The role of parents in early childhood development

Five-year-old Korna adores his pre-school.

“Even on days when he is not taken to school, he eagerly insists, ‘Take me to school, take me to school,’” says his mom, Shilpi.

She has noticed a remarkable change since he started attending pre-school six months ago. “My child has learned to play with others and share meals,” she says. “His physical development and creativity have thrived.” Especially touching: Korna, once lonely, has found companionship and a sense of belonging.

A confident transition to primary school

Korna’s pre-school is one of several community-run centres supported by sponsors in southern Bangladesh. For two hours a day, six days a week, he and his peers (aged 3-5) learn numbers, letters, motor skills and social skills—all through music and play. The community-run centre uses World Vision’s Learning Roots curriculum with a facilitator partially funded by World Vision. A local committee provides land, maintains the building and fundraises for supplies.

The centre’s facilitator and teacher, Sanchita, says students here have more success when they transition to primary school.

“These children are less timid and more confident,” she says. “While other children may hesitate to speak up when asked questions, these children readily respond. They are typically the first to participate in sports.”

Parental involvement multiplies the benefits

Participation of the children’s caregivers is key. Families nearby help clean the yard, while moms take turns preparing the children’s daily lunch, applying lessons from the centre’s child nutrition sessions.

Some, like Shilpi, have been trained as “lead mothers,” supporting Sanchita or stepping in when needed.

“I take great pride in that responsibility,” says Shilpi. “If a child is not built upon a solid foundation from the beginning, their future prospects may be compromised. But when a child is carefully nurtured and developed right from the start, their future is more likely to be promising.”

Naturally, the lessons parents learn through the centre shape their habits at home, too. Shilpi has become more mindful of nutrition when cooking and has learned techniques to support Korna’s development.

Did you know? Every dollar invested in our early childhood development programs generates more than $5 in social benefits for the communities that participate.

Empowering parents and caregivers with information on how to support their children’s early development is a key focus of Learning Roots. Here are five takeaways from the training World Vision provides for caregivers.

Five things to remember when raising young kids

1. Play is more than fun—it’s the key to healthy development.

Evidence shows children learn best through play. It’s how they develop motor skills, problem-solving abilities and social-emotional intelligence.

When children engage in joyful play, following their curiosity, they make sense of what they’re learning and remember it better. Social play also helps them express emotions and build relationships.

Sanchita, Korna’s teacher, has seen how play-based learning removes mental barriers. “Even when they advance to higher levels of education, they won’t have the fear of whether they can or cannot do something,” she says. “In the initial stages, they may not even realize how much they’re learning through these activities.”

While siblings and peers are great play partners, there is no replacing parents. Playing together from birth helps parents understand their child’s needs, model positive interactions and build a secure caregiver-child attachment.

2. Be a responsive caregiver.

When parents take care to understand and respond to their child’s signals—known as responsive caregiving—they create a foundation of trust and emotional safety.

This sense of security allows children to explore their surroundings confidently, knowing they can return to their caregiver for reassurance. Responsive caregiving doesn’t create dependence; on the contrary, it fosters independence and strengthens neural connections in the brain.

3. Talking things out boosts early language skills.

Reading and telling stories together build literacy, but simply talking with children from an early age is also impactful.

World Vision’s early childhood programs encourage parents to narrate daily life: point out objects, name them, ask questions, and describe thoughts and feelings.

This “living life out loud” approach helps children absorb language faster because they hear words in context.

4. Harmful stress is the enemy of learning—but nurturing care is the antidote.

Not all stress is bad. Tolerable stress, like getting a vaccine, is temporary and manageable. Positive stress, such as first-day-of-school nerves, builds resilience. But harmful stress—caused by ongoing neglect, abuse or violence—can damage brain development and hinder learning.

Long-term exposure to harmful stress increases a child’s risk for anxiety, poor school performance and health problems.

While parents can’t always shield their children from life’s challenges—especially in communities affected by poverty or conflict—there’s a simple way to protect them: nurturing relationships.

Responsive parenting, predictable routines and comforting rituals—like singing lullabies or cuddling—act as a buffer against stress. These moments don’t just soothe a child; they build their long-term ability to handle challenges.

5. A strict approach to screen time benefits brain development.

This one is tough, but the research is clear: screen exposure before age two negatively impacts brain development. This may not be a current concern for Korna’s parents given that rural communities in low-income countries have the lowest rates of internet access worldwide. However, even before the pandemic, UNICEF estimated that one in three internet users worldwide was a child.

The World Health Organization recommends zero screen time for babies under two and no more than one hour per day for children aged 2-4.

(An exception: video calls with family members, which support social connection.)

Why does restricting screen time matter? Face-to-face interactions teach kids to read facial expressions and interpret emotions. Too much screen exposure reduces attention span and weakens social skills, which are key to lifelong learning.

The strength of an informed parent

For Korna, learning doesn’t stop when he leaves the classroom—it continues at home, woven through daily life by his mom. And Shilpi is learning, too.

The principles above—about play, responsiveness, language, managing stress and face-to-face engagement— are just some of the topics she and other parents explore through the Learning Roots caregiver training.

These principles aren’t tied to geography, income or circumstance; raising young kids does not require fancy toys or gadgets. The best thing we can give our kids, especially in the early years, is our loving attention and presence.