The Amazing Developing Brain

1. The Amazing Developing Brain Presented by Pat Wolfe, Ed.D. LACOE Transitional Kindergarten Conference May 1, 2014

2. How the Brain Works What are some of the common neuromyths concerning the brain?

3. The brain is covered with a thin layer of cells called the neocortex. (Latin for “new bark”)

4. Vascular System of the Brain You can go 30 days without food, a week without water but only 4 or 5 minutes without oxygen!

5. PET Scan Brain imaging techniques allow us to see which areas of the brain control various functions.

6. The Lobes of the Brain Each lobe is covered with cortex…visual cortex, auditory sensory cortex and association cortex.

7. Two Types of Long-term Memory 1. Procedural Memory (Best rehearsed by repetition) Processes that have been practiced or repeated to the extent that they have become automatic. Driving a car, writing, reading, typing, throwing a pass in football, walking, playing the piano, etc.

8. Two Types of Long-term Memory 2. Declarative Memory (Best rehearsed with elaboration.) Semantic Episodic Our life experiences: Specific events and emotions connected with these events. (Reconstructed over time, recall not necessarily accurate.) Our general knowledge: Language, people, places, faces, concepts, facts. (Independent of context, acquired by learning.

9. Planning for Procedural Memory • Carefully plan and practice the routines and procedures you will use in your classroom • Repetition is necessary to get these skills and habits to the automatic level. • When routines and procedures become automatic, discipline problems are greatly reduced.

10. Brain Cells • The brain is composed of two types of cells… • Neurons – the basic functional unit of the nervous system • Glial cells (neuroglia) – provide support and bring nutrients to the neurons

11. The 100 billion neurons communicate with one another at junctures called synapses.

12. What is Learning & Memory? • Learning is the act of making (and strengthening) connections between thousand of neurons forming neural networks or maps. • Memory is the ability to reconstruct or reactivate the previously-made connections. • Neurons that fire together, wire together!

13. Neurogenesis(Growth of Neurons) • During the 9 months of fetal development, neurons grow at the rate of 250,000 per minute. • At birth the brain has approximately 100 billion neurons and weighs about 1 pound. By one year it has doubled and by age 5 or 6 it is 90% of its adult size and weight • What causes this tremendous growth in such a short time? (Hint: It’s not more neurons.)

14. Answer: Growth of Connections(Synaptogenesis) Cerebral cortex neurons in a newborn and a two-year-old.

15. Synaptogenesis and Pruning • Between the second month in utero and the age of two, each neuron in the cortex forms an average of 1.8 synapses per second. At this point the brain begins to prune away large numbers of connections. • Which connections remain, and which are pruned, depends on whether or not they are used. • Experience literally changes the brain!

16. Neuroplasticity • When children are born, they can hear the sounds of 6000 languages. However, very early the neural connections representing the sounds that have been reinforced remain and the others wither away. • What do you think would happen in the brain of a person born blind? • Plasticity is a feature of the brain throughout an individual’s lifetime, however, young brains are much more plastic than adult brains.

17. Mirror Neurons • Our brains actually practice what we watch others doing! (looking up…yawing…crossing arms) • Within hours after birth, newborns begin to imitate faces of adults around them. • Mirror neurons are found in Broca’s area…a language area of the brain. • Listening to speech activates tongue muscles and aids in learning to speak.

18. Mirror Neurons • Children “catch” their sense of security and self worth from parents and caregivers. • Teachers can positively or negatively influence children’s learning and well being. • Positive – optimism, encouragement, smiles, patience • Negative – disapproval, prejudice, biases,

19. The Developing Brain • There are two factors that determine how the brain develops…. • Genesare the building blocks. • Some genes are determinants. • Some genes are predispositions.

20. The Developing Brain 2. Environment - the on-the-job foreman. The environment provides the instruction for the final construction of the brain. The brain gobbles up the external environment through its sensory system and then reassembles the digested world in the form of trillions of connections which are... Constantly growing or dying , becoming stronger or weaker.... Depending on the richness of the banquet. (Adapted from Kotulak’s Inside the Brain, 1997.)

21. Genes & Environment as Partners Genes and the environment work closely together during the first three to four years to form a healthy brain. It is during these years that the foundations are laid down for: * vision * language * vocabulary * intellectual development * emotional development

23. Myelin…. is a fatty substance (a type of glial cell) that coats axons and speeds the electrical impulse.

24. Why Myelin?(The Case for Differentiation) Myelination appears to determine the critical periods or “windows of opportunity” for proper development of neural pathways. If the necessary stimuli aren’t available or if certain skills remain unused during these periods, the pathways may not develop properly and the potential for those skills may never be developed.

25. Transitional Kindergarten • It bridges the path between preschool and kindergarten. • It provides the gift of time that will help students build a strong foundation for future success. • But it needs to be developmentally appropriate. • Do not push down the Kindergarten curriculum!

26. Endangered Minds Author Jane Healy contends that many of our children's minds are endangered because they are living in a "language deprived" environment. 1. Many children are not talked to or read to or encouraged to interact verbally. 2. Children watching television aren't personally involved with language. 3. Majority of babies born in U.S. are placed in full time day care within a year. In many day care centers there is little interactive talk.

27. Talk, Talk, Talk • Remember the mirror neurons! • The child is watching your mouth, your tongue and your teeth as you pronounce the words. • The environment influences how fast and how well a child learns to speak and eventually to read.

28. Read, Read, Read • Reading to children is one of the most important jobs in which parents and teachers engage! • Even before they begin to read, they are learning “bookness;” which is right side up, how to turn pages, that we read words, not pictures, etc. • Children like to listen to the same books over and over. Why?

29. Songs and Rhyme • Music and language are intertwined. • Nursery Rhymes are the child’s first phonics lessons. (which words sound alike and which ones do not) • Use simple rhythms using musical instruments such as rhythm sticks, bells, triangles, maracas, etc. • Use commercial songs or make up your own.

30. Research Findings Regarding Media • Media = TV, computers, mobile phones, tablets, newspapers, magazines • Kids are growing up in a very different world. • Media are powerful, far more than most people realize. • Media affect everyone and can have both positive and negative effects.

31. Basic Statistics The average America household with children has 4 TVs, 3 VCR/DVD players, 2 video game consoles, and 2 computers with an Internet connection. 30% of 0-3 year-0lds, 43% of 4-6, 71% of 8-17 have TVs in their bedrooms. Ron Gentile, University of Iowa

32. A Week in the Life of an American School-Age Child Alone with father 0.5 Alone with mother 2.5 Home work 4.0 Reading (non-school) 0.5 Computer (non-school) 10.0 Video Games 9.0 Watching TV 31.0 Children spend more time in front of electronic screens than any other activity except sleeping! Gentile, 2013

33. Does media have any positive impact on learning? Some TV (Mr. Rogers: Neighborhood) teach nurturance, sympathy, task persistence, empathy, obedience, cooperation, and imagination. Some computer games (BrainWare Safari) enhance cognitive skills. Some computer games (Between the Lions) teach reading and counting skills. Many other TV, computer and video games teach reading, math and other academic skills.

34. What are the negative effects of media? • Watching Baby Einstein videos actually decreases babies’ language development. • Watching violent TV and/or playing violent video/computer games results in: • increased meanness, aggression and violence towards others, • increased desensitization, callousness and apathy towards others, • increased fearfulness, mistrust • increased self-initiated behavior to see more violent material. • Violence is not just hitting; it can be relational as well.

35. Key Developmental Tasks of Early Childhood ( 2 ½ - 5 )Years Learning behavior, self-control and compliance with rules. Learning emotional self-control. Learning gender roles and stereotypes. Can you think of any media that might assist in developing the tasks necessary for healthy lifestyles in this age group?

36. Intellectual Development The I Q’s of children born into poverty, or of those who were premature at birth, can be significantly raised by exposure to toys, words, proper parenting and other stimuli.

37. Abecedarian Project Craig and Sharon Ramey, exposed a group of impoverished inner-city children (beginning as young as 6 weeks) to an enriched environment, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. A control group received no intervention other than nutritional information for parents.

38. Results............IQs of children in this group were significantly higher than in the control group....15 to 30 points higher! At 12 years of age, the benefits of the early intervention endured. “The bottom line is that we now have clear and strong evidence that if we begin early intervention in the first years of life, we can prevent a very substantial amount of mental retardation and developmental disabilities.” Craig Ramey, quoted in “Inside the Brain” by Ronald Kotulak

39. Notes from Bruce Perry * We are social animals. We have no natural body armor to protect us. Our connections with other people is our protection. * The brain is created....the product of learning. We don’t just learn geography, we learn how to read the context...how close to stand to someone, how long to maintain eye contact, etc.

40. Notes from Bruce Perry • * The brain is not fully functional at birth; it is tremendously malleable. The experiences of childhood determine its potential. • * Consistent relationships are necessary. The child who has never been loved will not know how to love. • * Healthy children are not just bright; they are attached, productive members of society.

41. Social/Emotional Development • Young children need to form loving attachments to parents and care givers. • They need to be held, cuddled, talked to, sung to, and provided a safe, happy environment. • You are a model for these children; they will copy your social and emotional behaviors.

42. The Impact of Neuroplasticity can be Negative Romanian Orphan Brain & Normal Brain at 3

43. Normal & Neglected Brains

44. Additional Factors Affecting Early Brain Development • Exercise – Research shows that exercise increases oxygen to the brain. It also releases a growth hormone (BDNF). BDNF is sometimes called Miracle Gro for the brain. • Sleep – Consolidation of learning takes place when we are sleeping. Young children need 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night. • Nutrition – A quality diet enhances the working of the brain. It should include fruits, vegetables, milk, fish and nuts.

45. Aside from parents, teachers have more influence on our culture than any other group. Dr. Bruce Perry

46. The better we understand the brain, the better we’ll be able to educate it.