What Young Children Need to Succeed
By Martha Farrell Erickson, Ph.D.
Martha Farrell Erickson is the Director of the Harris Programs,
Center for Early Education and Development, and is the co-chair of
the University of Minnesota President’s Initiative on Children,
Youth and Families.
When we ponder factors that influence a child’s academic achievement,
an adult’s job performance, or even one’s ability to
be a good neighbor, we would do well to look far back in that person’s
history for at least some of the answers. A wealth of research
points to environments and experiences that increase the odds that
a person will thrive and succeed in school and life. As summarized
below, these critical experiences begin even before a child is born.
A Healthy Birth. A child’s first environment
is the womb, and its quality depends on good maternal nutrition and
avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and other toxic substances. A healthy
birth also is influenced by prenatal care — not only formal
medical services, but also informal support and care for the mother-to-be.
A Secure Foundation. Babies thrive when they have
caregivers (especially parents) who respond sensitively to their
cues and signals, fostering a strong sense of security. Within
safe, predictable, loving relationships babies develop trust in
others and confidence in their own ability to express needs and
solicit the care they need. Soothed and comforted at times of distress,
young children begin to develop the ability to calm themselves
and, over time, to regulate emotions and impulses. Self-regulation
is central to a child’s ability to focus attention, accept
direction, and get along with others – essential skills for
school and life.
A Rich Language Environment. This means having
caregivers who talk to a child long before he or she can talk back;
engage the child with stories, songs and rhymes; ask “why” and “how” and “what
if…” questions that stretch the child’s mind
and vocabulary; and introduce the child from the earliest months
of life to the rich, expansive world of books. The child most likely
to thrive and succeed has been engaged as an active, joyful learner,
discovering the wonder and power of the spoken and written word.
Safe and Stimulating Opportunities To Play And Explore. Infants
and young children are naturally curious and eager to explore.
They learn and advance their own development through active exploration
and mastery of the world around them. Especially with encouragement
and sensitive guidance from adults who support the child’s
growing autonomy, an actively exploring infant or toddler builds
motor skills, develops confidence and initiative, and learns important
cognitive concepts, such as cause and effect or the properties
of – and relationships among – different objects.
Clear and Reasonable Limits. Even though children
often raise a fuss when their desires are thwarted, without limits
they feel insecure and overwhelmed by their impulses. Without
clear limits, young children will be hard-pressed to learn to set
reasonable limits for themselves as they get older. To learn and
grow optimally, young children need limits expressed in clear,
developmentally appropriate language; simple reasons that teach
the value behind the limit (e.g. “That’s dangerous” or “He
feels sad when you take his toy”); natural or logical consequences
when they violate limits; and recognition and encouragement when
they behave positively. These lessons are magnified when, after
a child misbehaves, adults help the child think about what she
could have done differently and what she can do the next time a
similar situation arises.
Opportunities to Make Choices and Handle Responsibilities. The
older children become, the more they are required to make decisions
and handle tasks without adult supervision and guidance. Preparation
for that increasing independence begins early in life – even
with something as simple as a toddler’s choosing which of
two healthy snacks she would like or deciding whether she wants
to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt. And when a preschooler
puts his toys away before a trip to the park or helps clear the
table or fold laundry, he is building life skills and discovering
he contributes to the common good.
Protection from Violence and Trauma. Abuse,
both physical and emotional, has devastating consequences for children’s
development. Witnessing violence also does long-term harm to children.
Longitudinal research shows that violence teaches young children
the roles of both victim and perpetrator. Without appropriate intervention,
these destructive patterns are likely to continue into future generations. Extreme
stress and trauma have not only psychological, but physiological,
effects on young children. Early exposure to stress and trauma,
especially when not buffered by the presence of a sensitive, loving
caregiver, affects brain chemistry in ways that undermine emotional
regulation and thought processes.
Provided those foundational experiences and environments in the
first five years of life, most children will be ready to avail themselves
of all the learning opportunities their kindergarten classroom offers.
And, given continued support and encouragement from the adults around
them, they will be poised to succeed, both academically and socially,
as they move toward adulthood.
