This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
According to a 1997 report by Rima Shore, Rethinking the Brain, there are five key discoveries about developing brains in young children (emphasis in original):
- “How a brain develops hinges on a complex interplay between genes and experiences;
- “Early experiences have a decisive impact on the architecture of the brain and on the nature and extent of adult capacities;
- “Early interactions don’t just create context; they directly affect the way a brain is ‘wired;’
- “Brain development is non-linear: there are prime times for acquiring different kinds of knowledge and skills;
- “By the time children reach age three, their brains are twice as active as those of adults. Activity levels drop during adolescence.”