Presentations

For Daycare Providers with Infants

Even before children begin arriving at daycare or preschool, caregivers and teachers are busy preparing activities and food for the day. You work hard to not only provide a safe, nurturing environment but you are also committed to furnishing a setting rich in learning.

Nancy talks to daycare providers about giving the gift of lifelong learning to pre-verbal infants while engaging in joyful play. She explains why early learning is crucial and how a child's participation - or "action" - is critical in learning all information. It is the action, or partaking in learning that allows the brain to spring into action when called upon. The more information stored in the brain, the more actions, or options, the child can drawn upon in critical thinking.

In reviewing the latest brain research, Nancy explains the process by which, at about age 12, a chemical is released in the brain that dissolves millions of brain cells - the unproductive and unused portions. This process, known as "pruning," eliminates any chance of ever using information not properly stored.

Nancy's presentation, like each page in her handbook, is grounded in multi-disciplinary research, and packed with clear, actionable insights into brain development. Nancy outlines specifically how and why early color learning can create neural connections in a child's developing brain that will resist the pruning process. Color learning is offered as an example of the power of early learning that in building neural connections in your littlest "students" that will be properly stored and last a lifetime.

Nancy describes why is it desirable to teach a child colors at an early age. Early learning, as the handbook shows, sets the stage for future brain development. Each piece of information that is learned builds on previous knowledge. Early learning, as this handbook will show, sets the stage for future brain development. Each piece of information that is learned builds on previous knowledge.

The Technique for Interactive Color Learning (known as "TICL," pronounced "Tickle") is reviewed in detail, with leave-behind scripts. The simple, joyful game introduced in MindExpanse Baby: Discovering Colors shows daycare providers and preschool teachers how to maximize the positive impact you have on the youngest learners.

Think of brain development as road construction. Will the children you care for have a brain made up of small-town byways, or a massive infrastructure of roads and railways to draw upon?

For DayCare Providers and Preschool Teachers with Toddlers - Preschoolers

The difference between the presentation to daycare providers with pre-verbal infants described above, and the presentation for those who work with toddlers and preschoolers is a specially designed element to The Technique for Interactive Color Learning (known as "TICL," pronounced "Tickle"). The presentation on brain development, color learning and bonding remains the same.

Specifically, TICL is implemented with the use of puppets. Many children older than one year prefer interacting with puppets rather than directly with their caregiver. Children seem to have an almost magical affinity with animals, including stuffed animals. In fact, sleep-dream research has uncovered that most of the characters in pre-logical children's dreams are animals, rather than people. These "dream-animals" are symbolic of the actual people important to the child in daily life. Additionally, many studies performed with children under five years of age use puppets to give instruction. Noted psychologist Jean Piaget supports this concept by stating that playing with dolls "provides a symbolic representation of all the realities the child has so far experienced but not yet assimilated in a form that it can relive and therefore vary according to its needs."

Nancy reviews, in detail, the elements specific to this age group.

For Parents with Infants

The difference between the presentation to daycare providers with pre-verbal infants described above, and the presentation for parents of those children is special attention to bonding, creativity and at-home ideas for this age group.

Also, Nancy can teach a class with or without the infants present.

For Parents with Toddlers - Preschoolers

The difference between the presentation to daycare providers and preschool teachers with toddlers or preschoolers described above, is special attention to bonding, creativity and at-home ideas for this age group.

Also, Nancy can teach a class with or without the children present.

For Parents and Educators of Children Up To 12

Nancy talks to parents and educators of children up to the age of 12 about the significance of brain pruning.

At about age 12, a chemical is released in the brain that dissolves millions of unproductive and unused brain cells. This process, described as "pruning," eliminates any chance of ever using information not properly stored. At this time about 80 percent of brain mass disappears, and we're left with the same brain weight we had at 18 months of age.

It is no small concern that what psychologists refer to as "Concrete Operational Thinking," which develops the foundation for mathematical reasoning from about age 7 - 11, sets the stage for more advanced, abstract reasoning beginning at about age 12 - the time of brain pruning.

It is very important that when a child is progressing from "Concrete Operational Thinking" into "Formal Operational Thinking" (the ability to think in abstract terms critical in advanced math and science) that the foundation for mathematical reasoning be solid - before brain pruning occurs.

Nancy explains that a protective layer called the myelin sheath is the determinant of which parts of the brain will be dissolved during this pruning process and what will survive. This sheath only insulates some parts of the brain. As a parent and educator, it is critical to understand that the type, frequency and variation of stimuli to which you expose children between birth and 12 years of age will determine what is "available" in their brains when they reach middle school, high school, college and beyond.

In the early 1970's we noticed a distinct decline in the number of children achieving concrete and formal operations, which was followed by a decline in the caliber of students in universities in the United States.

When the psychology school at a major western university administered a test to incoming freshmen to determine their ability for formal operational thought, half failed - with no capacity for formal thought at all.

To observe the effects of three years of college study, this school then tested juniors and found no change - a clear indicator to me that some children are not receiving the foundation on which to build during the first decade of life.

Nancy's presentation is grounded in multi-disciplinary research, and packed with clear, actionable insights into brain development. Nancy outlines specifically how create neural connections in a child's developing brain that will resist the pruning process so that in high school, college and beyond children and adults have stored information from which to draw.

~ Nancy can tailor a presentation for any group size or special requests ~

 

Past Speaking Engagements

2007
Weld Public Library parents presentation, "Six crucial elements affecting IQ."

Weld District librarians lecture, "Practical applications in early brain development on library story time and children's sections."

Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Collins, CO, parents and preschool instructors "Minimizing stress levels for children in daycare as a means to a higher IQ and sound emotional development."

United Way Love to Learn Conference, "Concrete ways to utilize research on brain development in your classroom or childcare center."

Rocky Mountain Homeschoolers, "Benefits to homeschooling in developing IQ."

Frederick Public Library parents presentation, "Six crucial elements affecting IQ."

2006
KDUR 91.9 FM radio, interviewed by station manager Nancy Stoffer.(Listen to Interview - 35MB)

KDGO 1240 AM radio, Durango, CO interviewed by Ryan Nutter.

Fort Lewis College guest lecturer, "Growth and Development of the Young Child."

Durango Public Library, "Brain Development from Birth through 12."

LaPlata Family Center, Durango, CO, "Mitigating Brain Pruning."

Prime Time Youth Care, Norwood, CO . Ms. Heleno addressed parents of infants and toddlers enrolled in this Colorado program.

2005
Various speaking engagements (prior to the release of MindExpanse Baby: Discovering Colors) at Norwood, Colorado's The Wright Stuff Community Foundation, a catalyst for youth-focused rural community development.