Paper presented at the Early Childhood Education Global Conference, ITC Maratha, Mumbai, India, 15 December 2011

1. New discoveries in brain research
and the growing importance of
quality ECE
Chief Academic Officer
Asian International College
Early Childhood Education Global Conference
ITC Maratha, Mumbai, India
15 December 2011

2. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)
“It is easier to build strong
children than to repair
broken men”

4. Source: World Bank

5. Source: World Bank

6. Source: World Bank

7. Source: World Bank

8. Source: World Bank

9. Source: ag.ndsu.edu

10. Source: ag.ndsu.edu

11. Source: theurbanchildinstitute.org

12. Synapse density over time
Source: theurbanchildinstitute.org

13. Source: ag.ndsu.edu

15. Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences
• Huge strides in
computer science and
the genetic sciences in
recent times
• This will be the decade
of the brain
• “It’s time to understand
ourselves”
Professors Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff

16. Early learning and the brain

17. Source: ag.ndsu.edu

18. In the critical
period, brain
development requires a
responsive adult or set
of adults

19. Source: ag.ndsu.edu

20. Emotional and social development
The part of the brain that regulates emotion is
shaped early on by experience.
Social development, which involves both self-
awareness and a child’s ability to interact with
others, also occurs in stages.

21. Romanian Orphanage Babies:
21 Years On
Little was known in 1990, about the long-term effects of such
extreme, early deprivation, and whether the babies and toddlers who had
been denied basic human contact and care, could adapt and recover

22. The impact of extreme deprivation

23. The impact of early adversity on development

30. Each stage of intellectual
development must be
accomplished before the
next stage can occur
Deep learning involves the
reconstruction of the old
ways of understanding into
new ways of understanding
Forced learning can impede
this natural process

32. ECE Effectiveness Factors
• Safe physical environment
• Developmentally appropriate curriculum
• Language rich environment
• Positive, constructive teacher-child
interactions
• Small groups, high teacher-child ratios
• Qualified and well-compensated personnel

34. ECE programme effectiveness

37. Professionalism
Committed to students and
their families, their
colleagues, and their own
continued professional
development

38. Professional and subject
matter expertise
ECE teachers need to be
knowledgeable about
theory, content and pedagogy

39. Contextual
influences
ECE teachers must give
full consideration to
social and cultural
factors when planning
learning and teaching

40. Relationships
ECE teachers must have an
an acute understanding of
the value of supportive and
effective relationships

41. Learning
environment
ECE teachers must know
how the environment can
affect the quality of the
learning experience

42. Reflective
practitioners
ECE teachers must
continually reflect on their
practice and experiences for
the purpose of professional
improvement

49. 2. successmagazine.com
3. tylerstrading.com
4. timeinc.net
5. time.com
6. i23.ebayimg.com
7. newscom.com
8. x8b.xanga.com
9. childdevelopmentstage.net
10. learningrx.lyrishq.net
11. timewellness.wordpress.com
12. theurbanchildinstitute.org
13. abcnews.go.com
14. buzzle.com
15. artsci.washington.edu
17. theurbanchildinstitute.org
19. babiesarefunny.com
20. t1.gstatic.com
21. bbc.co.uk
22. emergingrenaissance.wordpress.com
24. platform.ak.fbcdn.net and i1.tribune.com.pk
25. cartoonstock.com
26. smh.com.au and drstephaniepowers.com
28. cartoonstock.com
29. pewresearch.org
31. uknow.gse.harvard.edu
33. portal.unesco.org
37. 4.bp.blogspot.com
39. aarthyr staticflickr.com
40. Jon Blair Photo staticflickr.com
49. { pranav } staticflickr.com

51. authenticlearning.wordpress.com
futureprooflearning.wordpress.com
@jeremybwilliams
@AIC_edu_sg