Introductory Ed - Brain development

1. Early brain development

Knowledge of brain development is critical to understanding child development” (Nelson, 2011, p. 45).

In recent years, the explosion of new science about early human brain development has changed the way we think. We now understand more about how important everyday experiences are for nurturing brains. The human brain is truly amazing. Understanding how it develops helps us understand child health, well-being, learning and behaviour.

Many of the things parents naturally do when they interact with babies are very supportive of healthy brain development.

Watch the next video example with three scenes of baby-parent interaction. Notice examples of how each parent both initiates interaction and also responds to the baby’s lead.

VIEWBaby-parent interactions (2:53)

How did the parents show they were noticing babies’ subtle social signals?

Our brains make us who we are. The human brain is a complex, three-pound organ at the centre of human development. Our brains control all areas of our development. Our personalities, emotions, language, attention, memory and thinking are all based in the brain. Our brains govern how we learn, how we interpret information and how we behave. Our brains also govern the workings of our immune and hormone systems that influence physical and emotional health.

In short, our brains control everything about us. Check out the slides below to learn more brain facts.

Consider… Jillian (10 months) is at a neighbourhood playground with her grandmother. She is asleep in her stroller when they arrive so her grandmother sits on a bench under the shade of a large tree. Jillian wakes up and starts to cry. Her grandmother quickly leans over the stroller and…Read more 

How do you think this kind of spontaneous everyday experience is influencing Jillian’s developing brain?

Can you think about how these kinds of experiences help set the foundation for what is to follow in Jillian’s life?

Early life is particularly important for brain development but our brains remain open to environmental influence as long as we are alive. How the brain develops can be compared to how a tree grows in response to the environment around it. Just as a tree responds to the sunlight, water and earth, so do our brains respond to the physical and social environments around us. Consider the information on the following slides.

In the next video, Dr. Stuart Shanker, distinguished research professor emeritus at York University, points out the nature of our brains today is rooted in our evolutionary past. About five million years ago our hominid ancestors descended from the trees, began to walk upright and the brains of the early human species grew larger and larger. In order to accommodate walking upright and larger brains – and still allow women to be able to give birth – human babies are born prematurely. In fact, at full term, human babies are born with a brain that is one quarter the size of an adult brain, but it triples in size by the time a child is three-years-old.

VIEW Shanker – evolution (2:59)

In the next clip, Shanker explains the vital role of caregivers in supporting early brain development.

VIEW Shanker – caregivers (2:11)

Shanker stresses that humans are the most adaptable species and that this is driven by the fact that when we are born, our brains are essentially immature. How the brain develops has a great deal to do with how caregivers interact with the child. As you watch the next clip, think about what Shanker says about how the parent’s gestures and facial expressions help the child understand their experiences.

VIEWFirst time swinging

In the next video, Anne Rundle, a child development curriculum developer and consultant, explains that traditional Indigenous practices during the prenatal period and after birth are supportive of early brain development.

VIEW Rundle – Indigenous child rearing practices (1:32)

Adults who have some understanding about brain development can make a big difference in children’s growth, learning and development. Australian epidemiologist and children’s advocate, Dr. Fiona Stanley, helps us see how all the everyday nurturing of babies and small children benefits children and societies. Dr. Jean Clinton, clinical professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience at McMaster University, adds to this idea by explaining that loving interactions actually “build” the babies’ brains.

VIEW Stanley – nurturing (3:24)
VIEW Clinton – love builds brains (2:54)

Do you think people who work with young children are aware of this information? What about families themselves? Do you have any ideas on how to spread this understanding?

What if the adults are stressed for some reason? Could that make a difference to their ability to nurture and interact lovingly with their children?

The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2006) describes these key findings about early brain development:

1. Brain development starts before birth with simple brain connections developing before more complex ones. The brain becomes more efficient over time.

2. While the structure of the brain and the timing of connections is determined by genes, the quality of early experience determines the strength of the connections.

3. In early life, the brain is very flexible and open to outside influences. Over time, brain areas become specialized for complex functions and harder to change.

4. Brain functions and areas are highly interrelated. Emotional and physical health intertwine with social, cognitive and language abilities and affect well-being throughout the lifespan.

5. Toxic stress (severe and ongoing) pressures the body’s stress management abilities and damages the growing brain. Having support from an adult can help reduce this effect.

Early brain and biological development is a large and complex area of research. In the following presentation are some key ideas, which you will learn more about in this module.