New topics, Spanish translations and a fresh user-friendly platform are all part of a major update to the Institute's online training modules.
First launched in 2014, the I-LABS training modules are designed to share the latest science of child development with the broader community. Free and available online, the modules reach thousands of users in 46 states. Often used in group trainings, the early learning community has embraced them as a professional development resource.
The new updates—available now through support of The Boeing Company —expand the online library to 10 modules with 5 of them also available in Spanish.
View the I-LABS Library of Training Modules »
"We want all families to benefit from new research insights in child development," said the initiative's leader Sarah Lytle, I-LABS Outreach director.
"The training modules are meant to give busy parents and caregivers an efficient way to get science-based information that they can then put into practice," Lytle said.
To create each module, Lytle and the I-LABS Outreach team develop topic ideas with the early learning community. They then curate relevant scientific studies and describe them using everyday language, design videos and other multimedia to aid in communicating science, and offer practical ways people can apply the research findings to real life.
Here's an overview of the module updates.
Five new modules each lasting about 20 minutes have been added to the online library: 
Module 7: Attachment in the Making provides a science-based background of how the bonds between infants and caregivers form and why this is important for a child's development.
Module 8: Attachment in Practice gives a guide for parents and caregivers on how to optimize attachment, including in scenarios where the bond between infants and caregivers has been somehow disrupted.
Module 9: Sharing Attention During Early Childhood describes an infant social behavior called "eye gaze" and how it is linked with language learning and other cognitive development later in childhood.
Module 10: Language in the Second Year of Life takes a look at the science behind how babies learn language after their first birthdays.
Module 11: Bilingual Language Development discusses how young children are able to learn two languages at once.
To reach a more diverse audience, the I-LABS modules are in the process of being translated into different languages. Spanish translations of the following modules are now available:
Module 1: Introducción al I-LABS y los Módulos (Introduction to I-LABS )
Module 2: Por Que los Primeros 2000 Días Importan: Un Vistazo Adentro del Celebro (Why the First 2,000 Days Matter)
Module 3: La Importancia de Interacciones Tempranas (The Importance of Early Interactions)
Module 4: El Poder del Aprendizaje a Través de la Imitación (The Power of Learning Through Interactions)
Module 6: Desarrollo del Lenguaje: Aprendizaje de los Sonidos del Idioma (Language Development)
Soon the I-LABS Outreach team will add translations in Vietnamese and Somali, the most common languages spoken in King County where the Institute is based.
All of the online modules are now housed on a web platform designed to be more compatible with mobile devices, including phones and tablets. The platform has an updated look created to be easier to navigate in hopes of attracting more users.
Users go through a quick registration before getting their free access. Instructions are available through the module page of the I-LABS website.
Previous Outreach module users will need to create a new login and password for the new site.
Since the initial 2014 launch, the I-LABS training modules have become part of professional development for many early learning organizations. With that in mind, the I-LABS Outreach team created guides to generate group discussions about the module material.
The guides include suggested stopping points, sample questions to demonstrate discussion and prompt early learning professionals to consider how to incorporate this information in their work with children.
Want to know when new module topics or translations are added? Sign up for the quarterly Outreach newsletter by emailing [email protected]. Or follow I-LABS updates on Facebook or Twitter.
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