Children are eager to connect with the adults in their lives. Beginning at birth, children gain the confidence and the security they need through positive, loving relationships. Whether you are a mom, dad, grandparent or childcare professional, you are facing one of life's most rewarding and challenging experiences - raising or caring for a child. The relationship you establish with the children in your care is key to early learning. Research has demonstrated that children who receive lots of love and attention actually learn better. From the very first moments of life with a baby, and as your child grows, the love and attention that you share will lay the groundwork for later learning. Talk, play and share experiences together. It is these everyday meaningful interactions that promote a sense of security and learning. Resources for Families If you want to understand how young children grow and learn, you will find lots of information in Growth and Development Guides from BornLearning.org. A collection of Parenting Tips explain how to help children strengthen learning skills during everyday activities at home and on the go. Reading to children is one of the best ways to help them build language skills. But That Wasn't The Best Part is a great story for you to read aloud and for your child to listen to and participate in. Children enjoy seeing the many parts of a banana festival parade and they love to recite the refrain, "But That Wasn't The Best Part" as you go from page to page. Story Starters are wonderful tools for preschoolers and older children. A page with an illustration and the first sentence or two of a story are just enough to inspire children to use their imaginations and thinking skills to write a story. Younger children can dictate stories to older family members. All begin to understand the permanence of written words and how to organize thoughts into meaningful sentences. Use the seasons for inspiration for learning opportunities with Seasonal Activities. They're fun and beneficial.