Your Child's Brain:  Part 4

Creativity is 3 Times More Important than Intelligence for Lifetime Success

In 1958, Professor E. Paul Torrance studied a group of nearly 400 Minneapolis children who completed a series of creativity tests.  For the next 50 years, scholars have tracked those children.  The conclusion:  childhood creativity is more than three times stronger than childhood IQ in predicting lifetime creative accomplishment.  

As important as this is, American creativity scores are actually falling.  The scores for children from Kindergarten through sixth grade are in the greatest decline.  This is occurring at a time when creativity is being identified as the number one leadership competency of the future. 

We must solve this creativity crisis!  Creativity is an essential part of what we do.  Our Play Village is a creativity laboratory that lets kids pretend, invent, discover and dream with friends every day! 

Part 5:

Cognitive Growth is Dependent on Emotional Health and Social Skills

According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a child’s cognitive intelligence cannot be separated from his or her social and emotional health.  Emotional well-being and social competence are the bricks and mortar that make up the foundation for cognitive abilities.  Developing a healthy balance in the early years is a prerequisite for success in school, the workplace and the community.  All future learning is dependent on this important foundation.  Relationships are critical in this process, as a child’s social and emotional health is highly impacted by relationships with family members, adult caregivers and teachers. 

At O2B Kids, our Fun Crew Teachers and Counselors are brilliant at feeding a child’s social and emotional health.  We deliver more hugs, more smiles and more friends! 

Academic Achievement Gaps Develop Well Before Kindergarten.

Language development is a key component of Kindergarten readiness, and Kindergarten readiness is a key predictor of lifetime academic success.  And it all begins with words.

Differences in the size of a child’s vocabulary first appear at 18 months of age.  This disparity is directly linked to a child’s exposure to language in the early years.  By age 3, children who are immersed in a language-rich environment tend to develop vocabularies 2 to 3 times larger than children who are raised in language-poor environments. 

•    The amount of talk directed to children is strongly associated with the child’s vocabulary growth and literacy skills. 
o    Vocabulary size, in turn, is highly correlated with IQ.
o    Exposure to more words correlates with higher scores on tests of both verbal and general ability. 
o    Words are an important factor in cognitive growth and cognitive functioning.
o    But the difference between children is huge.  

•    In a study of kids from 11 to 18 months old, children heard an average of 325 utterances per hour.
o    Some children heard as many as 793 utterances per hour. 
o    Others as few as 56. 

•    Some children heard 616 words per hour.  Others heard 2,153 words per hour.  This means kids would hear between 3 million and 11 million words over 4 years.  Based on what we know, the kids that heard 11 million words by the time they started kindergarten had higher literacy levels. 

The amount and variety of words that a child is exposed to in the early years matter.

Research also tells us that if children begin school behind their peers, they tend to remain behind throughout their academic careers. 
30% of children enter Kindergarten not ready to learn.  30% of 3rd graders read below grade level.  30% of children do not graduate from high school.  That’s not a coincidence.

Words matter.  Use lots of positive words with your child every chance you get!

An infant has roughly 100 billion brain cells at birth.  As a child grows and experiences the world, the number of brain cells remains fairly stable, but the cells grow in size as they connect to other brain cells, creating an intricate network.  This is often referred to as the brain’s wiring or circuitry.  Creating and reinforcing these vast neural connections are the key tasks of early brain development – and they are inextricably triggered by life experiences.  The result is that children who are exposed to positive, diverse life experiences tend to complete more yeas of school have higher paying jobs, make healthier lifestyle choices, and live longer, healthier lives. 

With over 200 weekly classes, free play variety and unique special events, the O2B Kids “New Learning Playground” is truly an “experience” supercenter when it comes to brain development!  And it doesn’t stop there!  Each year we have an Education Conference for our staff, and the April 2013 conference has one focus:  How Experiences Wire the Brain.  Our staff will focus on the science behind what we do – and remember what an incredibly important job they have!

Research from the fields of neuroscience, molecular biology, genomics and child development provide amazing evidence into how children learn and grow. We have identified six insights that help define the education philosophy at O2B Kids. While our programs may look like high-octane FUN, there’s science – and a whole lot of benefit – behind what we do!

1. 85% - 90% of a Person’s Brain is Wired in the First Five Years of Life

In the first few years of life, 700 new neural connections are formed in the brain every second – every second!!! – through the interactive influences of genes and a child’s experiences. This process creates a foundation that determines a child’s lifelong ability to learn, to relate to others, to be productive in the work place, and to be fully engaged citizens.

At O2B Kids, our Nationally Accredited Preschool, Brighter Babies and Morning Magic Play Groups, Program Calendar Classes and Play Village experiences stimulate a child’s sensory, language and cognitive brain functions and provide a foundation for lifelong learning.

Did You Know...

1.  More learning happens in our first five years of life than during any other period of our lives.

2.  Children learn - or don't learn - the skills they need to become literate during these first five years.

3.  Literacy is more than just learning how to read.  It is learning how to understand, comprehend, compute, rationalize, analyze, decide, weigh options, problem solve, create, and learn more.

4.  The literacy level of a child in kindergarten is an accurate predictor of that child's future path.

5.  Literacy is what children need to fulfill a lifetime of potential.

6.  Some skills learned during the first five years - such as learning to talk - tend to happen naturally.  However, literacy takes deliberate training and effort.

7.  While literacy takes deliberate action, it does not demand a high tech or expensive solution.  It just takes time and it just takes words.

8.  There is a wide range in the number of words young children hear.  Research has shown that some kids are exposed to 3 million words during their first four years, and others hear 11 million words.  The higher word count correlates with higher literacy in school.  Word count matters!

9.  Research also proves that one of the most effective, impactful activities to develop literacy is the act of reading to a child 20 minutes every day.

10.  Any reading is helpful.  But reading with a child while asking questions - and stimulating a dialog with the child - develops their understanding of books and words, stimulates their curiosity and creativey, and improves literacy.

So, let's get started!

• Use positive and descriptive words when talking with a child.
• Read books with children of all ages.
• Encourage dialog while reading.
• For preschoolers, ask questions about words and pictures.
• For school age children, take turns reading, and talk about the story.

Words matter!

Children learn so much while they are playing in the neighborhood!  They learn how to explore, pretend, create, solve problems, get along with others, lead, follow, make friends, build, play, invent, make decisions, try new things, develop skills and find their passion.  Many families no longer feel comfortable sending their kids out into the neighborhood to play, and many schools have cut recess and free time.  But kids have to learn these skills somewhere!  Because The Neighborhood is an important part of a child’s social and emotional growth, we’ve created a place for them to do those things within the safe walls of O2B Kids under the watchful eye of our Fun Crew.  This child-directed play is a time of rich learning, and we’re proud to provide these essential learning opportunities to children in our communities. 

“Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.” - Diane Ackerman, Contemporary American author

Neighborhood Time is a crucial learning time for all children.  During Neighborhood Time, a designated part of the facility is open, and children get to choose what to do while they are there.  Children choose the activity and the action.  Playing alone or with others, they interact with materials freely, in many different ways. 

During this non-scripted play, children gain essential skills.  They have the opportunity to: 

• Practice problem solving
• Understand consequences
• Develop social skills
• Gain independence & self confidence
• Learn to be responsible
• Gain physical fitness
• Create leadership skills
• Practice self-regulation
• Use their creativity

What Grown-Ups Can Do!

To support child initiated play and to maximize the enrichment, our daily goal is to
• Set the stage
• Supervise safe play
• Expand upon learning opportunities!

We discuss what parts of the building or classroom are available and what activities the kids want to do when they get there.  What will they try to get better at?  Who will they play with?  How will they make it fun and exciting, or calm and relaxing, or energetic and heart-pumping? 

The building changes!  Each day we make sure there is something different to stimulate play -- building blocks, bowling pins, connect four, costumes, cardboard boxes, yarn, walking sticks, bubbles, paper, cloth, tubes, etc.  Each thing stimulates play, and changes the child’s interactions from one day to the next. 
 
Child initiated learning is not a matter of chance.  We think about the child’s development and intentionally prepare an interesting and rich environment that offers choices. 

Did we just finish a unit on physics?  Then we add cloth and a vacuum cleaner and see if kids can make a kite.  Did we just learn about Shakespeare?  Then we add hats and robes and see if they create a play. 

We observe children, ask open-ended questions, and make suggestions that will extend children’s play and support their learning. 

We ensure it is Safe Play!
• Engagement, Engagement, Engagement!  We offer choices, and create opportunities for learning, creativity and growth.
• Be proactive.  We look for mad, sad or confused faces on children and ask questions before a problem occurs:  Are they sick? Scared? Tired? Hungry?  Worried?  Bored?
• Take the time to connect with each child, every day.  We look them in the eye, and listen when they talk.
• Set limits and consequences in advance whenever possible.
• Be consistent, kind and firm with limits, consequences, rules and expectations.
• Keep it simple, have as few rules as possible and discuss them often.

"Do not…keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play." ~ Plato

“People always want to see the future.  Well I see the future every day.” 

That’s how Ms. Kelly, a teacher of 3 year olds at O2B Kids Alachua, describes her job.  And she’s right!  Not only does she see it, she shapes it.  Now that’s power!  Each day Kelly, and so many other early childhood educators like her, invest in the lives of children, which means they are investing in the future for all of us.  Teaching curiosity, creativity, problem solving, and literacy means our children will have the skills they need to be responsible grown-ups and the future’s leaders. 

Kelly’s prediction for the future?  The class of 2025 will be awesome!  The 3 year olds that she works with every day consistently impress her.  They are bright, engaging, and eager to grow.

But not every child is in Ms. Kelly’s class.  What about all of the other 3 year olds out there?  Research tells us that 30% of kids entering kindergarten are not ready to learn.  30% of children in 3rd grade read below grade level.  30% of children do not graduate from High School.  That’s not a coincidence.  The problem begins before school starts, and that means the solution starts there too.  We need to get more kids into quality early childhood education centers, we need to make sure parents have the resources they need, we need to make sure our kids are healthy, we need to encourage curiosity and creativity – the building blocks for literacy. 

Let’s not wait for Superman.  Let’s encourage more people to be Superman, like Kelly, and work hard to get the class of 2025 ready… for our future.   

If smiles could fly and laughter could soar, could they carry hope in their feathers, sprinkling it on those below?

If questions could build, and answers connect, could that bridge cover the span that separates?

If I believe I matter, that I make a difference, what would I say and do and be?

A teacher.

A teacher, a teacher, a teacher!

If I teach a teacher who teaches a child, who teaches their family, who teaches their community....

What could that community do?

Could they change the world?

Could they walk the bridge they built, then take off with wings of hope?

Yes.

Our philosophy is that we learn a whole lot more when we’re having fun!  

So, what would you expect 4 year olds in the Gator Nation to be talking about during football season?  You guessed it!  Check out Ms. Valerie’s VPK room:

All of Florida’s players are on the wall and each day a new one comes down and joins the class during circle time.  They memorize his name, number and position, and then review all of the other players they’ve learned so far.  We’ve got math, letter and number recognition, reading, comprehension, memorization, and more!   The kids sure are paying attention, and must really impress their parents when they watch the game together on Saturday!  (Well, except for the one dad who’s an Alabama fan, he may wish we were doing something else!)  

Learning sure can be fun!
Go Gators!

A Sparkling Vision

“You have glitter on your chin,” my husband said to me when I got home from attending The Milk Party at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, sponsored by the Children’s Movement of Florida.  Laughing, I told him the glitter was from our granddaughter’ kisses, whose happy faces were painted with shimmering flowers and hearts.

The Children’s Movement (www.childrensmovementflorida.org) is a visionary initiative started by David Lawrence Jr., former publisher of the Miami Herald.  Its goal is clear - take good care of Florida’s children, and we will be taking much better care of our state.  Our little ones need critical improvements in 1) access to quality health care, 2) screening and treatment for special needs, 3) quality pre-kindergarten, 4) high-quality mentoring, and 5) effective support and information for parents.

This is a citizen’s initiative, rather than a political one.  Its intent is to draw on our best selves to do what we already know how to do.  We already know the standards of good parenting.  We already know what defines a superb teacher and effective curriculum.  We already know how to keep children healthy.  And most of all, every one of us absolutely knows that these doable things are the RIGHT thing to do.

The Children’s Movement has one purpose - to bring this doable goodness into focus - now. To pull Florida out of is humiliating, dreadful bottom-feeding statistics regarding the care of our children - now.  To fix the problems we already know how to fix - now.  Gratefully, this is not rocket science.  The solutions are not a mystery.  The solutions are a matter of energizing the moral and social will of every voter, politician, business person, parent, and caring citizen.

There’s much that sparkles in Florida - our oceans, sands, our fluffy clouds, sunny palms.  But nothing will shine brighter, or glitter with more consequence, than when we, in a few short years, meet the sacred goals of The Children’s Movement - to nurture every single Florida child so that s/he is fully prepared and eager to impact - for the good - our  beloved state and our global community.

-- Jani N. Sherrard