Helping children #FindtheWords with an early start.

As the school year begins, too many children are already falling behind. Baton Rouge Moms is 1 of 30 blogs helping #FindtheWords with Save the Children to raise awareness of the need for early childhood education for all kids. I am participating in this social media campaign to highlight 30 words in 30 days — to symbolize the 30 million fewer words that children from low-income homes hear by age 3.

Save the Children provides kids in need with access to books, essential learning support and a literacy-rich environment, setting them up for success in school and a brighter future. Learn more about Save the Children’s work in the US and around the world: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6153159/k.C8D5/USA.htm

The first years of life are crucial to a child’s life long growth and development. I have always said that a lifestyle of learning begins at birth. Brain research has proven that most of the brain’s actual physical growth occurs during the first two years of life. The advantage of love, a nurturing environment, stimulation, interactions and experiences with parents, family or a care giver are crucial in the early months of a child’s life. For toddlers, early learning includes learning through play, through conversation, read alouds, educational resources and child led learning.

But, in developing countries, or in poverty stricken areas across the US, ill-health, malnutrition, lack of parental education and other factors compromise the ability of children to achieve their full developmental potential, putting them at a huge disadvantage. Caregivers need help and support to create environments and experiences that stimulate children’s minds in all their daily activities — from infancy.

An early start on learning is everything. Yet too many children in America and around the world are falling behind. By age 3, children from low-income homes hear an average of 30 million fewer words than their peers, putting them at a disadvantage before they start school. – Save the Children

I remember how exciting it was to hear our toddlers say new words and string them together to form sentences. Conversation has always been an important part of our day, our little ones learned so much through verbal, hands on lessons. In turn, our children have become avid readers because they learned at an early age the love of words, vocabulary and books. Giving them a great advantage.

Understanding the stages of child development helps parents know what to expect and how to best support the child as she or he grows and develops. On my trip to Guatemala with Save the Children, I was able to see first hand how mothers were being supported, educated and given to the tools to give their own children the best start possible. Through Save the Children’s classes and resources, mothers learned about the many advantages a healthy start can make.

The world’s advantage will come from helping disadvantaged children.

Domestically, if all children had access to early childhood education, we would see a growth of $2 trillion to the annual gross domestic income within one generation!

Early childhood education is an advantage that every child should have access to. Every child should have the advantage to grow up in an environment in which they are enabled to reach their full potential in life.

We can help them do this, we can help them #FindtheWords

Paying it Forward: Enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card

• Please help us #FindtheWords! Snap a picture when you see the word #Advantage out in the world and post it to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtags #FindtheWords and #Advantage.
• You can also enter this giveaway by sharing, tweeting, retweeting this post with the hashtags #Advantage and #Findthewords
• All entries can be done once daily! The more entries the better chance you have to win!
• Not only are you entering a giveaway, you are helping spread the word about this very important campaign! Thank you!

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