posted by Jennie on Dec 11
This project dates back to the seventies and is unsurprisingly still relevant to this age. This was a ten year study of children between 8 to 18 months. The researchers were led by Dr. Burton White, intently studied the young children to find out how experiences in the early years contribute to the development of a healthy, intelligent, competent human beings. These are the conclusions, as originally reported in the American Psychological Association Monitor:
- It is increasingly clear that the origins of human competence are to be found in a critical period of development between eight and eighteen months of age. The child’s experiences during these brief months do more to influence future intellectual competence than any time before or after.
- The single most important environmental factor in the life of the child is the mother. According to Dr. White, “she is on the hook” and carries more influence on her child’s experiences that any other persons or circumstance.
- The amount of live language directed to a child (not to be confused with television, radio, or overhead conversations) is vital to her development of fundamental linguistic, intellectual, and social skills. The researchers concluded, “Providing a rich social life for a twelve-to-fifteen-month-old child is the best thing you can do to guarantee a good mind.”
- Those children who are given free access to living areas of their homes progress much faster than those whose movements are restricted.
- The nuclear family is the most important educational delivery system. If we are going to produce capable, healthy children, it will be by strengthening family units and by improving the interactions that occur within them.
- The best parents in the study were those who excelled at three key functions:
1. They were superb designers and organizers of their children’s environments.
2. They permitted their children to interrupt them for brief thirty second episodes, during which personal consultation, comfort, information and enthusiasm were exchanged.
3. They were “firm disciplinarians while simultaneously showing great affection for their children.”
The italicized portion is an excerpt from The New Strong-Willed Child by Dr. Dobson. I just needed to share this to the world even as it eloquently speaks of issues that matter most right from early childhood. This basically affirms our resolve in bringing up our child.
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December 14th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I was a volunteer summer preschool teacher for four years (before joining this company) and the past summers, I volunteered in our company’s “read-to-be-smart” (teaching kids age7-9 on how to read and how to enjoy reading) community service. Makukulit ang mga bata. Ok din itong entry not only for parents, for grade school teachers din.
This is true, dapat ipakita sa mga bata ang pagiging firm disciplinarians while simultaneously showing great affection. Kapag pinagsabihan sila at naipaunawa ang lessons na dapat nilang matutuhan, ngitian sila in the end or i-hug. Hindi lalayo ang bata at lalo pa silang mapapalapit sa iyo kasi alam nilang tinatama ang kanilang maling gawa, at tinuturuan sila ng lessons.
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December 14th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
You’re right! Foundational phase tlaga ang pre-school age. Very critical. Make or break. It still fascinates me till now how my son responds to everything that we apply with regards to these things.
Galing no! It’s really our generation who gets to benefit from the studies done in the past by those great minds!
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December 26th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Yep! The study is very relevant for parents to understand, especially the mothers, their crucial role in a child’s life. 0-6 years old is a very crucial period for a child’s holistic deveopment.
I used to work for a school-based NGO, the NDDU’s Early Childhood Education Center. We piloted ECE projects here in Region XII and we anchored our project on the identified day care centers. We cater to the underprivileged IPs in the hinterlands. We conduct Parenting Sessions (we have 9 modules for this) and we train the Day Care Teachers emphasizing the ECE principle : “Children Learn Through Play.”
The children are the primary beneficiary of this endeavor. And truly, we have effected change of attitude among the IPs towards Basic Education in this part of the region.
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December 27th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Thanks for the input sis! I so agree with you. I cannot emphasize enough how crucial our part is having the direct influence to the generation next to us. I salute you for doing your part through your projects and even your heart. I’m sure you’re going to do great in nurturing your own kids in the future.
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January 15th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
very true, based on my two kids, not only 8-18 months, the formative period of a child’s life is between 0-3, kaya, very crucial ang ange an ito, but parents tend to neglect this years, very sad kasi this is the very reason why kids nowadays are so very different when it comes to discipline and morals to kids 20 years ago, when parents, especially the mother is very much involved with a child’s life… ngaun parents are no longer parents eh, providers na lang sila… parents’ role nowadays is slowly diminishing, and this poses a great danger not just to the children of this generation but more on the future…
nice post!
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February 7th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
jen,
it is nice to meet someone who shares the same same passion in parenting. all my kids are enrolled in an alternative school which practices Harvard’s Project Zero.
I am a practitioner of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences too…Medyo weird pakinggan how my kids learn in school but they are really educated VERY differently than traditional schooling. blessings!
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February 7th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Wow, that’s interesting Hailey! Are you in the Philippines? I would so want to know where that school is. We are really leaning towards the progressive than the traditional schooling. It’s way different. I have heard of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence and it’s awesome. The way it gets the best out of your child’s potential and hone it.
Blessings to you too sis! So happy to have found someone like you here.
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December 6th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Nice and usefull post, thanks, this is one for my bookmarks!
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August 28th, 2011 at 3:24 am
accounting degree vs finance degree…
Harvard University’s Preschool Project | Marriage and Beyond…
November 5th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Okay kami ni Vince sa lahat except dun sa “superb designers and organizers of their kids’ environment.” We’re very chill parents. Haha
Ingenium is a multiple intelligences school!
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Jennie Reply:
November 5th, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Frances, I think you’re both doing great! Vito and tiny Wiggle are blessed to have you as parents.
That’s interesting. We did consider enrolling Jed in Ingenium years back. Until we got sold out to homeschooling.
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