| The best predictor of a good ending is a good | | | | The Human Brain |
| beginning. The old adage is a true today as when | | | | Locked inside the brain are the potentialities that |
| it was first uttered so long ago that no one can | | | | make us human. We are born with the potential |
| clearly say who first spoke those words. When it | | | | for:oLove HateoPatience MistrustoTenderness |
| comes to the education of young children this | | | | ViolenceoHope DespairoTrust SuspicionoDignity |
| proverb has such tremendous relevance that it is | | | | CorruptionoRespect Revenge |
| hard to overstate its importance. All learning and | | | | It is the responsibilities of adults to unlock the |
| life experience is moulded by what happens to | | | | positive potentialities of the brain and prevent the |
| the child in the early years of his or her life. The | | | | negative from appearing. |
| influence of the family is of major importance but | | | | All educational experiences of children in the early |
| the influence of the educational opportunities | | | | years, indeed all educational experiences of |
| offered to young children is just as powerful and, | | | | children across the entire school years, must place |
| in some ways, more powerful. For it is the impact | | | | an emphasis on releasing the positive potential |
| of early childhood education that determines the | | | | that lies within the brain. Recent brain research, |
| attitude a child will take to formal schooling at | | | | much of it conducted by Dr. Bruce Perry in |
| primary or secondary level. | | | | Texas, has illuminated six core strengths, each of |
| The world today is a troubled place. We seem to | | | | them related to brain growth and development |
| be getting better at hating one another. We seem | | | | that must be a focus in development appropriate |
| less and less able to accept people who are | | | | educational programmes for young children. |
| different from us. In a world riddled with violence, | | | | The Six Core Strengths |
| crime, bullying, chaos and unpredictability we have | | | | Bruce Perry and his colleagues at the Child |
| to ask some important questions. Why is it that | | | | Trauma Academy in Texas have identified six |
| some children | | | | strengths that are related to the predictable |
| Do not become violent? | | | | sequence of brain growth and development. |
| Do not become bullies? | | | | These six strengths, if nurtured and fostered |
| Do not become depressed? | | | | appropriately, will help a child grow to become a |
| Do not loath themselves and others? | | | | productive member of society. They |
| Do not despair and give up on life? | | | | entoToleranceoRespect |
| These may not be the most profound questions | | | | Attachment |
| being posed in today's world but they are among | | | | The first of the six core strengths occurs in |
| the most important. Where can we turn to | | | | infancy. It is the loving bond between the infant |
| discern the answers to these questions? What do | | | | and the primary caregiver. Early attachment |
| we know that can help us unpack the issues | | | | theorists' conceiver of the primary caregiver as |
| embedded in them and come to a vision of how | | | | the mother but it is now recognised that it could |
| to raise and educate young children? | | | | as well be the father, grandparent or any loving |
| The answers to these and other questions about | | | | person. The primary giver, when providing |
| children are emerging from new research about | | | | consistent and predictable nurturing to the infant |
| how the human brain grows and develops. | | | | creates what is known as a "secure" attachment. |
| Although we are a long way off knowing exactly | | | | This is accomplished in that rhythmic dance |
| who we can prevent violence and depression we | | | | between infant and caregiver; the loving cuddles, |
| have learned a good deal about how to foster the | | | | hugs, smiles and noises that pass between |
| brain's potential as an organ to help children grow | | | | caregiver and infant. Should this dance be out of |
| to become contributing and productive members | | | | step, unpredictable, highly inconsistent or chaotic |
| of society. Before we explore some of the | | | | an "insecure" attachment is formed. When |
| implications from this research we need to briefly | | | | attachments are secure the infant learns that it is |
| review the five areas of development that all | | | | lovable and loved, that adults will provide nurture |
| children pass through during childhood. | | | | and care and that the world is a safe place. When |
| Understanding Child Development | | | | attachment is insecure the infant learns the |
| There are five areas of development that children | | | | opposite. |
| undergo as they grow to be young adults. These | | | | As the child grows from a base of secure |
| steps appear in a rather predictable sequence, | | | | attachment he or she becomes ready to love and |
| one after the other. They are not like steps of a | | | | be a friend. A secure attachment creates the |
| ladder leading to higher and higher levels. Rather, | | | | capacity to form and maintain healthy emotional |
| they are like a spiral of stages through which a | | | | bonds with another. Attachment is the template |
| child cycles endlessly as they grow and mature. | | | | through which we view the world and people in it. |
| At some point the highest level of attainment | | | | Self-Regulation |
| may not be reached in a given area but that does | | | | Self-regulation is the capacity to think before you |
| not mean the child cannot progress to other | | | | act. Little children are not good at this, they learn |
| areas of the spiral. | | | | this skill as they grow if they are guided by caring |
| The five areas of child development | | | | adults who show them how to stop and think. |
| are:oPhysicaloIntellectualoLinguisticoEmotionaloSocial | | | | Self-regulation is the ability to take note of our |
| They can be easily remembered by the use of | | | | primary urges such as hunger, elimination, comfort |
| the rather unfortunate acronym "PILES". | | | | and control them. In other words, it is the ability |
| Physical Development | | | | to postpone gratification and wait for it to arrive. |
| This area of child development is no doubt the | | | | Good self-regulation prevents anger outbursts and |
| easiest to understand and observe. Physical | | | | temper tantrums and helps us cope with |
| development includes: gross motor skills, fine | | | | frustration and tolerate stress. It is a life skill that |
| motor skills, motor control, motor coordination and | | | | must be learned and, like all the core strengths, its |
| kinaesthetic feedback. Let's explain each of these | | | | roots are in the neuronal connections deep inside |
| briefly.oGross motor skills are those movements | | | | the brain. |
| of the large muscles of the legs, trunk and | | | | Affiliation |
| arms.oFine motor skills are the movements of the | | | | Affiliation is the glue of healthy human |
| small muscles of the fingers and hands.oMotor | | | | relationships. When children are educated in an |
| control is the ability to move these large and small | | | | environment and facilitates positive peer |
| muscles.oMotor coordination is the ability to move | | | | interactions through play and creative group |
| these muscles in a smooth and fluid pattern of | | | | learning projects they develop the strength of |
| motion.oKinaesthetic feedback is the body's ability | | | | affiliation. It is the ability to "join in" and work with |
| to receive input to the muscles from the external | | | | others to create something stronger and more |
| environment so the person knows where his | | | | lasting than is usually created by one person alone. |
| body is positioned in space. | | | | Affiliation makes it possible to produce something |
| Intellectual Development | | | | stronger and more creative than is accomplished |
| This area relates to the level of intelligence of a | | | | by one alone. Affiliation brings into the child's |
| child in general and to the various aspects of | | | | awareness that he or she is not an "I" alone but a |
| intelligence that influence overall level of general | | | | "We" together. |
| ability. Among these many aspects are:oVerbal | | | | Attunement |
| skills-our ability to communicate with words our | | | | Attunement is the strength of seeing beyond |
| ideas, attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and | | | | ourselves. It is the ability to recognise the |
| emotions.oNon-verbal skills-our ability to use visual | | | | strengths, needs, values and interests of others. |
| and spatial-perceptual skills to interpret the world | | | | Attunement begins rather simply in childhood. A |
| around us.oAttention span-the ability to sustain a | | | | child first recognises that I am a girl, he is a boy. |
| focus on a stimulus for a sufficient period of time | | | | Through the early years of education it becomes |
| to interpret it and understand it.oConcentration-our | | | | more nuanced: he is from India and likes different |
| ability to utilise attention to juggle stimuli into | | | | food than I, she is from Kenya and speak with a |
| various permutations as necessary to analyse it | | | | different accent than I. Attunement helps children |
| accurately.oVisual-motor skills-the ability to | | | | see similiarities rather than differences because as |
| coordinate the movements of the eyes and | | | | the child progresses from seeing different colour |
| hands to manipulate objects | | | | skin and different ways of speaking he or she |
| effectively.oVisual-perceptual skills-the ability to | | | | begins to recognise that people are more similar |
| analyse stimuli visually without necessarily | | | | than different. That brings us to the next core |
| manipulating them manually.oMemory-can be | | | | strength. |
| auditory or visual (or even kinaesthetic as in the | | | | Tolerance |
| case of remember dance steps) and can be | | | | When the child develops the core strength of |
| divided into some important sub-types: | | | | attunement it learns that difference isn't really all |
| - Immediate recall-ability to hold input long enough | | | | that important. The child learns that difference is |
| to recall it straight away if required to do so | | | | easily tolerated. Through this learning the child |
| - Short-term memory-ability to hold input over a | | | | develops the awareness that is difference that |
| longer period of time, perhaps minutes or hours | | | | unites all human beings. Tolerance depends on |
| - Long-term memory-ability to store input and | | | | attunement and requires patience and an |
| recall is well after it has been perceived, perhaps | | | | opportunity to live and learn with people who at |
| days or months, even years later | | | | first glance seem "different". We must overcome |
| Linguistic Development | | | | the fear of difference to become tolerant. |
| Linguistic development refers to language usage. | | | | Respect |
| Like other areas of child development it can be | | | | The last core strength is respect. Respect is a |
| divided into sub-types.oReceptive language-our | | | | life-long developmental process. Respect extends |
| ability to understand spoken language when we | | | | from respect of self to respect of others. It is |
| hear itoExpressive language-our ability to use | | | | the last core strength to develop, requires a |
| spoken language to communicate to | | | | proper environment and an opportunity to meet a |
| othersoPragmatic language-the ability to | | | | variety of people. Genuine respect celebrates |
| understand humour, irony, sarcasm and know | | | | diversity and seeks it out. Children who respect |
| how to respond appropriate to what another has | | | | other children, who have developed this core |
| said or asked as well as know when to wait and | | | | strength, do not shy away from people who |
| listenoSelf-talk-the ability to use internal, silent | | | | seem different. An environment in which many |
| language to think through problems, cope with | | | | children are grouped together to learn, explore |
| difficulties and postpone impulsesoReasoning-the | | | | and play will foster the core strength of respect. |
| ability to think through problems, usually with | | | | How the Brain Grows |
| self-talk but at other times aloud, create plans of | | | | The brain grows from the bottom to the top. |
| action using wordsoCreative thinking-although not | | | | Each of the core strengths is related to a stage |
| strictly a linguistic function I include it here because | | | | and site of brain growth. In infancy attachment |
| many people use language creatively, in new and | | | | bonds are acquired and lay down emotional signals |
| inventive ways (e.g. Joyce, Beckett) | | | | deep within the brain. At the same time the brain |
| Emotional Development | | | | stem is seeing to it that bodily functions can be |
| This aspect of development, along with social | | | | self-regulated. Later on in childhood the emotional |
| development, is probably one of the most | | | | centres of the brain come under increasing control |
| underrated but yet most important aspects of | | | | so temper tantrums disappear and the child |
| learning how to live in the world. No matter how | | | | controls their emotional life. In mid-childhood the |
| excellent intellectual, physical and linguistic | | | | child's brain begins to develop the capacity to think |
| development may be we are doomed to live lives | | | | and reflect on the external environment. It is at |
| of frustration and difficult if we have not gained | | | | this stage when the frontal areas of the brain |
| satisfactory emotional development. It | | | | begin to mature and it is at this stage in brain |
| includes:oFrustration tolerance-the ability to cope | | | | growth when the core strengths of affiliation, |
| effectively when things do not go the way we | | | | attunement, tolerance and respect can mature as |
| want or expectoImpulse control-the ability to think | | | | well. |
| before we act and not do everything that comes | | | | The Classroom and the Brain's Core Strengths |
| into our headoAnger management-ability to | | | | The education of young children must be |
| resolve conflict without recourse to verbal or | | | | undertaken with the core strengths in mind. |
| physical violenceoInter-personal | | | | Classrooms where there is peace and harmony |
| intelligence-understanding the attitudes, beliefs and | | | | among a wide variety of children will create |
| motivations of othersoIntra-personal | | | | opportunities for affiliation, tolerance and respect |
| intelligence-understand our own attitudes, beliefs | | | | to develop. These classroom must be |
| and motivations | | | | characterised by play, creative exploration of |
| Social DevelopmentoSharing-knowing how to ask | | | | objects, lessons which are activity-based not |
| to use the materials that belong to | | | | teacher-lectured. There must be challenge to the |
| anotheroTurn-taking-knowing when it is your turn | | | | brain in the form of innovative lessons and |
| to do something and when to ask if you can do | | | | teaching methodologies. Cooperative learning |
| itoCooperation-the skills of working with others | | | | activities must be part of the school day. The |
| towards a group goal of taskoCollaboration-the | | | | classroom should occasionally consist of an |
| ability to communication your input in a meaningful | | | | opportunity to engage in cooperative, mixed-ability |
| way when working with others. | | | | groupwork. There must be an opportunity for |
| Again it is necessary to repeat that emotional and | | | | long-term, thematic projects to be explored. The |
| social development play a hugely important role in | | | | teacher should be a guide, always teaching with |
| our ability to live lives of dignity and respect. They | | | | the core strengths in mind, always observing |
| also largely determine how well we will get along | | | | children and noticing which of them need more |
| with workmates, bosses and loved ones including | | | | structure and guidance as they grow through the |
| life-partners. | | | | core strengths. The teacher must also be a |
| When we recognise that all children pass through | | | | person the children perceive as predictable and |
| each area of development we design educational | | | | caring, patient and kind; a person who will not |
| programme for them that are developmentally | | | | obsessively focus on mistakes. |
| appropriate. Most pre-schools have done just that. | | | | Whose Responsibility is It? |
| Unfortunately many early years settings succumb | | | | We have learned that the child's brain grows in a |
| to pressure and push children towards academic | | | | predictable sequence and associated with this |
| goals and objectives, sometimes almost | | | | growth are six core strengths for healthy living in |
| obsessively. Indeed, the curriculum in our junior | | | | the world. Every child is born with a brain |
| and senior infant classes is largely developmentally | | | | possessing the potential to full develop these core |
| inappropriate. It is far too teacher and | | | | strengths. However every brain must have an |
| parent-centred and far too little child-centred. | | | | opportunity to interact with a classroom and |
| Regardless, appropriate or inappropriate, it is not | | | | home environment that facilitates the |
| enough to focus on child development alone in our | | | | development of these strengths. It is the |
| work with young children. We must begin to | | | | responsibility of adults, particularly parents and |
| recognise the inborn potential locked within the | | | | teachers to get it right. |
| child's brain. | | | | |