Introduction
The years from birth to age eight are among the most important in the life of any human being. During these early years, the brain grows faster than at any other time in a person’s life. Children learn how to talk, how to walk, how to feel, and how to think. They begin to understand the world around them, form friendships, and start to learn how to get along with other people. Whatever a child experiences in these early years shapes who that child will become. This is why the quality of care, teaching, and learning that a child receives from birth through age eight matters so much.
