by the Editor It has long been understood that up to 85 per cent of brain development occurs in the first three years of life. How we interact with children during these years can determine how they learn and behave for the rest of their lives.

"However, the latest science is telling us that it’s never too late to plug any gaps in brain development that may be causing learning or behavioural difficulties, what we call ‘bottlenecks’ to learning.  This is is how the science of neuroplasticity is explained by The Benevolent Society’s principal researcher Dr Margaret Brechman-Toussaint.

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganise itself in response to the demands of the environment and to learn from experience.  Previously, it was thought that beyond a period of growth and plasticity during childhood, the brain was fixed and unable to change further.

Most recently, neuroplasticity has been brought to attention by Norman Doidge’s best selling book:

'The Brain that Changes Itself'

Scientists now know that neuroplasticity is not limited to the first few months of life, and there is growing evidence that neuroplastic change can occur throughout life (Doidge, 2007). In his book, Doidge pulls together research and stories from the scientists and practitioners at the forefront of neuroplasticity research, and the patients whose lives they’ve transformed.

The Benevolent Society is now launching 'Shaping Brains: Shaping Communities', a cutting-edge neuroscience trial program to develop the brains of up to 150 children in the North Gold Coast and Logan through focused play.

Dr. Brechman-Toussaint said the pilot makes the latest advances in neuroscience and international best practice available to families.  “These programs use exercises and games that are fun for kids but at the same time are actually targeting and developing specific areas within the brain, such as memory, attention and shape recognition,” Dr Brechman-Toussaint said.

“We now know the brain is like a muscle – the more you use an area of the brain, the stronger it will grow. On the flip side, like a muscle if you don’t use an area of the brain it won’t develop so well and end up being a block or a bottleneck to learning. By ‘exercising’ specific areas of the brain, we aim to free up bottlenecks and set kids up to be life-long learners,” she says.

Simple tips to help your child’s brain develop through play

1. The environment we create for our children can affect how well they learn.

Environments where children feel secure, attached and stimulated are best for learning.

2. The way we interact with books can give our children a head start when it comes to reading.

Simple things like tracing over the words from left to right and talking about how the picture on the front tells about the story eases them into the mysteries of literacy and creates an interest in reading.

3. Our brains develop skills through practice and repetition.

Try and develop a routine for your child with structure and repetition.

4. Try to keep your child focused on a topic of interest.

For example, at a time when you are not busy and your child is showing an interest in something, it might be a game or something in the environment they have spotted, share their interest so you both focus on the same thing.

5. Use conversation to keep them focused and to extend their thinking.

You conversations should look a bit like a tennis match where there is a long rally. Comments and questions are bouncing backwards and forwards across the net from you to your child and back again. Try to keep the rally going as long as you can, that way you are teaching your child to sustain their attention and to think about what they see. This improves attention and focusing skills. These are important skills which lay a foundation for future learning.

6. Children will develop some skills before others.

Have realistic expectations of what your child will be able to do, and recognise their limitations.

The Benevolent Society trial will add to the body of evidence on this area of childhood development and provide further impetus to make programs based on neuroscience more broadly available. The researchers hope that with government support, programs like these based on the latest science will be more readily available to all families who want or need to use them.

About The Benevolent Society

The Benevolent Society is Australia’s first charity. The Society works with women, children, families, older people, people with a disability and those who care for them and people affected by adoption. It supports more than 30,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged people to build on their strengths and lead happy and fulfilling lives.  Link: Benevolent Society

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