Development is Amazing

As an early childhood professional you have an important role in fostering healthy development in young children. Second to their parents and families, you are probably the most important person in their lives because they spend so much time in your care. And often, parents will turn to you as a resource on the development of their children, so it’s good to be prepared! There are hundreds of resources on development out there and we’ve tried to pick some of the best. Review the Parents and Families Resources so you’ll know what parents might be considering and for short PDFs on providing responsive care; singing, talking and sharing books; playing; and promoting school readiness.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) provides a great overview of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and their importance in your work. The 3 essentials of DAP: you must know child development; you must be a great observer of individual children to learn their personal interests, needs, and style; and you must know and implement cultural considerations. Click here to read more.

A good source for developmental milestones is the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website where you can download and print checklists for various ages.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has an easy-to-use website that covers everything about children from prenatal development through young adulthood, including what they should be doing at different ages, and related articles about developmental issues for each age/stage.

The Zero to Three (ZTT) Behavior and Development website has invaluable information, podcasts, videos, and articles about development from birth to three. Their section on Brain Development is really interesting and includes a Baby Brain Map that illustrates how early care influences brain development from before birth to age three.

Check back often as we will be adding resources and updating this page as new information comes available. Let us know if there are other helpful resources we should add by contacting Mary Dodd.