From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development »

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media.

How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues.

The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more.

Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

Booknews

Psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians, and other experts in child development reviewed research from numerous disciplines covering the period from before birth until the first day of kindergarten. Their study includes efforts to understand how early experiences effect neurological, social, and cultural aspects of development. It considers both the typical trajectories of early childhood and the atypical developmental pathways that characterize the adaptability of disabled children. Economic, political, social, and ethical issues are emphasized. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I SETTING THE STAGE

Introduction
Rethinking Nature and Nurture
The Challenge of Studying Culture
Making Causal Connections

II THE NATURE AND TASKS OF EARLY DEVELOPMENT

Acquiring Self-Regulation
Communicating and Learning
Making Friends and Getting Along with Peers
The Developing Brain

III THE CONTEXT FOR EARLY DEVELOPMENT

Nurturing Relationships
Family Resources
Growing Up in Child Care
Neighborhood and Community
Promoting Healthy Development Through Intervention

IV KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION

Conclusions and Recommendations