Ginkgo doesn’t seem to slow brain decline

Ginkgo doesn’t seem to slow brain decline
By IANS
December 30th, 2009

WASHINGTON - Ginkgo biloba supplements, taken by older adults for several years, did not slow down their cognitive decline, says a new study.

Cognitive decline is a decrease in the ability of the brain to perform regular functions like judgement, reasoning, memory, learning and understanding.

“Ginkgo biloba is marketed widely and used with the hope of improving, preventing, or delaying cognitive impairment associated with ageing and neuro-degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease,” the study authors write.

“Indeed, in the United States and particularly in Europe, Ginkgo biloba is perhaps the most widely used herbal treatment consumed specifically to prevent age-related cognitive decline.”

Beth E. Snitz, University of Pittsburgh and colleagues analysed outcomes from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study to determine if G biloba slowed the rate of cognitive decline in older adults who had normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

The GEM study previously found that G biloba was not effective in reducing the incidence of Alzheimer dementia or dementia overall.

However, evidence from large clinical trials regarding its effect on long-term cognitive functioning is lacking.

The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial included 3,069 community-dwelling participants, ages 72 to 96 years, who received a twice-daily dose of 120-mg extract of G biloba.

The study was conducted at six academic medical centres in the US between 2000 and 2008, with a median (midpoint) follow-up of 6.1 years. Change in cognition was assessed by various tests and measures.

“In sum, we find no evidence that G biloba slows the rate of cognitive decline in older adults,” the study authors wrote.

These findings were published in the December issue of JAMA.
Source: Health News http://blog.taragana.com/health/2009/12/30/ginkgo-doesnt-seem-to-slow-brain-decline-17705/

1st year is critical to brain growth & language development

Towards the end of the first year of life, infants show decreased sensitivity to phonetic differences not used in their native language (Werker & Tees, 1984) and increased sensitivity to the differences that are used (Polka, Colontonio, & Sundara, 2001). http://convention3.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation 0/9/4/0/5/p94052_index.html?phpsessid=b42046a0893bff2b106ae275f6a98662

The growth of language cell synapses in the brain explodes after birth and peaks out in the 8th month. (Newsweek International 15.8.2005).

All researches seem to support the theory that the sensitive period for language learning is in the first 8 months after birth. Your baby will be able to pick up the different languages he is exposed to effortlessly.

The brain grows fastest in the 1st year. This is also the sensitive period for emotional development and IQ. The growth environment for a baby in the 1st year is therefore very important. When both parents are away at work, and if the helper only feeds and changes diapers for the baby, your baby is at risk of growing up in acute deprivation of social interaction and language stimulation.

Le Beaumont's Gifted Babies program is to create a highly interactive play environment for babies to stimulate brain growth, with a chance to take part in programs run by native teachers from 5 different countries.

Does a baby need to learn 5 languages? Your baby will grow up speaking only one language, 3 or 5 languages, all at the native level, depending on his exposure in the critical early months and years! It all depends on how you would like to optimize the opportunity during the sensitive period of your baby's growth.

The Gifted Babies program is evidence based. It has built up a large number of successful cases over the past 5 years. It is in essence a brain development program. The additional languages that the child picks up is just an extra bonus.

Le Beaumont is leading the world in the application research in early brain development and language acquisition. Share this information with your friends and colleagues. Find out more at this week's Parenting Seminar on Saturday. Tel:2866 2028 (office hours) or leave a note at giftedbabies@gmail.com

The Early Learning Plan for Washington State, USA

The Early Learning Plan, even in draft form, is well thought out, comprehensive and in ways very innovative. It highlights the extensive scientific evidence that demonstrates just how crucial a child's earliest years are in terms of his or her overall development, including noting that brain development is most intensive from birth to age 3.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2010590775_guest28sheehan.html

The draft plan was delivered to Governor Chris Gregoire of the Washington State at the beginning of December 2009.

Washington University is leading in the research on early education.
How soon can babies learn?
http://kcts9.org/video/introduction-how-soon-can-babies-learn

Access to high-quality infant and toddler care

The most rapid phase of a child’s development occurs in their first (three) years of life. While the early period in children’s development is absolutely critical to their future success, it is also where public investments are lowest.

(As parents, you have a choice for your own baby - to invest or not to invest in the critical first years of rapid brain development.)

When young children lack basic nutrition in the prenatal period, (language stimulation & social interaction) during infancy and in early childhood, the effects on their brain development can be devastating and long-lasting.

Facts & Figures
By the first nine months, disparities in cognitive, social, behavioral and health outcomes are already evident, and they widen by the time the child is 24 months old.

Policy Recommendations
Improve and increase access to high-quality infant and toddler care. Source: http://www.childrennow.org/index.php/learn/early_learning_and_development/

Children Now is a non-profit organization in California. Copy and paste the web address to check the graph which shows the rapid brain growth in the first 3 years. A baby needs rich language environment and social interaction to stimulate brain growth and the development of languages during the critical period.

Looking To Make Your Baby Smarter?

Looking To Make Your Baby Smarter?
Forget the DVDs, Dad is Best for Baby Brain Development

Dec 23, 2009 – IRVINE, CA …

Over the past couple of months, there has been an uproar among parents over Baby Einstein toys and the unfounded claims that the toys will make a baby smarter. In light of this, Boot Camp for New Dads reminds parents that there is a substantiated way to raise your baby’s intelligence - through playtime with Dad.

Now celebrating their 19th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program. Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years. Today, Greg Bishop and 400 other Boot Camp Coaches conduct workshops in 44 states and the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force.

Greg Bishop, author of two books on fatherhood and the founder of Boot Camp for New Dads bcnd.org), a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, has worked with hundreds of thousands of dads over the past 19 years.

Bishop and thousands of dads (and moms) know that when it comes to raising infant intelligence, dad is the baby’s best toy. According to a recent article in Parents magazine, playtime may look like all fun, but is actually “work” to your child. In the article, Marilyn Segal, PhD, an early childhood studies program director at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale stated, “Playtime helps develop a baby's social, intellectual, language, and problem-solving skills.”

Babies grow by playing. Never underestimate the power of play and the way dads are happy to crawl on the floor and really get into playtime with their baby. For example, the skills a three-month-old learns by playing a simple game of “peek-a-boo” include observation, language, coordination, communication, exploration, problem solving, socialization, rhythm, creativity and humor. Other games work on dexterity, balance, trust, strength and timing.
http://www.prlog.org/10463741-looking-to-make-your-baby-smarter.html

Babies need rich stimulation when growing up, especially during the first year. Never let your baby grow up lying on the bed throughout the day, gazing only at the blank ceiling, while you and your spouse are away at work. Arrange a rich stimulating program for your baby, as soon as the mom returns to work after the post-natal leave. Rich stimulation makes your baby more confident, more intelligent and linguistically more gifted. Acute deprivation of stimulation during the first year can lead to retarded brain growth and language impairment. Find out more at the Saturday Parenting Seminar. Reservation: 2866 2028.

It is never too early to start.

It is never too early to start. A variety of studies show that interaction with an infant influences brain development.

Studies by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child show nurturing and stable relationships with caring adults are essential to healthy human development beginning at birth. From the prenatal period through the first years of life, the brain undergoes its most rapid development and early experiences determine whether its structure is sturdy or fragile. Spending time with your child creating these meaningful relationships will give them the skills they will need to face life's challenges.

The experts agree that healthy development depends on the quality and reliability of a young child's relationships with the important people in his or her life. These relationships not only include parents but teachers and extended family.

statesmanjournal.com Oregan
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20091223/OPINION/912230412/1049

Babies join the infants' Gifted Babies Program at around 3 months, coming 3 to 5 times a week. This highly interactive program creates rich stimulating environment for babies during weekdays when their parents are away at work and they are left at home with the helper with nothing to do. The rich stimulating environment for babies during the critical period is very important for brain growth. Babies grow up more confident, curious, attentive and more intelligent. Babies pick up a number of languages effortlessly. Find out more in the Saturday Parenting Seminar on 5/F Tower 1, Admiralty Centre. Reservation: 2866 2028.

Changing Brains: Brain Research and Language Acquisition

This 9-minute video is a gem.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMOHtSkSPfA

Congratulations to parents of the winning photos and many thanks for sharing the happy moments with us.

Le Beaumont has introduced a new recruitment system modeled on Goldman Sachs. Invest early so that you don’t have to feel sorry later on. Candidates have to go through a grueling process of interviews with the Centre Manager, with different groups of Parents and children, with fellow teachers, and finally with the Director. This is to ensure quality of teachers.

Miss Elizabeth Mudd, English in TKO, Miss Katie Taylor, English in TST, Ms Silvia Maldonado, Spanish in CWB, Miss Jeanette Constantino, Spanish in Admiralty, Ms Victoria Alliod, French in CWB, are among the first batch of teachers recruited under the new system. They are young, passionate, caring and very committed to our cause. We are expanding and recruiting also from the Oxford University, with an offer to pay off 50% of their student loan on completion of 2 1/2 year contract.

Booster sessions for the same language in the same week produce impressive results. Enjoy 50% discount for booster sessions during the Christmas school holidays and in the first quarter of 2010!

Rock-a-bye baby ...

All parents, whether they are musically-inclined or not, have certainly sung various songs to their children. We sing to soothe a crying baby, to rock him to sleep, to entertain and interact with him. Research has shown that singing, in actual fact, benefits the brain.

According to Kidshealth.org, a parenting website, "children who grow up hearing music, singing songs, and moving to the beat are enjoying what experts call ‘a rich sensory environment’. That’s just a fancy way of saying a child is exposed to a wide variety of tastes, smells, textures, colours, and sounds".

Researchers believe this forges more pathways, or neural connections, between the cells in their brains.

When children sing and move to music, both the left and right hemisperes of their brains are activated, stimulating learning and memory. A simple example will be the Alphabet Song – by singing it a number of times, children can memorise the entire alphabet with ease and enjoyment.
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=41543 Wed, 23 Dec 2009

The first year is crucial to brain development. Leaving your baby behind at home with a helper doing nothing is not an option. The Gifted Babies Program creates a highly interactive program of songs, games, stories and interaction with other babies, stimulating the healthy development of the brain and the learning of the key speech sounds. The contrast is big. The outcomes are obvious.

Mind-reading brain implant could allow paralysed to turn their thoughts into instant speech

A revolutionary new device that reads a person's thoughts and turns them into speech could soon change the lives of paralysed patients around the world.

The Neuralynx System is being developed by a team of scientists led by Professor Frank Guenther at Boston University.

Users will simply have to think of what they want to say and a voice synthesizer will translate the thoughts into speech almost immediately.

They provide our first insight into how neurons in the brain represent speech.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1237794/Mind-reading-brain-implant-allow-paralysed-turn-thoughts-instant-speech.html#ixzz0aWRbdp6n
23rd December 2009

This is yet another piece of evidence that our speech is related to neurons in the brain. We believe that a voice recognition system is developed in the first 8 months after birth. This is the best time to learn foreign languages. Sounds which have been programmed into the system can be produced. Sounds which have not been programmed into the system cannot be produced.

The Gifted Babies Program is based on a 5-country world tour of songs, games, stories and activities conducted in the language of the host country. Children who have gone through this program grow up more sociable, curious, intelligent and highly gifted in languages. They can speak English, Putonghua and other languages with the full details of a native speaker.

語言障礙 預防勝於治療

今天無線電視台星期二檔案，介紹一對夫婦，開店賣朱古力，用利潤支持一間為語言障礙孩子，提供免費言語治療的中心，赤子童心，令人敬仰。

語障是可以避免的發育問題。語障是腦語言細胞發育不全，未能建立完整的辨音系統，無法正常處理語音訊息。隨著教育普及，高教育的父母，雙雙均有自已的事業，嬰兒在首八個月語言細胞發育高峰期，往往在嚴重缺乏和人溝通、嚴重缺乏語言環境下長大，導致發育不全。語障在英國、美國、香港等富裕社會，已愈來愈普遍。

香港大學兒科曾於2005年就362名嚴重語障孩子進行研究，發現家有外佣的孩子，語障風險高70%，父母在家裡說多於一種語言的孩子，語障風險高200%。是因為混淆而引起語障？但為什麼兩族通婚的孩子，雙語流利，星加坡、瑞士、北歐等多語地區，孩子不但沒有混淆、出現語障，語言水平更遠超單語國家？

高收入(有外佣)、高教育(母語外並精通英語)的父母，雙雙各有自已的事業，工作時間長，對嬰兒的時間小。嬰兒出生後首半年語言發育高峰期，孩子在嚴重缺乏語言環境、缺乏語言刺激的環境下長大，語言細胞神經末稍無法連線，無法建立辨音系統，形成語言障礙，及低智商。(請參考16.12.09網誌 Harvard Medical School study: children in Romanian orphanages had lower IQ)

嬰兒成長，一方面需要營養，更需要一個良好的成長環境。溫馨、及豐富的語言環境，刺激語言細胞神經末稍的連線，語言及其他的感官刺激，刺激腦部發育，令嬰兒更聰明。

外佣少與嬰兒談天，家裡嚴重缺乏語言環境。物以類聚，生物只能通過和同類接觸而學習，不能通過電視、影碟學習。(請參考2.12.09網誌 Baby Einstein, the best selling baby DVD in US)

如父母均需外出工作，應早日參加東山語言中心的『資優兒培訓計劃』，安排外佣每天抱嬰兒參加中心活動，每週起碼3次，最好是每日一次。父母放假的日子，應多和孩子玩耍、談心，唱兒歌，不必參加中心活動。正如已有母乳的日子，不需再喂奶粉。

『資優兒培訓計劃』，在父母上班的時候，提供互動和豐富的語言環境。這是一項經一萬小時研究、已累積5年經驗，証明非常成功的計劃。參加這計劃的孩子，長大後特別聰明，外語能力特別強，面試時佔盡優勢。

如你有好友有初生嬰兒或快張臨盤，這段訊息，會是最寶貴的聖誕禮物。請把 link 電郵給她。

Positive experiences and environments are critical to their healthy development.

Recent research on the brain development of young children demonstrates that positive experiences and environments are critical to their healthy development. This raises the question about how best to promote the cognitive, social and emotional development for children.

A baby's brain is only 40 percent developed at birth, so brain growth during the early years is very robust. In the first month alone, the connections between the 100 billion brain cells have increased 20-fold to about 1,000 trillion.
Linda Craven: Early experiences have lifelong impact on child's brain
Statesman's Journal, Oregan. December 20, 2009
Linda Craven of Silverton is the program chair and faculty member of the Early Childhood Education department at Chemeketa Community College.

The massive neuron in a baby's brain sets the stage for wiring (learning) to take place upon stimulation from human interaction. Playgroups provide positive experiences and environment for babies to grow up.

Harvard Medical School study: children in Romanian orphanages had lower IQ

An ongoing Harvard Medical School study called the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, has shown that children in Romanian orphanages had significantly lower IQs (65 versus 103) than children living in the community.

Those living in orphanages also have a much higher rate of mental illness than those living in the community, the study also shows.

Those placed in foster families made dramatic recoveries in mental health and language acquisition - but the success rates were significantly diminished for those who were older than two when they were put into the foster homes.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav121409b.shtml Dec 14, 2009

This adds to evidence on the importance of human interaction, stimulation and a rich language environment during the first 2 years after birth. Our research shows that the first 6 months after birth is critical to brain and language development.

Our Gifted Babies program is a brain development program for babies from high income highly educated families during weekdays when both parents are away at work. Many babies are brought up in acute deprivation of interaction with people and language stimulation, akin to babies in orphanages.

The program mimics a round the world tour. A group of babies of similar age join an arm chair tour. A local guide, i.e. the native teacher, will organize singing, exercising and story sessions with the babies in the host language. The group moves on to another country the next day, and the day after. The 5-country tour repeats on a weekly basis, with different themes, but often familiar songs which babies love to hear.

The Gifted Babies program expose young children to the sounds and culture of different countries. This stimulates the massive wiring of brain synapses. Babies become more responsive, more curious and more intelligent. The languages they pick up so effortlessly is just an added bonus.

By the age of two, Beaumont babies are confident, elogquent and can speak the 5 languages they learn with as much details as a native speaker. When they attend interviews in English for kindergarten admission, they are often asked this question:
"Have you come back from abroad?"
"Why?" Parents sometimes ask.
"How come your child speaks English so well?" The teacher wonders.
Early exposure to native English speakers does make a lot of difference.
Same applies to Putonghua, and other languages.
Why not make the best use of the opportunity when your baby is still growing up?

Babies learn from interaction with the same species

Babies learn from interaction with the same species, not through TV or DVD. This has been confirmed by two important researches conducted by the Washington University in 2003 and 2007. Many research shows that TV is bad for babies below 2 years of age.

The initial months after birth are crucial to brain and language development. Your baby needs rich language stimulation during this period.

Research in North Carolina Univeristy from 1972-2007 proves that early language training boots IQ.

Babies from high income highly educated families are at higher risk as both parents are likely to have their own careers. Research shows that babies brought up under acute deprivation of interaction with people often suffer from retarded brain growth and language impairment, irrespective of the good genes they inherited from their parents.

Knowledge is power. Update your knowledge base from the Saturday Parenting Seminar at our Admiralty Centre. Reservation: 2866 2028.

Happy 55th Anniversary!

QES celebrates its 55th Anniversary! The school has produced a number of King Edward Scholars who are the Top Student of the Year in School Certificate Examinations.

Dr. Arthur Hinton was the Principal who succeeded Mr. CHEUNG Wai Fung, Founding Principal of QES. He is a legendary figure at 89 years of age, a pioneer in promoting an all-round education through extra curricular activities and service to community, a mentor to so many of us throughout the past half a century. Dr. Hinton is an Advisor to Le Beaumont. He advises us to look for teachers with passion, empathy and commitment rather than just paper qualification.

Le Beaumont would like to dedicate its rediscovering the learning of languages to all parents and to all children, especially babies to be born in 2010. Bring your baby to Le Beaumont after the first month, 40 minutes a day, Monday to Friday, and expose your baby to native teachers in 5 languages. Your baby will grow up with higher EQ, IQ & LQ. By the 2nd year, your baby will be able to speak to speak 5 languages like a native speaker, not only in English, but also in Putonghua, French, Spanish and Japanese!

Babies are better at learning languages than adults. Babies learn better & faster. But why? How? What is the process involved? How can you help to maximize the language potential of your baby? Come and share 10,000 hours of research on early brain development and language acquisition in the Parenting Seminar to be held every Saturday from 10 - 11:30 a.m. and from 2 - 3:30 p.m. at Admiralty Centre. Reserve your seat early. Tel: 2866 2028.

Research Links Early Exposure to Language in Babies to Easier Acquisition of the Language as Adults

Tue Dec 8 14:43:55 2009 Pacific Time

NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- Most scientists agree that the earlier you expose a child to a language, the easier it is for that child to learn it.

California State University, Northridge assistant professor of psychology Janet S. Oh wanted to take that concept a step further. She wondered whether early experience with a language - say before the age of one - can still help an adult many years later to acquire that language more easily that an individual who has not had such early exposure.

"Early indications are that it does," said Oh, who published the results of her pilot study in the latest issue of the Journal of Child Language.

Oh's pilot study compared 12 adults adopted from Korea by U.S. families as young children to 13 participants who had no prior exposure to Korean. All but one of the 12 adopted Koreans were brought to the U.S. prior to age one. Because their adoptive families were European Americans, the adopted Korean adults had little to no exposure to Korean after adoption. Oh wanted to find out whether relearning can aid in accessing early childhood language memory.

All 25 participants in the study were recruited and tested during the second week of the first semester of college Korean language classes. They completed a language background questionnaire and interview, a childhood slang task and a Korean phoneme identification task. Phonemes are the smallest contrastive units in the sound system of a language.

"The results revealed an advantage for adopted participants in identifying some Korean phonemes, suggesting that some components of early childhood language memory can remain intact despite many years of disuse, and that relearning a language can help in accessing such a memory," Oh said.

Oh had a suspicion that the adopted adults might have had some advantage in learning Korean as adults, but she didn't expect the results she got.

"The average age of adoption was five months, so we really weren't sure what the study would find," she said. "They were infants when they came to the United States so they weren't even speaking yet, and all exposure to Korean language and culture was pretty much cut off. Yet, when they started studying Korean as adults they clearly mastered learning the sounds that make up the language much easier than those who never had exposure to the language."

Oh said she chose Korean in part because the sounds that make up the language are so different from English. The distinctions between the speech sounds initially can be quite difficult for non-native speakers to hear, much less produce.

[This is yet another piece of scientific evidence to confirm Le Beaumont's Gifted Babies Program. The first piece of evidence we have was that a 65 year old student of ours were able to recognize the basic sounds of Putonghua he was exposed to as a baby. The 2nd piece of evidence was that a 29 year old student of ours was not longer able to recognize the basic sounds of Putonghua without any exposure as a baby. If you want your child to learn English and Putonghua well, start as early as possible, as a baby. The same principle applies to other key languages in the world. Le Beaumont Language Centre is leading the world in the R & D of early brain development and language acquisition. Come to the Saturday Parenting Seminar to share 10,000 hours of research for free. It may change the whole future of your child.]

英語宜從幼時學

日文老師 Mika，在東山任職已有半年，將於下月回日本，離開東山。

『學外語最難是發音準確。發音出錯，人家根本不知道你想說什麼。』
『對呀！日本人覺得說英語很困難。』

『從你的教學經驗來說，幼兒和成人比較，誰對聲音的模仿力強？』
『幼兒！』

『如果要英語說得好，什麼方法最有效？』
『可能真的要參加東山語言中心的嬰幼兒培訓計劃，自幼學起。』

『學生中有成功例子嗎？』
『成功的例子很多：不到一歲的嬰兒，已明白日語說的指示；
一個一歲兩個月的學生，只學了兩個月，日語單字說得很準確。』

『東山和妳以前任職的學校有什麼不同？』
『第一是東山的學生起步早，成效很好；
第二是東山在硬件和軟件上肯投資，學習環境好；
第三是老闆和同事非常好，孩子很可愛，很聰明；
第四是東山重視理論、研究和教學成績，質素很高。』

『在東山做得開心嗎？』
『做得非常開心，希望日後有機會再合作。』

熱愛工作、美食的人感到最幸福 Happiness Index Rises

根據嶺南大學最新的幸福指數調查發現，不太注重金錢，但熱愛工作和美食的受訪者覺得較幸福，而女性和收入較低的受訪者也較覺得快樂。

最喜歡工作的受訪者，幸福程度最高，有77分；而喜愛美食和烹飪的受訪者則排第二，有74.1分。

東山語言中心老師的入職條件，是要喜歡孩子、喜歡這份工作，而孩子全是開心果，東山的員工，幸福程度應有78分。

The latest Hong Kong happiness index has risen marginally overall as the financial crisis has eased, according to Hong Kong happiness index.

The Lingnan University poll surveyed 828 people aged 21 and above in November, 2009 in which respondents were asked to rate their happiness on a scale of zero to 100.

It found that women were happier than men. Overall, the happiness level was 70.6, slightly higher than last year’s 69.3 and the second rise in a row from a low of 67.2 in 2007.

Setting people’s favourite activities against their happiness level, the pollsters found people who liked their jobs best were the happiest, scoring 77, followed by those who liked food and cooking at 74.1.

The lowest, 62.7, comprised people who love investment and making money most.

The happiness index for those with a monthly household income of less than HK$10,000 was up 5.7 per cent, while for those on HK$10,000 to Hk$19,999 it was up 8.2 per cent. - HKIHRM News Digest

How soon can babies start?

How soon can babies start? This is the question put forward to leading psychologists at the Washington University.

Your baby starts picking up the sounds when you talk to him on the first day of birth. Talking to your baby is very important. It stimulates his brain growth, the wiring of synapses and the formation of the voice recognition system.

If you have go to work, make sure to arrange your helper to bring your baby to Le Beaumont, an hour a day, Monday to Friday, so that your baby can be brought up in a rich stimulating environment for brain growth and language development.

Acute deprivation of language stimulation during the critical growth period in the first year can lead to retarded brain growth and language impairment.

For details of the Washington U interview, go to -
http://kcts9.org/video/introduction-how-soon-can-babies-learn
Saturday Parenting Seminar at Admiralty (free): Tel:2866 2028

Babies learn fast and learn well

Just want to share with you another happy news from us. Today, we heard
Jasmine (almost 22 months old) sings a putonghua song "小鴨子" at home. My maid told me that she learned that song a few times and could manage to sing the whole song! She has a very good memory and we are all very amazed! Thank you once again for Ms Zheng's teaching.

四十年後網上重逢

很偶然之中, 在網上看到一則有關你的新聞, 真沒想到相隔差不多四十年之後, 會在新科技幫助之下,有你的消息, 真的很高興！很高興！

當年住在秀茂坪26座7樓, 不知你還記得否？我移民到法國已有34年了, 現下我們一家定居在巴黎, 兒子都成家搬出了。

你呢！近況如何！希望會收到你的回音。祝你和你的家人安好！


當然記得當年上一層樓那位年青漂亮的女孩！也記得你們婚後移民法國的事。移民是很大的挑戰。移民勤奮向上，不怕艱苦，是經濟的重要動力。香港、上海、巴黎等大城市，原居民不多，是移民的血汗，成就了現在的繁榮。

我在香港政府工作了37年，大部份時間做開山霹石，推動改革的工作。
70年代推動勞資和解，推動企業協商和成立公積金。
78年，我是第一個訪問南韓的香港官員，並訪問日本等亞洲多國。
84年地鐵全線罷工，解決後，在我的建議下，董事局加入了人事部。
85年推動環保，在屯門推出第一個廢紙收計劃。
88年組織勞資關係節，召開全港管理層千人大會，提升人事部地位。

92年受命用7億元創立僱員再培訓局，我放棄先進國家以技術培訓主導的模式，定位為應變能力的軟技能訓練，並積極邀請僱主和民辦機構的參與，成立地區的顧問小組，協調培訓和就業，並把權力下放，由兩百多個大、小的培訓中心，不斷探討市場的需要，設計不同的課程。創新的模式，把培訓成本節省了百份之九十，把就業率提升了五倍。94年國際經濟合作及發展組織(OECD)評為全球最成功的再培訓計劃，96年獲亞洲管理大獎。97年路過巴黎，OECD教育及培訓的最高負責人，邀請我和麗玲到他家吃晚飯，是最高規格的接待。

04年有見於數十萬學生學英語學得那麼苦澀，並影響畢生的前途，決定提前退休，打算用十年時間，把研究和教學結合，破解語言學習之謎。5年來投入超過一萬小時的研究，和實踐的考驗，取得了重要的突破，每週六和家長分享育兒最新的知識。這幾年來，能親自看到一批又一批幼兒，受惠於新的知識，出色成長，樂觀自信，好奇好學，反應敏捷，能說多國語言，發音標準，並一一一進了最好的學校。看到孩子成才，比什麼都高興。

在法國的這幾十年，是怎樣過的？有哪些難忘的事？請向家人問好！

Finland leads the world in education

Mr. Rajakangas, Consul General from Finland, introduced his deputy, Ms Korhonen, to me at lunch at the Jockey Club. We are planning to launch a Finnish language course shortly at Le Beaumont Language Centre, and to introduce the cutting-edge Gifted Babies program to Finnish parents with young babies to learn Putonghua and Japanese.

The Gifted Babies program incorporates the latest research findings in neurology studies and in early language acquisition. Babies in their first 15 months are only interested in sounds and rhythms, not in words or sentences. Exposure to more languages in infancy enhances the voice recognition system for life. And when they need to learn the language in higer studies or in business, they will be able to pick up the foreign language so much better and easier.

Finland is a great country, so innovative, with so much emphasis on education, on the value of people and on technology. Finland leads the world in education. There is so much for us to learn.

Baby Einstein, the best selling baby DVD in US

Research conducted at Washington U in 2003 and 2007 confirmed that babies did not learn from the screen. Exposing babies to the screen can lead to attention problems.

Babies learn through human interaction, through games, songs, or simply evedropping on parents' dialogues.

In the 1st 15 months, babies are very interested in speech sounds. He is also interested in all the human interaction that goes with the sounds, which stimulates brain growth and the development of EQ, IQ & LQ.

The Voice Recognition System (VRS) can be comparable to an amplifier in a Hi-Fi system. The VRS is built in the 1st 8 months after birth. The amplifier is the most expensive component in a Hi-Fi system. An ordinary one, at say HK$3,000, will be able to pick up a song and the tune, but you will not be able to recognize the singer.

I was the Officiating Guest in an international Hi-Fi exhibition in HK in 2008 and had the fortune of being shown to the most expensive amplifier in the world. It costed HK$6M! But after hearing the demonstration, wow, it was worth every dollar! It could pick up the details of every instrument in the orchestra!

So what happens to the Voice Recognition System of your child? It is worth $6M in the first 8 months. But unless you can build up massive wiring of the language synapses during this critical period, all redundant synapses will be pruned away in droves after the 9th month. The value drops like the shares of Dubai World, from $6M to $0.6M, to $0.06M.

Even in the best scenario, you would never be able to wire all the language synapses in the brain because there are too many of them, hundreds of billions. We can try to make as many connections as possible if your baby can join the Gifted Babies program in the 2nd or 3rd month after birth.

Your baby will join a 1-hour tour from Monday to Friday, a country a day, 40 times in the first year, and another 100 times in the 2nd and 3rd year. Your child will be able to pick up all the details in the sounds of the 5 key languages in the world. Your child will be able to speak with as much details as a native speaker, and hence speaks like a native speaker, in all the 5 languages, for as long as he lives! And with all the extra exposure and stimulation during the first 3 years, your child will have much better EQ, IQ & EQ.

I met a Jewish friend in a dinner last year. After reading my name card, he told me that he had a friend in US who said that he was willing to pay half a million dollars, US dollars of course, to anyone who can fix his English. I told him that fixing the English is not a problem, but his friend would have to come much much earlier next time, i.e. within the first 3 months after birth.

But let us come back to what used to be the best selling DVD in the US, Baby Einstein DVD. Here is an update from CBS News. Copy and paste the following path to the space for URL on the top of the page and click "enter".

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/24/business/main5417254.shtml

Julia and Juliet

Julia and Juliet is a good movie, warm, light hearted, and touching. Two stories spanning half a century is intertwined with each other. The modern one starts with a blog, with all the aspiration, enthusiasm and frustration when you are speaking to the void.

But a blog gives you a chance to put your thoughts in writing and share them with people you have never met. It is like an open diarly. Very often, it is a prelude to a book.

Isabel called me from Shenzhen. Austin, his 6-year old son, won a national competition in English solo verse speaking! He and his brother Eddie, 2 years his junior, have studied Spanish and are now thoroughly enjoying themselves in Japanese.

Children grow up very fast. There is a generic clock in our body. Doing the right thing at the right time would produce the best result. Early years are definitely for languages and play, which in turn stimulate brain growth.

What is in life? For the pursuit of happiness. Empathy, respect for other people, and learning how to get along with people make us happier. That is why we learn greetings in Le Beaumont.