Childhood Brain Development
Quality Matters: A Policy Brief Series Winter 2007 on Early Care and Education Volume 1
Brain Development and Early Learning
Research on Brain Development
or decades researchers have been aware of the ex- and amount of synaptic connections that are made. Synap- traordinary development of a child’s brain during tic connections begin prior to birth and are created at a
the first five years of life. Recent advances in neuro- rapid rate through age three. The brain operates on a “use it science have helped crystallize earlier findings, bringing new clarity and understanding to the field of early child- hood brain development. Children …show more content…
By age three, 85 percent of the core structures of the brain are formed.
“The characteristics of learning readiness are developed rather than taught and only through numerous concrete interactions with the world can a young child prepare to benefit from formal instruction later.” —David Elkind, noted author on child development
To develop the higher areas of the brain, children must be able to experience things for themselves and feel the sense of accomplishment that goes along with completing tasks independently. To support this, adults need to …show more content…
core brain structure is formed by age five, less than 4 per- cent of public investments on education and development have occurred by that time. Three factors combine to present a strong case for a new public policy that invests more in young children’s de- velopment and education: the growing body of research of the importance of the first five years in brain develop- ment and school readiness; the changing pressures on Wis- consin’s families; and the promising evidence of the positive long-term effects from investing in early learning pro- grams. The research and experience of the last quarter century logically lead to a call for Wisconsin to review its current investments in early education and to design a more coherent system of early care and education services. For more information on specific policy changes, go
Brain Development and Early Learning
Research on Brain Development
or decades researchers have been aware of the ex- and amount of synaptic connections that are made. Synap- traordinary development of a child’s brain during tic connections begin prior to birth and are created at a
the first five years of life. Recent advances in neuro- rapid rate through age three. The brain operates on a “use it science have helped crystallize earlier findings, bringing new clarity and understanding to the field of early child- hood brain development. Children …show more content…
By age three, 85 percent of the core structures of the brain are formed.
“The characteristics of learning readiness are developed rather than taught and only through numerous concrete interactions with the world can a young child prepare to benefit from formal instruction later.” —David Elkind, noted author on child development
To develop the higher areas of the brain, children must be able to experience things for themselves and feel the sense of accomplishment that goes along with completing tasks independently. To support this, adults need to …show more content…
core brain structure is formed by age five, less than 4 per- cent of public investments on education and development have occurred by that time. Three factors combine to present a strong case for a new public policy that invests more in young children’s de- velopment and education: the growing body of research of the importance of the first five years in brain develop- ment and school readiness; the changing pressures on Wis- consin’s families; and the promising evidence of the positive long-term effects from investing in early learning pro- grams. The research and experience of the last quarter century logically lead to a call for Wisconsin to review its current investments in early education and to design a more coherent system of early care and education services. For more information on specific policy changes, go