By Playful Bee is the organization responsible for a revolutionary childhood development app called Bee Well™, and it’s changing the way that doctors, parents, care providers, and children communicate and interact with each other in the best interests of making the most of a child’s developmental education opportunities. This app is by no means just another early development app – it allows for active parent and caregiver participation, which is one of the most important factors in the early detection and treatment of learning delays and disabilities. Parent involvement is also one of the most important factors in helping children reach their highest growth and learning potential.
Yvette Hwee, founder and CEO of Playful Bee, says, “As parents, we all want to give our babies every opportunity to become their very best, but we often lack the tools and know-how to do that. When my daughter was born, I had no idea how to even “play” with her, let alone support her development. I felt lost and unsure, asking myself questions like, “Is she doing okay? Should I be worried that she doesn’t babble much like other babies in her playgroup?” What I realized is that I needed an easy-to-use and handy resource that could educate me on what to expect of my baby’s early development, how to actively support her learning, and how to work closely with my pediatrician to make sure that my daughter didn’t fall through the cracks. I needed a simple tool that would enable me to help my daughter become her very best. So I created Playful Bee.”
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Stats are based on a study that tracked the number of diagnosed children 3 to 17 years from 1997 and 2008. (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/facts.html) Many of these go untreated without the proper diagnosis, and this often leads to problems that reach beyond school readiness and development. When diagnosed and treated early, however, many children can succeed in all aspects of life, from educational to social and beyond. Playful Bee’s signature childhood development app is designed to help parents and care providers identify notice red flags during the earliest years of a child’s life.
But why is early diagnosis so important? Because 80% of a child’s brain is developed by age 3, and 90% by age 5 (https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1371-when-is-the-brain-fully-developed). Playful Bee’s Bee Well early childhood education program is for children from birth to preschool, so it takes full advantage of a child’s earliest and most crucial developmental years.
According to ChildCare Aware of America, 85% of children who enter school without the skills needed for success (or “behind”), remain behind into the 4th grade. It’s not necessarily that all of these children are behind because of a developmental delay or disability. What we’re saying is that 50% of children enter school with an undetected and untreated developmental delay or disability, so they likely are disadvantaged and come in behind in certain skills. But in general, 85% of those behind, stay behind.
ChildCare Aware of America. Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2014 Report. Arlington: ChildCare Aware of America, 2014. Accessed November 28, 2015. https://www.ncsl.org/documents/cyf/2014_Parents_and_the_High_Cost_of_Child_Care.pdf
To learn more about Playful Bee and its unique early childhood education program, Bee Well™, visit www.PlayfulBee.com.
