From Neurons to Neighborhoods—An Update: Workshop Summary

The original study From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development was published in 2000 and aimed to impact policy agendas and intervention efforts related to the needs of young children and families at national, state, and local levels. It proposed that there is a single, integrated science of early childhood development and identified the common base of knowledge for researchers, educators, and others. This report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine's Committee on From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Anniversary Workshop, held in October 2010, reviews advances related to the mission of the original report and discusses its themes: that all children are born wired for feelings and ready to learn; early environments and nurturing relationships are essential; society is changing and the needs of young children are not being addressed; and interactions among early childhood science, policy, and practice are problematic and need rethinking. It considers each theme, the progress made, and future research and policy actions, then research issues in early childhood development, including nature vs. nurture, the role of stress in physical and mental health, and learning, and policy issues, including changes in federal policies, how to mobilize science to promote policy innovation from an international perspective, and how the science of early childhood development can contribute to social change. There is no index. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)