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  • Essay / Early childhood: the effects of education during...

    “Although experience can affect the structure and function of the human brain throughout life, evidence… suggests that experience “early can be particularly critical” (Rao et al., 2010). During the childhood years, adequate parenting has a significant impact on optimal biological and psychological development. This includes neurological, social, emotional and cognitive growth. Rao et al. (2010) broadly define nurturing to include “warmth, affection, and acceptance” (p. 1145). Much like education, many researchers have looked at the importance of similar issues such as attention, attachment, and bonding. Conversely, issues such as stressful environments and unstable relationships have been shown to negatively impact child development. The importance of this early childhood education is evident in the story of Michel Oher depicted in the film The Blind Side. Due to his neglectful upbringing, Michael exhibits numerous academic deficits, including language problems, as well as limited social relationship and stress management skills. However, when he is taken in by the Tuohy family, Michael begins to flourish thanks to the encouraging attention he receives and the positive environment he now lives in. Although Michael's case is atypical, not all poor children get a second chance, it illustrates the effects that an inappropriate, then adequate, education has on a child and their development. From conception, a child's brain begins to develop. and the nurturing or neglectful experiences that parents provide to the child can significantly influence their neurological development. As Farah et al. (2008) and Lupien et al. (2000), a highly stressful environment often leads to the development...... middle of article ......cEwen, BS (2000). Child stress hormone levels correlate with maternal socioeconomic status and depression. Biological Psychiatry, 48(10), 976-980. Pungello, EP, Iruka, IU, Dotterer, AM, Mills-Koonce, R., & Reznick, S. (2009). The effects of socioeconomic status, race, and parenting on early childhood language development. Developmental Psychology, 45(2), 544-557. Rao, H., Betancourt, L., Giannetta, JM, Brodsky, NL, Korczykowski, M., Avants, BB, Gee, JC, Wang, J., Hurt, H., Detre, JA and Farah, MJ (2010 ). Early parental care is important for hippocampal maturation: evidence from brain morphology in humans. NeuroImage, 49, 1144-1150. Skuban, EM, Shaw, DS, Gardner, F., Supplee, LH, & Nichols, SR (2006). Correlates of dyadic synchrony in high-risk, low-income toddler boys. Development of infant behavior, 29(3), 423-434.