Bright From the Start: The Simple, Science-Backed Way to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind fromBirth to Age 3
Posted by admin | Posted in Biology | Posted on 07-08-2010
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Product Description
A cutting-edge handbook for parents, from a pioneer in infant brain development, that bridges the gap between the most current neuroscience and practical parenting techniques
Dr. Jill Stamm’s daughter was born almost four months premature, and doctors insisted she would never walk or talk. Now, thirty-two years later, her daughter is living proof that nearly every baby’s brain has the potential to adapt and flourish given the right attention. A leading authority in infant brain development, she makes new, remarkable findings accessible to everyone in Bright from the Start. What babies need is as simple as A, B, C:
• ATTENTION: including how to increase a child’s attention span, and how to balance stimulation with down time
• BONDING: illustrating the importance of developing emotional attachment between a child and a consistent caregiver—and why this is key to cognitive development
• COMMUNICATION: with breakthrough advice for tapping the correlation between verbal engagement with parents and higher IQ rates among children
She also discusses what kind of childcare environment to select, why learning toys don’t teach as much as you think, why reading to a baby is critical, and how you can help your child learn how to pay attention. By working with Dr. Stamm’s ABCs in Bright from the Start, all parents can help to build a radiant future for their precious little ones.
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This book offered a few good insights, however, I felt that the offer focused too much on personal experience. I felt that the author had already made up her mind about what she wanted to say in the book and then searched for the research to prove it. This book offered very little useful advice.
Rating: 1 / 5
There are so many books out there for parents and many come from the point of view of the authors’ personal opinion or situation. As a new parent I have become frustrated by conflicting information and wanted something that was fact based, yet not too much “science, algorithm” type of language that would bore me to tears. I was lucky to come across this book and it was exactly what I was looking for! It explains things in an easy to understand way and concepts are backed up by factual data from research. For example, people tell me “oh get your baby a Baby Einstein DVD to entertain him” and I wanted to learn about whether television is good or bad for babies. I went online and found some information, but when I read this book it explained that it was not recommended for babies to watch tv and then it explained (based on research not personal opinion) the cause and effect on the child’s development. This book allows me to come to my own conclusions based on the facts. This is what I was looking for. In addition the author does discuss her own personal experience with her children which helps give the concepts an element of reality.
Great reading, well thought out, science backed and very interesting!
Rating: 5 / 5
I applaud Jill Stamm for writing a book on cognitive development that is grounded in research and yet very enjoyable to read and accessible to a wide audience. I am a psychologist, so some of the research findings were not new, but as a new mom, I loved how she translated academic findings into concrete strategies and activities (e.g., use of a placement to focus attention on learning). I also appreciated her philosophy that helping children learn doesn’t require expensive or fancy toys. Having your toddler help you match socks while folding laundry is a perfect illustration of how to promote attention skills without spending a lot of money. Wonder why babies and young kids these days seem obsessed with cell phones and computers? If so, you will find her chapter on technology and “screen time” very enlightening. And while she recommends limiting exposure to television, she does so in a realistic manner. Most of her suggestions provide a balance between what is ideal and what is realistic in today’s world.
I appreciated the book’s endorsements from Harvey Karp and Daniel Siegel–other authors I have read and liked, and whose work is consistent with Stamm’s. In summary, I think this is an accessible book that all parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators should read!
Rating: 5 / 5
Great book. The author backs up her recommendations with references to scientific studies. She also makes some recommendations that aren’t (yet) backed by science but more her observations in many years of working in the field. She provides specific recommendations both for parents who will be raising their children at home as well as those that need to put their children in daycare at an early age.
Rating: 5 / 5
My little one was a few weeks old when I found this book. I was looking for concrete methods of stimulating my little one’s brain which were based on scientific evidence. I found this book easy to read with great examples. It takes you through each concept clearly, easily and without any gimicky jargon. It explains some complex ideas very thoroughly and in a way anyone can understand. This book also is full of great ideas of what you can be doing with your child so that you are being an interactive parent, not a reactive one. ALL NEW PARENTS SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!
Rating: 5 / 5