1. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a Nurturing Young Minds Premise #1: Emotional Well-Being Anti-Bias Anti-Bias supports positive but not superior sense of self esteem supports standing up for others and self = emotional well- being emotional well- being Brain Research supports emotional well- being as the key to healthy brain development

2. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a Nurturing Young Minds Premise #2: Relationships Nurturing Young Minds Premise #2: Relationships Anti-Bias empathetic interactions with and exposure to people and items reflecting differences and similarities lead to a comfort level with diversity Brain Research supportive relationships result in emotional stability

3. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a Nurturing Young Minds Premise #2: Environments Anti-Bias Anti-Bias environments reflective of children, their families and expanding awareness of differences within the framework of diversity components result in positive responses to differences leading to emotional well- being for all involved Brain Research Supportive, stable environments result in emotional well being; this impacts the release manner of brain chemicals causing a balance of their releases between the excitatory and the inhibitory parts of the brain, responsible for self regulation; this, in turn, enables self-regulation which, in turn, leads to feelings of self worth resulting in emotional well-being

4. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a Nurturing Young Minds Premise #2: Environments and Relationships Anti-Bias Anti-Bias exposure to stereotypes, exclusions, prejudice causes inability to deal with the realities connected to diversity concepts, leading to emotional turmoil and stress causes inability to deal with the realities connected to diversity concepts, leading to emotional turmoil and stress Brain Research consistent stressful, unresponsive environments result in emotional turmoil, causing stress, leading to lack of synaptic connections in the brain

5. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a BRAIN PICTURE: EMOTIONAL STABILITY VS EMOTIONAL TURMOIL SOURCE: Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development

6. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a Nurturing Young Minds Premise #3 : Affective Development Anti-Bias supports skills of positive feelings for self/others/ differences and and empathy for diversity empathy for diversity = emotional well-being emotional well-being Brain Research emotional well-being has an impact on healthy development of the brain architecture emotional well-being has an impact on healthy development of the brain architecture

7. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a Nurturing Young Minds Premise #3 : Language Development Anti-Bias Anti-Bias supports exposure and interactions with diversity, including languages, leading to awareness of, empathy for, realization of, comfort level with similarities and differences Brain Research the brain at birth has the ability to produce any language

8. Copyright Mothercraft 2005 Mothercraft Institute for Early Development 1992 Yonge St. Suite 301 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Z7 CANADA www.mothercraft.c a Nurturing Young Minds Premise #3 : Cognitive Development Anti-Bias supports awareness and understanding of self, of others; realization and recognition of self/others/ differences; differences; builds on familiar/ unfamiliar Brain Research adding the unfamiliar to the familiar builds and strengthens brain synapses