Celebrate the Week of the Young Child April 2-8

Children are active learners from birth, constantly taking in and organizing information to create meaning through their relationships, their interactions with their environment, and their overall experiences.

National Association for the Education of Young Children

There are 1,825 days between the day children are born and the day they go to kindergarten. That's 1,825 days their brains are soaking up information.

April 2-8 is designated as Week of the Young Child by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child in 1971. This annual event focuses attention on the needs of young children and their families, recognizing early childhood programs, and providing information about the importance of these developmental years as they provide a foundation for success in school and throughout their lives.

Development in the first five years is represented by the demonstration of quickly acquiring new skills from smiles and coos to talking in complete sentences. A child’s brain is 85-90 percent developed within those first five years. It is important that we nurture and encourage our children to maximize their development during this crucial time. High quality early childhood programs offer an opportunity for our young learners to grow and develop while exploring their world in a safe and enriching environment. In Rockford Public Schools, skilled staff educated and trained in early childhood development provide classrooms that meet the needs of each individual child while creating an atmosphere of a school family and working together.

Join us this week on the 205 VIBE Blog as we focus on our youngest learners and some of the experiences within the RPS 205 Early Childhood classrooms.

Interested in learning more about the RPS 205 Early Childhood opportunities for families with children Birth-age 5? Visit the early childhood webpage or call the Early Childhood Screening and Placement Office at 815-229-2103.

---

Hillary Cook-Harris

Hillary Cook-Harris is the Director of Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment. Hillary joined RPS 205 in November 2019. She has been an Early Childhood educator and director for more than 27 years.