The Wonder Year DVD review

DVD

The Wonder Year: 1st year development and shaping the brain

★★★★★

Siren Films

www.sirenfilms.co.uk

This hour-long DVD provides an interesting visual study of a baby’s early development in a caring and emotionally warm family environment. It illustrates the importance of such a nurturing climate to support and promote a baby’s, and subsequently a child’s, general well-being, their safety and positive development. It also demonstrates the range of challenges and needs presented by a baby and how a parent or carer tunes in and responds to these different demands and needs.

The DVD is divided into three sections: 0 to 3 months, 4 to 7 months and 8 to 12 months. Each section sub-divides into particular aspects of the baby’s development, visually illustrating important features of each stage and discussing the underlying processes covering such topics as: early brain development, understanding a baby’s needs, parents’ or carers’ responsiveness, relationships and emotional attachments, how a baby begins to explore their world and develop a sense of curiosity, communication, attention, gesturing, object permanence, learning, play and exploration, to name some of the developmental themes.

A continuous commentary accompanies the visual illustrations provided by an experienced early years care practitioner/lecturer who draws out and details many of the underlying stages and developmental processes.

The DVD is clear, positive, and well-informed and should be of interest to students, parents/carers, teachers and professionals alike.

Kevin Pettican is programme leader, social work at University Campus Suffolk