If you’re a parent and want your children to develop into lifelong learners, there are a range of things that you can do. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development created a video series in which NICHD experts provide tips on how to encourage lifelong learning in your children using math, language, and reading skills.
Basic things like getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet are also important for a child’s brain development and ability to learn. Creating a stable home with routines and support encourages children to learn and explore. Loud background sounds in the home (televisions, stereos, video games) can be distracting and stressful to young children and should be turned off or the volume lowered when they are present.
A good child care or preschool program also helps a child to learn and grow. For more information on evaluating and choosing a program, select a link below:
You might also want to learn about the findings from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (PDF – 1.25 MB), which examined different features of child care and how they affected children’s lives.
Source: National Institutes of Health | Videos: Developing Lifelong Learners, https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/digital-media/videos/videos-lifelong-learners | public domain. Last reviewed December, 2017
To schedule an evaluation or to get advice about your child’s challenges, call or email a CHC Care Coordinator at 650.688.3625 or careteam@chconline.org