 5: ABCs of Emotional Health and Dangers of Toxic Stress: The emotional
atmosphere surrounding young children has a direct impact on their brain development.
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