I have received numerous messages letting me know that the BRAIN Initiative Insights are being shared in newsletters and in e-mails world wide. It is so exciting to know how each of you are contributing to creating greater awareness for the benefit of ALL children!!
Have you sent in your nomination?
I invite you to nominate programs, schools, organizations, or agencies that would benefit from a donated brain activity packet in either English or Spanish. The winner for the donation from Week #4 is below!
Following is the Week #4 BRAIN insight to share:
BRAIN
Brains Require All Investing Now
A BRAIN Insight to share ~ Week #5
Brains need healthy, safe environments filled with loving interactions as a priority for learning.
Let's make this common knowledge! To share this brain fact just cut and paste or use the the share button!
You can simply post the insight on social network sites
You can also include the fact in organizational literature or newsletters, add to your signature on your e-mail, post on a bulletin board and implement it into what you do each week.
Additionally each week, e-mail the BRAIN Insight to 5 people you know. Encourage each person to share it with 5 people they know. If each person shares with 5 people each week... we will finally have EVERYONE knowing this incredibly important information!
Enjoy contributing to make this common knowledge!!
Spreading Brain Development Even Further .... Click here to send the name of a program, agency, school, organization or business that will benefit from a brain development packet. I will draw a name and donate a brain activity packet in the name of the person making the recommendation each week!!
The WINNER for WEEK #4:
Child Care Resource & Referral
Family Resource Center Fox Cities
Menasha, WI A brain development packet for the age of their choice will be donated in the name of :Tiffany Swain
Congratulations!!
THANK YOU to all that are participating the initiative already! Tell everyone you know about the difference we can make!
You have read this article with the title . You can bookmark this page URL https://slantedshanty.blogspot.com/2011/03/brain-initiative-week-5.html. Thanks!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if 100% of children were read to daily?
Reading offers numerous benefits for a developing brain. When a child is read to, cells in the brain are triggered within seconds. Some existing connections in the brain are strengthened while new connections are formed. This helps create a more defined and complex wiring of the brain that will benefit a child throughout life.
The time spent cuddling while reading is also very important.This closeness helps the brain make valuable connections contributing to healthy emotional development. It is ideal to begin sharing books with infants. A love of books begins when children are exposed to reading early.
Since the brain learns through repetition, children love having favorite books read again and again. This leads to strong language skills. Listening to stories also contributes to the development of the ability to pay focused attention and filter out distractions.
In honor of Read Across America Day, the following fun activity ideas are centered around the book, The Cat in the Hat with insights into how they help support brain development. These activities provide additional learning opportunities to enhance reading. They are designed for the way children learn best……. Having fun with you!
O – 1 Year Olds Show the baby pictures in the book. Point to and name the object in the pictures.
Brain Insight: A child’s language development is based on the amount of language heard in the first three years. A child needs to hear direct language to develop language skills. TV and DVD's do not provide the interactive experiences the brain needs.
1 – 2 Year Olds
Name items and have the baby point to items pictured in the book. Examples: Say, “Point to the hat.” or “Where is the fish?”
Brain Insight: Providing learning experiences in a fun and relaxed way with you can reduce the level of stress chemicals in a child’s brain.
2 – 3 Year Olds
Have the child play a, “Cat in the Hat” clean up game. Give the child directions to follow to pick up items after playing. Examples: “Pick up the ball, put it in the toy box and crawl back.” Or, “Put the book on the shelf and hop back.”
Brain Insight: Fun following directions activities give a child’s brain the practice it needs to remember more than one direction.
3 – 4 Year Olds Have the child walk around trying to balance a book on his/her head.
Brain Insight: Movement activities help coordinate learning in many brain areas. Strong connections are made through activities using many senses and skills together.
4 – 5 Year Olds As you read a paragraph in the story, stop and say one of the rhyming words. Have the child say the other rhyming word. Example: "Have not fear said the Cat, I will not let you fall. I will hold you up high As I stand on this ball."
You say “fall” the child will say, “ball”
Brain Insight: By the time a child is five a vocabulary of about 2,500 – 3,000 words can be developed. This is an increase from the 50 words known as a toddler. This only happens when a child has the chance to hear and use lots of words directly.
5 - 6 Year Olds As you read the story, ask questions.
Examples: What do you think will happen next?, What do you think will happen if the Cat in the Hat balances more things?, or What do you think the fish will say about that?
At the end of the story ask, “What would you do if your Mother asked you?”
Brain Insights: Higher level brain skills are developed when thinking creatively. Brain development is also impacted positively when a child is listened and responded to.
Do you have a memory of a favorite book or early reading experience to share? On this day dedicated to reading, it would be fun to have you share your favorite childhood book. (Mine is, The Velveteen Rabbit)
You have read this article with the title . You can bookmark this page URL https://slantedshanty.blogspot.com/2011/03/reading-across-america-contributes-to.html. Thanks!
