Baby Talk Newsletter May 2021

Baby Talk: Resources to Support the People Who Work with Infants and Toddlers
Issue No. 120  May 2021
Baby Talk Newsletter May 2021 pdf

Baby Talk is a free, one-way listserv that is distributed monthly. Each issue features high quality, readily available, and free resources. Resources in Spanish are in red on this blog post (highlighted in the original, as seen in the pdf). All or part of Baby Talk may be freely shared or copied. To subscribe to Baby Talk, or for more information, please contact Camille Catlett at camille.catlett@unc.edu

Science Learning: Inspiring Little Einsteins
A national survey finds that 9 out of 10 parents do educational activities at home, but only about half say they do activities that involve science. There are simple ways parents can support their kids before they even get to school. A new study finds that the earlier parents expose their children to science, the better they do in science by the 8th grade. Paul Morgan, PhD, from Penn State says that parents can look for everyday ways to engage kids starting at home. Read more or watch a video in English or Spanish, at https://positiveparentingnews.org/news-reports/science-learning-inspiring-little-einsteins/

STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMI2E2) Center
If you read the item above about inspiring little Einsteins and want ideas for how to support science learning for infants and toddlers, including those with disabilities, visit the STEMIE website (https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/). Consider starting with the tab for Resources, then roam through ideas in different formats for incorporating science in mealtimes and play. Don’t miss the opportunity to sign up for the free monthly STEMIE newsletter.

State of Babies Yearbook: 2021
The state in which a child is born and lives during their first three years makes a big difference in their chance for a strong start in life. The State of Babies Yearbook bridges the gap between science and policy with national and state-by-state data on the well-being of America’s babies. The 2021 edition of the Yearbook provides an in-depth look into the experience of our nation’s babies and their families and, importantly, substantial disparities and inequities in their experience when examined by race/ethnicity, income, and geographic setting. See how your state stacks here: https://stateofbabies.org/

Developing Social-Emotional Skills
Waiting patiently. Following rules. These qualities, and more, describe the arc of healthy social-emotional development. Like any skill, young children develop these abilities in small steps over time. Learn what you can do to support social-emotional development from birth to three. At https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/series/developing-social-emotional-skills you’ll
find three sections (birth-12 months, 12-24 months, 24-36 months). In each section, two articles about social-emotional development are available, in English and Spanish; one for family members and one for professionals.

Love Free Resources? Try Bright By Text
Bright by Text sends no-cost parenting tips on a range of topics to families and other care providers, timed to the age of their children. Recipients can choose to receive texts in English or Spanish, and organizations can partner with the service to
layer local information on top of standard content. Learn more at https://brightbytext.org/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=email_link&utm_content=baby_monitor_04082021&utm_campaign=policy_center

The Effect of Spanking on the Brain
Research has long underscored the negative effects of spanking on children’s social-emotional development, self-regulation, and cognitive development. But recent findings show that spanking alters children’s brain response in ways similar to severe maltreatment. Learn more at https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/21/04/effect-spanking-brain

GUMDROP: Need a Hug? As life becomes a little bit safer, I hope you are getting more hugs like these little ones are. https://twitter.com/i/status/1356379034708398081 https://youtu.be/9DwGf-XgvR8