Childhood is a time for learning through play and real world experiences. For example, when a child waters a garden she can see, smell, and feel the plants, earth, and water; she can ponder and imagine how the plants grow from a seed; she can exercise her ability to balance the watering can and initiate a conversation about her observations. It is through simple daily activities such as this that children build strong, flexible neural pathways. Summer is approaching and for m

The architecture of the brain develops during an ongoing process that starts before birth and continues throughout childhood. Like the construction of a home, the brain-building process begins by laying the foundation, framing the structure, and wiring the brain’s circuitry in a predictable sequence. Crucial to early learning is the structure and wiring of the circuitry for each of the five senses: touch, smell, taste, auditory and visual. These vital pathways for learning ar