Post on 15-Dec-2015
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE
As it connects to brain research
Joseph Chilton PearceCrack in Cosmic Egg, Magical
Child, Evolution's End
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
In utero: child in constant movement as heart
contracts keeps child massaged and safe if loud sound, startle response if bright light, fetus rolls away from it
What kind of birth would allow for best transition from womb? Why?
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
IN UTERO: starting at 6 months learning all phonemes
needed for speech from mother as she talks if mom is mute, needs to have another
speak within 3 inches of tummy often or no prewiring for speech at birth
What happens to speech for an infant with a mute mother if others do not build phoneme bank?
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
Humans have growth spurts at birth, age 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, and 21.
much brain growth as well millions of axons and dendrites become
available in appropriate environment much
myelination will occur
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
BIRTH at birth the system is ready to help infant
bond to mother to start up whole brain process
if the baby touches mother’s skin, whole sense of touch system started
Mother’s face prewired to start up vision
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
if love connection is formed>much myelination of brain cells > initial connection of mammalian brain and prefrontal lobes
if no immediate love connection > trauma> vision problems, heart problems
if positive huge growth spurt in prefrontal lobes
prefrontal lobes house love, empathy, compassion
all connected with love
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
child needs to see mother’s face often (every 20 minutes optimum)
distance needs to be 6 - 12 inches (nursing distance)
milk very watery contains little fat or protein therefore infant fed every 20 minutes when
awake
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
Takes 9 months to myelinate visual system HCL produced at 9 months and more fat
and protein in milk
AGE 1: need brain mass so child can get up on
hind feet and walk and talk if much positive support much myelination
of brain cells
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
AGE 12-24 MONTHS: RISK TAKING
What do you think happens when a child reaches out to touch new objects or takes first steps?
if “NO” and “Don’t Touch!” child experiences fight/flight response of reptilian brain
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
if repeated many times, especially with a swat and/or harsh tone, connection with prefrontal lobes reversed and connection made with lower reptilian brain.
SAFE PLACE and SAFE PERSON are now UNSAFE
with each incidence, immune system is lowered for 6 hours
can lead to withdrawal and depression cortisone produced
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
At each growth spurt, brain is asking, can I go for higher intelligence or do I need to survive?
If yes, connect with prefrontal lobes and enlarge them.
if no, connect with sensory motor brain and increase bulk of body
(fight/flight response)
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
LANGUAGE: concrete language many repetitions with real objects forms a picture of each thing in the
imagination “What’s that?” hundreds of words > phrases>sentences
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
World View extends world to include family members
and close friends
AGE 2- 4
Movement: Greater confidence running, jumping,
hopping on two feet, balancing on one foot, throwing large balls, kicking large balls, riding on things, pushing things
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
Language development: Continually makes images of everything sentences – all kinds questions especially “Why?” tenses and idioms added to speech loves to play with language stories, poems, finger plays, nursery rhymes HUNDREDS OF REPETITIONS WHY?
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
AGE 4-5 child connects with natural world spends hours piling sand, pouring water,
wading in water, digging in the dirt, looking at everything that moves, creeps or crawls in nature
likes to repeat things “hundreds” of times WHY?
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
likes stories about personified animals dreams or nightmares are peopled with
animals (represent family members) WHY?
AGE 6-7 ready to connect with other humans if other stages have gone well, start to see
some empathy or compassion for others
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
if other stages have produced fight/flight response may feel nervous and threatened by others
afraid of not fitting in, constantly checking to make sure they’re acceptable > pleasers
dreams contain people
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
BURTON JONES RESEARCH: (1972) storytelling as a vehicle to expand
imagination during the first 7 years since strongest connection is with animalian
brain, images match this need full sensory interaction much kinesthetic learning that involves many
senses once words match a picture in the brain >play
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
AGE 11 -12 can manipulate words without the thing being
present the imagination creates the pictures of things
not present can give a child a story problem orally and
they can imagine the things you wish them to manipulate
can understand part whole relationships: fractions
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
AGE 14 - PUBERTY much brain growth with physiological
changes ready for abstract thinking can apply formulas can understand concepts like gravity and
theory of relativity can manipulate symbols freely
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
AGE 21: SELF DEFINITION last time human given thousands of extra
brain cells able to connect self to self on deeper levels much energy and a feeling of “something
great will happen” looking for connection on a universal level > Peace Core work, positive effect on
humanity
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
From what you have heard, what kind of education system do children need to maximize brain growth?
Age 3-5 Age 6 &7 Does our current educational system
promote this? Why or why not?
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
Education That Supports Prefrontal Lobe Growth
positive, non threatening much activity based learning much storying opportunities to repeat things many times activities that promote imagination and
problem solving child centred and child lead
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
What kind of educational system will retard growth of frontal lobes?
Do you think television a good or bad thing for children? Why or why not?
Are computers a good or bad thing for early childhood classrooms? Why or why not?