Brain development and the early years
The Oxford Brain Story – The University of Oxford team is working in partnership with the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative to share knowledge about the science of brain development for families and professionals. You will recognise some of the clips from the Little Sparks, Big Starts lesson plans, but this page links to more information and films.
Brain matters – Various short videos on brain development from conception.
What is epigenetics and how does it relate to child development? - A leaflet that describes what epigenetics is and why it is important for the early years.
The caregiver's role
BBC Education’s Tiny Happy People – An initiative providing a range of free digital resources designed to support parents and carers in developing children’s language from pregnancy to the age of four.
The Royal Foundation early years programme – The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge support a programme of activities around the early years.
The NHS’s Healthier Together – A website providing advice for parents, young people and pregnant women developed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Brain architecture – A short video (2:35 mins) that demonstrates the important relationship between brain development and early childhood experiences (includes adversity and toxic stress).
Brain matters – A short video (4:40 mins) called ‘5 things parents should do everyday’.
UNICEF brain development – UNICEF’s page for parents about child development.
Early years are not deterministic
New brain cells made throughout life - BBC article on new brain cells being made throughout life.
Research Articles (with open access links)
‘Epigenetics programming by maternal behavior’ by Weaver et al. (2004) - A study demonstrating epigenetic effects of maternal stress on offspring in rats: this is the research used in the epigenetics lesson extension activity.
‘Caring relationships: the heart of early brain development’ by Lally & Mangione (2017) - A short review article summarising the impact of day-to-day interactions between caregivers and young children on early brain development.
‘Early childhood investments substantially boost adult health’ by Campbell et al. (2014) - A longitudinal study demonstrating the impact of an early childhood intervention on long-term health outcomes: this is the research used in the data interpretation activity in lesson 3.
‘Supportive relationships and active skill-building strengthen the foundations of resilience’ by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2015) - A review article summarising some of the factors impacting on a child’s resilience, including supportive caregiver-infant relationships.
‘Connecting the brain to the rest of the body: early childhood development and lifelong health are deeply intertwined’ by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2020) - A review article emphasising the importance of early years experiences on lifelong health, touching on the impacts of Early Childhood Adversity.