The brain, early development and learning

Since the 1990s, advances in technology and scientific research have provided new insights into the neurological development of children. As a result of this work, all aspects of education and child care have been reinvigorated with new understandings of how the brain grows and develops, how this might affect behaviour and learning and ultimately how early experiences may shape who we become as we grow into adulthood. Worryingly, neuroscientific research has also been used to perpetuate a number of neuro-myths focusing on enrichment and building ‘better brains’. This presentation focuses on debunking a number of those myths by looking at contemporary research into how the brain matures and develops, how nurture affects nature and the implications of this as we engage with children in various educational contexts