The brain is the control center for your body. Everything you think, feel, or experience is the result of a chemical reaction in your brain, and everything you do begins as a signal in your brain that is then transmitted to another part of your body. The brain is intimately involved in all that you are and everything that you do, and the same is true for your children. A basic understanding of how the brain works is a powerful tool for better understanding yourself and your child.
Brain Growth and Development
The brain changes more than any other part of the body over the course of human life. These changes occur on two levels: The first type of change, the physical growth of the brain itself, occurs rapidly from birth through early adolescence and is largely complete by the age of ten. The second type of change comes from the growing connections between different parts of the brain. This kind of growth is ultimately even more important than the physical growth of the organ itself. While there are critical windows for the growth of these connections, the brain is capable of forming new connections throughout the lifespan. This process is central to learning and has profound implications for education.
