1. Brain Development Chapter One Pages 29-34

2. The brain is the “command center” of the body! Body Systems Movements Thinking Memory Feelings The brain is responsible for controlling most body functions including operation of:

3. Wiring of Brain Cells Neurons = brain cells that control tasks »Axons = long, heavy cables within the neurons that send signals

4. Dendrites = short, bushy cables within the neurons that receive signals Synapse = tiny gap between the axons and dendrites

5. Brain cells “communicate” with one another by sending messages from the axons of one neuron across the synapse to dendrites of another.

6. Interesting Tidbits: Brain development begins 16 days after conception At birth, a baby’s brain is ¼ its adult size Babies arrive with only the basic wiring needed to survive ~ much brain development still lies ahead

7. More Key Terms: Pruning –the process of weeding out underused or weak connections between neurons to allow the remaining connections to become strong

8. Window of Opportunity –a prime period in a child’s life for developing a particular skill

9. Brain Plasticity –the ability of the brain to change or adapt to the environment is greatest early in life

10. Knowing about brain development enables you to shape your children’s potential in positive ways!

12. Hearing develops before a baby is born. Babies enjoy calm noises and are frightened by loud, scary noises.

13. At birth, baby sees things as flat By 3 mo., prefer 3- dimensional view

14. At birth babies see best in black and white. At three months babies process the primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) better than any other colors. Pastels are the last colors that babies can see at around 6 months Studies show that yellow makes babies cry more that any other color.

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