10 Myths about Brain Development

1.What happens before birth does not effect learning
- Poor nutrition and exposure to drugs and alcohol leads to poor brain development .
- Folate is important to prevent neural tube defects from happening .
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome leads to hypotonic and cardiac abnormalities.

2. The brain is completely developed after birth .
- Most brain cells are formed before birth.
- Cells make connections with other cells during the first 3 years of life.

3.Brain development is completely genetic.
- Day to day experience help decide how brain cells connect to each other .

4.A bigger head is better
- Parent mistakenly think that children with bigger heads have bigger brains and are therefore smarter .

5.Brains get more active as they mature
- A 3 year old's brain is twice as active as an adult's.
- Adult brains are more efficient.

6.The brain growa steadily during childhood.
- The human brain develops in spurts.
- Babies and young children learn languages more eaily than adults.

7.We can't learn certain skills after childhood.
- There are prime times when learning is easier .
- Learning may be more difficult once prime time is over .

8.Learning begins when a child enters school
- Kindergarten is the start for Malaysiaian children.
- Foundation for learning develops before the child starts school.
- Warm,sensitive,consistent care helps babies develop a secure attachment.
- Early traumas, such as abuse , can slow brain development.

9.Enrichment is only for gifted and talented children.
- Expose abies to a variety of challenging experiences
- Encourage them to be creative

10.Children need special help and toys to develop their brain power
- Talk and sing to your baby
- Go on daily walks
- Spend time with your child and expose them to new things .