Brain matters: research into how the brain develops is shaping early childhood policies and programs.

• Author: Lipkowitz, Robyn
• Position: EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

A simple marshmallow test can tell us a lot about brain development. The test goes like this: An adult seats a young child at a table with one marshmallow on a plate and says, "Sit here with the marshmallow for a few minutes, and when I return I will bring another marshmallow and you can have both to eat."

Each child is observed using a variety of cute and inventive strategies to cope with the command. Some children smell the marshmallow, many hold it, a few dance in their chairs and some just eat it. The older the child, the greater variety of strategies he or she demonstrates to resist the temptation.

What does this test tell us? According to neuroscientists, the marshmallow test illustrates how well-developed a child's self-control is--one of a set of "executive function" skills that include the ability to focus, filter distractions, remember and use information, plan ahead, adjust, resist temptation, delay gratification and persevere for long-term goals.

"Having executive function in the brain is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways," is how the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University describes it.

Research into how the brain develops has produced new evidence that these skills are "essential for school achievement, for preparation and adaptability of our future workforce, and for avoiding a wide range of population health problems," according to a 2012 report by the Harvard center. A growing body of research indicates that the more developed these skills are, the more likely the child is able to process what he or she reads, writes or computes, and thus succeed at school.

In fact, these skills are a greater predictor for school achievement than "a child's IQ score or social class," says Deb Leong, a child researcher and retired professor of psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Increasing evidence of what works and how much money can be saved in the long term, coupled with this recent neuroscience research on how the brain develops, have combined to capture the attention of policymakers around the country.

State lawmakers are beginning to ask how this new knowledge can (or even if it should) influence policy decisions in early childhood development, spurring a growing interest in programs such as high-quality child care, pre-kindergarten and home visiting.

The Developing Brain

Scientists have discovered that the most rapid period of brain development occurs in the first few years of life. During this time the basic architecture of our brain is being constructed through an ongoing process that begins at birth and continues into adulthood.

To illustrate what is meant by brain architecture, think in terms of building a house. First the foundation is laid, then the basic frame goes up, followed by more complicated electrical wiring and plumbing. The construction goes from the basic to the complex. But it begins with the foundation; if it is unsteady, the entire structure is weak. The same goes for the brain.

...