Fertile Minds - Extra Credit

I thought the article fertile minds was very interesting. I didn't know that the brain starts developing at 12 weeks and found it very interesting. I also thought the statistic that kids who don't play and aren't touched develop brains 20 to 30% smaller than normal for their age. I really liked the quote "There is a time scale to brain development, and the most important year is the first," notes Frank Newman, president of the Education Commission of the States. They also talked about working moms and sending children to day care. I have worked at a day care for a number of years in the past and saw some of the affects on children. As we are planning on having children, it has brought up should I work or stay home. That is a tough decision, and not too many people have that option at this time in life. I liked how they named a gene after Sonic the hedgehog. I thought this statement was mind boggling: "By the age of two, a child's brain contains twice as many synapses and consumes twice as much energy as the brain of a normal adult". I liked the study on Brandi Binder, I thought that was amazing. It is amazing how the brain functions, and how it functions with the body. I also liked this statement: "Indeed, parents are the brain's first and most important teachers. Among other things, they appear to help babies learn by adopting the rhythmic, high-pitched speaking style known as Parentese". It reminded me of what you were saying in class for example when we change a child's diaper to talk to them and tell them exactly everything we are doing. I also liked this statement: "Experience is the chief architect of the brain" says Perry. I found it interesting that if a mother is depressed it has a serious effect on the child and its brain. I found it interesting when the brain can take in the most, such as learning a language is best from birth to 6 years. I think it would be great to learn another language in elementary school. What a great opportunity for children to learn a second language in their school if they can't from their parents. I thought this article was very interesting. Again, I think that the brain and how it functions and how it functions with the body is amazing. This article gave me a lot to think about. When I become a parent, I hope that I can teach my kids a lot and give them the best opportunities possible.