From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development—in the womb and in the first months and years—have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate—family, child care, community—within which the child grows. Table of Contents Front Matter Report Contents I Setting the Stage 1 Introduction 2 Rethinking Nature and Nurture 3 The Challenge of Studying Culture 4 Making Causal Connections II The Nature and Tasks of Early Development 5 Acquiring Self-Regulation 6 Communicating and Learning 7 Making Friends and Getting Along with Peers 8 The Developing Brain III The Context for Early Development 9 Nurturing Relationships 10 Family Resources 11 Growing Up in Child Care 12 Neighborhood and Community 13 Promoting Healthy Development Through Intervention IV Knowledge into Action 14 Conclusions and Recommendations References A Related Reports from the National Academies B Defining and Estimating Causal Effects C Technologies for Studying the Developing Human Brain D Biographical Sketches Index