As the Director of The Basics NC, Carey Ann leads the initiative’s efforts to expand awareness, strengthen partnerships, and bring high-impact early childhood strategies to communities across the state. With a passion for child development and a deep commitment to family engagement, Carey Ann works closely with Local Partnerships, community partners, and organizations to make The Basics accessible to all families.
The BASICS
The Basics, North Carolina
Boosting early childhood development through five simple principles to help parents and caregivers turn everyday moments into powerful learning opportunities.
About The BASICS | Brief Introduction
Every child deserves a strong start in life. The Basics NC is a statewide initiative dedicated to equipping families, caregivers, and communities with simple science-backed strategies that nurture brain development in young children. Based on five evidence-driven principles, The Basics empower parents and caregivers with everyday ways to maximize love, build knowledge, and set the foundation for lifelong learning – through joyful, meaningful interactions.
Meet Carey Ann Watkins, Director of The Basics NC
The BASICS Principles
Infants and toddlers thrive when their world feels loving, safe, and predictable. When you show love and respond to your child’s needs, they learn they can count on you. By responding in ways that fit their emotions, you teach them to manage their feelings and behavior. Feeling secure in their relationships gives them confidence to explore their surroundings and cope with challenges. Young children are affected by your emotions,
Babies learn language from the very beginning. They pay attention to your sounds and expressions as you interact with them. Connect to your child with eye contact and talk in a loving tone of voice as you go about your day together. Take turns going back and forth, responding to their sounds with your words and facial expressions. Every time you talk, sing, or point to what you are talking about, you provide clues to the meaning of what you are saying. Talking to your child teaches them about the world and helps you get to know the fascinating person they are becoming!
Becoming good at math begins long before a child enters school. Each one of us is born to be a “math person.” Even babies can do simple math, such as noticing amounts and patterns. Toddlers love learning math concepts, such as comparing sizes and shapes. These concepts help them make sense of the world. You can help your child learn math as you play and talk during everyday moments. By building on their natural skills and interests, you will boost their confidence and understanding.
Infants and toddlers are like scientists—curious and excited to learn about their surroundings. Children explore and learn about the world through movement and play. There are many kinds of play: exploring objects and their features using the senses, silly games with loved ones, imaginative and pretend play, creative activities such as drawing, and physical play, such as crawling or rolling a ball. Movement and play keep children healthy and build their coordination and strength. Your child benefits from spending some playing with others, and some time playing alone, figuring things out independently (with you nearby). Help them build on their interests and see where their curiosity takes them.
It is never too early to begin reading to your child—even babies enjoy it and benefit! Reading aloud from the very beginning is one of the most important things you can do to prepare your child to do well in school. Reading and talking to your child about the story, even before they understand, builds their language skills and sparks their imagination. Reading, looking at books, or sharing stories is also a special time to snuggle up and connect. Reading together creates bonds and lasting memories for parents and children.
The BASICS Strategy
A public health approach that raises awareness about early childhood development and builds capacity throughout the community for engaging families around The Basics Principles and other supports
Socio-Ecological Saturation:
A local backbone organization in each affiliated community recruits and equips partner organizations from multiple sectors. The organizations, in turn, engage parents and caregivers with information and supports for incorporating The Basics Principles into everyday family routines.
Smart Start's Role
A Shared Mission:
The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) is proud to present The Basics, NC, a statewide initiative dedicated to supporting early brain development and school readiness for young children. As the backbone of North Carolina’s Smart Start network, NCPC integrates The Basics into its comprehensive early childhood efforts, equipping families, caregivers, and communities with simple, evidence-based strategies to nurture cognitive and social-emotional growth from birth to age five.
Aligned with NCPC’s mission to ensure that all children enter school healthy and ready to succeed, The Basics, NC serves as a key resource in promoting equitable early learning opportunities across the state. By leveraging Smart Start’s deep-rooted community partnerships, The Basics framework is embedded into local initiatives, strengthening family engagement, supporting early literacy, and enhancing child development efforts statewide.
Through this initiative, NCPC continues its commitment to closing early childhood opportunity gaps by ensuring that all families—regardless of background or resources—have access to the knowledge and tools needed to give their children a strong start in life.
