12/30/15
As the new executive director of
my state’s child care resource and referral system, sharing this information
with others regarding the importance of brain development in children is vital
if I want it be taken seriously. There are too many, teachers included, who do
not realize the importance of these developmental years of children’s lives. If
it’s possible to have the opportunity to get this information shared so that
others can be educated on the topic, then it needs to be done. It’s not that
people necessarily don’t care about this topic, it’s sometimes because it’s not
a topic that is often discussed or taken seriously. Because of this, my job is
to inform and make sure this ends.
According to Zero To Three (2014a),
the
first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a
baby's development. A newborn's brain is about 25 percent of its approximate
adult weight. But by age 3, it has grown dramatically by producing billions of
cells and hundreds of trillions of connections, or synapses, between these
cells.
Simply because of this, there are
many reasons why understanding brain development is critical to understanding
how important children’s earliest experiences are to their overall well-being.
Understanding this may help us learn how experiences truly affect children. It
may also help us learn when experiences affect children. Knowledge of these two
examples could help us in aiding us to prevent damage that could potentially
occur, as well as understanding patterns that could help us in interventions
for the children (The Urban Child Institute, 2015).
Waiting until a child is in
school is too late to begin to educate parents on the importance of brain
development because of the obvious development that has already taken place. I
do feel, however, that early childhood teachers should be educated on this and
that kindergarten and first grade teachers should attend training and be given
information on this topic since they’re the teachers who work with them early
on in their academic lives. If teachers and daycare providers are not educated
on this, then they cannot truly understand the importance level and how it will
help them with educating, as well as understanding their students.
Because I am now in charge of my
state’s child care referral and resource system, I have the ability to make
sure this information is given to daycare centers and elementary schools in my
state. I will start with writing a letter to the newspaper, encouraging parents
and teachers to join me in meeting that will be held to discuss this topic. I
will see that my letter is sent to the correct person since there are different
editors for each section. I will be sure to peruse the paper in major cities in
my state to get my letter out. I will make sure it’s to the point and that it
informs the public with research and ensures that I am someone worth listening
to. I want to start small and then move to bigger outlets.
Next, I can begin to work with
local news reporters. Respecting the news reporter’s time is important and I
will let them know that I can always call them back at a different time if it’s
necessary. I will practice my pitch before I call so that I’m straight to the
point and so it doesn’t seem that I’m wasting someone’s time. I will follow-up
with the newspaper, but will be sure not to overdo it to the point of pestering
(Berkeley
Media Studies Group, 2004).
Hopefully,
once I reach these media outlets, I will get myself into the public eye where
more people will be willing to listen to what I have to say. I will also
contact principals around the state with this information and offer workshops
with their teachers to educate them on the importance of understanding brain
development in children.
Of
course there will obstacles to overcome, as there are with any situation, but I
will have to power through them and see that my goal is met. It’s always hard
to get someone to listen to you, but with the research behind me to back me up,
it should be easier. I will continue to research this topic and ensure that I
do the best I can to get the information and importance out to those who will
benefit from it most.
Berkeley
Media Studies Group. (2004). Making the case for early care and education:
A
message development guide for advocates. Retrieved from http://bmsg.org/sites/default/files/bmsg_handbook_making_the_case_for_early_care_and_education.pdf
Zero
to Three. (2014a). Brain development. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/child-
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