New campaign tackles early childhood development
'Words Grow Minds' is a South Australian early years campaign that talks to parents, carers and the community to increase awareness of the importance of early childhood development and positive engagement with children in the first three years.
The campaign is being delivered in communities and across a range of early years services and platforms, with supporting parent and child resources to underpin the campaign’s call to action, ‘Talk with your baby, play with your baby, read with your baby and sing with your baby’.
Simple activities help babies thrive
Words Grow Minds recognises that while everyone wants the best for their little ones, sometimes it’s hard to know what they need. It gets straight to the heart of how parents and caregivers can help babies and young children thrive — it’s as simple as talking, playing, reading and singing together from birth.
The campaign is based on current neuroscience evidence about early brain development and the positive impact early engagement has on a child’s development in their first three years, and over their lifetime.
It has been developed with extensive consultation and input from South Australian early years services, health professionals, early childhood academics and state government departments.
Resource packs available
South Australian parents can access a resource pack as part of the campaign, which includes:
- conversation cards
- a picture book
- activities
- a mat
- information booklets.
One pack per family will be available from Safer Family Services offices across South Australia, through Community Development Coordinators and Intensive Family Services practitioners.
Providing books and play activities to parents and caregivers, to use at home with their children, has been shown to increase engagement.
When parents have access to books and play activities, they have an opportunity to observe first-hand their child’s level of interaction and this reinforces how important engaging with their baby is, and often how enjoyable and rewarding it can be.
A recommendation of the Royal Commission
The statewide implementation of Words Grow Minds has been accepted by the government as one of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care — 5 of which intend to reach and support more families in a child’s first 3 years of life.