Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AFFECTS THE FUTURE 1

How does Early Childhood Development set the stage for a successful person throughout

life?

Sarah Norton

Mount Olive University

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Introduction

Early childhood development sets the foundation for being a successful individual, as

their social environment affects their behavior later in life. These influences are the stepping

stones for a child to be successful in the future. In this paper I will talk about early childhood

development’s relevancy in today’s society, what the experts in literature from the past 16 years

say, and what is happening today to resolve the ongoing debate will be discussed in this paper.

As a college student, I was capable to find experts that believe early childhood affects a

child’s future. According to Britto et al. (2017), for a child to be successful, smart, and

sustainable later in life, they need to be exposed to a nurturing environment. Britto et al. (2017)

defined nurturing care as “a stable environment that is sensitive to children’s health and

nutritional needs, with protection from threats, opportunities for early learning, and interaction

that are responsive, emotionally supportive, and developmentally stimulating” (p. 91). Therefore,

nurturing care is required for the child to have the lifelong benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the

ability to comprehend and learn new material, and the ability to earn achievements throughout

their life.

Nurture

“Nurture”, alludes to several factors such as a child’s home, extended family, child care

setting, community, and society. According to Rettig, P. R. (2002) Each of these environments

impacts the child’s values, aspiration, expectations, and practices, which helps researchers better

understand why these experiences shape their life. These childrearing environments that the child

is exposed to will influence their future life decisions. Hence, the key to nurturing is to have

healthy relationships with the child (Britto et al., 2017, p. 92). This will influence the growth and

psychological well-being of the child.

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The most important relationship may be between the caregiver and the child. One

researcher expresses,

“Childs [Children’s] relationships with their parents, the parent’s behavior

towards their children, and the home environment in which children grow up

profoundly affect what children learn and can do, what they expect and believe,

and how they approach others during the early years and start them off along

differing pathways as they move into the school-age years” (Rettig, P. R., 2002, p.

220).

Relationships are important because it helps the child avoid serious behavior problems that

develop, such as violent or aggressive tendencies. Usually, these types of children have been

exposed to physical abuse, family conflicts, and extremely hostile, inconsistent parenting (Rettig,

P. R.,2002, p. 178).

However, there are several potentially negative influential factors, such as families with

low income, low parental education, and very little daily interactions with them. Consequences

of these factors include school failures, learning disabilities, behavior problems, and health

complications. Children who are raised in and exposed to a deprived socio-economic

environment also have an elevated risk of being involved in crime (Fergusson, D., Swain-

Campbell, N., & Horwood, J., 2004, p. 956).

Current Theories

Socio-economically deprived children are more likely to turn to crime, and three theories

have been developed as to why. The first theory proposes that children in crime-related

environment are more likely to commit crime due to the exposure to criminal peers and acts of

violence. The second theory proposes that children who are taught and raised in a hostile
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environment are more likely to carry-out crime because it was necessary for them to survive. The

third and final theory proposes that children who become detached with their parents, school,

community, and friends are more likely to engage in deviant behavior (Fergusson, D., Swain-

Campbell, N., & Horwood, J., 2004, p. 957). Additionally, children who are more likely to

commit crime are generally exposed to family adversity, childhood adjustment problems, and

have affiliations with deviant peers.

Why does early childhood development matter?

Early childhood development influences the child significantly. Some say that there’s

only a small extent to which parenting and the family environment affect the child’s

development throughout life. This statement is not true, parenting and early childhood

intervention programs both affect a child’s development. These programs can provide a solid

foundation for healthy life, because it exposes the child to a nurturing environment.

Preschool demonstrates a positive effect on high school competition, lower juvenile

crimes, and a decreased need for grade reinternment and special education placement (Glascoe,

F., 2001, p. 2339). The child will have greater cognitive skills when starting kindergarten and

will be more likely to do well in education (Glascoe, F., 2001, p. 2340). Head Start helps

enhance a child’s growth and development and prevents consequences such as dropping out,

behavioral problems, unemployment, delinquency, and psychological and physical morbidity

(Anderson L et al., 2003, p. 36). Those who didn’t have any sorts of early childhood intervention

were more likely to be placed in remedial services including specific learning disability and/or

behavior disorder, and have a higher risk of juvenile arrest associated with property offenses,

violence, and drug charges, according to Anderson L., et al. (2003, p. 32).
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The image below is provided by Anderson L. et al. (2003, p. 36) to show benefits of a

child who attends these programs.

While not sending a child to early childhood program is still socially acceptable, it is

recommended by many experts (Anderson L et al., 2003). Studies continue to show that these

programs have a positive effect on an adolescent’s life. This includes reducing a child’s chance

of grade level repetition, placement in special education classes, and preventing a delay in a

child’s readiness to comprehend and learn (Anderson L et al., 2003, p. 33). Studies show that it

also can increase a child’s motivation and performance later in life, which can improve the

child’s health status and academical skills (Anderson L., et al., 2003, p. 32).

Conclusion

After performing in depth research, I have come to the conclusions that a strong body of

evidence shows that the environment the child is exposed to is significant, nurturing relationships

are essential, and early childhood intervention has a positive impact on a child. This is significant
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as parents should be expected to do what is necessary for their child to become successful.

Which includes making sure the environment your child is exposed to is healthy, nurturing a

relationship with your child to help avoid future misbehavior, and putting your child in early

childhood interventions to promote success.

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References

Anderson, L., Shinn, C., Fullilove, M., Scrimshaw, S., Fielding, J., Normand, J., & Carande-

Kulis, V., National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (Normand),

Bethesda, Maryland, USA. (2003). The effectiveness of early childhood development

programs: A systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine: Supplement,

24(3), 32-46. doi:10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00655-4

Britto, P. R., Lye, S. J., Proulx, K., Yousafzai, A. K., Matthews, S. G., Vaivada, T., . . . Bhutta,

Z. A. (2017). Nurturing care: Promoting early childhood development. The Lancet,

389(10064), 91-102. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31390-3

Fergusson, D., Swain-Campbell, N., & Horwood, J. (2004). How does childhood economic

disadvantage lead to crime?. Journal Of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 45(5), 956-966.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.t01-1-00288.x

From neurons to neighborhoods; an update; workshop summary. (2013). Reference and

Research Book News, 28(2) Retrieved from

https://search.proquest.com/docview/1322464456?accountid=12610

Glascoe, F. (2001). Long-term effects of an early childhood intervention on educational

achievement and juvenile arrest (Book). Ambulatory Child Health, 7(3/4), 336.

Rettig, P. R. (2002). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood

development. Childhood Education, 78(5), 310. Retrieved from

https://search.proquest.com/docview/210386786?accountid=12610
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Memo

I have completed several weeks of research to help me better understand why early

childhood development sets the stage for being a lucrative person later in life and why it is

influenced by the social environment they are exposed to. While composing my paper on my

argument I discovered some strengths and weakness. My strength in this paper was using plenty

of resources, getting my point across, and having a better understanding rhetorical appeals. My

weakness in this paper was my confusion on how to produce a APA paper, not knowing how to

include citations properly, and writing over 1000 words. Although, I did use my “Little Seagull”

handbook to help assemble my paper. In addition, having another student peer review my paper

brought to light some grammar and sentence structure mistake I made. Which in the end,

strengthened my paper and my knowledge for future assignments, and made me proud of what I

accomplished in my final product for this assignment.