Introduction to Early childhood Education Topic: Brain development Objectives: Identify current research on early brain developmentDiscuss the impact that the current research on brain development h

Optimizing Brain Development

Over the years brain and child development research have received a lot of attention. However, great emphasis has been placed on brain development especially as it relates to the significance of brain development on healthy development and learning. Parents, caregivers and early childhood professionals are aware of the significance of brain development in the early years and the significant role they can play in optimizing brain development.

During the first two years of life the brain undergoes rapid growth and an infant brain is more flexible than an adult brain. Brain plasticity allows it to be fine-tuned based on interaction with the environment (Martin and Fabes, 2009; Music, 2011). It has the ability to change in response to the experiences and environments. When parents and caregivers play, respond and interact with the infant, brain connections develop and as they are used strengthening takes place; however, if they are not used pruning takes place. The experiences of a child will determine which neuronal connections are maintained during synaptic pruning. It is important that positive experiences are provided.  The early experiences actually change the structure and functioning of the brain (Martin and Fabes, 2009). Many factors affect brain development such as stress, poor nutrition, drugs, and inadequate stimulation during the early periods. As a result of this, the child can have serious reduction in brain size, decrease in the number of neurons, reduction in the number of synaptic connections. All of this can lead to the child having problems in school, unable to handle stress and have poor motor and sensory functioning (Martin and Fabes, 2009). It must be noted that what happens to children in their early life can have lasting impact on how they develop and learn.

Early childhood professionals have a responsibility to use the information on brain research to promote healthy experiences that will optimize brain development. The positive experiences provided for young children can impact their lives in a way that will result in success (The Urban Child Institute, 2015). It is important for early childhood professionals to understand that children need positive experiences but they must be at the right time to optimize brain development. There are developmental windows of opportunity where it is easier for the child to learn something than at another time (Morrison, 2009). During these critical periods experiences will have the greatest effects on the child’s brain. The environment shapes the way the brain forms and the structures of the brain influence the child’s ability to learn about the world. As early childhood professionals we must ensure young children are provided with early stimulation in the form of movement and sensory experiences (Schiller, 2010). The sensory experiences must include activities that involve visual information with fine and gross motor movements. In addition, gross-motor activities along with music must be included (Deutsch, 2010). Overall children must have hand-on learning opportunities. These experiences will strengthen synapses which are the connections between the neurons.

As an early childhood educator, optimizing brain development continues to be important topic of interest to me. Learning about optimizing brain development is of great importance since it will help to shape the practices of the teachers I work with on a daily basis and in turn the lives of the children that they shape on a daily basis. Based on research in this area, I am now guided by what the early childhood environment should be like in order to strengthen brain development. This information will allow me to become more effective in helping children in their early development, which in turn will optimize learning for all children (Schiller, 2010).

References

Deutsch, D. (July/August, 2010). Speaking in tunes. Scientific American Mind, 21(3),

36-43.

Martin, L, C., & Fabes, R. (2009). Discovering child development (2nd ed.). Boston,

MA: Houghton Mufflin Company.

Morrison, G. S. (2009). Early childhood education today (11ed.). Upper Saddle

River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Schiller, P. (November/December, 2010). Early brain development research review and

update. Exchange. Retrieved from https://www.childcareexchange.com/library/5019626.pdf

The Urban Child Institute. (2015). Baby’s Brain begins now: Conception to age 3.

Retrieved from http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3/baby-and-brain