Monday, August 29, 2011
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Thanks to some help from the federal government, Washington is providing more state-subsidized preschool this fall, making early education one of the few places the state budget is increasing this year.
The state preschool program is similar to the federal Head Start subsidized preschool program, but offers fewer hours each session. It also serves families with a slightly higher income — about $24,585 for a family of four.
Children typically learn their numbers and letters in the program, and some can read before they enter kindergarten, Lehrman said, adding that those who have been in the program perform better in school and are less likely to drop out.
"It's time-sensitive," Probst said. "A child doesn't get age 3 and 4 back, and the development that occurs at that moment is vital to their success in school and later in life. It has ripple effects. The positive impacts of early learning continue throughout the K-12 system and further."
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Federal-dollars-help-state-spend-more-on-preschool-2145983.php
29.8.11
Chattering classes point way to success
JOHN Munro likes to draw on a fairytale image to explain the plight of many young children who struggle to read and write. Talking and listening, he says, are literacy's ugly sisters.
This Cinderella metaphor highlights a serious issue. A simple inability to talk fluently is now recognised as a major factor in children underachieving, often with consequences that last a lifetime.
"Good language skills and the ability to communicate effectively are key foundations to students' capacity to learn," says Associate Professor Munro, head of exceptional learning and gifted education studies at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education.
He says a fifth of children start primary school with weak verbal skills, putting them at higher risk of poor performance. Yet little attention has been paid to the oral language skills of young students. Speaking and listening have not been accorded the same significance as reading, writing, spelling and counting.
"Millions of dollars has gone into literacy programs, but if we don't have an essential oral base then the literacy results are not going to be achieved," Professor Munro says. "I could make exactly the same statement for numeracy."
These shortcomings in oral language can have a long-term influence — affecting friendships, social behaviour, self-confidence and identity.
Sharon Goldfeld, a paediatrician and senior research fellow at the centre for community child health at the Royal Children's Hospital, says the language experiences children have before the age of six help to form powerful brain connections used for language and thinking.
Young children need to develop the foundations for literacy — the ability to speak, listen, understand and watch — before they can learn to read and write, she says.
"Brain development research suggests that the first few years of life is when there is a rapid amount of brain wiring happening and we know that it occurs in response to your DNA make-up as well as the environment you are growing up in, so it makes sense that if you are being spoken to more often and if you're in an environment where there's a lot of reading that it is going to improve your language," Dr Goldfeld says.
Talking, singing and reading help the brain to develop this network of connections.
TALKING TIPS
*Help children to learn new words and build a richer vocabulary. Encourage them to name items, actions and use descriptive words.
*Encourage them to talk in sentences about experiences and events, expressing what they think and feel.
*Show them how to use a broader range of sentences when they are playing with toys, listening to a story or talking with others.
*Build their listening capacity. Share stories and play games in which they need to listen, respond to information and follow instructions.
*Help them listen for and use sound patterns in words. Encourage them to rhyme words, sing and read stories that have rhyming words.
*Teach them to ask different types of questions and to use questions to learn new ideas.
*Ask them to predict what could happen next when sharing an experience such as shopping or playing, reading them a story or playing with toys.
*Ask them to retell experiences. Show them photos of experiences you have shared or videos they have seen and ask them to say what happened.
SOURCE: John Munro, University of Melbourne.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/chattering-classes-point-way-to-success-20110826-1je5n.html#ixzz1WNeruZus
This Cinderella metaphor highlights a serious issue. A simple inability to talk fluently is now recognised as a major factor in children underachieving, often with consequences that last a lifetime.
"Good language skills and the ability to communicate effectively are key foundations to students' capacity to learn," says Associate Professor Munro, head of exceptional learning and gifted education studies at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education.
He says a fifth of children start primary school with weak verbal skills, putting them at higher risk of poor performance. Yet little attention has been paid to the oral language skills of young students. Speaking and listening have not been accorded the same significance as reading, writing, spelling and counting.
"Millions of dollars has gone into literacy programs, but if we don't have an essential oral base then the literacy results are not going to be achieved," Professor Munro says. "I could make exactly the same statement for numeracy."
These shortcomings in oral language can have a long-term influence — affecting friendships, social behaviour, self-confidence and identity.
Sharon Goldfeld, a paediatrician and senior research fellow at the centre for community child health at the Royal Children's Hospital, says the language experiences children have before the age of six help to form powerful brain connections used for language and thinking.
Young children need to develop the foundations for literacy — the ability to speak, listen, understand and watch — before they can learn to read and write, she says.
"Brain development research suggests that the first few years of life is when there is a rapid amount of brain wiring happening and we know that it occurs in response to your DNA make-up as well as the environment you are growing up in, so it makes sense that if you are being spoken to more often and if you're in an environment where there's a lot of reading that it is going to improve your language," Dr Goldfeld says.
Talking, singing and reading help the brain to develop this network of connections.
TALKING TIPS
*Help children to learn new words and build a richer vocabulary. Encourage them to name items, actions and use descriptive words.
*Encourage them to talk in sentences about experiences and events, expressing what they think and feel.
*Show them how to use a broader range of sentences when they are playing with toys, listening to a story or talking with others.
*Build their listening capacity. Share stories and play games in which they need to listen, respond to information and follow instructions.
*Help them listen for and use sound patterns in words. Encourage them to rhyme words, sing and read stories that have rhyming words.
*Teach them to ask different types of questions and to use questions to learn new ideas.
*Ask them to predict what could happen next when sharing an experience such as shopping or playing, reading them a story or playing with toys.
*Ask them to retell experiences. Show them photos of experiences you have shared or videos they have seen and ask them to say what happened.
SOURCE: John Munro, University of Melbourne.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/chattering-classes-point-way-to-success-20110826-1je5n.html#ixzz1WNeruZus
28.8.11
Brain development
Neural Development
Most of the human brain’s 100 billion neurons are in place before birth. Synapses rapidly grow more numerous and dense after birth. A dense network of synapses facilitates transmission of more messages in the brain, affording better processing of cognitive, social, and emotional information.
Children need a variety of sensory experiences to help neural material develop. When children are deprived of sensory stimulation, they may exhibit developmental delays and disabilities. Certain developmental tasks appear to have sensitive periods, or stages at which exposure to certain experiences is essential to developing certain skills.
Neural synapses develop rapidly in early childhood, and prune when unused. Children benefit cognitively, emotionally, and physically from many, varied sensory experiences. More importantly, sensory deprivation can lead to cognitive and emotional problems for children.
Children benefit from interactions with sensitive, responsive adults who help them to manage strong, negative emotions. These caring relationships are particularly important in the early years.
Frequent and intense stress in early childhood is associated with cognitive and emotional problems in childhood and into adulthood. Warm, sensitive caregiving is associated with lower cortisol levels and healthier growth, social and emotional development.
http://early-childhood-education-online.org/child-development-domains/83-brain-development.html
Most of the human brain’s 100 billion neurons are in place before birth. Synapses rapidly grow more numerous and dense after birth. A dense network of synapses facilitates transmission of more messages in the brain, affording better processing of cognitive, social, and emotional information.
Children need a variety of sensory experiences to help neural material develop. When children are deprived of sensory stimulation, they may exhibit developmental delays and disabilities. Certain developmental tasks appear to have sensitive periods, or stages at which exposure to certain experiences is essential to developing certain skills.
Neural synapses develop rapidly in early childhood, and prune when unused. Children benefit cognitively, emotionally, and physically from many, varied sensory experiences. More importantly, sensory deprivation can lead to cognitive and emotional problems for children.
Children benefit from interactions with sensitive, responsive adults who help them to manage strong, negative emotions. These caring relationships are particularly important in the early years.
Frequent and intense stress in early childhood is associated with cognitive and emotional problems in childhood and into adulthood. Warm, sensitive caregiving is associated with lower cortisol levels and healthier growth, social and emotional development.
http://early-childhood-education-online.org/child-development-domains/83-brain-development.html
Public Awareness Initiative Focuses on the Importance of Early Education
BOSTON – Brain Building in Progress, a public-private early childhood education communications initiative developed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and United Way, launches statewide today to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of early years to the development of young children.
The launch of the Brain Building in Progress campaign follows the 2011 National Business Leader Summit on Early Childhood Investment held in Boston this past July. At the Summit, Jack Shonkoff, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, discussed the direct impact that a negative environment can have on a developing brain. Research shows that stable and supportive relationships, language-rich environments, and engaging interactions with
caring adults promote healthy brain architecture.
Increasing access to high quality early education and care and out-of-school programs is a key component in the Patrick-Murray Administration’s efforts to close achievement gaps and ensure all students are prepared for future success.
http://www.mass.gov/Eoedu/docs/EEC/news/2011822brainbuildinginprogress.pdf
The launch of the Brain Building in Progress campaign follows the 2011 National Business Leader Summit on Early Childhood Investment held in Boston this past July. At the Summit, Jack Shonkoff, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, discussed the direct impact that a negative environment can have on a developing brain. Research shows that stable and supportive relationships, language-rich environments, and engaging interactions with
caring adults promote healthy brain architecture.
Increasing access to high quality early education and care and out-of-school programs is a key component in the Patrick-Murray Administration’s efforts to close achievement gaps and ensure all students are prepared for future success.
http://www.mass.gov/Eoedu/docs/EEC/news/2011822brainbuildinginprogress.pdf
Early learning improves children's potential
by Laura Peterson
Last week Gov. Kitzhaber held a symposium outlining his early childhood education goals for Oregon. He pointed out that ensuring readiness for kindergarten depends heavily on factors like poverty and abuse. In addition, new research was released on how a baby's brain develops differently if it has been abused or neglected.
Science is finally catching up to what those of us in the children's mental health field have known for years and I'm thrilled that policymakers are responding.
Research also shows that investing in early childhood education and development reaps enormous benefits down the road. Investing in very early childhood development is a surefire way to create a more productive and healthy population.
I am in full support of the goals of the Oregon Education Investment Board but urge policymakers to refine their focus even more to focus on the first three years of life. Research suggests that approximately 70 percent of brain development occurs in the first three years. Waiting until these children are 4 and 5 years old means that a crucial window has closed. The earlier this investment is made, the greater the return for the child, their family, their school, their community and so on.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110827/OPINION/108270310/Early-learning-improves-children-s-potential
Last week Gov. Kitzhaber held a symposium outlining his early childhood education goals for Oregon. He pointed out that ensuring readiness for kindergarten depends heavily on factors like poverty and abuse. In addition, new research was released on how a baby's brain develops differently if it has been abused or neglected.
Science is finally catching up to what those of us in the children's mental health field have known for years and I'm thrilled that policymakers are responding.
Research also shows that investing in early childhood education and development reaps enormous benefits down the road. Investing in very early childhood development is a surefire way to create a more productive and healthy population.
I am in full support of the goals of the Oregon Education Investment Board but urge policymakers to refine their focus even more to focus on the first three years of life. Research suggests that approximately 70 percent of brain development occurs in the first three years. Waiting until these children are 4 and 5 years old means that a crucial window has closed. The earlier this investment is made, the greater the return for the child, their family, their school, their community and so on.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110827/OPINION/108270310/Early-learning-improves-children-s-potential
27.8.11
The Importance of Early Education
Brain Building in Progress, a public-private early childhood education communications initiative developed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and United Way, launches statewide today to raise the public's awareness of the importance of early years to the development of young children. Brain Building in Progress will highlight the need to provide the Commonwealth's youngest residents with high quality and enriching experiences to ensure healthy brain development. Public service announcements will air on ABC affiliates WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston and WGGB-TV abc40 Springfield beginning today through October 16. A new Web site, http://www.brainbuildinginprogress.org/, also launched today to provide resources for parents, teachers, community leaders, and the business community.
The launch of the Brain Building in Progress campaign follows the 2011 National Business Leader Summit on Early Childhood Investment held in Boston this past July. At the Summit, Jack Shonkoff, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child, discussed the direct impact that a negative environment can have on a developing brain. Research shows that stable and supportive relationships, language-rich environments, and engaging interactions with caring adults promote healthy brain architecture.
http://supportunitedway.org/press/2011/08/22/public-awareness-initiative-focuses-importance-early-education-and-care-commonwealt
The launch of the Brain Building in Progress campaign follows the 2011 National Business Leader Summit on Early Childhood Investment held in Boston this past July. At the Summit, Jack Shonkoff, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child, discussed the direct impact that a negative environment can have on a developing brain. Research shows that stable and supportive relationships, language-rich environments, and engaging interactions with caring adults promote healthy brain architecture.
http://supportunitedway.org/press/2011/08/22/public-awareness-initiative-focuses-importance-early-education-and-care-commonwealt
Learning begins at birth
Although formal schooling usually starts at the age of six, learning begins at birth. Humans are said to be born with 100 billion brain cells, which begin connecting immediately, with up to 1,000 trillion connections possible.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-08/25/c_131073279.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-08/25/c_131073279.htm
Breastfeeding offers life-long health benefits
Breastfeeding offers a list of life-long health benefits for both mom and baby, making it the best food you can give to your baby by far. Many are aware that breast milk contains antibodies, or immune molecules, that are transferred to the baby, giving her immunities to illnesses that the mother is immune to. The converse is also true -- if your newborn is exposed to a germ, she will transfer it back to the mother while nursing. The mother's body will then make antibodies to that particular germ and transfer them back to the baby at the next feeding.
So it's not just a matter of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats that makes breast milk far superior to formula. In fact, as a new study revealed, breast milk also contains substances that may significantly enhance your baby's gut and brain development.
Breastfeeding may even have a direct impact on a mother's brain, promoting 'maternal behavior' and increasing emotional bonding between the mother and child. Breastfeeding promotes the increased release of oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone" or "bonding hormone."
The more your baby nurses, the more milk you will produce! This is why supplementing with formula can be detrimental to your milk supply.
Mom needs to drink plenty of water and seek optimal nutrition while nursing -- and the beginning weeks and months are critical in the process.
You should begin nursing as soon after birth as possible, as your baby's sucking instinct will be very strong at that time, giving you the best chance of success.
[Sam's note: Breast feeding is extremely beneficial to brain development because of the frequent close interaction between mom and child. Speak to your child, sing to your child, and gently caress your child while feeding. Synapses are connected at the rate of 700 per second to form memories.]
* * * * *
Additional information: In the beginning, the milk that is produced is called colostrum -- a thick, golden-yellow fluid that is very gentle for your baby's stomach and full of beneficial antibodies.
As your baby continues to nurse, your milk will gradually change in color and consistency from thick and yellow, to thinner with a bluish-white hue. Newborns need to nurse at least once every two hours, for about 15 minutes or so on each side, but most do not adhere to any kind of strict schedule and feedings can vary in length. It is this frequent nursing that stimulates your breasts to produce increasing amounts of milk to keep up with demand.
You may want to begin planning for successful breastfeeding before your baby is even born by taking a breastfeeding class while you're pregnant. Le Leche League is a terrific resource to contact for help whether you want to prepare beforehand or find you're having trouble breastfeeding once your baby is born. But even many hospitals offer breastfeeding classes and lactation consultants who can help you.
I do encourage you to do all you can to breastfeed your baby successfully, and exclusively, for at least the first six months, ideally longer. This is one of the best gifts you can give to your child and the health benefits will last a lifetime.
http://www.llli.org/
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Opinion/Comments/baby_s_gut_and_brain_development_0826111239.html
So it's not just a matter of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats that makes breast milk far superior to formula. In fact, as a new study revealed, breast milk also contains substances that may significantly enhance your baby's gut and brain development.
Breastfeeding may even have a direct impact on a mother's brain, promoting 'maternal behavior' and increasing emotional bonding between the mother and child. Breastfeeding promotes the increased release of oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone" or "bonding hormone."
The more your baby nurses, the more milk you will produce! This is why supplementing with formula can be detrimental to your milk supply.
Mom needs to drink plenty of water and seek optimal nutrition while nursing -- and the beginning weeks and months are critical in the process.
You should begin nursing as soon after birth as possible, as your baby's sucking instinct will be very strong at that time, giving you the best chance of success.
[Sam's note: Breast feeding is extremely beneficial to brain development because of the frequent close interaction between mom and child. Speak to your child, sing to your child, and gently caress your child while feeding. Synapses are connected at the rate of 700 per second to form memories.]
* * * * *
Additional information: In the beginning, the milk that is produced is called colostrum -- a thick, golden-yellow fluid that is very gentle for your baby's stomach and full of beneficial antibodies.
As your baby continues to nurse, your milk will gradually change in color and consistency from thick and yellow, to thinner with a bluish-white hue. Newborns need to nurse at least once every two hours, for about 15 minutes or so on each side, but most do not adhere to any kind of strict schedule and feedings can vary in length. It is this frequent nursing that stimulates your breasts to produce increasing amounts of milk to keep up with demand.
You may want to begin planning for successful breastfeeding before your baby is even born by taking a breastfeeding class while you're pregnant. Le Leche League is a terrific resource to contact for help whether you want to prepare beforehand or find you're having trouble breastfeeding once your baby is born. But even many hospitals offer breastfeeding classes and lactation consultants who can help you.
I do encourage you to do all you can to breastfeed your baby successfully, and exclusively, for at least the first six months, ideally longer. This is one of the best gifts you can give to your child and the health benefits will last a lifetime.
http://www.llli.org/
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Opinion/Comments/baby_s_gut_and_brain_development_0826111239.html
25.8.11
Babies pick up complex grammar rules at 4 months, study shows
'The present data demonstrate that 4-month-old infants can extract dependencies between non-adjacent elements in sentences from brief exposure to a natural, non-native language,' the researchers conclude. 'The emergence of the sensitivity to the grammatical regularities indicates that infants extracted the dependencies within the two pairs of non-adjacent elements (i.e. the auxiliaries and the respective verb suffixes) from correct sentences they had heard during the training phases.'
'Naturally, at this age infants do not notice content-related errors,' said Professor Friederici. 'Long before they comprehend meaning, babies recognise and generalise regularities from the sound of language.'
According to the researchers, the brain activity patterns of the 4-month old German babies when exposed to errors looked more like those of adult native Italian speakers. Native German speakers who were learning Italian as a second language did not respond in the same way. According to the researchers, '[this] suggests that native learning may be restricted to a sensitive time window during development.'
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=NEWSLINK_EN_C&RCN=33234&ACTION=D
'Naturally, at this age infants do not notice content-related errors,' said Professor Friederici. 'Long before they comprehend meaning, babies recognise and generalise regularities from the sound of language.'
According to the researchers, the brain activity patterns of the 4-month old German babies when exposed to errors looked more like those of adult native Italian speakers. Native German speakers who were learning Italian as a second language did not respond in the same way. According to the researchers, '[this] suggests that native learning may be restricted to a sensitive time window during development.'
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=NEWSLINK_EN_C&RCN=33234&ACTION=D
15.8.11
Learn to Learn
"At the first visit of the week, the home visitor introduces a new book or educational toy and a related activity," Dori said. "During the second visit, the parent or caretaker takes the lead interacting with the child, and the home visitor may offer additional suggestions or activities."
The home visits stimulate parent-child communication, reading, and educational play — important elements of early childhood brain development.
"The emphasis is on verbal interaction," said Berry. "Children are not required to read, but they often do a picture-walk through the book. Families are not given homework but are encouraged to use the books and toys."
Through this ongoing interface, children begin to develop an interest in learning.
"When we start, we first develop a rapport with the children and parents or caretakers," said Pamela Nicolella, one of the home visitors. "We don't want to overwhelm them, and we don't judge them. We are there to help."
By the end of the 23 weeks, Nicolella saw significant progress with the children and families.
"The children were bringing books to me and meeting me at the door with hugs," Nicolella said. "Their attention span increases, as well as their willingness to learn. They begin to develop a vocabulary of relational words."
Zane's mother couldn't be more pleased.
"It is a great experience," Tabatha Smith said. "Pam never felt like a stranger. She has a great rapport with all the children. This program taught us that learning extends beyond books into everything we do."
http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/08/14/life/srv0000012959432.txt?viewmode=fullstory
The home visits stimulate parent-child communication, reading, and educational play — important elements of early childhood brain development.
"The emphasis is on verbal interaction," said Berry. "Children are not required to read, but they often do a picture-walk through the book. Families are not given homework but are encouraged to use the books and toys."
Through this ongoing interface, children begin to develop an interest in learning.
"When we start, we first develop a rapport with the children and parents or caretakers," said Pamela Nicolella, one of the home visitors. "We don't want to overwhelm them, and we don't judge them. We are there to help."
By the end of the 23 weeks, Nicolella saw significant progress with the children and families.
"The children were bringing books to me and meeting me at the door with hugs," Nicolella said. "Their attention span increases, as well as their willingness to learn. They begin to develop a vocabulary of relational words."
Zane's mother couldn't be more pleased.
"It is a great experience," Tabatha Smith said. "Pam never felt like a stranger. She has a great rapport with all the children. This program taught us that learning extends beyond books into everything we do."
http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/08/14/life/srv0000012959432.txt?viewmode=fullstory
12.8.11
Brain learns best through play
Brain development isn’t complicated. Children simply need adults to understand the brain learns best through positive, safe, and fun interactive experiences.
When a child is moving, is using several senses, is exploring, or tries things out in various ways, brain cells are changing and learning is taking place. A child needs to participate in activities not just watch. Research demonstrates more active brain activity during play as opposed to passive observation. The brain also needs trial and error and a lot of repetition in fun and interesting ways. All of this is provided through play.
Play also provides the opportunity to learn to get along with other people. When children play with parents or other children a lot is learned about how relationships work. This social interaction through play allows children to develop skills for self regulation. In addition, playing with others can lead to laughter.
Laughter is wonderful for the brain. Play and laughter activates the caring and thinking areas of the brain. Laughing lightens our mood through reducing the level of stress hormones affecting the brain. It provides a physical and emotional release. Laughter can also lead to creating closer connections with other people. Laughter is also contagious so we can share this beneficial brain activity with others when we are laughing.
http://www.playworks.org/blog/play-laughter-and-time-outdoors
When a child is moving, is using several senses, is exploring, or tries things out in various ways, brain cells are changing and learning is taking place. A child needs to participate in activities not just watch. Research demonstrates more active brain activity during play as opposed to passive observation. The brain also needs trial and error and a lot of repetition in fun and interesting ways. All of this is provided through play.
Play also provides the opportunity to learn to get along with other people. When children play with parents or other children a lot is learned about how relationships work. This social interaction through play allows children to develop skills for self regulation. In addition, playing with others can lead to laughter.
Laughter is wonderful for the brain. Play and laughter activates the caring and thinking areas of the brain. Laughing lightens our mood through reducing the level of stress hormones affecting the brain. It provides a physical and emotional release. Laughter can also lead to creating closer connections with other people. Laughter is also contagious so we can share this beneficial brain activity with others when we are laughing.
http://www.playworks.org/blog/play-laughter-and-time-outdoors
11.8.11
Nim Chimpsky
In the early 1970s, Columbia University psychology professor Herbert Terrace launched a radical new study into language acquisition. He took a 2-week-old chimpanzee from its mother’s arms and deposited it into a freewheeling hippie household in Manhattan, where the chimp was breastfed by a human “mother” and treated as a member of the family. The project aimed to solve the nature/nurture question once and for all: Could a chimpanzee raised as a human learn to communicate what he was thinking and feeling?
Though Nim Chimpsky, as he was named, learned more than 100 words in sign language, the project did not result in any definitive answers about language acquisition. And in its aftermath, Nim—not human, yet not fully chimp either—was essentially abandoned. Project Nim, an unsettling new documentary by James Marsh, director of the equally brilliant Man on Wire, tells the story of Nim’s life during the experiment, and in the decades that followed.
http://citypaper.com/film/em-project-nim-em-1.1186191
Though Nim Chimpsky, as he was named, learned more than 100 words in sign language, the project did not result in any definitive answers about language acquisition. And in its aftermath, Nim—not human, yet not fully chimp either—was essentially abandoned. Project Nim, an unsettling new documentary by James Marsh, director of the equally brilliant Man on Wire, tells the story of Nim’s life during the experiment, and in the decades that followed.
http://citypaper.com/film/em-project-nim-em-1.1186191
10.8.11
A child needs a strong foundation
According to research by Nobel Laureate economist James Heckman, investing in early childhood education is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve education, health and economic outcomes for participants, as well as to lower the costs to society of people dependent on social programs.
Over a lifetime, children who are exposed to high-quality early learning will be healthier, more self-sufficient and less likely to enter the criminal justice system. They’re more likely to stay in school and graduate and less likely to become teen parents. Those real cost savings add up to as much as a 10 percent annual economic return for communities.
Brain development occurs more rapidly in the first five years of life than at any other time. What young children experience – or don’t experience – during this critical period will forever affect their emotional, cognitive and behavioral development. Just as a building needs a strong foundation, so, too, does a child.
http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/commentary/Investing_in_early_learning_will_spur_economic_growth_COMMENTARY_Joan_L__Benso_08-08-2011.html
Over a lifetime, children who are exposed to high-quality early learning will be healthier, more self-sufficient and less likely to enter the criminal justice system. They’re more likely to stay in school and graduate and less likely to become teen parents. Those real cost savings add up to as much as a 10 percent annual economic return for communities.
Brain development occurs more rapidly in the first five years of life than at any other time. What young children experience – or don’t experience – during this critical period will forever affect their emotional, cognitive and behavioral development. Just as a building needs a strong foundation, so, too, does a child.
http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/commentary/Investing_in_early_learning_will_spur_economic_growth_COMMENTARY_Joan_L__Benso_08-08-2011.html
9.8.11
The brain’s real super-food may be learning new languages.
Aug 7, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
On a sweltering August morning, in a classroom overlooking New York’s Hudson River, a group of 3-year-olds are rolling sticky rice balls in chocolate sprinkles, as a teacher guides them completely in Mandarin.
This is just one toddler learning game at the total-immersion language summer camp run by the primary school Bilingual Buds, which offers a year-round curriculum in Mandarin as well as Spanish (at a New Jersey campus) for kids as young as 2.
Bilingualism, of course, can be a leg up for college admission and a résumé burnisher. But a growing body of research now offers a further rationale: the regular, high-level use of more than one language may actually improve early brain development.
According to several different studies, command of two or more languages bolsters the ability to focus in the face of distraction, decide between competing alternatives, and disregard irrelevant information. These essential skills are grouped together, known in brain terms as “executive function.” The research suggests they develop ahead of time in bilingual children, and are already evident in kids as young as 3 or 4.
While no one has yet identified the exact mechanism by which bilingualism boosts brain development, the advantage likely stems from the bilingual’s need to continually select the right language for a given situation. According to Ellen Bialystok, a professor at York University in Toronto and a leading researcher in the field, this constant selecting process is strenuous exercise for the brain and involves processes beyond those required for monolingual speech, resulting in an extra stash of mental acuity, or, in Bialy-stok’s terms, a “cognitive reserve.”
Some of the most valuable mental perks of bilingualism can’t be measured at all, of course. To speak more than one language is to inherit a global consciousness that opens the mind to more than one culture or way of life.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/08/07/why-it-s-smart-to-be-bilingual.html
On a sweltering August morning, in a classroom overlooking New York’s Hudson River, a group of 3-year-olds are rolling sticky rice balls in chocolate sprinkles, as a teacher guides them completely in Mandarin.
This is just one toddler learning game at the total-immersion language summer camp run by the primary school Bilingual Buds, which offers a year-round curriculum in Mandarin as well as Spanish (at a New Jersey campus) for kids as young as 2.
Bilingualism, of course, can be a leg up for college admission and a résumé burnisher. But a growing body of research now offers a further rationale: the regular, high-level use of more than one language may actually improve early brain development.
According to several different studies, command of two or more languages bolsters the ability to focus in the face of distraction, decide between competing alternatives, and disregard irrelevant information. These essential skills are grouped together, known in brain terms as “executive function.” The research suggests they develop ahead of time in bilingual children, and are already evident in kids as young as 3 or 4.
While no one has yet identified the exact mechanism by which bilingualism boosts brain development, the advantage likely stems from the bilingual’s need to continually select the right language for a given situation. According to Ellen Bialystok, a professor at York University in Toronto and a leading researcher in the field, this constant selecting process is strenuous exercise for the brain and involves processes beyond those required for monolingual speech, resulting in an extra stash of mental acuity, or, in Bialy-stok’s terms, a “cognitive reserve.”
Some of the most valuable mental perks of bilingualism can’t be measured at all, of course. To speak more than one language is to inherit a global consciousness that opens the mind to more than one culture or way of life.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/08/07/why-it-s-smart-to-be-bilingual.html
8.8.11
Brain architecture develops early
Until recently, almost all we knew about raising children was essentially self-taught. We have followed the example of our parents, or of the relatives or neighbors we respect, or of some best selling guru or TV super nanny. Scientists, meanwhile, have been researching brain development and they found that what doesn't develop by age 6, never will. A child's "brain architecture" is essentially complete by then.
When a child receives encouragement to solve a problem or work out the pronunciation of a word, it helps her brain grow. Children should have stimulating projects to do and stable, responsive relationships with adults to build healthy brains. This is a strong foundation for health, good behavior, and lifelong learning.
Professor James Heckman, Nobel Prize-winning economist from the University of Chicago, has dedicated his recent research to finding the most effective way to invest in our workforce. His findings show that we will have a wonderfully fruitful and productive future workforce -- if we invest in children before the age of 6!
Heckman's research shows that programs like Head Start and Early Head Start pay off two ways. First, children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn, not as problem children that cost local school districts extra expenses in special education. Second, as adults, these children earn more and are less likely to get involved in crime than their peers who couldn't attend a quality preschool. Those healthy brain pathways are there for life.
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_18628113?source=most_emailed
When a child receives encouragement to solve a problem or work out the pronunciation of a word, it helps her brain grow. Children should have stimulating projects to do and stable, responsive relationships with adults to build healthy brains. This is a strong foundation for health, good behavior, and lifelong learning.
Professor James Heckman, Nobel Prize-winning economist from the University of Chicago, has dedicated his recent research to finding the most effective way to invest in our workforce. His findings show that we will have a wonderfully fruitful and productive future workforce -- if we invest in children before the age of 6!
Heckman's research shows that programs like Head Start and Early Head Start pay off two ways. First, children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn, not as problem children that cost local school districts extra expenses in special education. Second, as adults, these children earn more and are less likely to get involved in crime than their peers who couldn't attend a quality preschool. Those healthy brain pathways are there for life.
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_18628113?source=most_emailed
7.8.11
Physical abuse damages brain development
Internationally known parenting expert Stephen Bavolek is best known in the United States and Europe for his Nurturing Parenting program. He was awarded a three-year grant in the 1980s to study the opinions and parenting approaches of parents who themselves were abused. The Nurturing Parenting Program was the end result.
Abused children so often grow up to become abusers. Abused children also are at high risk of developing addictions and resorting to criminal behavior. That's because abuse shapes not just a child's psychological makeup, but the actual chemical makeup and physical structure of their brains, Bavolek said.
"Nurturing Parenting is a philosophy and a program designed to empower human beings with empathy — by far the most important aspect of it is empathy. We're predisposed to be in long-term, nurturing relationships, and when deprived, the ‘self’ doesn't develop normally" and is unable to relate normally to others.
"It involves education on three levels — cognitive, behavioral and neurological, as in changing the way the brain functions. We know, from research done in the last 20 years, that the brain normalizes abnormal behavior. Children who were maltreated develop a brain function that says malfunction is normal. Kids who are abused develop diseased neural networks — too much cortisol and other key hormones that prohibit development of positive, normal brain chemistry," Bavolek said.
Because brain chemistry and neural structure are affected by abuse, even parents who recognize their abuse or potential for it have a tough time changing their thought patterns and behavior when stressed, he said.
And it's not just physical abuse that's dangerous. Neglect and emotional abuse can be just as destructive. Too many parents expect their children to be their caretakers, so the children learn they are powerless and unlovable.
http://www.chieftain.com/life/local/learning-to-love/article_dd9ebce6-bfd9-11e0-8c60-001cc4c002e0.html
Abused children so often grow up to become abusers. Abused children also are at high risk of developing addictions and resorting to criminal behavior. That's because abuse shapes not just a child's psychological makeup, but the actual chemical makeup and physical structure of their brains, Bavolek said.
"Nurturing Parenting is a philosophy and a program designed to empower human beings with empathy — by far the most important aspect of it is empathy. We're predisposed to be in long-term, nurturing relationships, and when deprived, the ‘self’ doesn't develop normally" and is unable to relate normally to others.
"It involves education on three levels — cognitive, behavioral and neurological, as in changing the way the brain functions. We know, from research done in the last 20 years, that the brain normalizes abnormal behavior. Children who were maltreated develop a brain function that says malfunction is normal. Kids who are abused develop diseased neural networks — too much cortisol and other key hormones that prohibit development of positive, normal brain chemistry," Bavolek said.
Because brain chemistry and neural structure are affected by abuse, even parents who recognize their abuse or potential for it have a tough time changing their thought patterns and behavior when stressed, he said.
And it's not just physical abuse that's dangerous. Neglect and emotional abuse can be just as destructive. Too many parents expect their children to be their caretakers, so the children learn they are powerless and unlovable.
http://www.chieftain.com/life/local/learning-to-love/article_dd9ebce6-bfd9-11e0-8c60-001cc4c002e0.html
6.8.11
Why 0-3?
At the Urban Child Institute, 0-3 is our priority.
With the many issues facing Memphis youth from birth to adolescence it may seem counterintuitive to concentrate so much effort on this short, early stage of life.
The fact is that during the first 3 years our brains are most wired to learn and are growing to 80 percent of their adult size.
In these years, children’s brains are twice as active as those of adults and they are soaking up the world around them, building vocabulary and learning skills and undergoing emotional and social development.
As Nobel Prize winner James Heckman has said: “Early experiences can translate into school readiness, academic success, and lifetime well-being. Success builds upon success. When more children in a community are ready to learn, communitywide levels of human and social capital rise.”
http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3
With the many issues facing Memphis youth from birth to adolescence it may seem counterintuitive to concentrate so much effort on this short, early stage of life.
The fact is that during the first 3 years our brains are most wired to learn and are growing to 80 percent of their adult size.
In these years, children’s brains are twice as active as those of adults and they are soaking up the world around them, building vocabulary and learning skills and undergoing emotional and social development.
As Nobel Prize winner James Heckman has said: “Early experiences can translate into school readiness, academic success, and lifetime well-being. Success builds upon success. When more children in a community are ready to learn, communitywide levels of human and social capital rise.”
http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3
2.8.11
Seeing and Touching
I have heard from mothers, both biological and adoptive, about the feeling of deep connection with their infant children through eye contact.
The skin and the brain both develop from the same embryonic tissue. We should think of the skin as an external brain, exquisitely sensitive to stimulation. When we stimulate the skin through touch, we stimulate brain development. In the infant, touch serves the same function as a mother bear's licking of her cub: it enhances immune function, it enlivens the bodily systems into action. Antibody production is increased, a life-long advantage conferred onto the baby. Too, touching increases the production of the growth hormone, the master hormone that regulates all endocrine functions of the body.
In the 13th century, Roman Emperor Frederich II conducted an experiment. He removed babies from their families and gave them over to nurses, who were instructed to take care of their basic needs: feeding them without holding them, bathing them without hugging them. He wanted to learn to learn what language children would speak if not exposed to a native tongue. These children in the experiment never heard speech, never heard a song or lullaby. What Emperor Frederich learned, however, had nothing to do with language. All the babies died.
In 1950, a group of psychoanalysts was commissioned by the United Nations to study the importance of the symbiotic phase of maternal love. As a result of the research conducted by psychoanalysts John Bowlby and Rene Spitz, we have precise information on the disastrous effects of the total absence of a symbiotic relationship. Their research informed us of a disease that had not yet been given a diagnostic label. The disease -- now called marasmus -- seemed to be a kind of love sickness, a withering away of the spirit and then the body due to a deprivation of maternal attention.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-g-goldberg-phd/from-symbiosis-to-separat_b_899511.html
The skin and the brain both develop from the same embryonic tissue. We should think of the skin as an external brain, exquisitely sensitive to stimulation. When we stimulate the skin through touch, we stimulate brain development. In the infant, touch serves the same function as a mother bear's licking of her cub: it enhances immune function, it enlivens the bodily systems into action. Antibody production is increased, a life-long advantage conferred onto the baby. Too, touching increases the production of the growth hormone, the master hormone that regulates all endocrine functions of the body.
In the 13th century, Roman Emperor Frederich II conducted an experiment. He removed babies from their families and gave them over to nurses, who were instructed to take care of their basic needs: feeding them without holding them, bathing them without hugging them. He wanted to learn to learn what language children would speak if not exposed to a native tongue. These children in the experiment never heard speech, never heard a song or lullaby. What Emperor Frederich learned, however, had nothing to do with language. All the babies died.
In 1950, a group of psychoanalysts was commissioned by the United Nations to study the importance of the symbiotic phase of maternal love. As a result of the research conducted by psychoanalysts John Bowlby and Rene Spitz, we have precise information on the disastrous effects of the total absence of a symbiotic relationship. Their research informed us of a disease that had not yet been given a diagnostic label. The disease -- now called marasmus -- seemed to be a kind of love sickness, a withering away of the spirit and then the body due to a deprivation of maternal attention.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-g-goldberg-phd/from-symbiosis-to-separat_b_899511.html
No confusion, no delay
The idea that children exposed to two languages from birth become confused or that they fall behind monolingual children is a common misconception, says Janet Werker, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia who studies language acquisition in bilingual babies.
"Growing up bilingual is just as natural as growing up monolingual," said Werker, whose own research indicates babies of bilingual mothers can distinguish between languages even hours after birth.
"There is absolutely no evidence that bilingual acquisition leads to confusion, and there is no evidence that bilingual acquisition leads to delay," she said.
Werker and other researchers say the evidence to the contrary is actually quite strong. Instead of holding you back, being bilingual, they say, may actually be good for you.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/04/04/25606/being-bilingual-may-boost-your-brain-power/
"Growing up bilingual is just as natural as growing up monolingual," said Werker, whose own research indicates babies of bilingual mothers can distinguish between languages even hours after birth.
"There is absolutely no evidence that bilingual acquisition leads to confusion, and there is no evidence that bilingual acquisition leads to delay," she said.
Werker and other researchers say the evidence to the contrary is actually quite strong. Instead of holding you back, being bilingual, they say, may actually be good for you.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/04/04/25606/being-bilingual-may-boost-your-brain-power/
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