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EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNERS <br />(INFANTS, TODDLERS, PRESCHOOLERS) <br />Early Childhood Learners <br />(infants, toddlers, preschoolers) <br />Early childhood learners (infants, toddlers, and <br />preschoolers) are targeted - along with their caregivers <br />- as the ideal audience for positive nature experiences. <br />Research shows that time in nature during childhood <br />and role models who care for nature are the two biggest <br />factors that contribute to environmental stewardship <br />in adulthood.bo Programming for early childhood will <br />therefore focus on unstructured nature play where <br />families are invited to engage together in basic scientific <br />exploration. <br />Infanthood is not too early to begin developing these skills. <br />From birth to eighteen months of age, children experience <br />significant developmental milestones that form the basis <br />for later cognitive abilities. Executive functions related <br />to attention, memory, self-control, and mental flexibility <br />all begin to develop between six and eighteen months, as <br />infants actively explore the world with all of their senses." <br />Sense -based exploration continues during toddlerhood <br />(18-36 months), as children experiment with the natural <br />world to discover how things work. During this period of <br />growth and development, nature -based activities lend <br />themselves perfectly to practicing executive functions <br />that ultimately lead to scientific inquiry skills. Without a <br />lot of unstructured nature play opportunities available <br />in traditional preschools, this is an area where the Zoo <br />and its partners could provide important experiences for <br />toddlers and teach caregivers how to facilitate more of <br />such opportunities. <br />In early childhood (ages 3-6 years), a key ingredient for <br />teaching environmental literacy is the development of <br />empathy for others. With a natural affinity for animals, <br />children at this stage can be encouraged to show <br />empathy for the biological world. Cultivating a sense <br />of connectedness with nature in childhood forms the <br />foundation for environmental behaviors later in life.1z <br />Programs presented to this audience will incorporate best <br />practices for fostering empathy using animals, providing <br />youngsters with opportunities to directly interact with <br />animals, recognize the needs of animals, compare and <br />contrast animal experiences with their own, and engage in <br />other empathy -building skills that underpin an interest in <br />wildlife conservation.13 <br />By providing families with touchpoints throughout this <br />early phase of children's lives, Community Connections <br />establishes the necessary groundwork for later science <br />knowledge and environmental literacy skills. <br />10. Chawla,L.;&Derr,V(2012). The development of conservation behaviors in childhood and 12 Sobel, D. (2008). Childhood and nature Design principles for educators. Portland, ME: <br />youth. In Clayton, C. (Ed) The Oxford Hardbookof Ewimnmental and Conservation Stenhouse Publishers. <br />Psychology; and, Chawla,L.;&Cushing,D.F.(2007). Education for strategicenvironmental 13. Seattle Aquarium. Best Practices for Developing Empathy toward Wildlife. <br />behaviour.Envimnmental Education Research,13;4,437-45. ``` ��. <br />J <br />11D'Amore, Chi am, Wth C. Charles and R.Low (2015). Thrivingthrough Nature rostti���� �± <br />Children's Executive Funation Skills Children and Nature Netvmric 1 <br />