Imagine a tiny baby in the first few weeks of her life. All she's aware of is a mass of sensations. Cold air, bright light, a wet nappy.She has no idea where this comes from, what it is, what to do about it. All she knows is it's not nice. That's all she's aware of.And then there are some other sensations. The taste of warm milk, warm soft hands holding her. These are nice.When she feels something not nice, she cries and magically an adult appears, picks her up, talks to her soothingly. It's okay. It's all ...

I've always asked myself that childhood in humans last up to 18 to 22 years, but in our closest relative, the chimpanzee, childhood lasts just 8 years. And so you wonder why that is. Well, you can blame it on this.This is a brain cell. It is called a neuron. This is not a brain cell.This is me when I was 3 months old. Yes, I wasn't thinking that I was going to give a TED talk anytime soon, but I had a lot on my mind. At least I had a lot of neurons on my mind about 90 billion of them.And we're going to come ...

A study reveals our brain development changes at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83. https://t.co/oQK4T8LLnm ...

Adolescence is a crucial period of brain development. If microbes from dogs are reducing teen anxiety and increasing teen sociality, then this could yield long-term benefits https://t.co/ewSmgyCAAu ...

I think is so critical for most parents and educators to understand is that when your kids are using their devices at night, this is having a huge effect on kids sleep. They're getting the blue light from the device which messes with the melatonin that we need to kind of fall asleep. And what they're seeing on screens is emotionally salient.It keeps them up even when they stop it. A lot of them keep their screen their screen um on the nightstand and if they roll over in the middle of the night they pick it ...

Early Childhood Development & Learning - The first 5 years of life significantly impact the subsequent 80 years, highlighting the importance of early experiences [8] - By age 2, 75% of a baby's brain is already built, and by age 6, it reaches 90%, emphasizing the critical period for brain development [12] - A baby's brain builds 1 million connections every second, deciding which connections to strengthen and which to let go [2][9] - Early success creates a "circle of excellence," leading to more confidence, curiosity, practice, and ultimately, excellence [23][24] - Delaying a child's natural instinct to learn can create pressure later on, suggesting that early learning should be encouraged [19] Evolutionary Perspective - Humans are born "unfinished" with brains designed to complete themselves after birth through experience, making them adaptable [16][17] - For 200,000 years, children learned through sensory experiences like watching adults farm, cook, and build [17][27] - Today's children still crave the same sensory experiences (touch, love, emotion, voices, connection, and stimulation) despite growing up in a digital world [18] Societal Implications - The real frontier of innovation isn't artificial intelligence (AI) but human intelligence, particularly the minds of babies [2] - The next great revolution will come from children and nurturing curious minds, not just from algorithms and machines [31] - The industry should focus on creating wiser humans rather than just smarter machines [31]

Brain Development & Learning - The brain's efficiency increases with repetition, transforming connection jungles into neuronal superhighways [8] - Interest is learning's superpower, driving repetition and making practice easier [10][11] - Brains are uniquely sculpted by individual interests and experiences [12] - Neuroscience indicates the benefits of interest-driven deep learning for robust brains [21] Educational Implications - Traditional, teacher-led schools may lead to different brain development compared to student-led, interest-driven schools [19][20] - Student-led, interest-driven schools are associated with greater neuronal stability, network integration, creativity, attention, self-regulation, and social interaction [18][20] - Educators should be flexible with timelines, encourage repetition, and foster student interests to optimize learning [22] Cognitive Load & Brain Function - Learning involves a heavy cognitive load, requiring significant brain resources [2] - The brain prunes unnecessary connections to create shortcuts and improve efficiency [6] - Brains are constantly learning and changing, even rapidly [7]

Neuroplasticity & Child Development - Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself in response to new information [3] - Children's brains have a high number of synapses, peaking around age 2-3 with one quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) synapses, making them highly sensitive to new information [3][4] - Early language learning exemplifies neuroplasticity, enabling native-like accents and complex grammar understanding [7] - Early years significantly impact a child's development, influencing their future [8] Examples of Neuroplasticity - Chess prodigies demonstrate neuroplasticity by quickly identifying patterns and memorizing sequences [5][6] - Children can outperform adults in certain skills due to their neuroplastic brains [2][6] Implications for Education - Providing the right environment is crucial for young people to achieve their full potential [9]

Early Childhood Education Importance - Research indicates that 90% of brain development occurs before the age of five [1] - Early childhood education is not just about ABCs and 123s, but about nurturing the mind, brain, heart, and spirit [1] Teaching Methodologies - The industry utilizes play as a natural language for children, incorporating beads, puppets, rice, and role play to teach problem-solving skills, teamwork, and creativity [1] - The company introduces Jolly Phonics from the UK, teaching 44 unique sounds to improve reading confidence, pronunciation, and love for literacy [1] - The company follows a Singaporean CPA (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract) approach to teaching math, using tangible tools like beads and blocks in the concrete stage [1] - Montessori methods are embraced in pre-primary teaching to build students' minds and bodies [1] Curriculum Innovation - Introduction of Australian Fitzroy Readers to strengthen decoding, reading, and comprehension skills [1] - Teaching simple rules in phonics, such as the 'c' sound variations based on following vowels, to enable students to decode words correctly [1] Future of Education - The company envisions spaces where technology and traditions blend, using smart boards for storytelling and puppets for classroom role play [1] - The company aims to blend international concepts with local values and ethics to provide students with skills for success and grounded roots [1]

Brain Development - The thesis posits that playing video games is exponentially more productive for brain development than watching television [1]