Recent brain development research makes it very clear that early experiences impact the wiring of the brain. Early childhood presents a window of opportunity not just to impart knowledge, but to impact the actual physiology of the brain. Experts agree that the brain of a young child is much more plastic, or able to be impacted by experience, than is the brain of an adult. What are the implications of this information?
Our program seeks “to promote brain development, so that the skills needed for instructional learning are supported by a rich neural network.” This probably sounds like an unnecessarily complex sentence, but if you come to a presentation, it will actually make sense!
Here’s an exciting quote regarding dyslexia…
But a growing body of scientific evidence suggests there is a glitch in the neurological wiring of dyslexics that makes reading extremely difficult for them. Fortunately, the science also points to new strategies for overcoming the glitch. The most successful programs focus on strengthening the brain’s aptitude for linking letters to the sounds they represent. Some studies suggest that the right kinds of instruction provided early enough may rewire the brain so thoroughly that the neurological glitch disappears entirely.
From Time Magazine, July 28, 2003, The New Science of Dyslexia, pg.54.
