image of brain with putting pieces of puzzle together to nuture child development

Nurturing a Child’s Development

Although parenting styles differ, parents have something in common. They want to protect their children and they want to prepare their children to live healthy and rewarding lives. They want to know the best ways for nurturing a child’s development.

ZERO to THREE organization has written a series of handouts to help parents – and grandparents and other child caregivers – to achieve this goal. These handouts are based on findings from a report From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development.

The report was a 2.5 year effort by a group of 17 leading professionals. These professionals had backgrounds in neuroscience, psychology, child development, economics, education, pediatrics, psychiatry and public policy. They reviewed what was known about the nature of early child development. They examined the influence of early experiences on children’s health and well-being.

book cover From Neurons to Neighborhoods

The key findings of the report:

  • your relationship with your child is the foundation of his or her healthy development
  • your child’s development depends on both the traits he or she was born with (nature) and what he or she experiences (nurture)
  • all areas of development (social, emotional, intellectual, language and motor) are linked. Each depends on and influences the other.
  • what children experience, including how their parents respond to them, shapes their development as they adapt to the world.

Healthy Minds: Guides for Nurturing Your Child’s Development

The information in each of these guides is age specific. The guides are divided into seven age groups from birth to 36 months of age. Each guide has a chart that explains “what’s going on” – “what you can do” and “questions to ask yourself.”

You can visit ZERO to THREE for these handouts. For your convenience, you will find each age-specific handout below.

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development from 0 to 2 Months

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development from 2 to 6 Months

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development from 6 to 9 Months

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development from 9 to 12 Months

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development from 12 to18 Months

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development from 18 to 24 Months

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development from 24 to 36 Months

Other Resources

If you are looking for other resources to guide you in promoting the healthy development of your baby, infant or child, check out our resources page.

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