Try getting back to the basics to improve the lives of children

“The Science of Childhood: Inside the Minds of Our Younger Selves,” is Time Magazine’s latest special edition. It examines everything from understanding how children develop and dealing with temper tantrums to the science of play and the secrets of birth order. It’s part of an effort to help parents and other caregivers better understand how children learn and what everyone can do to help children thrive.

For the last 24 months, the Early Childhood Coalition, which consists of 30 organizations, has been working through the Chattanooga 2.0 initiative. Its goal is to find ways to ensure access for everyone to high-quality resources that support optimal development of children from birth to age 5 in the greater Chattanooga area. The plan is to engage and mobilize the community through advocacy, communication and education so that all children can achieve their potential and live their best lives.

One initiative of the coalition is the launching of Chattanooga Basics, which is built upon the reality that parents play the most critical role in providing a strong and healthy start for infants and young children. Chattanooga Basics is closely aligned with Boston Basics, which was developed out of Harvard. The goals for the Basics are to help ensure that:

› Eighty percent of children show up to school ready to learn. › Every parent has access to information about how to help their child thrive.

› Every parent knows about the Chattanooga Basics, teaching them creative ways to engage their child.

› Parents have the necessary support to be the parent their child needs them to be.

The Early Childhood Coalition wants all community members to know the five basics so they can help all children to thrive. The Coalition is calling on all community members to learn the Five Basics and to engage children in conversations around them because while parents are their child’s first teacher, the rest of the community can rally around them to assist them in their efforts. The Five Basics are:

MAXIMIZE LOVE, MANAGE STRESS

Babies thrive when the world feels loving, safe and predictable. Affectionate and responsive care-giving develops a sense of security and self-control.

TALK, SING, POINT

Babies learn language from the moment they are born. They learn through loving interactions with their caregivers, not televisions or phones. Eye contact, pointing and real words teach the most about communication.

COUNT, GROUP AND COMPARE

Children are born wired to learn numbers, patterns, sizes, shapes and comparisons. What they learn about math in the first few years makes a difference when they get to school.

EXPLORE THROUGH MOVEMENT AND PLAY

Children are born curious about the world. They are like scientists. Pay attention to your infant’s or toddler’s interests. Help them learn through play and exploration.

READ AND DISCUSS STORIES

The more we read with young children, the more prepared they become to enjoy reading and do well in school. Even infants enjoy the shapes and colors in books. Let them hold the book and turn the pages. Point to the pictures, and talk about what you see.

Whether you are part of a faith-based community, a child-care provider, a human-resources executive, the CEO of a company, the neighbor next door or a relative or friend, you can help prepare the children in our community for kindergarten.

A report released last week showed Hamilton County schools received the lowest possible composite score on an annual state student-growth assessment. While it would be easy to start pointing fingers and placing blame, perhaps the best thing our community can do is to change how we engage parents and assist them in their efforts to build strong, healthy families. By resolving to help children thrive and show up to school ready to learn, the scores will improve.

To learn more about Chattanooga Basics, the Early Childhood Coalition partners and what you can do to help, visit chattanooga basics.org.