Brain Development

“Perhaps no aspect of child development is so miraculous and transformative as the development of a child’s brain. Brain development allows a child to develop the abilities to crawl, speak, eat, laugh and walk. Healthy development of a child’s brain is built on the small moments that parents and caregivers experience as they interact with a child. A number of factors influence early brain development. These important factors include genetics, food and nutrition, responsiveness of parents, daily experiences, physical activity and love. In particular, parents should be aware of the importance of furnishing a healthy and nutritious diet, giving love and nurturing, providing interesting and varied everyday experiences, and giving children positive and sensitive feedback. In the past, some scientists thought the brain’s development was determined genetically and brain growth followed a biologically predetermined path. Now we know that early experiences impact the development of the brain and influence the specific way in which the circuits (or pathways) of the brain become “wired.” A baby’s brain is a work in progress. The outside world shapes its development through experiences that a child’s senses — vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste — absorb” (Brotherson, #4, pg2, paragraph 1).

This is an important analogy that I read that helps bring understanding to the importance of brain development: “Imagine that a child’s brain is like a house that has just been built. The walls are up, the doors are hung. Then you go to the store and buy electrical wiring, switches, a fuse box and other electrical supplies. You bring these supplies to the new house and set them on the floor. Will they work? Probably not. You first must string the wiring and hook up all of the connections. This is quite similar to the way our brains are formed. We are born with as many nerve cells as stars in the Milky Way galaxy. But these cells have not yet established a pattern of wiring between them — they haven’t made their connections” (Brotherson, #4, pg 3, paragraph 2).

Parents and educators can easily and enjoyably promote brain development by talking, reading, singing, and playing with their child. Lots of warm and loving smiles, singsong-like vocal inflections that draw out sounds, as well as touch and laughter when working with young children. Early experiences affect the development of brain architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health. Just as a weak foundation compromises the quality and strength of a house, adverse experiences early in life can impair brain architecture, with negative effects lasting into adulthood.

Parents also need to be educated on the importance of  actively interacting with their young children rather than passively watching them grow.  All too often parents chose to allow their children to interact with technology, and television, rather than create meaningful opportunities to interact with their children.  The brain develops at such a rapid pace in the early years of a child’s life, so it is vital that parents are aware of strategies they can use to foster positive growth and development. The science and literature of brain development can be quite extensive so I would create flyers of information that are in simplified terms so that the information could be understood by all.  I would have these pamphlets available to be dispersed with the early intervention specialist’s in the county that I work in, and also with the health department. I would also send these flyers home along with opportunities the community (hospitals) might offer for further parental education classes. It would also be effective to have them available at pediatrician's offices to inform all new parents. As an advocate for Early Childhood it is important to engage in conversation with doctors, social workers, and other professionals that work with families to get the information out and available to all.

Brain development is an important topic to me, as my son was born extremely prematurely.  He was born at 27 weeks gestation, and was hospitalized for 10 weeks before coming home. I was always so concerned that he would fall behind in his developmental milestones due to this, that I did research to determine what might be the best strategies I could implement in his life to ensure that he did not fall behind. I read that reading to infants and singing to them were vital aspects in their language development. I read several articles that showed research on the correlation between brain stimulation and piano lessons, Early Intervention services, etc. As my son is now 17 years old and has never fallen behind in is development I feel that these strategies helped him a great deal. It is important to me to share my own experiences with families so that they can also understand the importance of their child’s brain and overall academic development.

References

Brotherson, S. (2009). North Dakota State University Extension Service. Understanding Brain Development in Young Children. Retrieved from: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/famsci/fs609.pdf, September 25, 2016.