Music grows the Brain!
Are you ready to have your mind blown? A study led by neurologist and neuroscientist Gottfried Schlaug found that professional musicians who start...
Do you know - Brain Edition - brains are built NOT born.
Did you know that the brain has sensitive periods where it is supercharged for certain skill sets? Sensory pathways peak in the first few months of...
A genius is made, not born!
5-minute read Have you heard of the Polgar Experiment? After studying hundreds of great intellectuals, Laszlo Polgar, a Hungarian psychologist, fou...
When are children developmentally ready to share?
Learning to share with grace is a work in progress and takes time for small children. It is developmentally appropriate for young children not to s...
Essential Skills for Developing Executive Function
Key Concepts. 1. Executive function is not innate and must be developed 2. Development of executive function is linked to academic achievement 3....
Waldorf Education: Feeling, Thinking, and Doing
Key Concepts. 1. Teachers integrate arts and experiences into every subject, whether it is science or math. 2.Students are encouraged to take charg...
The Montessori Method: Laying the Foundation for Lifelong Learning
Key Concepts 1. Respect each child is unique 2. Maximize sensitive periods during development 3. First 6 years most critical 4. Allow children to t...
The Essentials of Serve and Return
Early childhood development relies on a consistent interaction (serve and return) between child and caregiver. New neural connections form as a child instinctively "serves" through babbling, moving arms and legs, pointing, words, and facial gestures, and the caregiver responds in a meaningful way.
Learning Through Play: Developing the Whole Child
Even before children learn to walk or talk, they learn about the world around them through their natural ability to play. Children who are still in the early stages of infancy start to learn and make essential connections by playing games, singing songs, and exploring their surroundings. When children learn through play, they reap many benefits, including strengthening vital skills like communication, critical thinking, social awareness, and much more. The best thing about learning through play is it develops the whole child.
The Developing Brain
The brain architecture comprises millions of connections, which allow for high-speed communication across neurons that focus on different brain functions. However, because the first few years are the most active in developing these new neural connections, caregivers must provide adequate care so the child can form a strong foundation for essential skills later in life.