Category Archive:
Brain development

Brains Need Plenty Of Quiet Time

brains need plenty of quiet time

A sign in my father’s office read, ”Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.” Ungrammatical, but it captured the essence of my father. My dad spent a lot of time thinking and planning, but he didn’t hesitate to take the down time of ”just” sitting and doing nothing. Dad understood what was […]


The Best Brains Require Good Nutrition

best brains require good nutrition

Are our children getting the right kinds of food for maximum brain development and health? Most parents believe their children are getting adequate nutrition, but data shows otherwise. Peeking into a few lunch boxes gives some indications and insights into the issue. Recent research is showing that a high level of high-fructose sugar contributes to […]


The Brain Learns Best With Guidance

brain learns best with guidance

Studies on how to age well cite certain factors for well-being: have a close circle of family and friends, stay active and laugh often. Amazingly these ingredients for a good life are what the developing mind of the young child under the age of six years also requires. Positive social contact serves as a buffer […]


The Brain Seeks to Control Stress

brain seeks to control stress

Brain researchers believe that a newborn’s brain creates neurons at a rate of over a quarter of a million per minute. The young brain grows and absorbs information without evaluating, filtering or giving priority to the information. The brain receives each event with the same import as every other experience. The young brain hasn’t learned […]


The Brain Craves Clear and Precise Information

brain craves clear precise information

During the first six years of life, the child’s natural development includes the formation of language, with the most intense activity occurring during the first two and a half years of life. It seems like common sense to say that the more words a child hears during those first two years of life the larger […]


Brains Love Opportunities for Meaningful Learning

brains love opportunities for meaningful learning

During the first six years of life our brains are developing at a tremendous rate, creating a foundation for life-long learning and accomplishment. Research shows that children under six with enriched learning environments are more likely to complete college, to have successful marriages and to have less problems with the legal system than their peers […]


Physical Activity Enriches Young Brains

physical activity enriches brain

During the first six years of life, a child’s brain develops based on the interaction of the child with his or her environment. Research shows that certain factors enrich the child’s environment and produce positive outcomes in terms of the child’s future educational level, social development and self-discipline. These factors include movement, opportunities for meaningful […]


How to Know When Development Is Going Awry

how to know when development has gone awry

“Is my child going through a stage, or is something wrong?” is a question that runs through our minds, usually in the wee hours of the morning. We worry because the question addresses the art of being a parent, that is, knowing when to act and when to step back and watch. For the young […]


Is Your Child Getting Enough Sleep?

is your child getting enough slepp

Five-year-old Ricky had difficulty focusing in morning kindergarten session and fell asleep during the afternoon work time. After lunch Ricky would start to act “hyper,” push and hit other children on the playground. When Ricky laid down to rest, he’d be asleep in five minutes and have to be woken for three o’clock dismissal. Leaving […]


Be a Mind Watcher

be a mind watcher

“Our oldest son was so quiet when he was little. He played by himself and never caused us a moment’s trouble. He didn’t talk much or play with his brother. If only someone would have told us that this wasn’t normal. Perhaps things would be different.” Philippe, an overseas executive, told us about his autistic […]