Neuroscience, Play and Early Childhood Education: Connections, Implications and Assessment

Abstract

Paralleling the works of Cambourne's Conditions of Literacy Learning (The Reading Teacher, 54(4), [414][415][416][417][418][419][420][421][422][423][424][425][426][427][428][429] 2001), Copple and Bredekamp's (Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth though age. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, 2009) Developmentally Appropriate Practices and the findings from the field of Neuroscience this article explores the important components of creating an active, stimulating learning environment; one purposely designed to actively engage the minds of young children in order to help strengthen their neurological networks. The article concludes its exploration with the role of ''mirror neurons'' in the learning environment and how they affect the young child's mood, emotions, and empathy.

Neuroscience, Early Childhood Education and Play: We are Doing it Right!

“…With the exciting convergence of studies from the fields of neuroscience (Diamond and Hopson 1999;Friederici 2006;Nelson et al 2006;Sylwester 2010) and cognitive psychology (Gardner 1993), educators (Bergen and Coscia 2001;Gallagher 2005;Rushton et al 2009;and Rushton and Juola-Rushton in press) are now making important links to help early childhood educators stay true to their training and knowledge about hands-on, developmentally appropriate experiences that allow young children to learn best.…”

“…On the one hand, we have educators such as Otto Weininger, professor emeritus in the Early Childhood Education Department at OISE/UT, whose now-eloquent expression-''You can't make children grow faster by pushing them, just as you can't make flowers grow faster by pulling them''-depicts the essence of a constructivist's philosophical belief that young children need to unfold at their own developmental pace. Constructivism is practiced by those early childhood educators who subscribe to the tenets of developmentally appropriate practices (Bredekamp and Copple 1987; Copple and Bredekamp 2010), brain-based research (Rushton et al 2009;Sylwester 2010), and multiple intelligences (Gardner 1993).…”

Teachers’ perceptions on the design and use of an outdoor learning environment for sensory and motor stimulation

“…Perceptual development of the Grade R learner is enhanced by sensory and motor stimulation and has an impact on learning readiness for Grade 1 (Erasmus et al 2011:46;Rushton, Juola-Rushton & Larkin 2010). Sensory and motor stimulation do not only take place in the classroom, but much of it takes place outside, on the playground, if the environment is favourable.…”

Early Diagnosis of Difficulties or Disorders of a 0 to 6 Year-Old Child in Italian Nursery Schools and Kindergartens

“…Recent studies in Neuroscience have promoted a better understanding of the development of brain structures, and have emphasised the role of early educational intervention for the cognitive, linguistic, emotional and relational development of children (Rushton, Rushton, & Larkin, 2010;Shonkoff, 2010;Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). In the light of the aforementioned research, the importance of quality educational interventions-advocated by educators and teachers for a long time-is now grounded in scientific evidence.…”