November Newsletter: Holidays With The Brain In Mind

Read the November Newsletter with great information on how to have a happy brain and a happy holiday season.  Read the newsletter here

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SESAME STREET--- Lessons on Learning!

Many of you would be surprised to hear me say there are many positives about Sesame Street.  Those of you that follow my blogs or hear me speak know how I do not support children watching television.  In fact, I frequently demonstrate in presentations how brain connections are made best through interaction and play versus watching TV. And I ALWAYS say … no television before the age of two.

However, I do congratulate Sesame Street for the examples the show gives us on how the brain learns .

•  The brain learns through having fun
•  The brain learns through positive role models
•  The brain learns through real objects
•  The brain learns from repetition  
•  The brain learns from predictability

Sesame Street does all of this and you can see each of these in the following example. You will most likely be able to sing along!

However, it is critical to early brain development that we do not have children just sitting and watching television. Research shows brain connections made through direct interaction as opposed to just observing are much stornger. The Neilson Company reports, “ American children aged 2-11 are watching more and more television than they have in years. New findings show kids aged 2-5 now spend more than 32 hours a week on average in front of a TV screen”.

So to optimize the type of learning that Sesame Street demonstrates is best, have children play and interact with real people and get outdoors. But, if a child is going to watch television it is critical to make that time fully interactive.  Following are ideas to turn television viewing in to an interactive experience:

•           While watching have the child respond and take an active part by singing along with the songs,  answering questions out loud, and so on.
•             Dance and move together along with music on a show.
•             Ask questions as you watch together. For example ask, “What would you do if that happened to you?”
•             Have the child imitate and act out actions on a program.
•            Together clap along with a song or while counting.
•             As you are watching a program have the child guess what might happen next.
•             After a program, have the child remember the sequence of events. Ask, what happened first, next and last in the story.

The most important thing to remember is the brain learns best through experiencing fun interactions with real people and objects!  So… “Come and play everything is a-okay…. ….  “

We Can All Benefit!

It is important to remember, the adults in children’s lives are making a direct impression through every action. Only a small portion of our brain focuses on verbal communication. So, our actions do speak louder than words.
With this in mind I recently learned about a company that is focused on making a positive difference. It is called, Koru Fundraising and I had the chance to have a conversation with the founder last week.

As is stated on the Koru website, Corey believes that fundraising is necessary to improve the education of children but believes in transforming the industry too. This means maintaining a high set of values that will be passed to our youth. Corey’s goal is to help forge an economy that can live through many generations and co-exist peacefully with nature. Koru Fundraising is a vehicle for making these goals happen.

My excitement about the company comes from the belief I also have about making a positive impact. I frequently express that I feel fundraising could make a tremendous impact through selling products that make a difference. When children are involved this is especially important.

So when your organization or group is looking for a way to raise money to make a difference , look for a way to benefit everyone through what you sell. This may be a great resource for you.

http://korufundraising.com/

YES… I Am Going To Say It Again!

You may have heard me say this before…. The brain learns and make connections through repetition……!

Through loving interactions and repeated experiences the best pathways are created. This video says it ALL! ENJOY!

braininsights® is Giving Thanks This November

A baby food product will be donated to the local Feeding America® Eastern Wisconsin food bank for every brain activity packet purchased through the month of November.

Food plays a vital role in early brain development. Hunger causes stress in the brain due to the lack of nutrients it needs. This causes stress hormones to be released resulting in lack of attention, behavior problems, and the brain not functioning at optimal levels. However, good nutrition can lead to increased serotonin levels in the brain and happier children spending more time playing and learning.

You can easily feed two brains! You can promote brain development for the child in your life..... and also support a child in need by purchasing braininsights® activity packets today!

For more information on braininsights® and the Giving Thanks promotion visit www.braininsightsonline.com. To learn more about Feeding America® Eastern Wisconsin visit www.feedingamerica.org

October braininsights Newsletter

Check out the October braininsights Newsletter!

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Interactive Play is MOST Important

The holiday shopping season is quickly approaching and parents, grandparents, and loved ones are already beginning to think about what gifts to get the children in their lives. It is important to keep optimal brain development in mind while choosing that perfect present.

I am frequently asked what toys promote brain development. Many parents also inquire about DVD’s and programs to teach babies to read. My response always is, “Loving interaction and play with real objects is what a developing brain needs most.”

Recently, a report by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child found that:

“Although a varied array of experiences clearly stimulates learning in the preschool years, promotional statements about the superior brain building impacts of expensive “educational” toys and videos for infants and toddlers have no scientific support.”

So instead of buying these expensive toys and programs, look instead for toys that are best for children that do any or all of the following:

· Provides an opportunity for direct interaction and manipulation
· Gives a child a chance to develop something with their hands
· Offers a variety of ways of using the toy or objects
· Sparks imagination and creativity
· Allows the child to repeat a process
· Promotes physical activity

Examples are: Puzzles, building blocks, building sets, crayons, balls, paints, play dough, dolls, trucks and cars, shape sorters, sand toys, bean bags, nesting cups, pretend play sets, water toys, and books!

Opportunities to just play, create, explore, and manipulate objects provides the best opportunities for real learning. When these activities are driven by a child’s own interests this is when you will almost be able to see brain connections being made!

For the full report from the Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University go to: The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture