What are The Basics?
The Basics are five evidence-based parenting and caregiving principles that encompass much of what experts find is important for children from birth to age three. Every child from every background can benefit from routinely experiencing the Basics learning experiences.
What are the 5 Basics Principles?
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Maximizing love and managing stress helps caregivers stay emotionally present with their children. Consistent, nurturing relationships and freedom from excessive stress promote children’s development and emotional wellbeing.
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Talking, singing and pointing accelerate language development, which in turn accelerates children’s early learning and engagement with the surrounding world.
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Counting, grouping and comparing lay the foundations for mathematical thinking, helping children make sense of the numbers and categories they encounter in the world.
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Exploring through movement and play encourages curiosity, exploration, and discovery, and supports the development of motor skills and a healthy body.
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Reading and discussing stories engages children in thinking and builds their knowledge, reasoning and early literacy skills.
Why implement The Basics?
80% of brain growth happens in the first 3 years of life. Developmental disparities by race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status are very clear by age 2.
Brain development is strengthened through interactions that:
Are loving
Are stimulating
Follow child’s interests
Go back-and-forth
Everyday interactions between children, their parents, and other caregivers provide abundant opportunities to give children from every background a more equal start in life.
What is The Basics Hall County?
United Way of Hall County, in collaboration with INK Interactive Neighborhood, Wisdom Project 2030 and Hall County Library System, will offer story times that incorporate and model The Basics Principals. Parents and caregivers will be provided with examples and resources they can use to incorporate The Basics into their everyday life.
Story times will be held every other Monday at 11am at INK Interactive Neighborhood. Story time is included in INK admission cost. Each child age 0-5 will receive a book after participating in story time.
For more information on The Basics Hall County, please contact:
Pam Kenney
United Way of Hall County
Director of Advocacy
678-989-5335 pkenney@unitedwayhallcounty.org