Describe the implications of brain development to slow learning
The CPU is computer’s control command center. It does its basic functions and process
because of its central processing unit. For its memory to expand and additional
processes to undertake, extra chips can be added. It is also in need of electricity to
keep working. However, if certain features in CPU or other conditions needed by the
computer to keep working became defunct or unavailable eventually that computer will
hang and freeze oftentimes and won’t be able to do its expected typical commands.
Humans, like computers, our brain is the command center of our body. Connections
has to be established to make our brain work at its best. Although, there are some
instances and factors that can hamper and alter the usual brain development (usually I
believe, but not all, occurs during the prenatal stage) which then impedes in the later
development of individual to decipher basic human processes somewhat differently
with the expected typical way of understanding and processing. Unlike a defunct CPU,
it can be replaced by a new one. But humans are only gifted with one brain as his/her
partner through out his/her lifetime. Expectant mothers are advised by their doctors to
keep their body healthy with their entire pregnancy and most especially during their
first trimester for that is the most critical stage of their child’s development, like the
formation of their brain and spinal cord. Any presence of disturbance and incidence at
their early years that might cause some brain impairment/malformation will
subsequently affect their capability to receive and process information. One impact is
slow learning. Individual with this kind of manifestation may experience difficulty
among the following areas like reading, writing, math, reasoning, listening, and
speaking. Common in our society to give them discriminating labels. It is a moral
failure and shame for us, what need to do is to know and undertint that they are in a
tought situation. And that, they are teachable though necessitates extra effort and extra
means to make it happen.
Identify activities that parents can do to stimulate brain development
Being a new mom with my one-year old daughter, I am eager and fond of preparing
stuffs that we could use to aide in her most optimum development as an individual.
Although top on that is, I make sure that she is healthy, well nourished and making her
feel that she is well loved and secured. Many articles about brain development states
that from birth to toddlerhood or prior their kindergarten age is the peak of child’s
brain development. Of course, as a mother, your ultimate dream is to help your child
bring out her most possible potentials and capabilities and those I have mentioned
above I believe are the basic essentials to gain the trust and confidence of our kids to
us. We feed them. We love them. We make them safe. Apart from that there are more
stuffs we can do for their early brain development and more wholistic growth. I started
with infant stimulation flashcards during her early months, there were many good
articles that it’s a good start to stimulate their brain. For her fine motor skills
development, I expose her to many manipulative materials and I think puzzles and
shape sorting are one of her favorites. She loves scribbling, too. For her gross motor
skills, we watch actions songs and we imitate them together. She is so kinesthetically
inclined, she doesn’t seem to be tired of hopping, jumping, and climbing the couch
with butts against the window or trying to stand with no hold on edges/top of sofa.
With regards to communication and speech development, in her early months we make
use of her cooing time to talk to her, tongue games, basic sound imitations, and videos
on speech development are a great tool too. For her cognitive development, I make
time schedules for the week that I will expose her for some activities about phonics,
vocabularies, numeracy, reading story even for just a few minutes. In terms of social
development, I think it is where she spent most of her time now, she plays and enjoys a
lot with her playmates in our neighborhood. Those were our typical activities with our
daughter I believe those really work wonder in her brain development. Aside from the
activities that we parents do to enhance and solidify their brain development, one more
key is our consistency in making those experiences and opportunities for them.
Submit an abstract with analysis on study on brain development as it relates to
learning.
Title of the Study: Brain Development and the Role of Experience in the Early
Year
Research Abstract:
Research over the past several decades has provided insight into the processes that
govern early brain development and how those processes contribute to behavior. In the
following article, we provide an overview of early brain development beginning with a
summary of the prenatal period. We then turn to postnatal development and examine
how brain functions are built and how experience mediates this process. Specifically,
we discuss findings from research on speech and on face processing. The results of this
research highlight how the first few years of life are a particularly important period of
development of the brain.
Analysis:
The authors highlighted in their paper in importance positive development and
integration of nature (genetic make-up of individual which happened before birth) and
nurture (how well s/he is nourished after birth). It is undeniable that a child’s potential
is largely influenced by his/her genes. But it is through his/her postnatal development
that can make it truly outstanding and remarkable. They also mentioned in their paper
that, “Brain research suggests that development is a hierarchical process of wiring the
brain, in that higher level processes build on a foundation of lower level processes. For
example, language development depends critically on sensory and perceptual develop-
ment (e.g., discrimination of speech sounds).” As an educator and a mother, the
implication of this research is to solidify their knowledge base in the early years of
learning and experiences. Expose them to developmentally appropriate activities that
could serve as their springboard for more complex skills they will be needing in the
later years of their life. In context of being a curricularist, we have to develop and
implement a curriculum that is congruently aligned on the skills expected on their age
and cognitive level, and offering them some opportunities that is somehow challenging
on their part by providing them just the right amount of scaffolding needed. The
research paper also speaks on how deprivation can have a negative and lasting impact
on the brain development of children. Deprivation, in any kind, can cause a deep
wound and takes a long time to heal. As educator and mother, I realized that providing
repeated positive experience and keeping them well are critical to maximize their
learning potential and brain maturity.
Reference:
[Link]
ole_of_Experience_in_the_Early_Years