Transcript Document

Understanding the Early Years: Red Deer
Preliminary Research Results Forum
December 1, 2009
The Understanding the Early Years: Red Deer Project is funded by the Government of
Canada’s Understanding the Early Years Initiative.
What is Understanding the Early Years
(UEY)?

A national initiative funded by the Government of Canada in over 40
Canadian locations.

Through community research, UEY provides community members with
information so as to better understand the needs of young children and
their families.

Enables community members to work together to address those needs,
to help children to thrive.

Seeks to answer the question, “What family and community factors affect
children’s development?”
Why are the Early Years important?
• The early years are critical for children’s development well-being, and
readiness to learn at school. Arriving at school ‘not ready to learn’ can
have life long impacts.
• There is strong evidence from many years of research that the years
from 0-6 are the most significant time in an individual’s life, setting the
stage for later results in literacy, high school completion, employment,
health, literacy, behaviour and quality of life.
• Capacity to learn when entering school is strongly influenced by the
neural ‘wiring’ that takes place in the early years.
• Young children’s family and community are key influences on overall
development and outcomes
"One-quarter of Canada's children between
birth and age 6 are experiencing some
learning or behavioural difficulty. These
problems in the early years have been
shown to correlate with later difficulties in
school performance, social adjustment and
health."
McCain, Mustard and Shanker (2007)
Brain Connections
Synaptic Density: Synapses are created with astonishing speed in the first three years
of life. For the rest of the first decade, children’s brains have twice as many synapses
as adults’ brains.
From Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development by Rima Shore (NY: Families and
Work Institute, 1997). (Drawing supplied by H.T. Chugani)
Binocular vision
‘Sensitive periods’ in early
Central auditory system
Brain Development
Habitual ways of responding
Language
Emotional control
Symbol
Peer social skills
Relative quantity
High
Low
0
1
2
3
Years
4
5
6
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Hertzman , 2007
Investing in Early Childhood Development: The Economic Imperative
•
Leading economists have shown the importance of Early Childhood
Development to our province and country’s economic future. Knowledge is
the engine of the 21st century economy. Better brains and innovative ideas
fuel economic growth, create jobs, increase wealth, and secure our financial
future.
The real question is how to use the available funds
wisely. The best evidence supports the policy
prescription:
Invest in the very young.”
James J. Heckman, PhD
2000 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences
Opportunity Lost. . .
Addressing the Mismatch Between Opportunity & Investment
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Spending on Health, Education, and Welfare
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Brain's Malleability
Adapted from: “How Nurture Becomes Nature: The Influence of Social
Structures on Brain Development” Bruce Perry, Baylor College of
Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Model of Development: A Holistic Framework
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Benefits of an Understanding the Early
Years Project
For Parents and Children:
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Helps decision-makers to better understand the needs of children and
families in our city.
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Helps parents better understand ways to enhance their children’s
development in the early years.
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Identifies factors that will help children to thrive.
For Communities:
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Provides a catalyst to work together on behalf of families and children.

Provides financial support for early childhood events and information
Benefits of an Understanding the Early
Years Project con’t
For Educators:

Helps determine the factors that impact on children’s readiness to learn
and success upon arrival at school.

Can provide information to guide decision-making and allocation of
resources.
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Results can assist in long-term planning
For Governments:

Informs policy and program development related to early childhood
development and community engagement.
Key Messages
About research
• Knowledge gathered from local research should form the basis for policy-making.
• Policy and decision-making should be evidence based.
UEY Red Deer examines…
– What family and community factors affect children’s readiness to learn at school?
– How ready to learn at school are Red Deer’s young children?
– Are there sufficient programs and services for young children in Red Deer, in order
for all children to thrive?
– Are there gaps in services that need to be addressed?
– Are there barriers to using these existing programs, such as cost or transportation?
– Are existing programs and services located in the neighborhoods where most young
children live?
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By the end of the UEY Red Deer Project,
Red Deer will have:
• Quality local research information about how Red Deer’s young
children are doing, which can guide decision making
• An increased understanding of the importance of early
development
• An increased ability to partner and collaborate with others working
for positive experiences for children
• A collaborative community action plan for children 0-6.
The Four UEY Research Activities
Parents Interviews &
Direct Assessments of
Children
Survey (PIDACS)
Inventory of Community
Resources and Services
for Children 0-6
Community Based
Research
Census data from
Statistics Canada
(2006)
Early Development
Instrument (EDI)
Data Collection Considerations

Participation is voluntary.
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Signed parental consent is obtained
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Privacy is always an important concern:
•
all information collected is kept confidential, is protected and is
used only for statistical purposes
Analyzing the Research Results
The results of the four research activities are analyzed to:
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Measure children’s early development before they enter school
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Show how family and community influences have an impact on child
development in the early years
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Profile the types and availability of community resources for families
and children
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Assess how well the needs of families with young children are being met
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Learn more about how research can be used at the local level to bring
about improvements for children
What has UEY Research Shown in previous
Studies?
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No single family or community factor is the magic answer for improving
children’s development.
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However, positive childhood development and school readiness are
found in families that function well in the following areas:
• Parents who use positive approaches to parenting.
• Families who are involved in learning activities.
• Families who use community programs and resources.
• Families who are in good mental health.
• Families who have a high level of social support and live in
communities where neighbours support each other.
Research, Knowledge, Action
The Community Action Plan, a key product of Red Deer UEY :

is a collaborative planning process with the community-with anyone
interested in improving Red Deer’s children’s well-being
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is based on results of the research
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identifies concrete steps that community members can take to address
gaps and community strengths identified by the research

Aims to provide the best possible approaches so that Red Deer’s
young children can thrive.
“If the children and youth of a nation are afforded
opportunity to develop their capacities to the fullest, if they
are given the knowledge to understand the world and the
wisdom to change it,
then the prospects for the future are bright.
In contrast, a society which neglects its children, however
well it may function in other respects,
risks eventual disorganization and demise.”
-Urie Bronfenbrenner, Psychologist
and co-founder of Head Start
For more information, contact Laurie Lafortune, Red
Deer Understanding the Early Years Coordinator
at Family Services of Central Alberta:
403-309-8224 [email protected]
Research summaries and reports will be available at
www.fsca.ca
Thank you for your participation!
WEBSITES
Family Services of Central Alberta
www.fsca.ca
The Offord Centre for Child Studies
www.offordcentre.com
Council for Early Child Development
www.councilecd.ca
Healthy Child Manitoba
http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthychild/
Human Early Learning Partnership, UBC
http://www.earlylearning.ubc.ca/