Kidsights Data at the University of Nebraska Medical Center

Spring is finally here, along with sunshine and warmer weather. ?? Research shows that outdoor time is hugely beneficial for children's learning. Here are six ways nature can help little ones thrive from The Greater Good Science Center and University of California, Berkeley: https://lnkd.in/gPZed2gP

The Kidsights Measurement Tool was developed by connecting items from existing instruments used to measure child development at the population level. Two global tools of early child development, the Global Scale for Early Development for children birth to three (World Health Organization) and the Early Child Development Index for children two years to five years, and one instrument used in the United States, the Healthy and Ready to Learn 2 measure from the National Survey of Children’s Health, were integrated into one tool that extends from birth to age five years to make the Kidsights Measurement Tool.

Today is National Children’s Craft Day! Scholastic shares three developmental benefits that come with pulling out the crayons, stickers – and maybe even glitter – with little ones: ?? Crafting helps develop fine motor skills. ?? It boosts counting and pattern recognition. ?? It teaches shapes and colors. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dsCrF8Yv

“The best kinds of games create a sense of emotional safety that allows growth.” ? Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Professor of Child Health and Development at Harvard University and one of the leading experts on early childhood development, shares a quick class teaching parents to help their children learn and grow through play: https://lnkd.in/gefJjJgH

The rate at which a baby’s brain develops is incredible! ?? When they are born, their brain is a quarter of the size of an adult’s. ?? The size of their brain will double in their first year of life. ?? It will be 90% of its full size by kindergarten. We love this short explainer from FIRST THINGS FIRST: https://lnkd.in/gZpn-YYk ?

Kidsights Data offers insight into an area not previously explored - tracking population-level development data from birth to age five in communities, cities, and states in the United States. When this data is collected and analyzed, it has meaningful applications for early childhood and governmental leaders providing new data on young children that can help inform policy and programmatic decisions at the state- and community-level. Insight into how infants, toddlers, and children are developing will advance understanding of how communities, cities, and states track the developmental trends, and how strategic investments can address areas where data shows further supports are needed. Kidsights Data brings insights into blind spots facing families, early childhood professionals and community and government leaders.

In a statewide survey conducted by Kidsights Data in Nebraska, 56% of parents reported their child receiving care for more than 10 hours a week by someone other than their parents. Start Early has pulled together some tips for helping children through the transition to a new child care setting: https://lnkd.in/gBY_qnu4

Addressing disparities in early childhood through policies and programs to benefit young children and families can lead to great returns on investments. Due to economic and social inequities, disparities between groups of children based on family income, geography and other factors arise early in life and tend to persist and grow larger over time. Therefore, reliable data on early disparities is important for data-driven decision-making, for example to establish a baseline for measuring child development over time, to inform decisions on where and when to invest, and to judge how much progress we are making. Data can play a critical role in informing policy and programmatic investments as early child development programs are envisioned, built, and scaled.

In a statewide survey in Nebraska conducted by Kidsights Data, 56% of parents with young children reported their child receiving care for more than 10 hours a week by another adult besides themselves. The survey also indicated that childcare challenges affected parents’ ability to start or keep a job over the past year, and families receiving childcare subsidies were more likely to experience these barriers. Access to high-quality childcare plays an important role in both children’s development and Nebraska’s ability to be a vibrant place to live and work. Read the data brief created in collaboration with First Five Nebraska: https://lnkd.in/gTvR_Gwk

We still have some winter ahead of us! ?? The Erikson Institute has pulled together a list of age-appropriate activities to keep your little one busy, engaged, and learning while staying warm indoors: https://lnkd.in/geYqg4a9