Today's teenagers face a myriad of factors that impact their brains. From technology to trauma, the current brain of a teenager is physiologically altered by factors outside themselves. In order for today's educators to support their students, they require a foundational understanding of how technology and trauma impact the teen brain. Teenage…

This article synthesizes foundational knowledge from multiple scientific disciplines regarding how humans develop in context. Major constructs that define human development are integrated into a developmental system framework, this includes--epigenetics, neural malleability and plasticity, integrated complex skill development and learning, human…

This is the executive summary for the report, "From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts: A Science-Based Approach to Building a More Promising Future for Young Children and Families." Early childhood is a time of great promise and rapid change, when the architecture of the developing brain is most open to the influence of…

Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning, a group of skills that…

Physics is the study of forces and motion--the science of matter and energy and the interaction between the two. The big idea the children explore, as well as the question they ask as they engage in physical knowledge activities related to physics, is "How does it move?" Many teachers translate naturally as they come to know the children they…

Presents implications for consideration by community, parents, educators, and policymakers if guided by the recommendations of the final report on the "Early Years Study" by McCain and Mustard. Cautions against an overemphasis on brain development during the early years and against viewing children as capital for social policy purposes.…

Children's early mathematical experiences play an enormous role in the development of their understanding of mathematics, and serve as a foundation for their cognitive development. In this descriptive study, we observed the naturally occurring mathematical activities engaged in by thirty-nine 3-year-olds, equally divided by race/ethnicity and…

One of the most important experiences in a child's life begins when he starts formal school, most often at age 5. Going to kindergarten is thrilling and sometimes scary but always an adventure. At this time, children come together from all walks of life; all types of families; at all levels of development; and with a vast array of skills,…

While the notion of starting education early with children has gained momentum in the public's mind, our public policies and investments still do not reflect society's increasing knowledge of how the human brain grows and how very early experiences beginning at birth affect a child's future. Arguing that if policymakers fail to include the needs…

This pamphlet for parents describes the important influences of music on the cognitive development of infants and toddlers under the age of three years. The pamphlet focuses on three aspects of music: (1) bonding with one's child through music; (2) learning through melodies and movement; and (3) the music-creativity connection. For each aspect,…

Notes the importance of positive human interactions and experiences on child development, and describes seven developmental areas crucial to early brain development. Suggests ways to enhance young children's development of emotional intelligence, social skills, motor skills, vision, language acquisition, vocabulary, and thinking skills. (TJQ)

Presents six articles on brain research and child development: "Brain Research, Infant Learning, and Child Care Curriculum" (J. R. Lally); "The Thinking Brain" (P. Schiller); "Early Experiences Shape Social Development" (B. Caldwell); "Facing the Challenge of Motor Development" (P. Weikart); Language…

A range of factors, including early experience, parent-child interaction patterns, biological factors, and life events, have been associated with the development of depression among adolescents. Relations between early experience, attachment insecurity, and later depression may be mediated by failures to develop adaptive social skills, the…

Considers an aspect of children's thinking and learning: the set of beliefs or expectations they hold about the way natural phenomena occur and how they affect the sense pupils make of experiences we give them in science classes. Implications for instruction are addressed. (Author/SK)

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report reviews the research about early childhood brain development, examines the…