Brain Based Research : What Does This Tell Us About Young Children 's Brains And How They Best Learn

There are many different theories of development that help us to understand children’s behaviour, reactions and ways of learning. All equally important as they influence practice. To begin with there is Piaget’s constructivist theories which look at the way in which children seem to be able to make sense of their world as a result of their experiences and how they are active learners. He also suggested that as children develop so does their thinking. Piaget’s work has influenced early years settings into providing more hands on and relevant tasks for children and young people. In other words the children are ‘learning through play’. Teachers are working out the needs of children and plan activities accordingly.

Toddlers and preschoolers are at different developmental stages, and therefore require their teachers to use different approaches and techniques to further learning. I completed my observations at the Bright and Early Children’s Learning Center where I observed a toddler classroom and a preschool classroom. My observations took place from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on the 21st and 28th of September. The first day that I observed I was placed in the toddler classroom which had two teachers, Miss Ashlynn and Miss Miranda, and six students, most of whom were two years old. In the preschool classroom there was one teacher, Miss Stephanie, and eight students, each of whom were 3 years old or 4 years old. While the rooms were physically similar, the teachers used different strategies and activities to appeal to the different age groups.

There have been many theorists who have opposing views on how and why children behave and how they learn. I will discuss 4 theorists, their theories and how they have influenced and shaped work with children.

All early childhood theories have changed so much though the years based on a diverse multicultural world and new laws to protect students, have been put into place to aid these children. Research that was taken back in the 1900 containing educational theories were all in competition with each other in their field. Students at that time, were meant to act with self-discipline and own motivation. Those theories were researched for that time period. Society is always changing as a whole. It is reflecting on the expectations and demands on students today.

Environmental: A child’s environment plays a big role in their development. Exposure to different forms of activities that exercise the analytical and creative sides of the brain are important.

I believe that each child is unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It is my desire as an educator to help students meet their fullest potential in these areas by providing an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invite a sharing of ideas. There are three elements that I believe are conducive to establishing such an environment namely, the teacher acting guide, allowing the child’s natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, promoting respect for all the things and all the people.

As children grow and mature they pass through several stages of development. Consequently it is important that teachers understand these developmental stages in order to be an effective teacher. This paper will analyze answers from five open ended questions asked of five children of varying ages to clarify changes in development at various ages. According to Robert E. Slavin “as children improve their cognitive skills, they are also developing self-concepts, ways of interacting with others, and attitudes toward the world” (Slavin, 2012). The five questions used for the interview

Infant learning and brain development is fragile and contingent upon numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The most critical time frame for infant brain development is from the second trimester to the first three months of life (Marshall, 2011). During this time, neural pathways are forming, areas of the brain are maturing, and brain development is rapid. From infancy until the age of 3 years, neural pathways are still being formed in response to stimulation and for this reason, it is extremely important for caregivers and parents to be aware of the many factors that can influence brain development in infants (Marshall, 2011).

Technological advances in the past decade have allowed scientists to study the brain in ways that have led to new understanding about how young children develop. There is a new understanding of both the capabilities and the vulnerabilities of infants and young children and that understanding is has influenced the work of caregivers and teachers. During pregnancy, the basic architecture of the brain is formed. Although, certain experiences do influence the developing brain during pregnancy, such as maternal health and stress, intake of drugs and/or alcohol, and quality of maternal nutrition.

Piaget and Vygotsky both believed that young children actively learn from their hands-on, day-to-day experiences. Jean Piaget portrayed children as "little scientists" who go about actively constructing their understanding of the world. His theories hold the essence of developmentally appropriate curriculum since Piaget believed that children undergo cognitive development in a stage-based manner, such that a very young child would not think about things the same way that an adult might. He referred to the knowledge and the manner in which the knowledge is gained as a schema. In order to build on the cognitive stages that children experience, informal learning opportunities, formal instructional sessions, and the utilized curriculum must all dovetail with a child's current cognitive stage so that assimilation of the new knowledge may occur. Working with what the child knows and experiences, parents and teachers create bridges to the next cognitive stage that are characterized by the child's accommodation. Piaget argued that optimal learning took place in this manner and that adults should avoid thinking that they can accelerate a child's development through the age-based, maturity-referenced stages. This is because a child works toward establishing an equilibrium between the assimilation and application of new knowledge and changing their behavior to accommodate their newly adopted schemas.

It is very necessary to give good direction to the skills of small children at the beginning of their learning phase. Most of the times, parents contribute a lot in this phase of their lives, but this can be opposite in the situation of those parents who are both working.

Different genres and styles of music offers and appeals to many people; from a range of country to R&B, rap, hip hop and many more. As I have been playing an instrument since fifth grade, I have devoted my time and effort to this activity. While listening to music has their own benefits, playing a musical instrument, has a variety of neurological benefits that people might not be aware of. As children are still growing and are identified as adults until they reach 18, as Sandra Aamodt, who wrote the book Welcome to Your Child's Brain, and also happens to be a neuroscientist stated, “Most people don't reach full maturity until the age 25” (Brain Maturity Extends). If the statement is true, then playing an instrument could influence the development

This report aims to provide information to teaching assistant students at Lewisham College about the intellectual development of children age 9-11years. At that stage

The children construct their knowledge – knowledge is not transferred but is personally constructed the learning meditated. The knowledge is not transferring from one mind to another mind, but it is personally constructed in child mind. Teachers were taught something in the class; child would analyze and remembers about it, critically, creatively, and systematically. The child would likes to improve the skill help of the teacher, parents, adults, and peers. The society is help to improve the child knowledge, when child is walking through the street it interactions with the others, and get information’s. The cognitive development is not direct result of activity but it is indirect. Cognitive development in child it is very important. Cognitive development child learns from society as well as interaction between each other, introduce the new tools among them and in group, with the support of group child will increase his knowledge. The cognitive development is important role in child life from knowledge child gets information about either bad or

The value of educational research should be known to be very valuable in the world. Education is the foundation of our economy. The way children learn and grow helps to determine what they do in life. Professionals learning what works and what doesn’t early in a child’s learning career can be crucial. In