Baby’s Brain, Language Development and Literacy: What Every Caregiver Needs to Know Peggy Sissel-Phelan, Ed.D., M.A. Founder and President Introduction • Brain development from birth to age three • • • Language development Emergent literacy skills and school readiness; How does language and literacy impact children’s dddd health and well-being • Practice issues • THE solution to educational disparity Overview of the Brain • Part of the central nervous system • Controls many bodily functions Voluntary Involuntary • 2 hemispheres 4 lobes Many folds Why folds? • Different parts, different purposes Overview of the Brain • 100 Billion brain cells at birth • Brain cells are “raw”materials materials —a - a framework • Parts of the brain mature at different times • Predictable sequence, - “developmental milestones” Baby’s Growing Brain 100 Billion brain cells (neurons) Newborn Brain Weight - Grams Baby’s Growing Brain 100 Billion brain cells (neurons) 6 months Brain Weight - Grams Baby’s Growing Brain 100 Billion brain cells (neurons) 1 year Brain Weight - Grams Baby’s Growing Brain 100 Billion brain cells (neurons) 24 months Brain Weight - Grams Baby’s Growing Brain 100 Billion brain cells (neurons) 36 months Brain Weight - Grams Baby’s Growing Brain 100 Billion brain cells (neurons) 36 months Newborn 24 months 6 months 12 months Brain Weight - Grams Baby’s Growing Brain 100 Billion brain cells (neurons) There are still 100 Billion brain cells! What Changed? It grows 3 and a half times its original size! Brain Weight - Grams Baby’s Growing Brain A Brain Cell Cell body Axon Dendrites Baby’s Growing Brain Brain Cells Connect • The number of neurons remains relatively stable • Each cell becomes bigger and heavier • Dendrites branch out to receive signals from other neurons. Baby’s Growing Brain Growing Connections Baby’s Growing Brain Growing Connections A child’s environment has enormous impact on what happens to those cells. Early experiences set the stage for how children will learn and interact with others throughout life. A child’s experiences, good or bad, influence the wiring of his brain and the connection in his nervous system. Baby’s Growing Brain Making Connections • The brain’s “wiring” is created over time. • Stimulation and experience plays a crucial role in “wiring” a young child’s brain. • If the connections are not used repeatedly, or often enough, they are eliminated. Baby’s Growing Brain Making Connections • Use it or lose it! • Applies to all areas of the brain/body . . . Motor functions Balance and coordination Vision Cognition Emotion Language Language Development • All normal, healthy babies learn to talk. • All do not get the same stimulation. • Repetition is critical when learning language. • Strengthening and expanding the connections help in learning more words For example . . . Again, again, again! What do you say . . . When the parent says: “I’m going crazy! He wants to hear the same book over and over.” That’s how baby learns. Language Development • At every reading, something new is learned • Words and language are the foundation of all learning • But – not just any words • Not flash cards, memorization, television • Importance of “rich” language environment Language Development What is a Rich Language Environment? RICH • • • • • • • • • Responds to baby’s cues, moods Talk to and with baby Lots of laptime, facetime Songs, story telling Word play – rhymes, silly sounds Reading, sharing books Didactic dialog/interaction Hears complex vocabulary regularly Encourage to ask questions POOR • • • • • • • • • Attends to child’s basic needs Talk “ at ” baby Placed in baby seat Little personal interaction Put in front of TV No age-appropriate books One way communication Hears mainly TV, music, sounds in room Told to hush Language Development A Rich Language Environment: Why Does It Matter? By two years of age, children’s vocabulary correlates with later cognitive performance Low-income status significantly predicts children’s exposure to language (Bloom, 1998) Language & Literacy A Rich Language Environment: Why Does It Matter? Children’s language evolves primarily through parent-child interactions Literacy develops in real life settings for real life activities Literacy acquisition begins before formal instruction Language Development Language and Literacy Reading to Baby = More Words Twice as many verbal exchanges Twice as many words Increased number of unusual and complex words Greater complexity of sentence structure Language and Literacy Reading = Cognitive Development Memory Creativity Comprehension Vocabulary and Language development Each ensures that connections persist Language & Literacy Reading Aloud • • • Critical to child’s brain development and healthy outcomes Age-appropriate books are key developmental tools Builds “emergent literacy skills.” These are: How and why we use written words in daily life Holding books Listening to Pointing at Interacting with the book Language & Literacy Early Literacy Experiences • • • These skills are necessary precursors to “real” reading Essential for formal reading instruction. Not been read to regularly = Not ready for school. Guess What? What percentage of families in poverty have no books in the home? 60% How often are children read to from birth to age 5? 25 1,500 Language and Literacy Reading Aloud and School Readiness 70 90 80 Percent of children Percent of Children 80 60 50 40 30 Less than 3 times 70 Less than 3 times or more 3 times weekly 60 50 3 or more times weekly 40 30 20 20 10 10 0 0 Recognize all Recognize letters All Letters Count to 20 Count to 20 Write name Write Name Pretend to Have master 3Pretend Master read/recite a 4 skills to story Read 3-4 Skills /Tell Story Literacy Development Risky Business Children at risk for reading difficulties are those who start school with: – lower verbal skills – less phonological awareness – less letter knowledge – less familiarity with the processes of reading Literacy Development Risky Business • Nationally, 35% of first graders are labeled as “slow” and placed in remedial reading programs. • Dyslexia—prevalence 4-10% • Most of these children, who are not dyslexic, remain in these programs throughout school. • Creates a vicious cycle for school failure and failure in life. Literacy Development Risky Business In general, children living in poverty: – Are 1.3 times more likely to exhibit developmental delays – Are 1.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability – Are 2 times more likely to repeat a grade Literacy Development Percent of 4th Grade Children with Reading Difficulties - by Income 60 50 40 30 20 10 (NCES 2003) 0 < 185% poverty > 185% of poverty Literacy and Life The Effects of Low Literacy • Low Literacy and Poverty • Low Literacy and Poor Health Status • Low Literacy and Mental Health Literacy Development Reading is Doctor Recommended
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