BRAIN INSIGHTS TO SHARE: Growing a Brain!

Did you know ........ After eight months a child exposed to a nurturing and stimulating environment may already have 1,000 trillion connections created? 
 

It is primarily the experiences a child has that physically wires and grows the brain. Genetics certainly had a great impact, but the environment and relationships a child experiences has a dramatic impact on the way a brain creates connections between brain cells.
As a child is provided with opportunities to interact with people and their environment, the critically important connections that wire the brain for learning, relationships and well-being in life are being created. 

Further Explanation:



Growing a Brain
Infants and young children have brains that are far from being fully developed. The brain has approximately 100 billion brain cells. For the brain to physically grow and function well the brain cells need to be connected with each other. Nine months during pregnancy isn’t enough time to connect 100 billion brain cells!  
  
So, the preschool years are a time when a great amount of needed connections continue to be made. Adults who provide warm and consistent responses, who cuddle and read, talk to their children, provide fun play experiences, establish routines, and ensure children get healthy nutrition and plenty of sleep…. are contributing to the healthiest brain connections for children. 

It is often refreshing for many parents to realize that beyond meeting a child’s basic physical and safety needs ….. all that a developing brain needs most is loving interaction and lots of opportunities to play.
 

It is so easy to provide these positive experiences in everyday life to stimulate a young child’s brain growth...

Activity Idea From an Infant:

What Do I Like?

Notice what I like and respond to. Try to tune into the level of activity I seem to need. If I seem active, do a more playful activity. When I want to be calm, read a story or sing a lullaby to me.

Brain Insight: My brain is not developed enough to adjust to different activity levels easily on my own. I really need you to match your behavior to my needs.

(From the: Love Your Baby, Brain Development Activity Packet)

 

WE ARE DOING IT!!   Through coming together and sharing we ARE making a difference!

 



 Feedback from a Brain Insights follower:


"Keep them coming!" 

"This information is so useful we use it in parent group discussions and get great conversations going."

"Just watching my 3 yr old son play and thinking about how I can see his genius--thanks to all you've taught. Thank you for taking the valuable time to research and teach about our children's TRUE potential!!!"

THANK YOU...... THANK YOU......THANK YOU!!!

The genuine intent of Brain Insights is to provide information in numerous ways toward the goal of having ALL adults realize that healthy brain development especially in the early years, impacts the well-being of children. families and our communities. This understanding provides the realization that we all have the wonderful and very real opportunity to make a very positive impact.

  

 www.BrainInsightsonline.com

BRAIN INSIGHTS TO SHARE: Early Experiences Wire a Brain

On the Brain Insights website it states: 

"Our focus is to be the recognized company for parents, educators, and varied professionals in providing easily understood information, outstanding products, and inspiring presentations that lead to creating awareness and understanding of all that is best for the development of healthy brains." 

With this goal, I am excited to let you know..... printable Brain Insights materials are NOW AVAILABLE!!


I am frequently told that programs and agencies are using Brain Insights information for staff development, for parenting group discussions and workshops, and workplaces share  with employees.  It is thrilling to know that the information shared is being used in so many ways and in so many places...worldwide!!

Due to all of you working to make a positive difference with this information..... I wanted to make it even easier! Each week new information will be created as a printable. With your dedication to making this information common knowledge, hopefully you will find this to be an extremely simple way to share! 

Printable #1 -  Early Experiences Wire A Brain

 

You can print it and post it, put it in newsletters, use it as handouts, share with your next door neighbor, or share on your social networking sites. Your feedback on each one will be welcomed! Also, it would be wonderful if you would comment below to let other people know in what way you are using these. You are likely to spark an idea for someone else! 

Or better yet... e-mail a photo to show how you are using the printables and I can post it to share with others!  

Here also is a WONDERFUL, well done and brief video that clearly explains the impact of experience!  It is provided by Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. Experiences Build Brain Architecture
Enjoy!

It is such fun working with all of you to make a world of difference for children!

Thank you once again for ALL you do!

Deborah





This printable includes and activity idea from the Love Your Baby Brain Development Packet. If you want more activities like it to have on hand everyday, go to www.braininsightsonline.com

Let's Use All We Know to Ensure REAL Brain Development is Happening for ALL Children

There seem to be two common and somewhat related issues taking place when it comes to the development and learning of young children.

1. People are looking for a short cut or the "magic" program or device that will develop a child's brain. 

2. There is a major focus on pushing young children to learn more academics at earlier ages.

Of course this is all well intentioned. Everyone's goal is for children to be successful in school and in life. But, if this is the focus and desire for children, it is essential that all the knowledge science is providing for us is used for the bases of the experiences children are having everyday.

I find it amazing that due to technological advances, we now understand the developing brain better than ever before, and in many cases just the opposite of what is needed most is occurring for too many children.

It took too long for it to happen, but I am thrilled that the, Your Baby Can Read program has been shut down. The Federal Trade Commission filed false advertising charges, and the company is no longer in business. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is making headway in these critically needed efforts. Read also about the wonderful TODY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young children) Award for the Vinci Touchscreen Mobile Learning tablet that is marketed as good for helping babies learn. 

This quote from the article from Peggy Sissel-Phelan, Ed. D. (a Brain Insights Advisory Board Member)  is terrific:

“It’s likely to convince parents that they are doing something positive for their babies when that couldn't be farther from the truth. People don’t know that without human attention, babies won't develop normally, much less optimally. They will, however, learn how to push the buttons to make the screen react.  Rats can do that!” 

Additionally, it is wonderful that money is being refunded for purchases of, Baby Einstein videos. All of these products have been marketed to say they are good for early brain development, when these are not the optimal way for a child's brain to develop.

This is precisely why I created, Brain Insights. I have a deep desire to make REAL brain development common knowledge and easily understood. My passion is to share all that really IS best for children. This is also exactly why I created, The Brain Development Series. These unique packets provide the information and ideas for busy adults to be able to provide what their child really needs. I knew the marketing made it confusing for parents to know what is best, so I wanted to help... and wanted to provide the information in an incredibly easy to use format.

When presenting at a conference in Las Vegas, a concerned mother shared her story about her son. The boy had just turned 3 and had started a new preschool. When picking him up at the end of the day the mother noticed his worksheet (I am stressing the word worksheet here!) was not up on the bulletin board with the others. This woman asked the teacher about it. The teacher then held up the paper and stated, "His is not up because it is incomplete." It had in red marker the word, Incomplete and a red :( sad face drawn on it! The paper was one where he was to trace and then freehand write the letter E several times. This is not appropriate learning or expectations for a child of this age. He should be playing and exploring and experimenting rather than sitting still and trying to write on a worksheet.

We need to do all we can to ensure that every child is getting all that is really beneficial for their growing brains. This happens through real interactions with real people and real objects.

At the same conference I met Kathy Gruhn, the enthusiastic creator of My Baby Compass. These wonderful resources help adults know what is appropriate for children at each age, birth through age 7.

We do not expect a newborn to crawl, a 2 month old to ride a bike, or a 6 month old to play the guitar. We do not expect those things because we know babies are not developed enough at those ages for those skills or activities. It is the same for academics and a young brain. We should not be pushing babies to read and 3 year olds to write. These are not the experiences they should be having to support the healthiest brain connections for later learning and life skills. Children need every adult in their life to have appropriate expectations. This can happen through understanding the basics of early brain development.


With heartfelt thanks,
Deborah 

And most especially.... the children thank you!!


The Brain Development Series provides parents with the information and fun ideas children want ALL adults to know!

In English or Spanish