{"id":66,"date":"2022-04-28T11:18:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T09:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5senses4kids.org\/en\/?page_id=66"},"modified":"2024-03-13T15:08:04","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T14:08:04","slug":"the-brain-and-the-senses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/5senses4kids.org\/en\/the-brain-and-the-senses\/","title":{"rendered":"The brain and the senses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The brain and the senses<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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From birth, the brain is pre-organised for learning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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At birth, the volume of the brain corresponds to about 30% of that of the adult and reaches 70% at one year of age (L. Konkel, 2018<\/a>). Very early on, the premises of organisation, already observed in utero, will intensify and be refined through sensory information. Cognitive abilities are gradually established, as the brain develops massively. The first three years are a time when offering a variety of sensory stimulation can be beneficial. By doing this, we can help children to develop their skills without over-stimulation. This is particularly interesting for senses that are not often valued in educational practice: smell, taste, or touch for example. On the other hand, it is useful to help children understand that natural objects are always multi-sensory objects whose different facets must be grasped in order to have a better mental representation. Well-conducted approaches by caregivers can be relevant (in taking into account -and this is important- the age and receptivity of each child, his or her feeling of confidence, his or her ability to focus attention, his or her curiosity, the playfulness of the situations, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Brain development in children: at 6 months, at 9 monts and for a young child<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Sensory and integrative regions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The brain of the newborn is, as in the adult, divided into lobes by deep sulci. In the adult, each lobe is subdivided into topographically identifiable cortical regions<\/a> whose function is (relatively) known. Schematically, a distinction is made between areas that receive information from sensory sensors (such as the primary visual cortex in the occipital cortex at the back of the brain, or the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe) and so-called integration areas, particularly in the parietal lobe, which bring together information from several sensory channels and allow for hypothesised processing. There are also regions that carry out more elaborate tasks such as, for example, the selection of sensory information by directing attention, the pooling of integration areas, the appeal to memorised information, the control of predictions based on available information (with readjustment in the event of error). Others involve emotional feelings. All of these levels of functioning are potentially present at birth, or shortly thereafter, but will only really become established, refined and reinforced through sensory experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Brain development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Brain growth is prodigious during the first three years (L. Konkel, 2018<\/a>). On the one hand, this growth reflects the growth of neurons in the cortex (in the grey matter), the multiplication of synaptic contacts (which allow neurons to exchange information) and the creation of a very large number of communication networks between the different brain regions. On the other hand, the axons of the neurons are surrounded by an insulating sheath (myelin) which increases the speed of transfer of nervous information within the networks. This process of myelination is gradual and takes several years (Sanchez et al (2012)<\/a>. Myelination progresses gradually from the back of the brain to the frontal lobes. The frontal lobes are primarily involved in planning, reasoning, decision-making, language etc., all of which are slowly optimised in the young child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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