How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

"This tool shows how classrooms can differentiate instruction, spend time on what really matters, and make sure that all children are making progress. I love the practical applications for each age level and what teachers can do to support optimal learning in their classrooms. Fantastic!" —Stephanie Malin, Elementary Instructional Coach Beaverton School District, OR "The author has managed to untangle a very complex topic and make it applicable to everyday learning and teaching. The continuous application of research to learning is a strength of the book. A true gift to a broad band of educators." —Laura Linde, Literacy Coach Hoover Elementary School, North Mankato, MN Finally, a book for early childhood educators that combines child development and brain research! How can early childhood teachers, administrators, and parents translate discoveries on early brain development into strategies that nurture cognitive growth? Synthesizing information from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and child development, The Developing Brain offers brain-compatible teaching practices that are linked to NAEYC principles for working with young children. Best-selling author Marilee Sprenger covers the basic structure, vocabulary, and current research on the brain from an early childhood educator′s point of view and provides an abundance of illustrations and descriptions. This user-friendly guide includes: Background information on brain development from birth through age two Scenarios and snapshots of each year from age three through eight Reproducible developmental checklists Over 100 brain-based activities for classroom or child care settings Through an understanding of the phases of language, motor, and social development at each age level, educators can create enriching educational experiences that enhance children′s growth and foster an enduring love of learning.

Explore interventions and treatment methods designed to help curb the alarming trend toward violence in today's youth! Written in jargon-free lucid prose, Psychological Trauma and the Developing Brain: Neurologically Based Interventions for Troubled Children specifically shows how positive early experiences enhance brain development and how traumatic life experiences, especially child abuse and neglect, can affect a child's brain and behavior. Through carefully selected case studies, the book offers basic principles of treatment and a broad range of interventions that target the multiple symptoms and problems seen in children with a history of childhood trauma. Offering a new psychobiological model of child development, this book incorporates the influence of both genes and the environment and conceptualizes normal and pathological development in terms of common underlying processes. For readers concerned with promoting healthy development in children and helping children recover from childhood trauma, this engagingly written book describes exactly how a child's social/interpersonal environment can positively or negatively influence brain development. Throughout the book, the authors highlight the interrelationship between neurobiology and psychology. They present basic information about brain development and organization, describe exactly what is going on inside the brain at each stage of development, and illustrate these concepts through a detailed case study of a preschooler with severe problems in communicating and relating. They discuss the pernicious effects that traumatic stress has on brain and behavior, differentiating between simple and complex PTSD, and review the specific brain impairments currently attributed to a childhood history of maltreatment. Using their unique psychobiological perspective and illustrative case studies, the authors evaluate the principles and strategies of treatment, showing how relationships and experiences can mitigate the effects childhood trauma. After fleshing out the shocking cost to society of child maltreatment, the authors offer broad policy prescriptions that promote healthy development, including basic strategies for prevention and early intervention. Psychological Trauma and the Developing Brain: Neurologically Based Interventions for Troubled Children will show you: how interpersonal experience shapes brain development what is going on in the brain during the critical first six years how therapeutic relationships and interpersonal experience can promote emotional and cognitive development how childhood maltreatment can damage the brain and impair the developing mind what types of experiences and therapeutic strategies can mitigate the effects of childhood trauma what policy prescriptions, programs, and early intervention strategies can be implemented to promote healthy development

The Neurobiology of Brain and Behavioral Development provides an overview of the process of brain development, including recent discoveries on how the brain develops. This book collates and integrates these findings, weaving the latest information with core information on the neurobiology of brain development. It focuses on cortical development, but also features discussions on how the other parts of the brain wire into the developing cerebral cortex. A systems approach is used to describe the anatomical underpinnings of behavioral development, connecting anatomical and molecular features of brain development with behavioral development.The disruptors of typical brain development are discussed in appropriate sections, as is the science of epigenetics that presents a novel and instructive approach on how experiences, both individual and intergenerational, can alter features of brain development. What distinguishes this book from others in the field is its focus on both molecular mechanisms and behavioral outcomes. This body of knowledge contributes to our understanding of the fundamentals of brain plasticity and metaplasticity, both of which are also showcased in this book. Provides an up-to-date overview of the process of brain development that is suitable for use as a university textbook at an early graduate or senior undergraduate level Breadth from molecular level (Chapters 5-7) to the behavioral/cognitive level (Chapters 8-12), beginning with Chapters 1-4 providing a historical context of the ideas Integrates the neurobiology of brain development and behavior, promoting the idea that animal models inform human development Presents an emphasis on the role of epigenetics and brain plasticity in brain development and behavior

Nutrients play a significant role in brain development throughout fetal and postnatal life. This book reviews the evidence from animal and human research, highlighting the influence of specific nutrients on brain function and cognitive development. With a unique, integrative approach to the nutritional, environmental, and genetic influences on brain development, the book examines issues such as single versus multiple limiting nutrients, critical periods of deficiency, and the impact of the child-parent relationship on the architecture of the developing brain. The effect of undernutrition on the developing brain of infants and young children can be devastating and enduring. It can impede behavioural and cognitive development and educability, thereby undermining future work productivity. Chapter authors are experts in this field of research and provide an up-to-date insight into the role of the individual nutrients in brain development and function.

A new understanding of cognitive development from the perspective of neuroscience This book provides a state-of-the-art understanding of the neural bases of cognitive development. Although the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience is still in its infancy, the authors effectively demonstrate that our understanding of cognitive development is and will be vastly improved as the mechanisms underlying development are elucidated. The authors begin by establishing the value of considering neuroscience in order to understand child development and then provide an overview of brain development. They include a critical discussion of experience-dependent changes in the brain. The authors explore whether the mechanisms underlying developmental plasticity differ from those underlying adult plasticity, and more fundamentally, what distinguishes plasticity from development. Having armed the reader with key neuroscience basics, the book begins its examination of the neural bases of cognitive development by examining the methods employed by professionals in developmental cognitive neuroscience. Following a brief historical overview, the authors discuss behavioral, anatomic, metabolic, and electrophysiological methods. Finally, the book explores specific content areas, focusing on those areas where there is a significant body of knowledge on the neural underpinnings of cognitive development, including: * Declarative and non-declarative memory and learning * Spatial cognition * Object recognition * Social cognition * Speech and language development * Attention development For cognitive and developmental psychologists, as well as students in developmental psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive development, the authors' view of behavioral development from the perspective of neuroscience sheds new light on the mechanisms that underlie how the brain functions and how a child learns and behaves.

Synthesizing the breadth of current knowledge on brain behavior relationships in atypically developing children, this important volume integrates theories and data from multiple disciplines. Leading authorities present their latest research on specific clinical problems, including autism, Williams syndrome, learning and language disabilities, ADHD, and issues facing infants of diabetic mothers. In addition, the effects of social stress and maltreatment on brain development and behavior are thoroughly reviewed. Demonstrating the uses of cuttingedge methods from developmental neuroscience, developmental psychology, and cognitive science, the contributors emphasize the implications of their findings for real-world educational and clinical practices.

More children born today will survive to adulthood than at any time in history. It is now time to emphasize health and development in middle childhood and adolescence--developmental phases that are critical to health in adulthood and the next generation. Child and Adolescent Health and Development explores the benefits that accrue from sustained and targeted interventions across the first two decades of life. The volume outlines the investment case for effective, costed, and scalable interventions for low-resource settings, emphasizing the cross-sectoral role of education. This evidence base can guide policy makers in prioritizing actions to promote survival, health, cognition, and physical growth throughout childhood and adolescence.

There are many reasons to be curious about the way people learn, and the past several decades have seen an explosion of research that has important implications for individual learning, schooling, workforce training, and policy. In 2000, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition was published and its influence has been wide and deep. The report summarized insights on the nature of learning in school-aged children; described principles for the design of effective learning environments; and provided examples of how that could be implemented in the classroom. Since then, researchers have continued to investigate the nature of learning and have generated new findings related to the neurological processes involved in learning, individual and cultural variability related to learning, and educational technologies. In addition to expanding scientific understanding of the mechanisms of learning and how the brain adapts throughout the lifespan, there have been important discoveries about influences on learning, particularly sociocultural factors and the structure of learning environments. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures provides a much-needed update incorporating insights gained from this research over the past decade. The book expands on the foundation laid out in the 2000 report and takes an in-depth look at the constellation of influences that affect individual learning. How People Learn II will become an indispensable resource to understand learning throughout the lifespan for educators of students and adults.