Animated Resource Connecting Early Brain Research to Healthy Child Development Now Available

BY NAJA WILLIAMSON

"The brain is exquisitely responsive to experiences. Children are little sponges…They will mirror the world they are in."
-Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

Georgia's Better Brains for Babies (BBB) initiative takes this quote to heart. "Our mission is to improve the potential of young children by promoting the use of early brain development research in everyday life experiences," said BBB Chair Judy Bodner.

BBB recently announced its newly revised and updated resource for trainers, an animated presentation highlighting the importance of early brain development and its connection to the aspects of early childhood development. The resource will be available for trainers this month, after nearly two years in development. BBB will host two Train-the-Trainer workshops this spring, one in Atlanta and one in Macon. Attendees, selected through an online trainer application process, represent a variety of organizations and locations throughout Georgia. Trainers will be given the new materials to use in delivering the training and for making presentations statewide.

"People from varied venues instantly saw the potential our materials offer for enhancing their programs and activities," said Bodner, who is thrilled by audience responses to the fall premieres of the revamped materials. "There was that 'aha' as they watched the animated slides highlighting the four brain lobes and the transmission of brain impulses."

According to Bodner, recent brain research confirms that children begin learning before they're born and continue learning at a rapid pace throughout their first five years. Early interactions and experiences play a vital role in brain development, which is why parents and those who care for children need to know basic facts about brain development and what they can do to help a young child's brain develop. This information is critical for policymakers and decision-makers to ensure that Georgia's state policies and practices for the health, education, and care of infants and children are the best they can be.

The revised BBB training depicts the importance of early brain development and how individuals can use this information to make a difference in the life of a young child. The training features eight chapters:

1. Brain Anatomy
2. Brain Development
3. Foundations for Learning
4. Physical Well-Being
5. Attachment
6. Play
7. Consistency
8. Key Messages

The Georgia Children's Trust Fund Commission provided funding for this project, which was developed by the BBB Executive Committee, a Georgia-based collaboration of state and local, public and private organizations, including:

• Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning;
• Georgia State University, Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing;
• Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Inc.;
• Georgia Children's Trust Fund Commission;
• Prevent Child Abuse Georgia; and
• the University of Georgia, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension.

For current and comprehensive information about the brain, brain development and its implications for children, along with additional resources, visit the BBB Web site.

235 PEACHTREE ST., SUITE 1600 • ATLANTA, GA 30303-1422 • 404-527-7394 • FAX 404-527-7443