BRAIN INSIGHTS FOR READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY!

Reading with a young child is an experience that develops the brain in many ways. Holding the child close contributes to making brain connections for emotional development. Hearing words in a story leads to making brain connections for strong language development. Reading to a child provides interactive learning in a way that television and DVDs can not do.

So in honor of Dr. Suess, the following fun activity ideas are centered around the book, The Cat in the Hat. Each activity also includes insights to explain how the interaction helps to support brain development. These activities provide additional learning opportunities to enhance reading. They are designed for the way children learn best……. Having fun with you!

For more brain insights activities to use even during your busy everyday life go to www.braininsightsonline.com/

Enjoy!

O – 1 Year Olds

Show the baby pictures in the book. Point to and name the object in the pictures.

Brain Insight: A child’s language development is based on the amount of language heard daily. The first three years are the critical time in the brain for learning language.

1 – 2 Year Olds

Name items and have the baby point to items pictured in the book.

Examples: Say, “Point to the hat.” or “Where is the fish?”

Brain Insight: Providing learning experiences in a fun and relaxed way can reduce the level of stress chemicals in a child’s brain.

2 – 3 Year Olds

Have the child play a, “Cat in the Hat” clean up game. Give the child directions to follow to pick up items after playing.

Examples: “Pick up the ball, put it in the toy box and crawl back.” Or, “Put the

book on the shelf and hop back.”

Brain Insight: A following directions activity gives a child’s brain the practice it needs to remember more than one direction.

3 – 4 Year Olds

Have the child walk around trying to balance a book on his/her head, as the cat did in the story.

Brain Insight: Movement activities help get more oxygen to a child’s brain. The brain use over 20% of the body’s nutrients and oxygen. Research shows physical activity positively contributes to learning.

4 – 5 Year Olds

As you read a paragraph in the story, stop and say one of the rhyming words. Have the child say the other rhyming word.

Example: Have no fear said the Cat,

I will not let you fall.

I will hold you up high

As I stand on this ball.

You say “fall” the child will say, “ball”

Brain Insight: By the time a child is five a vocabulary of about 2,500 – 3,000 words can be developed. This is an increase from the 50 words known as a toddler. This only happens when a child has the chance to hear and use lots of words through direct interaction. TV and DVDs do not contribute to language development.

5 - 6 Year Olds

As you read the story, ask questions.

Examples: What do you think will happen next?, What do you think will happen if the Cat in the Hat balances more things?, or What do you think the fish will say about that?

At the end of the story ask, “What would you do if your Mother asked you?”

Brain Insight: Brain development is impacted positively when a child is listened to and responded to while talking. Additionally, the highest thinking areas of the brain are developed through opportunities for the child to imagine.

Finally Information on the Early Years is Getting Out in a Big Way!

President Obama’s budget proposal states……

“research has shown that there is a high return
for investments made in high-quality, comprehensive programs supporting disadvantaged children, and their families, from birth. Some studies show that for every dollar invested, there is a $4 to $9 return to society in higher earnings, higher
graduation and employment rates, less crime, decreased need for special education services, less use of the public welfare system, and better health. However, we have yet to make a serious commitment to our youngest learners. We know that a dollar invested in early education will pay off handsomely as these children grow older.”

Read more of the President's budget proposal here

I am so excited to have our president understand and emphasize the importance of the early years! This is something all of us can celebrate!! As President Obama explains we all benefit from providing a positive and enriching environment for our children. Just imagine our country where all children have well developed brains!

The 100 billion brain cells a child is born with make connections based primarily on the environment and experiences early in life. So it is critical that these nurturing and stimulating opportunities are provided for every child. For the past 20 years scientific research has increased our understanding of the physical growth taking place in the brain during the critical early years. One of the goals I have and the reason I started braininsights is to make this common knowledge! Even though there is a long way to go, getting national attention and increased funding toward positive brain development for additional children is a reason to cheer!
Add comments about your excitement or share ideas on ways we can create further awareness!

"Touching" brain development

Our brains develop primarily through every day experiences we have in our early years! My daughter sent this wonderful clip knowing how much I would enjoy how it provides an example. This event captured on video shows a heartwarming experience impacting this baby's brain.

It shows first of all the natural curiosity the baby has which creates the motivation to move closer to "check out" the item on the floor. The baby then uses touch in addition to vision. This combination creates more learning than just looking at something. This is extremely apparent in this clip.

It is most fun to watch the cause and effect learning that is taking place. The baby sees a reaction happen from touching the dogs foot. The same action is repeated to see if it will create the same result. This is how we learn! And repetition is what creates strong connections between brain cells. How valuable this learning experience is for this baby --- and what fun it is for us to watch it taking place in such a pleasurable way!!

Welcome to Early Childhood Brain Insights!

I am so glad you are here!

Do you know that you have the perfect chance to make a difference in the brain development of the children in your life or community? Isn’t it wonderful to know that all of us have that opportunity?

Did you know that 85% of a baby’s brain development will happen after birth? And do you realize that a great deal of the development will happen based on the experiences a child has in the early years?

It is my goal and passion to have everyone understand that experiences early in life have an impact on the developing brain.

The good news is brain development isn’t as complicated as it may sound.

Brain development isn’t about pushing children to learn more at early ages or having the perfect toys. It is about providing fun learning experiences and loving interactions with your child. Doesn’t it feel good when you know that in addition to physical needs, play and loving attention are the experiences a baby’s brain needs most?

Brain development can easily fit into your busy life. You just need to have ideas and information about what to do……… because children do not come with instructions.

It is my genuine hope that from this blog, my website and the materials I have produced I provide you will gain insights about brain development and as a result, experience tremendous joy with the children in your life.