The Brazelton Touchpoints[TM] Approach to Infants and Toddlers in Care: Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning and Loving
by Jayne Singer, PhD, IMH-E®
DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Fall 2007 More infants and toddlers currently are experiencing out-of-home care than ever before (Larner, Behrman, Young, & Reich, 2001). At the same time, it is now also well understood that the early years of childhood are the most critical of life (Denham, 1998). Read full article
The importance of emotional competence and self‑regulation from birth: a case for the evidence‑based emotional cognitive social early learning approach
by Donna K. Housman
Neuroscientific advances demonstrate that the age range from zero to 5 years old represents a critical window for both learning and teaching, which must involve the development of emotional competence and the growth of self-regulation as a foundation for long-term academic, personal, and social success, promoting mental health and well-being. Recent findings suggest that these capacities emerge from the co-regulation of empathic social and emotional interactions between a caregiver and young child. Based on this research, the present review will (a) describe the theoretical underpinnings of a childcare and development center-based social and emotional learning approach to support the growth of these foundational capacities in children from birth; (b) examine the role of co-regulation with a professional caregiver/teacher in promoting these capacities; and (c) detail how emotional cognitive social early learning, an integrative evidence-based approach, endeavors to foster these competencies through emotional communication, guidance, tools and techniques, most notably causal talk in the context of emotional experience. Read full article