Flourishing in the First Five Years

Packed with practical strategies and inspiring research about how learning changes the brain this book will empower you with ideas you can apply right away that can positively change children’s lives forever.

Donna Wilson, PhD, is an educational and school psychologist whose work in cognitive education focuses on areas including cognition in the classroom, metacognition, attention, memory, motivation, and approaches and strategies to improve teaching and learning for students of all ages. Donna is an adjunct professor and lead developer of graduate programs with a major in Brain-Based Teaching with the Abraham S. Fischler School of Education at Nova Southeastern University and Head of Academic Affairs for the Center for Innovative Education and Prevention. Her passion is for empowering educators with the resources they need to help all learners reach more of their unique potential.

Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Plasticity and Potential: What Early Childhood Educators Can Learn from Educational Neuroscience Chapter 2 Ten Key Facts About How the Brain Develops Chapter 3 Nurturing the Brain and Body: Nutrition and Movement Chapter 4 Cultivating Optimism: How Positive Emotions Support Learning Chapter 5 Playing with Language: The Power of Conversation and Reading Aloud Chapter 6 Thinking, Creativity, and Problem Solving Chapter 7 Addressing Risks to Healthy Development Conclusion Glossary References