Running head: Analyzing Brain Research Influence

Analyzing Brain Research Influence
Kouyate, Kelly EDU5001-8
Northcentral University November 25, 2014
The first few years of a child’s life are very crucial. It’s a time that a child’s brain functions are developing. That is from conception to at least five years of age. There are many important factors that assist with the development of the brain such as: genetics, nutrition, physical interactions and the emotional interactions between parent and child.
The brain is comprised of three main structures the brain stem, cerebrum and the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is divided into four different lobes and made up of neurons. The frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes control various parts of the cognitive function. Your fine and gross motor skills, vision and memory are controlled by the various functions of the brain. During this time of a child’s brain development many things are happening to the function of the body. This is why children are capable of learning so much in their early years because their brain is functioning at a rapid and active pace. That is why when I child enters this world the learning process for them begins.
How a child is treated and nurtured at the beginning of conception can play a role in the development of the brain functions and can cause a lasting effect on a child through adulthood. According to the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families “children are born ready to learn. They cultivate 85 percent of their intellect, personality and skills by age five.” Yet, brain function does not mature at the same time in all children. Children grow and mature in different stages. A child may have excellent verbal skills but their fine and gross motor skills may develop slowing causing a child to write slowly or even putting a puzzle together may pose a challenge. Another child may have excellent physical abilities and lack social skills. Some maybe cognitively advance but express immaturity in emotional skills.

Study has been shown that the way a brain develops hinges on the interplay between the genes a person is born with and their experience from birth. It actually takes up to 12 years for a brain to fully develop and become organized. There’s a great deal of new technological equipment that’s being created to evaluate the brain and determine how children learn. During these early years, it’s believed that the development of a child’s brain is vital and holds the key to a successful adulthood.
Parents are a child’s first teacher; they build and help the growth of their child's development. It’s imperative to know that parents are responsible for molding their children through positive experiences in their lives. Parents must nurture, love, share and give their child a positive home environment. Simply reading to your child daily helps to strengthen the brain. Talking to your child and introducing new learning environments helps strengthen their social skills simply through one-on-one interactions. Research has shown that, “Good parental care, warm and loving attachments, and positive age-appropriate stimulation from birth onward make a tremendous difference in children’s cognitive development for a lifetime”. (Morrison, G. 2000)
This is why it’s also important that parents provide supportive learning environments for their child. An environment that provides skilled and qualified educator’s whom play an important role in a child’s growth development by providing a variety of learning material that stimulates the brain causing children to make valuable connections through learning new information.

It’s also important to understand that a child’s environment affects their cognitive development.” Cognitive development is the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving, and decision-making, from childhood through adolescence