Start Smart: Building Brain Power in the Early Years

Winner of the National Parenting Publications Award.

Did you know that emotions boost our memory? Or that small muscle exercises help the brain develop? Early experiences contribute to the structure of the brain and its capacities. The quality, quantity, and consistency of stimulation will determine, to a large extent, the number of brain synapses that are formed and how those connections will function. This is true for both cognitive and emotional development, and the effect is lifelong. Start Smart offers simple, straightforward ways to boost brain power with active exploration, repetition, sensory exploration, and direct experience. Revised to reflect the latest research about how children learn, the new edition of this classic bestseller offers explanations on how and why these activities help the brain develop. The layout has been updated, and the illustrations are now in color.

Pam Schiller, Ph.D., is a freelance early childhood author and consultant. She is Past-President of the Southern Early Childhood Association and Texas Association for the Education of Young Children. She served as Head of the Early Childhood Department at the University of Houston, where she also directed the Lab School. Pam is a highly sought after speaker and has given numerous presentations for organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Southern Early Childhood Association, Association for Childhood Education International, and the International Reading Association. She has written numerous articles for early childhood journals, including Child Care Information Exchange and Texas Child Care Quarterly. Pam is the author of five early childhood curriculums, eleven children's books and more than thirty teacher and parent resource books.