Message from the Borough President BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Borough President Adams reads to four-year-olds for Brooklyn Community Services’ “Read by Example” campaign.
Borough President’s offi ce / Erica Krodman
Back to Basics
A message from Borough President Eric L. Adams
ONE BROOKLYN | SPRING 2019 3
When I renovated my home, I watched the contractor
place a large beam in the basement that
ran the entire length of the house. He called it
the girder beam. All the beams that stretched across
the width of the house would rest on the girder for
support. It did not matter if the building was one
fl oor, or three fl oors, or more, the integrity of the
house depended on the strength of this girder. It was,
in fact, the foundation.
This concept is an analogy to the human mind.
Based on research by neuroscientists and noted
scholars such as Harvard Kennedy School professor
Dr. Ron Ferguson, 80 percent of the human brain develops
between the ages of zero to three years old.
It is the foundation of the development of our brain.
This timeframe is the brain’s girder. The integrity of
our educational foundation is based on the strength
of this development.
The irony of this fact is that, for the most part,
we do not engage our children in a meaningful and
structured educational environment until they are
three years old for 3K, or four years old for Pre-K.
Eighty percent of the “brain house” has developed,
and yet we don’t establish a foundational “brain
girder.” It is natural to point fi ngers at parents,
particularly in economically challenged communities,
but one does not know what one does not know.
Many parents want to assist in the development of
their child, but they may not have access to the tools
needed to help with their child’s brain development.
The reality is that children are not born with instruction
manuals.
My offi ce has decided not to point fi ngers, but
rather show parents how to use their actions, hands,
and words to assist in the development of their child’s
brain. We have teamed up with educators in Brooklyn
to support Brooklyn Basics, which builds off of
our 2017 Early Childhood Development Task Force
report outlining the importance of early intervention
in a child’s education to promote healthy growth
and mitigate negative outcomes down the road as the
child gets older. Brooklyn Basics will teach parents,
caregivers, and communities what we can do to assist
in the development of a child’s brain and to develop
the whole personhood of our children.
Drawing on the research of Dr. Ferguson, we will
provide parents with a Brooklyn Basic’s toolkit that
will include items they can use in this initiative.
The package will include simple items such as educational
games, stuffed animals, stress balls, and
more. It will also provide insight to parents on how
to introduce words to their child and promote simple
mind development tips such as speaking directly
to your child and pointing out objects. Additionally,
the toolkit will provide tools to promote early literacy
and cognitive emotional and social development
in young children. The families of newborns and
children will receive a simple video explaining the
concept behind Brooklyn Basics and how to help the
early development of their child’s brain.
Finally, Brooklyn Basics will be a collaborative
effort that will include an outreach coordinator who
will be responsible for bringing the entire community
together around this initiative. For example,
while a child is sitting in the barber shop waiting to
get a haircut, there are items a child can have to assist
in the brain’s development, and ways adults can
interact with children to promote learning. This is
the same for coffee shops, homeless shelters, hospitals,
libraries, and more. We will engage families in
all places where they go to socialize and interact.
Our goal is to use science-based interventions to
support parenting and caregiving practices, which
address the fundamental needs for child development
and ensure a great start in life for our children.
Brooklyn Basics will bring the entire borough
into a mission of developing the brain of our children
during the moments when they have the greatest
growth. We are going to embody the spirit behind
the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I
look forward to working with you on this important
initiative that will help us all raise healthy children
and families.
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