New discoveries in brain research and the growing importance of quality ECE

Early Childhood Education Global Conference ITC Maratha, Mumbai, India

15 December 2011

Professor Jeremy B WilliamsChief Academic Officer

Asian International College

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)

Quality ECE teacher education can bring transformative change

in society

(1) The brain development that

takes place prenatally and in the first year of life is more rapid and

extensive than previously thought

Source: World Bank

(2) Brain development is much more vulnerable to

environmental influence than we

ever suspectedSource: World Bank

(3) The influence of early environment on brain development is

long lastingSource: World Bank

(4) The environment affects not only the

number of brain cells and number of

connections among them, but also the

way these connections are

‘wired’Source: World Bank

(5) Early stress has a negative

impact on brain development

Source: World Bank

At birth the brain is fully developed, just like one's heart or stomach.

Most of the brain's cells are formed before birth, but most of the connections among cells are made during infancy and early childhood.

Myth

Fact

Source: ag.ndsu.edu

A toddler's brain is less active than the brain of a college student.

A 3-year-old toddler's brain is twice as active as an adult's brain.

Myth

Fact

Source: ag.ndsu.edu

The brain doubles in size in the first yearand by age three it has reached

80 % of its adult volume

These surplus connections are gradually eliminated throughout childhood and adolescence, a process sometimes referred to as blooming and pruning.

Source: theurbanchildinstitute.org

By age two or three, the brain has up to twice as many synapses as it will have in adulthood.

Synapse density over time

Source: theurbanchildinstitute.org

Talking to a baby is not important because he or she can’t understand what you are saying.

Talking to young children provides foundations for learning language during early critical periods when learning is easiest for a child.

MythFact

Source: ag.ndsu.edu

We learn more between age 0-3

than any other period in our lives

At 6 months, babies can differentiate

between all sounds in all major languages

Exposure to different languagesat this very young age can have

profound impact on capacity for language acquisition

Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences

• Huge strides in computer science and the genetic sciences in recent times

• This will be the decade of the brain

• “It’s time to understand ourselves”

Professors Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff

Early learning and the brain

The brain’s development depends entirely on the genes with which you are born.

Early experience and interaction with the environment are most critical in a child’s brain development.

Myth

FactSource: ag.ndsu.edu

In the critical period, brain development

requires a responsive adult or set of adults

Children need special help and specific educational toysto develop their brainpower.

Children need loving care and new experiences. Talking, singing, playing and reading are some of the key activities that build a child’s brain.

Myth

Fact

Source: ag.ndsu.edu

Emotional and social development

The prime time for emotional attachment to be developed is 0-18 months, when a young child is forming attachments with critical caregivers.

The part of the brain that regulates emotion is shaped early on by experience.

Early nurturing is important to learning empathy, happiness, hopefulness and resiliency.

Social development, which involves both self-awareness and a child’s ability to interact with others, also occurs in stages.

Romanian Orphanage Babies: 21 Years On

Little was known in 1990, about the long-term effects of such extreme, early deprivation, and whether the babies and toddlers who had been

denied basic human contact and care, could adapt and recover

The impact of extreme deprivation

The impact of early adversity on development

What about the impactof extreme attention?

And the prize for kiasu parenting goes to …

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

Each stage of intellectual development must be

accomplished before the next stage can occur

Deep learning involves the reconstruction of the old

ways of understanding into new ways of understanding

Forced learning can impede this natural process

Birth to 5 programmes

Professor Hirokazu Yoshikawa

“It all boils down to relationships”

ECE Effectiveness Factors

• Safe physical environment• Developmentally appropriate curriculum• Language rich environment• Positive, constructive teacher-child

interactions• Small groups, high teacher-child ratios• Qualified and well-compensated personnel

Professor James HeckmanNobel Laureate in Economics

“Skills beget skills”

ECE programme effectiveness

Why new discoveries in brain research mean investment in quality ECE is a no-brainer …

Professionalisation of the ECE industry is of critical importance for

societal well-being

ProfessionalismCommitted to students and

their families, their colleagues, and their own

continued professional development

Professional and subject matter expertise

ECE teachers need to be knowledgeable about theory,

content and pedagogy

Contextual influences

ECE teachers must give full consideration to social and cultural

factors when planning learning and teaching

RelationshipsECE teachers must have an an acute understanding of

the value of supportive and effective relationships

Learning environment

ECE teachers must know how the environment can

affect the quality of the learning experience

Reflective practitionersECE teachers must

continually reflect on their practice and experiences for the purpose of professional

improvement

Both 1 month, blended delivery

3 months, blended delivery

Image credits2. successmagazine.com3. tylerstrading.com4. timeinc.net5. time.com6. i23.ebayimg.com7. newscom.com8. x8b.xanga.com9. childdevelopmentstage.net10. learningrx.lyrishq.net11. timewellness.wordpress.com12. theurbanchildinstitute.org13. abcnews.go.com14. buzzle.com15. artsci.washington.edu17. theurbanchildinstitute.org19. babiesarefunny.com20. t1.gstatic.com21. bbc.co.uk22. emergingrenaissance.wordpress.com24. platform.ak.fbcdn.net and i1.tribune.com.pk25. cartoonstock.com26. smh.com.au and drstephaniepowers.com28. cartoonstock.com29. pewresearch.org31. uknow.gse.harvard.edu33. portal.unesco.org37. 4.bp.blogspot.com39. aarthyr staticflickr.com40. Jon Blair Photo staticflickr.com49. { pranav } staticflickr.com

Please come and say hello at the booth outside the ballroom

Thank you! Any questions please?

authenticlearning.wordpress.com

futureprooflearning.wordpress.com

@jeremybwilliams

@AIC_edu_sg