Ready Set Go is an investment for life!

Educational research shows us that learning through play helps children establish an invaluable foundation for their future education.

Research in the United Kingdom¹ has also proved that the time and stimulation that you give your child or grandchild are essential for building the neural-pathways - the brain connectors - which allow each of us to nurture and form relationships in adult life.

By the time your child reaches school age those neural pathways are beginning to close. That is why stimulating activities designed specifically for you to share with your 3-6 year olds are so valuable.

Research in the United States² is investigating how children’s brains develop and the effects of neglect from a neurological-biological perspective. Such neglect is defined as "the absence of necessary experiences required for the brain to express a fundamental potential… [ie] the ability to walk, talk, love, think and so on."

Whilst communities make every effort to provide children with opportunities for their cognitive and motor development, similar recognition is seldom given to opportunities for social interaction with a range of human beings of all ages, and the resultant essential experiences of love, respect and understanding. In terms of the neurological-biological development of a child’s relational health, this lack of attention could be regarded as neglectful.

We know that the more a child practises counting, the more that part of the brain which mediates counting will develop. Logically, therefore, the more a child practises social and emotional interactions, the more that part of the brain which mediates such relational behaviour will develop as well. Children who do not get such relational experiences grow up without the opportunities to develop fully that part of their brain which is involved in nurturing. As adults - parents, employers and colleagues - they will be less capable of nurturing behaviour and relational health. The research in the US suggests that such a loss of humane qualities is beginning to impact on behaviours in school. Thus, there are notable increases in the numbers of children requiring special educational services; those who are behaviourally disordered; and those displaying significant criminal behaviours.

With so many of a child’s social and emotional functioning skills developing in their early years, it can be very difficult for them to catch up later in life. By designing activities which deliberately require your support, Ready Set Go recognizes the enormous importance of social interaction in your child’s relational health.