Parents have always recognised the newborn's basic need for safety, nourishment, warmth and nurturing. Now science has added stunning revelations about human development from birth to age three, confirming the critical influence of parents and other adult caregivers.
The importance of the first three years of life lies in the pace at which a child is growing and learning. In no other period do such profound changes occur so rapidly: the newborn grows from a completely dependent being into one who walks, talks, plays and explores. The three-year-old is learning and, perhaps more important, is learning how to learn.
What research tells us
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