OF SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN 0-3 YEARS Maureen - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN 0-3 YEARS

Maureen Samms-Vaughan Regional Forum on Birth to Three St. Vincent

OUTLINE

A Trajectory of Caribbean Childhood The Biology of Brain Development Practical Evidence for the Importance of 0-3

years (Regional and International)

Intervention Evidence for ECD A Trajectory of Caribbean Childhood Conclusions : What does this mean for the

Caribbean?

A TRAJECTORY OF CARIBBEAN CHILDHOOD

A group of children are born within months of

each other in a Caribbean town

At 3 years, they go to the same pre-school in their

town

The teacher finds the children diverse, but there

are some striking differences.

WHY ARE THE CHILDREN DIFFERENT?

 Were some “born bad?” as we sometimes say in the Caribbean.

NOT SO

 The Science of Early Childhood Development indicates that the

first few years of life are critical to children’s health, development and behaviour and set the stage for adult health, education and behaviour

 All Children are born wired for feelings and ready to learn.  It is the environment that we have created for them that

determines who they become at 3 years AND for many years to

• come. What is the evidence for this?

THE BIOLOGY OF THE BRAIN

THE GROWTH OF THE HUMAN BRAIN

The brain is the most rapidly growing of all organs

during the first few years

Average head size at birth (head circumference) is 35

cm.

Two-thirds of brain size is achieved by 21/2 to 3 years Brain growth then occurs slowly but steadily until 18

years, when adult head size is achieved

BRAIN GROWTH THROUGH ADULT LIFE

SIGNAL- SENDING NEURON RECIPIENT NEURON Synapse Dendrite Axon

Micro Structure of the Brain

04-039

DETAILS OF BRAIN GROWTH

Neurons and connections that you are born with are

responsible for basic functions of life, keeping the heart beating, breathing etc.

Further increase in complexity of the brain is dependent on

the young child’s experience .

Two types of further brain growth: Differentiation into specialised brain cells. Increase in number of synapses

Importance of early experience I

The stimuli that you encounter both pre- and post-natally as well as in adolescence and adulthood differentiate neuron function. Examples: sound, touch, vision, smell, thoughts and emotions

Kolb, U Lethbridge

08-026

• DR. EARL WRIGHT

DIRECTOR MENTAL HEALTH

“THERE IS NO GOOD HEALTH WITHOUT GOOD MENTAL HEALTH”

Importance of early experience II

.

Kolb, U Lethbridge

Average Number of Neurons in the Brain: 100 Billion Number of Synaptic Connections at Birth: 50 Trillion Number of Synaptic Connections after a few months (20 times) : 1,000Trillion

You are the cells in your brain

You are your brain. Your brain is not just produced by genes The cells in your brain are sculpted by a your

• experiences. The most important time for

sculpting in brain development is in utero and the first few years of life.

Kolb, U Lethbridge

Importance of Timing of Early Experience : Critical (Sensitive) Periods

Research has also shown that the first 3-4 years are critical for the development of sensory pathways (hearing and vision), social and emotional development and the basic pathways for reading and

mathematics.

If these pathways are not adequately developed in the early years, tremendous human and financial resources must be expended to address deficiencies. Normal development is often not possible.

Kolb, U Lethbridge

1 4 8 12 16

AGE

Human Brain Development – Language and Cognition

Sensing Pathways (vision, hearing) Language Higher Cognitive Function

3 6 9

• 3
• 6

Months Years

• C. Nelson, in From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000.

01-003

`Sensitive periods’ in early brain development

Vision

1 2 3 7 6 5 4 High Low

Years

Habitual ways of responding Language Emotional control Conceptualization Peer social skills `Numbers’ Hearing

Graph developed by Council for Early Child Development (ref: Nash, 1997; Early Years Study, 1999; Shonkoff, 2000.)

“Pre-school” years School years

CONCLUSIONS FROM BIOLOGY

The early years of life are important because the

interactions that a young child has with his/her environment determines the structure of the brain

Early experiences determine learning, behaviour and

health

Early experiences determine whether a child has a

strong or fragile foundation to go into adulthood with

PRACTICAL EVIDENCE FOR IMPORTANCE OF BIRTH TO THREE

BIRTH TO THREE , LANGUAGE AND LEARNING

Early Child Development and Language Language development starts early: first 7 months Sets capability for mastering multiple languages

Sets literacy and language trajectory

600 1200 12 16 20 24 28 32 36

High Middle Low

Age - Months

Vocabulary Growth – First 3 Years

• B. Hart & T. Risley, Meaningful Differences in Everyday

Experiences of Young American Children, 1995

Vocabulary Word Exposure

Test of Language Development (TOLD) at Age 9

Can predict a child’s reading score at age 9 years from vocabulary at 3 years Correlation between vocabulary growth at Age 3 and TOLD at Age 9 : 0.74

04-146

READING SCORES BY NO. OF POSSESSIONS IN HOME: PRE-SCHOOL TO GRADE 3 (JAMAICA)

5 10 15 20 25 30

Pre-School Grade I Grade 3 0 to 2 3 to 4 5 to 6 7 to 10

<2.5

Birthweight (kg) Test Score

BIRTHWEIGHT AND MATH 1958 Birth Cohort (UK)

09-033

Jefferis et al. 2002

2.5-3.0 3.01-3.5 3.51-4.0 >4.0

• 0.4
• 0.3
• 0.2
• 0.1

0.1 0.2

LOW BIRTHWEIGHT AND READING (LA and Cuba)

Birthweight Reading % Infants % Level 4 Low BW Grade 6

UNICEF 2008 UNESCO 2008

Cuba 5 51 Chile 6 29 Mexico 8 24 Brazil 8 22

Adapted from UNICEF 2008 and UNESCO 2008

Reading Levels: 1 (Low); 4 (High) UNESCO

BIRTHWEIGHT AND SCHOOL SCORES 11-12 YRS (JAMAICA)

Arithemtic Spelling Reading

10 20 30 40

Arithemtic Spelling Reading

LBW NBW

*** *** *** Samms-Vaughan, 2002 *** p< 0.0001

BIRTHWEIGHT AND REASONING 11-12 YRS (JAMAICA)

Ravens PPVT

5 10 15 20 25

Ravens PPVT

LBW NBW

%

*** *** *** p<0.0001 Samms-Vaughan, 2002,

SUMMARY

Children who get exposed to language in the first

few years of life go on to have better reading ability in later childhood and adulthood

Children of low birth weight, a birth vulnerability

factor, have later learning and behaviour difficulties

BIRTH TO THREE AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

PHYSICAL HEALTH

• Babies born small for age (not premature) have higher

physical health risks as adults of:

• Heart disease
• High Blood Pressure
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Obesity
• Vulnerability to Aging
• Babies who are undernourished in the first few years of

life have later learning difficulties

ECD Swedish Longitudinal Study and Adult Health

Number of Adverse ECD Circumstances*

Odds - Ratios Adult Health

1 2 3 4

General Physical Circulatory Mental 1 1 1 1.39 1.56 1.78 1.54 1.53 2.05 3.76 2.91 2.08 10.27 7.76 2.66

* Economic, family size, broken family and family dissention

Lundberg, Soc. Sci. Med, Vol. 36, No. 8, 1993 04-006

BIRTH TO THREE AND MENTAL HEALTH

STRESS AND THE DEVELOPING BRAIN (1)

Stress systems are particularly malleable or “plastic” during

the fetal and early childhood periods

Early experiences shape how readily they are activated and

how well the responses can be contained and turned off

Stress responses that are activated too frequently or for

prolonged periods in the absence of supportive systems (Toxic stress) are damaging to the brain.

STRESS AND THE DEVELOPING BRAIN (2)

Toxic stress during this period affects the developing

systems and result in systems that are hyper-reactive or slow to shut down when faced with threats

This leads to increased risk of behavioural and

physiological disorders:

• Anxiety & Depression
• Alcoholism & Drug Abuse
• Cognitive & Memory Impairment
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Infections

Sensory Experience in Early Life Promotes Positive Behaviours

Rats, other animals lick pups Humans seek attachment In absence of attachment, infants self stimulate by rocking

A “Natural” Experiment: Romanian Orphan Adoption

Children adopted into middle class homes after 8 months in the orphanages show at 11 years in contrast to children adopted early:

• 1. Abnormal brain development (small brain, low

metabolic activity, abnormal EEG)

• 2. Social and cognitive problems (IQ loss)
• 3. High vulnerability to behavioural problems

(ADHD, aggression, quasi-autism)

Kolb, U Lethbridge

IMPACT OF CHILD ABUSE

Physical damage to brain structure in areas responsible for

thinking (cortex), processing memories and emotions (hippocampus), and responding to danger (amygdala). These regions are critical for learning.

The hippocampus becomes smaller with chronic abuse. Changes in brain chemistry also occur. Increases the production

• f the stress hormone cortisol, and neurotransmitters such as

epinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, the chemical messengers in the brain that affect mood and behavior, leading to depression and aggression.

Abnormal EEG and seizures.

Teicher, 1993, 1998

SUMMARY

Children who do not have adequate emotional

stimulation or who have negative emotional stimulation have mental health, learning, memory and behaviour disorders.

INTERVENTION EVIDENCE FOR 0-3 : CAN WE CHANGE CHILDREN’S OUTCOMES BY PROVIDING APPROPRIATE 0-3 yr. EARLY ENVIRONMENTS?

HIGH/SCOPE PERRY PRESCHOOL: EDUCATIONAL EFFECTS

45% 15% 34% 66% 49% 15% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Graduated from high school on time Age 14 achievement at 10th %ile + Special Education (Cog.)

Program group No-program group

Berrueta-Clement, J.R., Schweinhart, L.J., Barnett, W.S., Epstein, A.S., & Weikart, D.P. (1984). Changed lives: The effects of the Perry Preschool Program on youths through age 19. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.

HIGH/SCOPE PERRY PRESCHOOL: ECONOMIC EFFECTS AT AGE 27

20% 13% 7% 41% 36% 29% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Never on welfare as adult Own home Earn $2,000 + monthly Program group No-program group

Barnett, W.S. (1996). Lives in the balance: Benefit-cost analysis of the Perry Preschool Program through age 27. Monographs of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.

HIGH/SCOPE PERRY PRESCHOOL: ARRESTS PER PERSON BY AGE 27

1.5 0.7 2.5 1.2 0.6 0.5

2.3 arrests 4.6 arrests 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0

No program Program

Felony Misdemeanor Juvenile

Barnett, W.S. (1996). Lives in the balance: Benefit-cost analysis of the Perry Preschool Program through age 27. Monographs of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.

PERRY PRESCHOOL: ECONOMIC EFFECTS AT 40

50% 62% 40% 76% 76% 60% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Had Savings Account Employed Earned > $20K

Program group No-program group

Schweinhart, L. J., Montie, J., Xiang, Z., Barnett, W. S., Belfield, C. R., & Nores, M. (2005). Lifetime effects: The High/Scope Perry Preschool study through age 40 (Monographs of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 14). Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

PERRY: ECONOMIC RETURN (2002 $)

$8K $65K $173K

$0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $140,000 $160,000 $180,000 $200,000 $220,000 $240,000

Costs Benefits

Welfare Education Earnings Child Care Crime Preschool

$249,663 $15,386

WHAT MATTERED IN THE US?

Meta-Analysis:

Direct T eaching

Other Studies:

All children benefit, disadvantaged gain more Focus—children learn what is taught Educated, trained, adequately paid staff Quality, Quality, Quality

Grade 3 Language Scores

UNESCO, 1998 100 250 300 350 400 150 200

Argentina _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Brazil _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Chile _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Cuba _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Mexico _ _ _ _ _ _ _

05-066

Sociocultural Gradients for Language Scores By Country

(UNESCO 1998)

Cuba Argentina Brazil Colombia Chile

Parents' Education (Years)

1 4 8 12 16 200 240 280 320 360

Mexico

Willms & Somers, 2000

SUMMARY :

A quality ECD programme improves children’s educational and

behavioural outcomes in the short term and as adults in the long term

Head Start Programme in USA

• Higher numeracy levels
• Higher literacy levels
• Better social skills

ECD has a 17:1 return on investment based on:

• Reduced remedial education
• Reduced crime and violence
• Reduced use of social services

The Mismatch Between Opportunity and Investment 2000000 4000000 6000000 8000000 10000000 12000000 Early Childhood Primary Secondary Tertiary Education levels Investment Brain's Malleability Government Expenditure

Rates of Return to Human Development Investment Across all Ages

Pre-school Programs School Job Training

Return Per $ Invested

R 2 4 6 8 6 18

Age

Pre- School School Post School

Adapted from Founders’ Network (Carneiro, Heckman, Human Capital Policy, 2003)

A TRAJECTORY OF CARIBBEAN CHILDHOOD I

Let us look back at those challenging pre-school

Caribbean children

The first three years of their lives would have been

spent in one of three places:

Home Early Childhood Centres At well child clinics

A TRAJECTORY OF CARIBBEAN CHILDHOOD II

Did we provide their parents or caregivers with the

supports they needed to promote their development?

Did we ensure their early childhood centres with

appropriate standards?

Did any of them have child or social protection challenges

that caused them to be stressed?

Were any of them of low birth weight or under-nourished? Did we identify and provide intervention for early

developmental or behavioural disorders?

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CARIBBEAN?

CONCLUSIONS I

Inadequate attention to children 0-3 years results

in short term consequences of children who fail to reach academic, socio-emotional and health potential, and who therefore become a challenge to society.

Inadequate attention to children 0-3 years results

in long term consequences of adults who fail to reach educational, health and socio-emotional potential

CONCLUSIONS II

There is economic advantage to addressing the

needs of children 0-3 years

Caribbean countries must address the needs of

children 0-3 years if we are to impact current problems of violence, low academic attainment and low productivity

Our children are depending on us to get it right for

• them. They cannot do it themselves.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 The author acknowledges the use of slides from presentations by Fraser

Mustard of the Council for Early Childhood Development. These slides provided important graphical representation of brain development and important information from international studies . These slides are easily recognised by a number in the top left hand corner of the slide.