Childhood stimulation key to brain development, study finds
Twenty-year research project shows that the most critical aspect of cortex development in late teens was stimulation at age four by Alok Jha, science correspondent The Guardian, Sunday 14 October 2012 16.30 EDT An early childhood surrounded by books and educational toys will leave positive fingerprints on a person’s brain well into their late teens, a two-decade-long research study has shown. Scientists found that the more mental stimulation a child gets around the age of four, the more developed the parts of their brains dedicated to language and cognition will be in the decades ahead. It is known that childhood experience influences brain development but the only evidence scientists have had for this has usually
Maxim Life Coaching
Maximizing Potential Through Empowerment Heading for a new destination requires we change direction from the old familiar path. The role of the Life Coach is to help you discover your passion so you can find how to live the life of your dreams. The Life Coach addresses specific personal projects, business successes, general conditions and transitions in an individual’s life, relationships and profession. Together we develop a course of action to take your life in a new direction. Life Coaching is a discipline very different from therapy, mentoring or consulting. In the process, you’ll develop clarity, expand perspectives, focus consciously, reduce procrastination, institute a plan of action and measure results. MAXIM Life Coach David Maxwell
Want Kids to Be More Altruistic? Give Them Arts Education
Liz Dwyer, Education Editor of the online community Good.is, reports: Earlier this year Secretary of Education Arne Duncan voiced his support for dance, music, theater, and visual arts programs, calling them “essential to preparing our nation’s young people for a global economy fueled by innovation and creativity.” A new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago points to an equally important reason we need to make sure every school has a robust arts program: People who engage in the arts or watch others do so are more likely to be civically engaged, socially tolerant, and altruistic.
7 Ways to Wean Your Child Off Video Games
Video games have taken the place of playing outside for many kids today. As parents, should we intervene? By Greg Seaman, Eartheasy The appeal of today’s ubiquitous video games is based on sound value – the games are fun, the action is fast, the challenges are inviting. Yet when kids and teens spend time in front of small screens – whether it’s the TV, computer or hand-held games – it takes away from the time they could spend playing sport, learning other skills or enjoying active play. When children constantly receive their entertainment through computer games, they develop an increasing desire for instant entertainment which decreases their attention span and hurts their listening skills. And
Grade Inflation Does No Favor for Students
Professor Philip Vogt gained a reputation as the hardest grader at Lawrence Technological University. That’s not necessarily a good thing, for professors or students. While an “easy A” is what many students look for in a teacher, they really hurt themselves in the long run — academically, professionally and in their personal life. Dr. Vogt explains in the following essay that appeared in The Detroit Free Press. Easy grading fails to serve students’ education I am not Morrie Schwartz, the easygoing professor described by Mitch Albom in “Tuesdays with Morrie.” I’m also not the imperious Professor Charles Kingsfield from “The Paper Chase.” What I am, apparently, is the person with the reputation as the hardest professor at Lawrence Tech.
Teenage Brains
It isn’t a generation gap that separates parents and teens. It’s a division of interior world views that goes back millenia to the dawn of humanity. Discover the workings of the brains of teenagers in a fascinating online resource, Teenage Brains, by National Geographic. Teenage readers will find how wonderful and special and energized and moody and maddening and difficult and brilliant works of nature their brains are. Adult readers will be reminded of what they may’ve briefly forgotten. All readers will learn about the latest science, illustrated with outstanding imagery. If you haven’t seen the article, it is a must-read for those interested in teenagers and neuroscience. Visit National Geographic at the link above
