Missouri Humanities Council e-News | April 2009 | View Online  

Growing the Brain of a Young Child

By Julie Douglas

I am not a great gardener. Don't get me wrong. I love flowers and fresh veggies.  When my neighbor's tulips start popping up, I find myself wishing that I'd had a little more gumption last fall and planted some bulbs.  When I plant things, I tend to just dig a hole, drop in a delicate seedling, and say "lots of luck."  A beautiful garden is high on my list of things I love, but unfortunately I am just not all that interested in tilling, hoeing, weeding, aerating, or any of those other –ing words that are so necessary for healthy plant life.  

The Week of the Young Child is April 19-25, 2009.  What a brilliant time to celebrate early childhood learning! Exploring the web site of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, I couldn't help but think that early childhood education and spring gardening are a lot alike.   Research shows that the experiences and activities of the young child really do lay the groundwork (pardon the pun) for all other learning that will occur in the child's life.  Just as the good gardener prepares the soil, the effective parent or teacher provides enriching experiences for the birth to five year old child.  A pot of well turned, nutrient-rich soil enables a tiny seedling to grow into a sturdy tomato plant.  By reading and talking to children regularly, exposing them to wonderful literature, and creating fun and excitement around books, adults can help a child's vocabulary, cognitive skills, and expressive and receptive  language skills grow.   Early childhood years are truly the formative years!  Consider the following:

• Nearly all of the brain's growth is completed before the age of three.
• Important connections in the brain cells occur during infancy and early childhood.  Stimulation during these years is crucial to the brain’s ability to function.
• Brain development is dependent on activity! The connections in the brain that are constantly "excited" are strengthened, while those that are not tend to be pruned away.
• By the age of five, the most efficient period of language learning begins to close. 
• Babies respond to the human voice more than to any other sound.
• Language development, which occurs in the early years, is crucial to all other cognitive development.

In the simplest of terms, what a baby experiences and learns in the first five years impacts all other learning that will occur throughout his/her life.  We know that if we want beautiful, healthy flowers, we must spend time and energy preparing the soil.  The Week of the Young Child serves as a reminder that the energy, resources, and time we invest in young children will produce something of even more value… brains that are ready for learning!

For more information on Week of the Young Child, please visit http://www.naeyc.org/about/woyc/ .   Our Read First! Communities are celebrating WOYC with parades and other fun family events.  Check out the calendar at www.readfromthestart.org for details.

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Also in This Issue:

• "Cutting Edge Strategies for Small Museums" Conference - Last Call
• Jane Smiley Helps ReadMOre Engage People Across the State
• Border War Archaeology for Teachers at the Bates County Museum
• Results of Missouri's National History Day Competition
• "From Civil War to Civil Rights" - an audio tour on a theme
• "On Misconceptions" by Erin Blackshere Pouppirt
• Red Cross Offers Curriculum on Humanitarian Law
  

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