BRATTLEBORO — Building Bright Futures of Southeastern Vermont, a coalition of organizations supporting the health and welfare of young children and their families, is rolling out The Basics, a research-based program that supports healthy brain development and school readiness.
According to a news release, The Basics are “five fun, simple, and powerful ways that every caregiver can give every child a great start in life by developing strong relationships and strong brains.”
Based on the latest research on child development, there are five basics: maximize love and manage stress; talk, sing, and point; count, group, and compare; explore through movement and play; and read and discuss stories.
By responding with love to young children, encouraging them to verbalize, teaching them words and songs, counting their toes, playing, and reading together, the Basics foster responsive and loving connections between caregivers and children, and promote the foundational skills that allow children to be ready to take advantage of what school has to offer when they reach kindergarten.
Basics Insights is a free service that send two texts per week tailored to the age of one's child.
One text will explain their child's current developmental stage and the second will be suggestions for simple activities to boost the child's brain development and learning during moments they are already spending with their child, whether cooking, doing the laundry, or even having screen time.
Lexi, a mother from Putney and an early adopter of Basic Insights had this to say: “The texting service is awesome. It's like having support in your pocket. Especially now when I'm home all day with my baby, it is a great reminder to try something new with him.”