July, 1999 - Vol. XXVIII No. 1
Rites of Passage: Recognition of Growth and Change
"New Brain Research"
by Pam Deardorff and Barbara Ross
The new brain research emphasizes the importance of the first three years in a child’s life and documents how experiences during this critical time can impact a child’s future success. Key findings from the brain research include:
Beth Glascock of Oregon’s Child: Everyone’s Business (1), the state-wide counterpart of the national I Am Your Child (2) campaign, is a local contact for more information on this subject. She cites research compiled by Claudia Hedenskog from Ronald Kotulak’s book Inside the Brain (3). Kotulak’s work documents that a young child’s environment exerts a strong influence on how his or her brain will develop. Key points include the following:
The brain requires stimulation so that healthy connections are made between brain cells. From birth onward, sensory stimulation equals food for the brain. If an infant does not receive sensory stimulation from his or her caregiver and the environment, the basic connections between brain cells may become scrambled.
The brain is like a sponge. During the first three years of life there are specific "windows of opportunity" during which the connections between brain cells are made and strengthened. The connections made during the first three years lay the foundation for thinking, speech and language development, and vision. By age four, the fundamental architecture of the brain is completed.
The brain is composed of about 100 billion nerve cells. The number of connections between brain cells peaks around the first year of life, then decreases until it stabilizes around 12 years of age. According to Kotulak, there is a massive death of brain cells that occurs around the onset of puberty, although some researchers dispute the exact age that this event occurs. Connections that have not been strengthened by stimulation from the environment die off at this time. The research shows that between the first year of life and age 12, the number of brain connections can increase or decrease by 25% or more depending on a child’s environment.
The more sensory stimulation that a young child is exposed to, the more brain connections are made and the smarter the brain. Brain connections that are not reinforced by what a baby is experiencing in the world shrink and eventually die. Between four and ten years of age, the brain decides whether to keep or eliminate connections. Connections that have not been strengthened by sensory stimulation from the environment will die off. Brain cell connections, strengthened through consistent sensory stimulation from the environment, lay the foundation for school readiness and future student achievement.
How a child interacts with his environment is especially important during the critical "windows" of brain development. Research documents that continued exposure to the wrong kinds of sensory stimulation organizes the connections between brain cells into diseased networks. Damage to the connections during these critical periods is caused by exposure to negative experiences (i.e. the overwhelming effects of poverty, constant neglect, exposure to violence and abuse) and can increase a child’s risk of developing a wide variety of ills including aggression, language failure, depression, and mental heath problems.
Parents who provide a rich and stimulating environment for their child assist with the development of healthy brain connections and facilitate school readiness and future student achievement. The earlier positive stimulation is acquired, the more resistance the brain has to suffering from learning disabilities, anti-social behaviors, and some diseases.
While many researchers agree with the findings cited by Kotulak, others do not. Brain research is a relatively recent scientific field of study and new findings are constantly being documented. Although not all children are living in an ideal environment and children may be exposed to traumatic events during their early years, it is important to note that many factors working together influence how a child’s brain will develop. Children are resilient and learning occurs throughout an individual’s lifetime. Once a "window of opportunity" closes, a child can – and does – continue to learn. However, learning that corresponds to that area may not come as easily once the "window of opportunity" has passed.
The new brain research also gives parents and caregivers guidance about what children need and when they need it to help them get off to the best possible start. The following is a brief outline of these "windows of opportunity (4)."Brain cells (neurons) form.
Baby is aware of and becomes familiar with mother’s voice.
Alcohol, drugs, improper diet, or physical abuse can cause changes in the womb that
interfere with the precise timing of brain development.
Regular visits with a health care provider maximize healthy development of the baby.
Connections between brain cells (called
synapses) are constantly forming.
Babies who are held and played with regularly develop brains that are 20-30% larger than
those who aren’t.
A lack of response when spoken to may indicate a hearing problem.
Shaking a baby will damage – sometimes fatally – areas of the brain which have
not yet developed a protective covering.
The brain is fine-tuning connections,
particularly those related to vision. If these connections fail to develop properly, loss
of sight may result.
Loving interaction between baby and caregiver teaches babies that they can trust and feel
loved and respected.
Continued exposure to fear or stress can hard-wire the brain for hostility and violence.
Baby may drop an object just to watch where it falls.
The part of the brain that sorts and files
memories becomes fully functional.
Baby can recognize vowel sounds that are the basic building blocks of speech and begins to
imitate a broad range of sounds.
She knows how to respond to specific phrases – for example, will raise her arms when
she hears, "So big!"
He responds positively to other children, but may fear strangers.
Connections between brain cells develop so
quickly that the brain consumes twice the energy of an adult brain.
Emotional intelligence – the capacity to manage feelings, handle stress, feel
empathy, and form healthy relationships – begin to be wired.
Games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake stimulate memory.
Children whose caregivers talk to them frequently develop much larger vocabularies.
Babies need daily exercise to strengthen muscles and improve coordination.
The brain circuits for movement skills develop
from reaching and grasping, to sitting and crawling, then walking and climbing.
Singing, dancing or listening to music stimulates the part of the brain that is used for
mathematical reasoning.
A toddler can point to an object when it is named (like "nose," "eyes"
"bunny") and solve simple problems, like finding a toy that is hidden under a
blanket.
The child appreciates routines and security and will ask to do the same thing over and
over.
Toddlers are natural explorers. Provide an environment where it is safe to learn by trial
and error without disapproval or punishment.
Everyday interactions with your children
strengthen circuits in their brain, affecting later behavior and learning.
Language is exploding at this age. Sing, count, talk, and read, read, read to your child.
Toddlers use pretend play that shows their minds at work and often reveals feelings that
can’t be expressed in words.
Toddlers acquire "buddies" and become more independent of adults. This is a
healthy and inevitable step.
You will have to set limits, repeat them, and expect they won’t work all the time.
Think about discipline as teaching rather than punishment. Model the behavior you want.
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(1) Oregon's Child: Everyone's Business is a statewide collaboration of more than a dozen public and private organizations committed to sharing the new brain research and educating the public about the critical importance of the first three years of a child's life. For further information about OCEB, contact Beth Glascock at the Oregon Commission on Children and Families, 503/373-1570 x240.
(2) The I Am Your Child campign is a national coalition of entertainment leaders, children's organizations, elected officials, health professionals, foundations and corporations who have joined together to promote family and community involvement in young children's healthy development. For further information, visit thei website at www.iamyourchild.org.
(3) Kotulak, Ronald. (1996) Inside the Brain: Revolutionary Discoveries of How the Mind Works. (p. 4, 14, 35, 41-42, 186). Kansas City, MO: Andrews and McMeel.
(4) The information regarding the Windows of Opportunity comes from the Brain Research Exhibit created by the Oregon Commission on Children and Families. For more information about this exhibit, contact the Oregon Commission on Children and Families at 503/373-1570.
Information for this article was compiled by Pam Deardorff and Barbara Ross. Pam is co-director of the Training and Early Childhood Department at Teaching Research located on the campus of Western Oregon University in Monmouth. She has a master’s degree in early childhood education with a focus area of behavioral disorders. Pam is a volunteer member of the Oregon Child: Everyone’s Business steering committee and a frequent presenter of the brain research information. She may be reached at deardop@wou.edu. Barb is Director of Christian Education at St. Paul’s in Salem and Convener of the Diocesan Department of Christian Education. She may be reached at barbross78@hotmail.com
© 2001, Diocese of Oregon
updated 05/03/2003 16:14
contact: kylew@diocese-oregon.org