December 14, 2007
Extension Releases Two Books for Healthy Families
LINCOLN, Neb. — Just in time for the holidays, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is offering two books to help strengthen families through activities for adults and children.
The two books, "Family Treasures: Creating Strong Families" and "Fun to Play, Ready to Learn", are now available for purchase at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources E-Store Web site, by contacting the UNL Extension Publication Warehouse at (402) 472-9712 or by calling a local UNL Extension office.
Mary Nelson, extension educator in Douglas-Sarpy counties, and Sarah Purcell, extension educator in Otoe County, coordinated the making of "Fun to Play, Ready to Learn". The book is a guide for parents and child care professionals of children from birth to 36 months. It offers information on child development at various stages and research-based activities to stimulate brain development and enhance child development along with more than 100 illustrations.
"Research has shown that as you play, read and talk with a child, it increases the ‘wiring' in his or her brain," Purcell said. "This wiring enables children to grow successfully and affects later school achievement, work performance and their ability to get along with others."
The book showcases lots of activities for children that will stimulate physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. The book also includes many songs and fingerplays that children and adults will enjoy.
"My favorite part is the activities," Nelson said. "Those are things that people can actually do with young children. The other thing it does is give adults background of why it is important to interact with children."
John DeFrain, a family and community development specialist in IANR, and the UNL for Families writing team, created "Family Treasures". The book is about the key characteristics of strong families, based on years of research with families from all 50 states and 27 countries who believe their families are doing well. This book was released last year in hardback and is now being offered as a paperback.
The book includes results from family strength research, inventories for family members to use in assessing strengths and the best practice activities that can be used by all types of families as they try to build upon their assets.
Both books focus on and give advice on how family strength and child development are integral to a healthy family and upbringing.
"It's an area that we all feel very strongly about, with the importance of child development and stimulating that child's growth," Nelson said.
12/14/07-AB
John DeFrain - Ph.D.
Child, Youth and Family Studies
Professor
(402) 472-1659
Mary E. Nelson
Extension - Douglas-Sarpy counties
Extension Educator
(402) 444-7804
Sarah Purcell
Extension -- Otoe County
Extension Educator
(402) 269-2301
Sandi Alswager Karstens IANR News and Photography (402) 472-3030
Department: Child
; Youth and Family Studies
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