Child development is crucial throughout the early years, during this time the development of the brain occurs. The development of the brain contributes to the functioning of the body. The anatomy of the brain is made up of neurons and divided into four different lobes. The temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes control a variety of cognitive functions. The brain controls simple functions such as fine and gross motor skills, vision, and memory. According to Meadows (1993, p.263), at all sorts of levels in the brain there are programs for functions such as breathing, sleeping, and producing coherent language. Brain development in children is vital during the early years. During the early years, children brains are active enabling children to learn a variety of information. Many studies have been conducted and they have concluded a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and exposing young children to a variety of education material assist with child development. The first few years of a child’s life is crucial as far as his intellectual as well as socio-emotional abilities are concerned (Bose, 2000).
Brain Development
Brains and the more nonessential parts of the nervous system are made up of neurons (Meadows, 1993 p. 266). The brain is made up of neurons, axons, dendrites, and synapse. They all have their individual job that contributes to the functioning of the body. The weight of the brain increases as a child develops into adulthood. According to Siegler & Alibali (2005, p13), the changes in the size of the brain make it possible for advanced thinking. The neurons are the functioning core of the brain (Brotherson, 2005). The brain begins to develop in the mother’s womb and continue to develop as the child develops. The neuron has branches protruding from the cell sending signals to the synapse and axon. The synapse and axon shapes the brain which allows connections to be made. Young children learn new information when they follow the same routine on a regular base. If a parent repeatedly calls a child a certain name, then connections form that allow the child to recognize that name over time and he or she will begin to respond to that name (Brotherson, 2005). Through repetitive experiences the axons and synapse strengthen causing learning to take place.
The brain is divided into four major lobes: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and the temporal lobe. Each lobe contributes to cognitive development in young children.
As every child grows up in a different environment, not all have a safe one to grow up in and as a result everything that surrounds them becomes apart of the clarity that their mind incorporates and becomes apart of that child 's behavior of way. In terms of brain development children or teens often listen, and see what is around them, it is also said, by researchers of the National Institute of Health, that in recent studies that were made that in teen years massive loss of brain tissue...
The brain develops rapidly during childhood, and within the first ten years of development millions of brain cell connections are made which enable children to absorb information and learn complex skills which
The brain, also known as the “boss” of the human body, is an instrumental organ that directs all of the body’s activities. Whether a means to maintain homeostasis or a means to prevent diseases vis-à-vis the blood barrier, the brain is a key component, which, if unable to properly execute actions, can alter the functions of the body. Therefore, although there is a plethora of factors of child brain development, the most important influences are maternal distress during pregnancy, the environment, such as biological and physical stimuli, and prenatal and postnatal nutrition.
Scientists have identified four major sections (or lobes) of the brain. There is a fifth section identified that is contained on the inside of the brain and cannot be seen from the external sections. The four lobes are found on both hemispheres (the two halves identified in the brain). The four lobes are the frontal, parietal (the upper portion), temporal (lower portion), and occipital (the farthest back section).
The first two years of a humans life are bursting with biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development. In the first few weeks after conception to two years after birth a child’s brain experiences more growth than any other organ in the body. During the first two years of a child’s life the brain is very plastic and malleable. In order for children to continue down a path of success and learning there are certain experiences a child must have in order to develop normally. The First Two years of a child life is responsible for the foundation that is layed.
The neurons necessary for brain function are located here but are still not connected until the baby grows, which then carry information back and forth the brain. Neurons are different to other egg shaped cells in the body in that they have tentacles, this allows them to clasp on to one another, creating pathways. In the period after birth, these connections or ‘Synapses’ grow which allows the baby to develop several significant milestones and by the time they are two years of age the brain has developed on average one hundred trillion synapses. Everything a child learns is stored in the neurons, which creates a path across the synapses, which is continually strengthened by repetition.
In the article “You Can Grow Your Brain” Scientist show the brain is a lot like a muscle, when you start exercising you can barely lift anything when you exercise for an extended period of time you can lift more from when you started the brain is the same way. Nerve cells connect to other cells which allow for problem solving and critical thinking to happen when you learn something new they grow in number and become stronger. Scientist proves this by taking two groups of adults who had no knowledge of juggling, the scientist showed one half how to
The brain is an incredible part of our body and it controls everything from body coordination, thinking processes, and regulating body functions. The brain has enough energy to power a 25watt bulb. Now that’s power! The brain is composed of the cerebrum (and its lobes), the thalamus, hypothalamus, brainstem and cerebellum. The cerebrum consists of the; frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and the occipital lobe. It’s the largest part of the brain and accumulates 85 percent of the weight. (1) Each part of the brain has its own specific and unique functions. Scientists have and still are studying to unlock the mysteries and full potentially of the human brain.
The early stages of a child’s lifespan is the most crucial part of their overall development. “Brain and biological development during this time is influenced by an infant's environment”(Statistics
Every child’s cognitive development is different. Cognitive development is the process of gaining skills by brain development to gain the ability to think and comprehend. These skills once matured are beneficial to youth especially when they begin grade sch...
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Neurogenesis is the creation of new brain cells. Even though neural connections are “wired early and are resistant to change” we now know through neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, that these connections can and do change over our lifespan (Fishbane, 2007, p. 397). The most rapid period of neurogenesis occurs at the embryonic state of human development (Rutecki, 1992), called embryogenesis. At this stage, progenitor cells, and neural stem cells, which are similar to progenitor cells, differentiate into specific types of cells, and in the case of the human brain, these cells are called neurons (Zhang & Jiao, 2015). A human baby can produce billions of neurons and millions of neural connections, or “neural pathways,” by the age of 3, more than any period in a typical human’s lifetime. In fact, at this stage in human development, the average child is producing around 700 neural connections per second (InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development, 2012). “Experience alters the brain, even as we age…whenever we learn something new, attitudes, perspectives, or behaviors, we are changing the physical structure of the brain” (Fishbane, 2007, p.
The second most important factor in the development of a child’s healthy brain is communication. Communication can happen in the mesosystem or the exosystem. In the mesosystem, communication may be taking place between parent(s) and child, caregiver and child, parent and teacher, or teacher and student. All of these examples are very crucial. Parents have to make it a number one priority to keep communication open with their child. As infants, they need to talk to their child because it helps them learn and bond with them. That bond will continue to grow if the communication does not stop. It is also necessary that parents make a habit to check in with their child’s teacher. This will keep them up to date on what they need to work on at home,
In the developing stages of a child, psychological factors play a huge role in th...
What a child experiences in the first few years of life largely determines how their brain will develop and how they will interact with the world throughout their life. Brains are built up over time, from the bottom up. The basic architecture of the brain is constructed though an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues on through adult hood. For children’s brains to become highly developed for learning, repeated experience are essential. Children will developed bet if they are proved with: positive supportive relationships, routines and consistency, chance to repeat activities, hands on interaction