Notes and thoughts during a session of learning about the brain with Nathan Mikaere-Wallis.
Mindfulness
Taking 10 minutes to provide time to relax and make the child feel safe and secure will enable the frontal cortex engage in learning. Taking these 10 minutes is going to have a greater impact on the learning because the child will not be able to learn while the brain stem (brain #1) is tipping the scales.
Sourced from http://www.chrisroebuck.co/mindful-mindfulness/
Resilience
A child that receives a limited attachment relationship with their parent, will be likely to have higher levels of aggression and lower set of social skills.
Support the child in class by building on the relationship. Enable them to see and feel that you are there to provide support. You are not a threat. You understand them and can show them another set of skills and/or behaviour that is positive and safe. This will help to form a resilience from the behaviour that they are learning from home.
Relationships and Social Skills
Human beings are wired to have a dyadic relationship. This is the most important factor to brain #1.
The child will develop greater social skills through a relationship with a parent, not the aunties. So, a child with poor social skills at school will be best to build on the relationship that they are naturally gravitating to first, then build on social skills with others. Human beings are not designed to be looked after by a group of people. They need a dyadic relationship.
Healing the Brain
Neuroplasticity
The older we get, the lower the amount of plasticity (totally understand that!).
Sources from http://www.dumpaday.com/humor-pictures/crazy-cats-22-pics/
CATS
caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugar
... have a huge effect on the plasticity of our brain - the receptiveness of new learning.
The brain of a typical newborn weighs 400gm; a 3 year old is 1.2kgs and an adult is 1.4kgs. Why is the human brain born underdeveloped and so small - well, that's not rocket science :) Instead, nature only grows enough in the womb for survival. This is why vision is not developed at birth. The newborn only needs to see a face at close range - in black and white. When light hits the retina at birth, the brain stimulates the development of vision. The brain is 'experience expectant' for light hitting the retina at birth.
Brain #2 - Movement
'Rhythmic Patterning' is one of the features of this brain. This is a steady rhythmic pattern (rocking the baby) which is one of the needs for brain #2 in order to progress to brains #3 and #4. This rocking is seen in cases of traumatised or upset children. Chewing gum pacifies. The rocking or twirling the hair can help calm down brain #1 when feelings of stress and anxiety are present.
Brain #3 - Emotion
Having a positive disposition towards learning, culture and gender.
Getting a child to know their ABCs and colour names by the age of 4 is a cultural perception of that child being intelligent and a head above others. It is not backed by research. ECE centres that encourage this are stepping away from research and instead, following the needs and wants of the parent. These children are not being given the time to play. The time to build on resilience. Instead, they are learning to be a 7 year old, two years before they need to.
Dispositions are a set of beliefs and attitudes. These are a major factor in forecasting the future achievement and success of children between 3-6 years. What disposition do children have about themselves as a learner?
When a child tells you that they can count to 100, do you say "awesome!", or do you say "and what comes next?"
We don't learn from formal instruction. We learn from practise. Don't correct, just role model the correct phrase, e.g.
Child: "Look at all the sheeps."
Parent: "Yes, look at all the sheep."
What does a child between the age of 3-7 really need to know?
Sources from http://www.myece.org.nz/educational-curriculum-aspects/106-te-whariki-curriculum
Te Whariki and Key Competencies are both wonderful evidence based curriculums. Unfortunately, at Primary School we have a blanket snuffing out the KCs. This scratchy blanket being the National Standards.
An aside: Hana O'Regan (Nathan's partner) has researched cultural stereo-typing - worth going to a seminar of hers if you're able to.
What are children picking up about their culture? What disposition do they have about who they will be in the future?
How do we deconstruct unhealthy dispositions?
If we role model 'risk taking', e.g. speak and encourage te reo, then it will help our learners to feel that it's okay to take risks too.
Reading for a purpose:
The boy who was raised as a dog by Bruce Perry
Brainstorm - the power and purpose of a teenage brain by Daniel Siegel (You Tube)
Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt (quite heavy reading)
Sir Peter Gluckman - why does NZ have so many delinquent teenagers
Listen to Nathan's interview on Radio New Zealand - What 3-7 Year Olds Need to Learn
This day with Nathan gave me plenty to think about and I'm looking forward to channelling it through the learning in LH2.
Listen to Nathan's interview on Radio New Zealand - What 3-7 Year Olds Need to Learn
This day with Nathan gave me plenty to think about and I'm looking forward to channelling it through the learning in LH2.
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