Early Childhood Brain Development:

Test your knowledge (Berger Instructor Resource Manual):

Although there is rapid brain growth prior to age 2, many changes continue to occur within the brain during the early-childhood years. With these changes come advancements in children's development. See if you can identify how brain structures and related changes are related to early-childhood development.

Answer the following questions as well as you can, then go to bottom of page for answers.

1. When a 4-year-old tells his dad about the birthday party he went to over the weekend, he is using what part of his brain?

2. Six-year-old Elsa is getting good at throwing a ball. She is able to step with her left foot and throw with her right. Her ability to coordinate both sides of her body in order to throw the ball is aided by the myelination of what part of the brain?

3. At age 2 Titan had poor impulse control and would hit his brother when he got mad. At age 5 he is better able to control his behavior, so when his brother makes him mad while they are playing Titan walks away and plays by himself. The improvement in impulse control is due to the maturation of what part of the brain?

4. Three-year-old Carly and her 5-year-old brother Lucas are playing a game with their parents. The goal of the game is to be the first to name the object the parents show the children. Every time, Lucas names the object first. Lucas's ability to name the object before Carly is due to what brain process?

5. Owen was a little afraid to go to his first day of kindergarten. He was nervous to meet his new classmates. This stress likely caused an increase in his cortisol level, or stress hormone level. What part of the brain was responsible for increasing Owen's level of cortisol?

6. Four-year-old Abi woke in the middle of the night screaming that there was a monster in her closet. Activity in what part of the brain likely contributed to Abi's nightmare?

Test your knowledge answers:

1. When a 4-year-old tells his dad about the birthday party he went to over the weekend, he is using what part of his brain?

Answer: prefrontal cortex

2. Six-year-old Elsa is getting good at throwing a ball. She is able to step with her left foot and throw with her right. Her ability to coordinate both sides of her body in order to throw the ball is aided by the myelination of what part of the brain?

Answer: corpus callosum

3. At age 2 Titan had poor impulse control and would hit his brother when he got mad. At age 5 he is better able to control his behavior, so when his brother makes him mad while they are playing Titan walks away and plays by himself. The improvement in impulse control is due to the maturation of what part of the brain?

Answer: prefrontal cortex

4. Three-year-old Carly and her 5-year-old brother Lucas are playing a game with their parents. The goal of the game is to be the first to name the object the parents show the children. Every time, Lucas names the object first. Lucas's ability to name the object before Carly is due to what brain process?

Answer: myelination

5. Owen was a little afraid to go to his first day of kindergarten. He was nervous about meeting his new classmates. This stress likely caused an increase in his cortisol level, or stress hormone level. What part of the brain was responsible for increasing Owen's level of cortisol?

Answer: limbic system

6. Four-year-old Abi woke in the middle of the night screaming that there was a monster in her closet. Activity in what part of the brain likely contributed to Abi's nightmare?

Answer: amygdala

Tasks:

1- Read the Early Childhood Brain Development.

2- Explain the term and related concepts IN YOUR WORDS. Make sure you clearly explain the term, do NOT quote the definition, and make at least one citation.

3- Give at least one application example of the term discussed and cite your work.

4- Discuss a real-life experience that applies the concept(s).