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Recent neurobiological findings have been used by many to argue for the importance of the early years, and the need for state governments to provide a range of early childhood and family services. Appropriate investment in quality programs in the early years is known to improve school achievement, participation in tertiary education, lifetime income, physical and mental health (including longevity), social skills and general wellbeing.
As James Heckman's (2006) now famous graph demonstrates, investment in the early years produces a much greater return per dollar than investment in schooling or post-school programs. In fact, societies investing more in early childhood are found to have higher literacy and numeracy levels, a healthier population, and less disparity in outcomes between those on low and high incomes.
What the research tells us
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Understanding the latest neurobiological evidence helps us advocate for quality early childhood programs. A recent summary in McCain, Mustard and Shanker (2007) explains that stimulation from the outside world prompts neurons to form networks and pathways to process incoming information. The first three years of life sees a huge increase in neuron interconnections as new pathways are formed through stimulation. Ultimately neuronal networks become too complex and a pruning process takes place. Those connections not sufficiently stimulated are pruned away.
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We see an example of this in children's language development. Initially young children are able to produce the sounds of all languages but through time they lose the ability to produce the language sounds they do not hear in the world around them. As adults, those of us reared in monolingual homes struggle to hear and produce some of the sounds in languages other than our own. In contrast, children growing up in a bilingual home maintain the ability to hear and produce sounds in both languages.
Creating quality learning environments
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Neurobiological evidence indicates that a quality environment for young children is one which maintains the crucial balance between offering learning opportunities and ensuring that the environment minimises stress.
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Minimising stress is best achieved through secure relationships. Research consistently demonstrates that children who feel psychologically safe through secure relationships have lower cortisol levels (Sims, Guilfoyle & Parry, 2005, 2006). Cortisol, released as part of the biochemical stress reaction, impairs rational thinking and memory (Gunnar & Cheatham, 2003; Seplaki, Goldman, Weinstein & Yu-Hsuan, 2004) which, in turn, impairs children's ability to learn. This means effective learning can only take place in a context of minimal stress. Focusing on establishing and maintaining secure relationships with children creates the conditions in which we can ensure children experience a minimally stressful environment.
But that is only half the solution. We also need to focus on creating an environment where children are exposed to learning opportunities. Play provides children with opportunities to engage, experiment and practice, and thus to learn (Frost, Wortham & Reifel, 2005).
In addition, play allows children to enhance their relationships with adults and peers. Irwin, Siddiqi and Hertzman (2007, p. 21) argue that 'Potentially, one of the most efficient strategies for improving early childhood development is to find ways to convince parents and caregivers of the importance of play and the ways they can promote it'.
Working for the future
In their political briefing, Irwin, Siddiqi and Hertzman (2007) argue that spending as little as one dollar in early childhood for every 10 dollars spent in health and education services combined will make a significant difference:
'A healthy start in life gives each child an equal chance to thrive and grow into an adult who makes a positive contribution to the community – economically and socially.' (p. 5)
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Relationships and play are the cornerstones of quality early childhood provision – and quality early childhood provision has the potential to change our world.
We must continue to advocate for the resources to offer quality service and support to our young children and their families. Our services need to support early childhood workers to establish and maintain strong relationships by examining their staffing and rostering systems, by creating opportunities for workers to remain with small groups of children over time, developing an attachment curriculum and supporting carers to develop relationships with parents.
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Margaret Sims
Director
Centre for Social Research, Edith Cowan University
References and further reading
Frost, J., Wortham, S., & Reifel, S. (2005). Play and child development (2nd edn). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Gunnar, M., & Cheatham, C. (2003). Brain and behaviour interface: Stress and the developing brain. Infant Mental Health Journal, 24(3), 195–211.
Heckman, J. (2006, 10 January). Investing in disadvantaged young children is an economically efficient policy. Paper presented at the Committee for Economic Development, New York: Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved 13 April 2008, www.ced.org/docs/report/report_2006prek_heckman.pdf
Irwin, L., Siddiqi, A., & Hertzman, C. (2007). Early child development: A powerful equaliser. Vancouver: Human Early Learning Partnership.
McCain, M., Mustard, F., & Shanker, S. (2007). Early years study 2: Putting science into action. Toronto: Council for Early Childhood Development.
Seplaki, C., Goldman, N., Weinstein, M., & Yu-Hsuan, L. (2004). How are biomarkers related to physical and mental well-being? Journal of Gerontology, 59(3), B201–217.
Shonkoff, J., & Phillips, D. (Eds.) (2000). From neurons to neighbourhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Shore, R. (1997). Rethinking the brain: New insights into early development. Chicago: Families & Work Institute.
Sims, M., Guilfoyle, A., & Parry, T. (2005). What cortisol levels tell us about quality in childcare centres. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 30(2), 29–39.
Sims, M., Guilfoyle, A., & Parry, T. (2006). Children's cortisol levels and quality of child care provision. Child Care, Health and Development, 32(4), 452–466.
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Stress in early childhood: Helping children and their carers offers practical and effective strategies for stress management for both early childhood staff and the children in their care. To order or find out more, visit www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/pub39 or freecall 1800 356 900.
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Margaret Sims is the Co-Editor of the Australian Journal of Early Childhood, published by Early Childhood Australia.
Yearly subscriptions to the Australian Journal of Early Childhood are available for only $70 for individuals and services and only $200 for institutions and organisations.
Visit www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/ajec or freecall 1800 356 900 for more information.
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Every Child magazine – vol. 14 no. 2, 2008, pp. 4–5
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