BRIGHT FROM THE START

Jill Stamm, Ph.D.

Learning & the Brain

November 23, 2008

Arizona State University

and
“I did what I knew.
And when I knew
better….I did better.”
Maya Angelou
 OUR GOALS for YOU!
1.To help YOU “see” infants,
toddlers and preschoolers
differently.
2.To help YOU realize the
power YOU have to form a
child’s brain.
NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION

© 2000 New Directions Institute

NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION

© 2000 New Directions Institute

Visual Stimulation

Eyes Closed Eyes Opened

We know that intellectual
capacity
is not fixed
at birth.
 Neuroscience indicates
that the majority of ‘wiring’ of the
brain comes
AFTER
birth
 Early Experiences…
! Have a decisive impact on
the architecture of the brain.
! Affect the way the brain is
wired.
RAPID EARLY
DEVELOPMENT:
These PET scans
suggest that the
brain of a one
year old more
closely resembles
an adult’s brain
than a newborn’s.
Source:
H.T.Chugani
“These developmental years are not
just a chance to educate, but they
are actually your obligation to form
a brain, and if you miss these
opportunities you have missed
them … forever”
Dr.Michael Phelps, UCLA, Co-inventor of PET scan
 Brain Plasticity

The brain has a remarkable capacity

to change due to learning
experiences…
it is NEVER TOO LATE to improve a
child’s life!
© 2000 New Directions Institute
 90%
Wiring of
75%
the Brain!
25%

Birth One Year Old Three Year Old

 Dr. Bruce Perry’s Slide

Courtesy of Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

 New Directions’ Translation

Emotion Attention Memory

Gatekeepers

Adapted from Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. H.T. Chugani
Impact of Stress on Learning
 What does it
mean
to be well-wired?
 Wire a healthy brain by…
Talking to your child.
Reading to your child.
Singing to your child.
Playing with your child.
Touching & Cuddling your child!
ABC’s of Early LearningSM

Attention
Bonding
Communication
Attention
© New Directions Institute
 Bonding
"Develops
healthy brain.
"Builds trust &
love…safety.
"Builds
resiliency.
 Communication

Talk!
Talk!
Talk!
Talk!
 Amount of Language Spoken
42 families over 2 ½ years of data collection
Words per HOUR
616 - Group A
1,252 - Group B
2,153 - Group C

(Hart & Risley, 1995, U. of Kansas)

©2000 New Directions Institute 37
Research reported from Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz, M.D. (2003).
 S.T.E.P.S.
to Early Brain DevelopmentSM
©2007 New Directions Institute
 New Directions Institute
for Infant Brain Development
 Additional Books
! Bright From The Start – J. Stamm
! Inside the Brain – R. Kotulak
! Meaningful Differences – Hart & Risley
! The Developing Mind – D. Siegel
! Magic Trees of the Mind – Diamond & Hopson
! The Emotional Brain – J. LeDoux
! From Neurons to Neighborhoods – National
Academies
 Internet Resources
! www.newdirectionsinstitute.org
! www.iamyourchild.org
! www.brainconnection.com
! www.childtrauma.org
! www.zerotothree.org
! www.familiesandwork.org
! www.ounceofprevention.org
This presentation has been made available through
the courtesy of New Directions Institute for Infant
Brain Development (NDI) and may not be altered
without the express permission of NDI and may not
be duplicated for sale. All materials have been
assigned a copyright. Use of this information
constitutes an acceptance of these terms.
 www.newdirectionsinstitute.org

4500 N. 32nd Street, Suite 206

Phoenix, AZ 85018
602-371-1366