Early Years

Making educational provision for pre-school children: evidence from neuroscience

Sue Pickering, Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol

The key question for this presentation was ‘How can neuroscience and cognitive psychology help to inform the design of effective pre-school programmes for children aged 3-5?’ Neuroscience research with young children is relatively new. In the past the technology available was too risky, as it involved the use of radioactive substances. Now FMRI scans are less invasive and EEG equipment for the monitoring of brain activity is more portable and can be taken outside the laboratory.

Brain development

Almost all neurons in the brain are created in the first three months of gestation but during development there is considerable reorganisation in the ‘wiring’ between them. Following birth there is an explosion of connections between neurons, followed by a period of pruning when the number of connections is reduced. In addition, myelination deposits a fatty ‘lagging’ along neural connections, which increases the speed of transmission of electrical signals along the neuron.

Human brains are shaped by genes and by experiences. The initial ‘general-purpose brain’ has a considerable capacity for specialised development depending on the context within which it develops. Human babies seem very well equipped to learn from experience as ‘apprentice humans’ and plasticity continues to some degree throughout life.

This understanding of the brain as shaped by experience suggests that it will facilitate development (and may be essential) if what is to be learned is part of the everyday environment of young children. It is necessary to consider both stimulation and de-cluttering to support cognitive development. However, because brain development is also determined by genes, it seems likely that some brains will differ in structure or function as a consequence of genetic differences. This variation results in some brains struggling to learn or learning differently (for example, learning with dyslexia).

Implications for language learning

The evidence from neuroscience suggests that we underestimate the capacity of young children to develop through implicit learning, and that spoken language seems to develop without formal instruction. On the other hand, written language seems to require more formal instruction.

Understanding grammar and acquiring an accent seem to develop at a young age and reflect the environment in which these occur, while semantics and vocabulary can be developed at any age.

A key issue for language development then becomes the extent to which the formal and informal settings (particularly their homes) in which children spend their time provide a rich enough environment to foster implicit learning. For example, phonological awareness makes an important contribution to learning to read but do all children grow up in an environment that facilitates this development?

Research questions

  1. What are the features of home and playroom that provide the most effective environment for spoken language development and later development of literacy? What is a ‘rich enough’ environment?
  2. How can parents of young children be helped to provide a rich environment at home to facilitate their children’s language development?
  3. What can be done to support the language and literacy development of children who have genetic brain differences that influence the way they learn?

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Neuroscience and education

Find out more about research into neuroscience and education.