| Early Childhood Brain Development
compliments of everychildfirst.com The Layman’s Guide to how the brain develops: We all have a mental picture of what we think a human brain looks like, although most of us have never actually seen one. However, when a child is born, their brain more closely resembles a bowl of gelatin. Experiences actually cause a brain to grow larger, by creating neural connections that create the ridges and valleys you expect to see in a well developed brain. What do we want? We want to help children’s brains develop to their optimum potential. We want environments rich in appropriate stimulation and developmentally appropriate experiences to create neural connections & promote brain growth. So what’s the problem? The brain is very efficient and it “prunes away” any dead wood – any weak connections. The brain’s chemical reactions are also undermined when your body is experiencing negative emotions. The stress hormone cortisol can actually dissolve brain connections in your short term memory! This is the cerebral cortex, home of rational thought and conscious actions. This is the brain stem, home of the limbic system, where instinctive actions take place. Very early childhood emotional experiences are stored here, as well as any emotional traumas. What do we want? We want children to use their cerebral cortex to think rationally at all times. We want them to make a conscious decision how to respond in the best possible manner in any given situation, based on their positive experiences and knowledge. So, what’s the problem? When upset or stressed, children’s brains chemically block them from accessing their cerebral cortex, and they respond from their brain stem. They instinctively draw on past emotionally charged experiences, often acting inappropriately. Like it or not, that means when children are frightened or upset because we yell at them they can't learn anything from what we say! And they can't help it - it's brain chemistry that they can not control! |
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| Notes From Lisa's Workshops |
| This is just a brief excerpt from a workshop - to learn more you can take an online course, come to a workshop or schedule a program for your parent or teacher group! |
| Want to know more? You can take an online course, come to a workshop or schedule a program for your parent or teacher group! |
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