Research Benefits Children and Families

Research benefits children. Without research we would not have the understanding of child development we have now. The body of knowledge that research contributes, the questions that it answers based on early childhood, uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings and insights, the ideas that it provides that foster the development of early childhood professionals, makes research indeed essential.

Dr. Jack Shonkoff, a pediatrician and a director of Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, a leading research scientist through his brain development research affirms that what happens to children from birth to five is tough to overcome and unlikely to be undone.

Here is a video excerpt with Dr. Jack Shonkoff about the Toxic Effects of Stress on Early Development.




Here is a link to a facts sheet on toxic stress and it effects.

Toxic Stress and its Effects

Here is the link to the report by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child explaining how persistent highly adverse experiences actually damage a child's brain circuits

Excessive stress disrupts the architecture of the developing brain.

From these reports and findings we can see how intensive and prolonged stress can disrupt early brain development and compromise functioning of the nervous and immune systems. It is because of such revolutionary research that we now have the knowledge about the impact of stress on the developing brain. As a result of such scientific research there are sufficient evidence-based implications to develop and implement policies that affect the health and well-being of young children. We now know, both public and private actions can prevent the adverse circumstances capable of damaging a child’s healthy development. Healthy development in the early years lays the foundations for a successful economically productive society. Communities need innovative educational, health and social solutions to address the toxic stress in children’s lives. Therefore investment in our youngest children is necessary as our future depends on them. What happens to them from birth to five shapes the rest of their lives! There is no do over’s in raising children!

My Research Process

“Doing anything for the first time is a challenge”. Research is something I had never done before, and now, having to actually attempt it seemed daunting. Being a novice researcher, the first challenge I faced was in deciding the topic for my research. Since the early childhood field is vast with various diverse issues, as a preschool teacher and a mother, every topic within each issue is interesting and informative. Deciding on the direction I must take, the topic I should choose, taking this first step in my research process was the hardest part.

It is one’s experience that influences them. Based on my experience, I tried to analyze which topic in the early childhood field would interest me personally, that would benefit the development of the children under my care. Residing in United Arab Emirates, the early childhood programs includes children from different culture, backgrounds, ethnicity, languages, family configuration and abilities. We can find children who spends most of their time alone because either they are the single child or because both their parents are working to make a living, children whose parents believes in training up their child to be self defensive as being victims or belonging to war bound countries themselves and so on. As a result children are often found to be aggressive, preferring to be alone and egocentric. They don’t know how to share, play together with others and control their expressions of anger. Therefore, based on my circumstances and the situations I face, I decided to choose the topic ‘PROMOTING PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN YOUNG CHILDREN’ for my research simulation.

I believe, when young children do not know how to identify emotions, handle disappointment and anger, or develop relationships with peers, a teacher’s best response is to teach! As educators we have the responsibility to instill in children the tendency to engage in prosocial behaviors that will help them interact with one another and support each other, be helpful and cooperative and build respect for each other and understand one another, all of which is necessary to live in a community.

Since each child is unique in their character, sometimes the strategies that have worked with one child may not work with another and we as teachers may run out of ideas. I am always wondering how best to care for and educate the children under my care and therefore seeking internet for ideas to handle the ever growing diverse group of children. However, it is when I started this course, only did I realize not all the information on the World Wide Web can be considered high quality even though the publisher may be reputable and not to be swayed and draw conclusions quickly. I need to be skeptical and critical in my evaluation of what I read and am told. Developing the right attitude, considering research as a tool, and not the only paradigm itself, putting aside our own biases, being open to modifying, reconsidering our beliefs and practices is what is required in using research effectively.

Since collaboration between the practitioners and researchers is the key to developing and understanding young children’s development and learning, I would welcome any ideas and suggestions that my colleagues would like to share on how you handle such issues in your classroom. The information available online is limitless, but quality research requires knowledge, skills and experience. Therefore the information you provide would enable me in gaining new understandings, insights and knowledge, which would help in developing my research.