Did you know April 10 – 16, 2011 is the national Week of the Young Child? The Week of the Young Child, now in its 40th year, is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children that calls on all communities to focus on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

Locally, Valley of the Sun United Way is heavily invested in ensuring young children succeed in school and in life by: improving the quality of child care centers through professional development, providing parents and caregivers with educational resources to prepare children for Kindergarten and providing support services to child care providers in high-need communities.

Experts recognize that engaging children in various learning activities at a young age will help build school readiness skills and lay the foundation for lifelong learning. In fact, research indicates that 80 percent of a child’s brain develops by the age of three and 90 percent is developed by age five.

In honor of the Week of the Young Child, Valley of the Sun United Way compiled a list of top 10 learning activities to provide parents and caregivers a resource to promote development and early learning among young children:

1. Engage your child in conversation. The more positive interactions a child has, the healthier his/her development will be.
2. Hold your child on your lap when playing or reading. Physical affection communicates love to young children, which in turn fosters positive emotional growth.
3. Create an environment that allows your child to explore, but set limits to show both guidance and care. This enforces a stable relationship, and children who have a stable relationship with at least one caregiver learn at a faster pace, feel better about themselves, and make friends more easily.
4. Encourage outdoor play and exercise. Creating a safe and healthy home environment allows you to maximize your child’s growth.
5. Praise your child with concrete positive feedback. A strong sense of self is the foundation for healthy development in young children.
6. Ensure caregivers at your child care center speak respectfully to children. Since childcare settings can be a primary learning environment for children, the quality of the childcare setting is very important.
7. Use a broad vocabulary to expose your child to many different words. Communicating with your child not only shows love, but also encourages the development of his/her speech patterns.
8. Encourage play by using everyday household items in creative ways. Playing provides children with an outlet for imagination and creativity and fosters healthy brain development.
9. Make music with your child by singing, clapping, dancing, and tapping your feet together. Music offers children an outlet for expression and stimulates brain development in specific areas including language and reasoning.
10. While reading with your child, point to pictures and ask questions. Reading with children demonstrates a love for books and learning, and is a wonderful way for parents and children to spend quality time together.
*Tips extracted from Ten Things Every Child Needs DVD, produced by the Robert T. McCormick Tribune Foundation

About Valley of the Sun United Way
Valley of the Sun United Way is working to advance the common good by focusing on education, income and health. Our goal is to create long-lasting and measurable changes that improve the quality of life for struggling individuals, families and children throughout Maricopa County. For more information visit, www.vsuw.org