Three weeks have passed and I am enjoying working nightly reading about current brain research and dreaming of ideas for implementation with my team. I have put brain research to practice with my children by positively nurturing the plasticity of their brains and providing them with a learning environment that is enriching and engaging (Hardiman, 2003, p. 13). I frequently alter their environment to maintain interest, use natural lighting, and light an apple cinnamon scented candle to increase mental alertness (Hardiman, 2003,p. 43).
I have crafted Montessori tradition (Posner & Rothbart, 2007, p. 118) lessons that follow the Brain-Targeted Teaching Model (Hardiman, 2003) and match my children’s temperaments and interests as enabling them to decide what they want to learn gives them feelings of control (Posner & Rothbart, 2007, p. 23). In contrast to the theory of localization, I attempt to stimulate the entire brain of my children as building memory is based on the functionality of the entire brain, not one particular area (Posner & Rothbart, 2007, p. 26).
A child’s white matter increases during the early years of development and it is theorized that MRI’s may help us learn about specific areas of the brain and when specific skills can be most efficiently taught to children (Posner & Rothbard, 2007, p. 42). This knowledge would make it possible for me to develop age-skill-specific curricula for my children and understand which skills should be taught and when they should be taught. This is an exciting and encouraging thought!
