Dive deeper into the science behind Early Childhood Development Readings and Downloads For a child, anything and everything is a means for learning. Here you will be able to find resources on early childhood development and the science behind the importance of the early years. Connect with KidSTART Newsletters Volume #1: KidSTART expands into new regions Volume #2: Happy First Anniversary KidSTART! Volume #3: A brand new year with KidSTART! Volume #4: KidSTART is going nationwide! Volume #5: Embracing Face to Face Engagements Volume #6: Engaging Stakeholders, Strengthening Bonds Volume #7: Celebrating the dedicated people behind KidSTART Volume #8: Thanks for bringing smiles to KidSTART families! Volume #9: Support KidSTART in expanding nationwide! Volume #10: Engaging with a cause Volume #11: Happy New Year to the KidSTART Community! Volume #12: Transforming a Generation Volume #13: Our Support Today, Their Better Tomorrow Volume #14: Our Support Today, Their Better Tomorrow KidSTART Stories Reading Guides KidSTART Singapore launched KidSTART Stories, an initiative aimed to help parents build children’s language foundation by guiding parents to be confident storytellers, creating parent-child bonding opportunities through books, and cultivating a love of reading in children. The reading guides below aim to guide parents on how they can have fun, engage and support their children’s growth and development through books – even if they are not confident readers! Episode 1 (with Chinese Subtitles) Episode 1 (with Malay Subtitles) Episode 2 (with Chinese Subtitles) Episode 2 (with Malay Subtitles) Readings The Early Years Set The Foundation For Future Development Research has shown that the early experiences of a child may affect the nature and quality of the brain’s developing architecture by determining which circuits are reinforced and which are pruned through lack of use. A key factor in this process is the “serve and return” relationship between children and their caregivers. If these responses are absent, unreliable or inappropriate, the brain’s architecture does not form as expected, and this can lead to disparities in learning and behaviour. These early disparities can have an adverse effect on children’s lifelong outcomes. Source: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University.(2017 a). Brain Architecture. KidSTART provides additional support for children from low-income families by walking alongside parents – creating awareness of the importance of the early years, providing the knowledge, skills and resources to optimise child health and development, and to encourage and support them to be their children’s role models in an on-going and lifelong parenting journey. Read more on the science of early childhood development here. Child Development Domains All children go through a process of development that can be observed. The early years of a child’s life is very important for his or her development. Although children progress at different rates, there are various key milestones that they should reach as they develop. When a deficiency is identified, early intervention will be vital. Child development covers the full scope of skills in respective domains that a child masters over their life including development in: Social Development How children relate and get along with and interact with others Emotional Development How children relate to having and dealing with feelings and emotions Language/Communication How children express their needs and share what they are thinking as well as what is said to them Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, Problem Solving) How children learn new things and solve problems. It includes how children explore, learn and understand the world around them- discovering and investigating how things work around them. Physical Development How children move their bodies that involves gross motor skills (using large muscles) and fine motor (using small muscles) Developmental domains of child development are interdependent. Development in one domain influences and is influenced by the development in the other domains. Parents and early childhood educators play an important role in supporting children’s holistic development. KidSTART provides additional support for children from low-income families by walking alongside parents – creating an awareness of the importance of the early years and providing them with the knowledge, skills and resources to optimise their child’s health and development. We support and encourage parents to be their children’s role models throughout their lifelong parenting journey. Giving KidSTART Children A Good Start In Life. In the ‘Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes’ (GUSTO) study, 1,200 Singaporean Chinese, Malay and Indian women were recruited over 2009-2010 to be studied throughout their pregnancies and after they gave birth to their children. The babies were followed very closely as they grew up, observing them using over 20,000 variables. The children are now of school-going age and according to the study, researchers found that children from lower-income families have significantly poorer starts in life. Source: http://www.gusto.sg By investing in KidSTART children and families, we hope that we can help every child have a good start in life. Healthy with KidSTART recipe cards Together with Prudential Singapore, KidSTART Singapore distributes monthly fresh food produce to families. Alongside the fresh food packs, recipe cards will also be provided to guide families on how to cook healthy & nutritious dishes. Click on the images below to save the recipes and enjoy cooking! Warm Beancurd Salad Mac and Cheese Vegetable Frittata Grilled Meatball Skewers With Vegetables Vegetable Wrap French Bean, Tuna, and Egg Salad Kung Pao Chicken Korean Fruit Punch Lemon Ginger Drink Korean Chicken Gimbap Sandwich Korean Chicken Ssambap ABC Egg Drop Soup Pizza Bread