Welcome to Your Child's Brain How the Mind Grows from Conception to College

by Wang, Sam; Aamodt, Sandra

• ISBN13: 9781608199334
• ISBN10: 1608199339
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-09-04
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Summary

In this critically acclaimed, popular, and essential book, neuroscientists Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang (who is also a parent) explain the facets and functions of the developing brain, discussing salient subjects like sleep problems, language learning, gender differences, and autism. They dispel common myths about important subjects like the value of educational videos for babies, the meaning of ADHD in the classroom, and the best predictor of academic success (hint: it's not IQ). This book helps you know when to worry, how to respond, and, most important, when to relax. Welcome to Your Child's Brainupends myths and misinformation with practical advice, surprising revelations, and real, reliable science. It's essential reading for parents of children of any age, from infancy well into their teens.

Author Biography

Sandra Aamodt, PH.D., is a former editor in chief of Nature Neuroscience, a leading scientific journal in the field of brain research. During her career, she has read over five thousand neuroscience papers, given lectures at many universities, and attended over forty scientific meetings in ten countries. Her science writing has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, El Mundo, and the Times of London. She lives in Northern California with her husband. Sam Wang, PH.D., is an associate professor of neuroscience at Princeton University. He has published over fifty articles on the brain in leading scientific journals and has received numerous awards. His research and analysis have been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and he has made numerous television and radio appearances, including on NPR. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with his wife and daughter.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
QUIZ How Well Do You Know Your Child's Brain?	p. xiii
Introduction The Brain That Builds Itself	p. xviii
Meet Your Child's Brain
The Five Hidden Talents of Your Baby's Brain	p. 2
Ages: Birth to One Year
Myth: If anything goes wrong, Mom is to blame
In the Beginning: Prenatal Development	p. 10
Ages: Conception to Birth
Practical tip: Less stress, fewer problems
Practical tip: Eat fish during pregnancy
Baby, You Were Born to Learn	p. 24
Ages: Birth to Two Years
Myth: Breast-feeding increases intelligence
Practical tip: Guided practice can accelerate motor development
Beyond Nature Versus Nurture	p. 32
Ages: Conception to College
Footprints on the genome
Culture can drive evolution
Growing Through a Stage
Once in a Lifetime: Sensitive Periods	p. 40
Ages: Birth to Fifteen Years
Brain food
The limits of brain plasticity
Born Linguists	p. 48
Ages: Birth to Eight Years
Practical tip: Teach foreign languages early in life
Beautiful Dreamer	p. 55
Ages: Birth to Nine Years
Practical tip: How to get your baby to sleep
What children dream about
It's a Girl! Gender Differences	p. 63
Ages: Birth to Eighteen Years
Practical tip: Broadening your child's abilities
Adolescence: It's Not Just About Sex	p. 73
Ages: Twelve Years to Twenty Years
Myth: Adolescents have a longer day-night cycle
Start Making Sense
Learning to See	p. 82
Ages: Birth to Five Years
Practical tip: Outdoor play improves vision
Speculation: Modern life is changing our brains
Connect with Your Baby Through Hearing and Touch	p. 91
Ages: Third Trimester to Two Years
Practical tip: Protect your child from noise, starting before birth
The neuroscience of snuggle
Eat Dessert First: Flavor Preferences	p. 100
Ages: Second Trimester to Two Years
Practical tip: Getting your child to eat spinach
Practical tip: Worried about your child's weight?
The Serious Business of Play
The Best Gift You Can Give: Self-Control	p. 112
Ages: Two Years to Seven Years
Practical tip: Imaginary friends, real skills
Practical tip: Learning two languages improves cognitive control
Playing for Keeps	p. 121
Ages: Two Years to Eighteen Years
Play in adult life
Moving the Body and Brain Along	p. 131
Ages: Four Years to Eighteen Years
Practical tip: Protect your child from head injuries
Electronic Entertainment and the Multitasking Myth	p. 137
Ages: Birth to Eighteen Years
Speculation: Does Internet use reduce empathy?
Practical tip: Baby videos do more harm than good
Your Child as an Individual
Nice to Meet You: Temperament	p. 146
Ages: Birth to Twenties
Why you're turning into your mother
Myth: Birth order influences personality
Emotions in the Driver's Seat	p. 155
Ages: Birth to Early Twenties
Myth: The right hemisphere is the emotional side
Self-control promotes empathy
Empathy and Theory of Mind	p. 163
Ages: One Year to Five Years
Older siblings speed a child's theory-of-mind development
Imitation in the brain
Playing Nicely with Others	p. 170
Ages: Birth to Early Twenties
Stereotyping and socialization
Practical tip: Promoting conscience
Your Child's Brain at School
Starting to Write the Life Story	p. 180
Ages: Two Years to Eighteen Years
Practical tip: The best study habits
Babies forget faster
Learning to Solve Problems	p. 188
Ages: Two Years to Eighteen Years
Practical tip: Social rejection reduces IQ
Take It from the Top: Music	p. 196
Ages: Birth to Nine Years
Myth: The Mozart effect
Practical tip: The benefits of music and drama
Go Figure: Learning About Math	p. 204
Ages: Birth to Early Twenties
Practical tip: Stereotypes and test performance
The Many Roads to Reading	p. 211
Ages: Four Years to Twelve Years
Practical tip: Reading at home
The causes of dyslexia
Bumps in the Road
Hang in There, Baby: Stress and Resilience	p. 220
Ages: Third Trimester to Eighteen Years
Practical tip: Dandelion and orchid children
Mind-Blindness: Autism	p. 230
Ages: One Year to Four Years
Speculation: Are feral children autistic?
Practical tip: Behavioral therapy is helpful if started early
Old Genes Meet the Modern World: ADHD	p. 240
Ages: Eight Years to Eighteen Years
Practical tip: Spotting untrustworthy treatments
Myth: The all-powerful brain scan
Catch Your Child Being Good: Behavior Modification	p. 248
Ages: One Year to Twelve Years
Practical tip: Getting to good
Myth: Praise builds self-esteem
A Tough Road to Travel: Growing Up in Poverty	p. 256
Ages: Conception to Eighteen Years
Epidemiology is hard to interpret
Acknowledgments	p. 265
Glossary	p. 267
Notes	p. 274
References	p. 286
Index	p. 309
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