​
WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION FOR TALENTED & GIFTED

Wisconsin Association For Talented & Gifted

  • Get Involved
    • Membership
    • News
    • Partnerships
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Meet The Board
    • Gifted Listserv
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Advanced and Accelerated Learning in WI
    • WATG Blogs >
      • News from the Board
      • Noticias de las Mesa Directiva
      • Gifted in Perspective
      • Dotados en Perspectiva
      • Ask the Doctor
      • Gifted @ Home
      • Student Voices
      • Guest Blogs
      • Tools to Use Today
      • From the Bookshelf
      • GT Meanderings
      • Advocacy Blog
      • Justice for All
    • Podcasts
    • Parenting
    • History + Pioneer Profiles
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Past Newsletters
  • Equity
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy Resources
    • Advocacy Blog
  • Annual Conference
    • 2023 Annual Conference
    • 2023 Keynote Speakers
    • Exhibitors/Sponsors
    • Parent Conference
    • Teen Conference
    • Logo Contest
    • Past Conferences
  • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
    • News
    • Partnerships
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Meet The Board
    • Gifted Listserv
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Advanced and Accelerated Learning in WI
    • WATG Blogs >
      • News from the Board
      • Noticias de las Mesa Directiva
      • Gifted in Perspective
      • Dotados en Perspectiva
      • Ask the Doctor
      • Gifted @ Home
      • Student Voices
      • Guest Blogs
      • Tools to Use Today
      • From the Bookshelf
      • GT Meanderings
      • Advocacy Blog
      • Justice for All
    • Podcasts
    • Parenting
    • History + Pioneer Profiles
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Past Newsletters
  • Equity
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy Resources
    • Advocacy Blog
  • Annual Conference
    • 2023 Annual Conference
    • 2023 Keynote Speakers
    • Exhibitors/Sponsors
    • Parent Conference
    • Teen Conference
    • Logo Contest
    • Past Conferences
  • Contact Us

The Importance of Early Childhood Learning

12/1/2020

1 Comment

 
“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”  This quote is attributed to President John F. Kennedy and sums up what many, many people believe to be true.

For this reason, it seems especially important to nurture young minds and to grow their unique gifts and talents. While talent development is important in people of all ages, it is especially important in the youngest of children. In the PBS series entitled, “The Brain with David Eagleman,”  Dr. Eagleman explains that in the brain of a newborn baby, the neurons are only starting to connect, but by age 2, the brain may have developed well over 15,000 connections. Neurons in our brains connect at an especially rapid pace in early childhood. As we age, neurons are pruned as a result of what we are learning. As we grow and learn, we reduce the number of connections because our brains focus on a smaller number of reinforced connections. Our circuitry becomes specific. We “use it or lose it” with our brain cells. Brain circuitry is wired according to experiences and interactions with our environment.

So, what kind of experiences and environment do we want to provide for our children? How do we, as parents and educators create these experiences and environments? And how do we grow gifts and talents in our children, and develop their brains?

While so many toys and gadgets and learning materials and books try to sell us things that will grow our children intellectually, the scientific research is actually geared toward much simpler (and less costly) options.

In this June 20, 2020 article in Edutopia, Why Ages 2-7 Matter So Much in Brain Development, author Rishi Sriram asserts that experiences during early childhood provide lasting effects on their development. Sriram states, “This first critical period of brain development begins around age 2 and concludes around age 7. It provides a prime opportunity to lay the foundation for a holistic education for children.” 

The first way to maximize this critical period, according to Sriram, is to encourage a love of learning. Learning for young children encompasses so many things. It can be a love of nature, a love of cooking or trying new foods, a love of building things, creating things, destroying things, questioning things, reading about things, and simply experiencing life to the fullest. The possibilities are endless. Encourage exploration! Celebrate curiosity! Provide opportunities! Additionally, this is the time when children make many mistakes, and encouraging a willingness to accept mistakes as a natural part of learning is crucial. By honoring the process of learning, and not just the outcome, children learn to embrace a growth mindset which will serve them well in their lives. 

A second way to maximize this critical period is to focus on breadth of learning instead of depth. “Well-roundedness” is an especially important way to learn for young children. Their minds are essentially wide-open, connections are forming, and interests are being piqued and developed. In his book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized WorldDavid Epstein argues that breadth of experience is often overlooked and underappreciated. He asserts that “the people who thrive in our rapidly changing world are those who first learn how to draw from multiple fields and think creatively and abstractly. In other words, our society needs well-rounded individuals.”  There will be many years for children to begin focusing on fields of study, but during this crucial time, being a minds-open generalist is preferred.

A third way to maximize this critical period is to pay attention to emotional intelligence and social and emotional learning. Parents and educators can help by teaching children to recognize, regulate, and communicate their emotions. They can teach successful strategies to manage emotions and create healthy lifestyles. For example, helping children understand the importance of  kindness, empathy, and teamwork will be necessary skills for success in their lives. Again, the window of opportunity is wide open during these critical years.

Finally, educators and parents must honor this time period in their children’s lives not as a precursor to “real learning,” but as “real learning” itself. It is common, at least in the USA, to hear of classes for children three and four years old described as “preschool,” when in fact it is real learning, just as later school years provide real learning experiences. Learning during this period is setting the stage for years to come. During this time, children learn how to learn, how to manage time, energy, frustration, tools, and a myriad of other things. “Back in the day” :) children were considered integral parts of the work of the family. They worked and learned alongside their parents and siblings beginning at very early ages, and engaged in “real learning” and real-life skill building. Nowadays we can use family chores and routines as ways to encourage children to value every day, boots-on-the-ground practical skills which will enhance the book learning to come.

During this holiday season, our social media feeds and television commercials are filled with things to buy for our children. While it is tempting to think that some of these items will somehow make our children smarter or give them a competitive advantage, perhaps it is the simple things that will make the difference in the lives of our children. None of these things cost a lot of money; they do, however require an investment of time and love. It’s worth considering.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas. Together we grow.

Jackie Drummer, Past President
WI Association for Talented and Gifted

(Thank you to German Diaz of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for parents and educators.)   

1 Comment

    Gifted in Perspective

    A column designed to link the gifted perspective to other perspectives, and to make you think.
    Picture
    Jackie Drummer Past WATG President, SENG Certified Trainer

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
WATG Privacy Statement

Get Involved

Advocacy
News
The Board

Resources

​Blogs
Awards & Scholarships
Pioneer Profiles
G/T Groups

Equity

Conference

Contact Us
Keynote Speakers
Logo Contest
Teen Conference
Past Conferences
Photo used under Creative Commons from Melody_Ann_Crespo