Transcript brain and early learning

BRAIN
DEVELOPMENT
AND EARLY
LEARNING
Teratogens
Definition: environmental substance
causing prenatal damage
Examples: prescription and nonprescription drugs, alcohol, viruses,
environmental pollution, etc
Teratogens’ effects
4 factors determine severity of
effects
Brain physiology
100 billion neurons
Glial cells support neurons
Myelination adds speed
Synapses create connections
Synaptic pruning
Brains have plasticity
Babies Learn About the
World
External world
Other minds
Language
Babies Learn About
People
Imitating others
Recognizing the familiar
Flirting with others
Understanding others’ reactions
Other minds: alike and different
Testing autonomy
Demonstrating empathy
Babies Learn About
Objects
Living in a 3 dimensional world
Objects have size constancy
Can coordinate their senses
Object disappearance and
permanence
Learning about casuality
Categorizing objects
Babies Learn About
Language
At birth, babies know a great deal
Can discriminate all phonemes
Learn patterns of language
Learn social side of language
Exposure changes our brain;
personal connection is paramount
Fostering Learning
Interacting and playing
Talking
Allowing babies to explore
Following your instincts