1. Early brain development
In recent years, the explosion of new science about early human brain development has changed the way we think and increased our understanding of the importance of everyday experiences (as in the example below) in nurturing brains. Much of this is due to new information about of the interplay between genes and experience and the sensitive, reactive nature of the brain.
Consider...
Saroj and his grandfather
In a kamaiya family in Jahbahi, Nepal ...
Saroj, one and a half, laughs and hides behind his mother when his grandfather Bhuduram comes to pick him up. Bhuduram puts Saroj on his lap, and shakes his legs in the air to make the bells on his ankles ring. Both of them start laughing... read more
Saroj is having a rich physical and emotional experience. His brain is rapidly receiving and responding to sensory signals - the warm gaze as he looks into his grandfather's eyes, the back and forth smiles and laughing, the feeling of his legs moving and association with the tinkling bells, the warmth his grandfather's lap, and then the muddy slope under his feet, followed by the continued visual signals from his grandfather's smiles and movements, to which he responds. Sarof already knows quite a bit about his world and is learning about it, how to be in it and feeling loved by an important adult, his grandfather.
Reflect
- How do you think this kind of spontaneous everyday experience is influencing Saroj's developing brain?
- Can you think about how these kinds of experiences help set the foundation for what is to follow in Saroj's life?
In the next video, watch as 10-month-old Hiba enjoys time with her Dad and brother after they have returned home from the local early child development programme. As you watch, take note of all the physical and emotional experiences Hiba has while interacting with her father and brother. (Please note, Hiba's father was very aware of the focus to film interactions between himself and his baby daughter and was therefore, trying to manage his son's behaviour during the filming. Hiba's brother was so very excited to have the cameras in his home that he enters the scene several times.)
View >> Hiba_and_Dad
Reflect
- What are the physical and emotional aspects of this interaction between father and daughter? What is Hiba learning?
- What does the father do to foster this playful interaction with his daughter? How does Hiba respond?
- In this clip, did you notice the change in Hiba's expression when the camera came closer to her versus when looking at her Dad? What does this tell you about Hiba's relationship with her father? What has she learned?
The human brain is a complex three pound organ at the centre of human development. Our brains orchestrate our physical, social, emotional, linguistic and cognitive development. Our personalities, emotions, language, attention, memory, and thinking are all based in the brain. Our brains govern how we learn, interpret incoming information, behave and the workings of our immune and hormone systems that influence physical and emotional health. In short, our brains make us who we are.
We now know that the human brain is highly reactive, particularly early in life. Our earliest experiences of childhood influence early brain development and reach long into adulthood. At the same time, our brains remain open to environmental influence as long as we are alive.
How the brain develops can be compared to how a tree grows and develops as it responds to the environment around it. Just as a tree responds to the sunlight, water and earth, so do our brains respond to the physical and social environments around us.
Consider the following animation:
Interact >> Healthy roots
The nature of our brains today is rooted in our evolutionary past. About 5 million years ago our hominid ancestors descended from the trees, began to walk upright and the brains of the early human species grew larger and larger. In order to accommodate walking upright and larger brains (and still allow women to be able to give birth), human babies are basically born prematurely. That is, at full term, human babies are born with a brain that is one quarter the size of an adult brain, but it triples in size by the time a child is three-years-old.
Stuart Shanker explains human brain development in the context of human evolution.
View >> BD1_Shanker1 (2:54)
In the next clip Shanker explains the vital role of caregivers in supporting early brain development.
View >> BD1_Shanker2 (3:18)
Shanker stresses the fact that humans are the most adaptable species and that this is driven by the fact that when we are born, our brains are essentially immature. How the brain develops has a great deal to do with how caregivers interact with the child.
Reflect
- What is your reaction to Shanker's comments?
- Think about children born into very different circumstances. How might caregiver responses make a difference in shaping children's ways of seeing the world?
- What if the adults' around the children are stressed for some reason? Could that make a difference?
- What questions arise for you from the two Shanker clips? Can you relate any of this information to the work that you do?
Adults who have some understanding about brain development can make a big difference in children's growth, learning and development.
Fiona Stanley explains how our new understanding of early brain development helps us see how all the everyday nurturing of babies and small children, the loving interactions that make up the moments of childhood, work together to benefit children and societies.
View >> BD1_Stanley1 (3:18)
Reflect
- Why does Fiona Stanley think it is important for those working with young children and their families to know about early brain development?
- To what extent do you think that awareness is already there in your workplace? What about families themselves? Do you have any ideas on how to spread this understanding?
- Research on brain development has been considered 'acultural' by some - that is, it transcends culture because one human brain is very like another no matter where a person is from. Do you have any particular opinions on this idea with regard to stressing the importance of understanding early brain development?
