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7 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,A pril 7,2022 insidehalton.com VISIT OUR SCHOOL PAGE TO ENROL website: cefa.ca/cefa-find-a-school/oakville/ inquiries: 647-910-CEFA or eighthline@cefa.ca location: 1030 Eighth Line, Oakville Look for next month's advertorial on the benefits of Emotional Control during Early Brain Development. Did you know? The brain develops faster and more fully between the ages of 0-5 than any other time in a person's life. That's why Early Childhood Education matters. Peer and Social Skills are key areas of early brain development that help children form positive relationships, develop body language, and learn to share and play well together. Social skills that are developed during these formative years also lead to improved mental capacity, strong cognitive abilities, and good overall mental health. "When we focus on the social and emotional aspect of working together on a science, math, literacy activity, we create a balanced experience that helps children in all aspects of development" -- Ellen Booth Church, author and world recognized expert on childhood education Social and Peer Skills help children learn how to solve social situations. They do this by predicting and understanding other's behaviours through neural, behavioral, and environmental elements. Between the ages of 2 and 4, children benefit greatly from cooperative group and peer play activities. Examples of these include relay races, treasure hunts, puzzles, and building block activities. Imitation of others, eye contact, smiling and the observation of a child's own movement are examples of social skills, and when developed fully, can include acceptance of peers, good mental health, and even academic achievement. Teamwork, collaboration, and perspective-taking in the early years help build confidence, capabilities, and skills that children carry with them throughout their lives. PEAK AGES 2-4 Peer & Social Skills are key areas of Early Brain Development