Via Instapundit:
…the level of mental stimulation a child receives in the home at age 4 predicted the thickness of two regions of the cortex in late adolescence, such that more stimulation was associated with a thinner cortex.
Books Change How a Child’s Brain Grows | Wired Science | Wired.com
Points:
- “Home environment at age 8 had a smaller impact on development of these brain regions, whereas other factors, such as the mother’s intelligence and the degree and quality of her care, had no such effect.”
- “…adverse experiences, such as childhood neglect, abuse, and poverty, can stunt the growth of the brain.”
- “…mental stimulation in early life increases the extent to which synaptic pruning occurs in the lateral temporal lobe. Synaptic pruning reduces the volume of tissue in the cortex. This makes the cortex thinner, but it also makes information processing more efficient.”
Ponder:
- For all the fuss about teacher accountability in the United States, how much can teachers really do about the biology of brain matter?
- For every program launched in schools to improve instructional technology and other elements of the school environment, how many programs have been launched to train parents how to nurture their infants?