Saturday, March 20, 1999
Early brain function stressed
Ky. task force focuses on kids
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LAKESIDE PARK — A child's first three years are critical for building the brain's functions, researcher Bettye Caldwell said Friday at a conference about early child development.
“We all know there is a certain kind of "software' called experience needed to make the brain work,” Ms. Caldwell said. “Now we have a new level of validity for what we've known all along.”
Ms. Caldwell's remarks started a two-day symposium about early brain function in children and followed the first meeting of Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton's Early Childhood Task Force.
More than 150 teachers, parents and others gathered at Lakeside Christian Church to learn about the latest research in early brain development. Mr. Patton opened the day with a pledge to make the topic a centerpiece of future legislation.
The state task force is charged with assessing the current state of early childhood development and recommending a 20-year plan to strengthen the well-being of children and families. Mr. Patton will then use that information to draft legislation for the next General Assembly session.
“Our mission is to go as the 12 apostles did throughout the land and make sure everyone in this state and in this country understands what we can do for our children,” Mr. Patton said. “We want to spread that knowledge to every Kentuckian.”
To explain how early life experiences can shape the way a child grows and acts, Ms. Caldwell used the example of Mozart, whose brain was likely “hard-wired” for him to become a musical genius. But Mozart could not have been a success without the environment he grew up in — one filled with pianofortes, musical concerts at home and a father who was also a composer.
Such early experiences help the brain form synapses, or connections among nerves. Dissections of babies' brains show a tremendous increase in the number of synapses between birth and 6 months. Those synapses continue to form until a child is about 8 years old. Then the brain starts “pruning,” or reducing the number of synapses to eliminate redundancy.
As parents and educators embark on improving early childhood experiences, Ms. Caldwell suggested keeping in mind these points:
• A child's behavior provides the cleanest window into the brain. In other words, children's actions show what their brains are doing.
• Parents and others who care for young children need to know more about brain development and functioning.
• We need to strengthen the focus on interconnectedness of development — deal with the whole child.
• Give more creative thought to “programming” the child's experiences during the first three years.
• Brain/experience relations should increase our recognition of and respect for individual differences.
The exciting news is that neuroscientists and educators are starting to work together to figure out how best to educate children from the day they are born, Ms. Caldwell said.
The conference continues today, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is $15 at the door.
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