WHAT ROLE DO FAMILIES
AND COMMUNITIES PLAY?
As few as twenty years ago scientist
believed that the genes we were born with wholly determined
the structure of our brains. The facts recently discovered
by neurologists and psychologists, however prove that how
children develop, learn, and grow depends on the critical
and continual interplay between nature(or genetic endowment)
and nurture(the surroundings, care, stimulation, and teachings
received). And, according to Rima Shore and the Families and
Work Institute, both of these influences are crucial.
Rethinking the Brain
| OLD THINKING |
NEW THINKING |
| How a brain develops depends on the genes you are born
with |
How a brain develops hinges on complex interplay between
the genes you're born with and the experiences you have |
| The experiences you have at a very young age have little
impact on later development |
Early experiences have a decisive impact on the architecture
of the brain and the nature and extent of adult capacities |
| A secure relationship with a primary caregiver creates
a favorable context for early childhood development and
learning |
Early interactions don't just create a context, they
directly affect the way the brain is "wired." |
| Brain development is linear: The brain's capacity to
learn and change grows steadily as an infant progresses
toward adulthood. |
Brain development is non-linear: There are prime times
for acquiring different kinds of knowledge and skills. |
| A toddler's brain is much less active than the brain
of a college student. |
By the time children reach the age of three, three brains
are twice as active as those of adults. Activity drops
during adolescence. |
Sharing books with children not only lays
the groundwork for much of the language and critical thinking
skills they will need later in life, it also helps prepare
them for many of the emotional challenges all people eventually
face. Children who have continual, healthy interactions with
nurturing caregivers become better prepared-both emotionally
and biologically-to deal with and learn from the stresses
and disappointments of everyday life.
Children seemingly placed at a disadvantage
bt "nature" offer dramatic proof of the brain's
amazing capacity to compensate in a conducive environment.
It is well documented, for example, that many children who
loose language due to a stroke at a young age often recover
the ability to speak because the young inventive brain is
able to shift this function to another area. Even in cases
of epilepsy, where it is sometimes necessary to remove the
entire side of the brain, the remaining half often begins
to work overtime-taking on many of the duties of the lost
hemisphere. According to UCLA pediatric neurologist Dr. Donald
Shields, "If there's a way to compensate, the developing
brain will find it.
The key, then is for families, teachers, and
communities to work together and start reading to children
early. According to Dr. Reid Lyon, Chief of the Child Development
and Behavior Branch at the National Institutes of Health,
most conventional intervention efforts(which begin after the
third grade) begin too late. Not that these children are beyond
help, by any means, but Lyon's research shows that reading
efforts are much more effective the earlier they are implemented.
According to his research a 12 year-old child will need between
four and five times more "intervention time" than
a 5-year-old child with similar reading problems.
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