“Neuroscience is by far the most exciting branch of science because the brain is the most fascinating object in the universe, Every human brain is different-the brain makes each human unique and defines who he or she is.”
A Blog is Born! On Pi Day, imagine that! Like the Hundredth day of school, Pi Day is a clever way we show our creativity through engaging ways to celebrate and count to one hundred or in the case of Pi Day, that magic number, named for the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet is 3.14159265359 is what is celebrated! If you are up to date on your rounding skills, rounded to the hundreths place, Pi becomes 3.14, much more reasonable to consider something called Pi by only three digits. And why is Pi important? In upper elementary grades, Pi is used by students to explore the measurements of circles, as Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
Bring in the Pie to school! Sweet or Savory…Pi Day is celebrated and provides students with the chance to explore a circle (the pie), it radius, diameter and circumference plus do a little fraction review while slicing before gobbling up the pie! The various class results can then be graphed to extend and apply the lesson and explore the differences in measurement.
Why is an activity like this important? Because everyone’s unique brain loves, thrives in and seeks NOVELTY. The novelty of exploring numbers with food about guarantees every child will remember that 3.14 is Pi and will provide visual memory of the experience, recalled when the students gain mastery over how to use Pi to meet grade level standards in Math.
By the time a child enters kindergarten, brain development is such that both sides of the brain are integrating and working together. One of the reasons why our brains are so amazing is that children are not born with both sides of the brain working in tandem.
Neuroscientists and pyschologists studying the brains of infants and young children have discovered exciting research, which is growing and changing every day, as more learning is discovered to deepen our understanding of how brains develop. This research is exciting for those of us who advocate for early learning and mother and child initiatives and policy because of the research and clinical practice of Dr. Bruce D.Perry M.D., PhD., Dr. Daniel J.Siegel M.D. researcher Allan Schore in attachment theory.
Allan Schore, in his paper Modern Attachment Theory: The Enduring Impact of Early Right Brain Development writes that attachment between infant and mother begin the roots of empathy in a child’s developing brain during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Attachment models today integrate the biological and psychological models of attachment theory to form the modern day attachment theory which is considered an interpersonal, neurobiological theory of attachment as well as the relationship of attachment to self-regulation and empathy development in the brains of young children. Tremendous brain growth and development happens before birth during the third trimester of pregnancy through age five.
Growing healthy brains during pregnancy before a child is born and through his first thousand days of life is imperative as children without a healthy sense of attachment, the ability to self-regulate and feel and experience empathy as without those traits a child is without the secure base necessary to explore, learn and make connections with peers and adults, the motivation and well-being to do. Healthy attachment is the root of safety, stress regulation, adaptability and resilience, in addition to empathy.
All of these skills and traits are necessary to be successful in school and in life. it is not hard to see the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and how they impact the formation of attachment and coupled with the health and educational outcome statistics, many cited in the work of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, without intervention many children grow up with childhood experiences which impact them through the duration of their lives.
Dr.Jill Bolte Taylor, in a talk at Butler University as well as through her book My Stroke of Insight, shares exciting news about our brains. News which allows proactive and intentional decisions and understandings to impact our unique, magnificent, ever growing and changing brains through-out our life times. The concepts of neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, and mindfulness are key in growing and maintaining a healthy brain throughout our lifetimes.
Want to know more? There is more to follow!!
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