Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/building-brains-one-relationship-at-a-time/5022621/
Take a moment to celebrate by reflecting on all the ways you have observed or supported young children experiencing everyday interactions that were literally growing their brains, enriching their minds, and creating the blueprint for healthy lifelong learning:
An embrace, for as long as it takes, during a meltdown that tells a child, “I’m always here for you, even when your feelings are so overwhelming and scary to you, that you do scary things to yourself or others.”
A child being bathed in rich language, sophisticated vocabulary words, and open-ended questions that offer opportunities to wonder, connect, describe, create, or express.
A child sharing a ‘belly-laugh’ with important people in her life, that comes in even the most ordinary moment.
For more everyday examples, see Online Supplement Box 1.
The Brain Science to Permeate the Early Learning Ecosystem
The examples above, and many others, can each be considered applied brain science, and are part of a ‘neuro-relational’ framework to early learning (Lillas & Turnbull, 2009) — an approach that transcends any single curriculum or educational setting serving young children and families. Importantly, when professionals across different disciplines — from pediatricians to home visitors, family resource specialists to therapists, educators to nannies — can all begin to ...