Welcome to Your Child's Brain : How the Mind Grows From Conception to College

How children think is one of the most enduring mysteries-and difficulties-encountered by parents. In an effort to raise our children smarter, happier, stronger, and better, parents will try almost anything, from vitamins to toys to DVDs. But how can we tell marketing from real science? And what really goes through your kid's growing mind-as an infant, in school, and during adolescence? Neuroscientists Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang (who is also a parent) explain the facets and functions of the developing brain, discussing salient subjects such as sleep problems, language learning, gender differences, and autism. They dispel common myths about important subjects such as the value of educational videos for babies, the meaning of ADHD in the classroom, and the best predictor of academic success (hint: It's not IQ ). Most of all, this book helps you know when to worry, how to respond, and, most important, when to relax. Welcome to Your Child's Brain upends myths and misinformation with practical advice, surprising revelations, and real, reliable science. It's essential reading for parents of children of any age, from infancy well into their teens. Review "...cutting-edge research on the growing brain, from birth to the age of 21....with its clear graphics, this is a useful companion guide for educators and families." - Nature "...A fresh approach to brain research...offering parents practical tips along the way....The authors are consummate myth busters: birth order, research reveals, has little impact on personality, and the left-brain is as emotionally charged as the right....Thought-provoking revelations." - Publishers Weekly "Dr. Wang and Dr. Aamodt playfully and engagingly introduce us to the hidden talents of our childrenвЂTMs brains." —Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of *The Dr. Oz Show * В "Few humans are as neurotic as parents, frantic about the disastrous lifelong consequences of every errant hiccup. In this smart, funny, accessible, and supremely sane book, Aamodt and Wang explain that our supposed knowledge in this realm is riddled with urban myths and that a childвЂTMs brain is tough and resilient in the face of adversity. This is a terrific, fun, educational book." — Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., author of Why Zebras DonвЂTMt Get Ulcers "Fact-filled and fascinating, Welcome to Your ChildвЂTMs Brain will answer many of parentsвЂTM most urgent questions. Neuroscientists Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang present the real data that will help parents understand and nurture their children of all ages." — Dr. Lise Eliot, associate professor of neuroscience at Rosalind Franklin University and author of WhatвЂTMs Going On in There? and Pink Brain, Blue Brain From the Author Sam Wang says: When Sandra Aamodt and I decided to writeВ Welcome To Your Child's Brain , we knew that there were many books on child development. But I only grasped the enormity of the situation when I was getting ready to become a father myself. What I found in the bookstore (and here at Amazon) was overwhelming. However, I also noticed that many books were not based on scientific evidence. As neuroscientists we realized we had something to add. Welcome To Your Brain is not just a parenting book - though it does have information that parents will find quite useful. Think of it as a book about how we become the adults that we are today. The core of that is childhood. If you wonder whether birth order affected your own personality, why you have musical talent (or lack it), or whether intelligence can ever be increased, then our book is for you. Some of you came to this site through our New York Times article on "redshirting" kindergarteners. Our reading of the scientific evidence is that there is no long-term advantage to delaying entry to kindergarten - and some significant disadvantages. To read more (with links to technical literature), go to the top of this website, click on my name, find our blog, and look up our post on redshirting dated September 25, 2011. "How children think is one of the most enduring mysteries--and difficulties--of parenthood. The marketplace is full of gadgets and tools that claim to make your child smarter, happier, or learn languages faster, all built on the premise that manufacturers know something about your child's brain that you don't. These products are easy to sell, because good information about how children's minds really work is hard to come by. In their new book, neuroscientists Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang separate fact from fiction about the inner workings of young minds. Martialing results from new studies and classic research, Aamodt and Wang provide the most complete answers out there on this subject. It liberates readers from superstitions and speculation, such as Freud's idea that all relationships are modeled on one's mother, or that it's not safe to eat sushi while pregnant. And it will reveal new truths about everything from how to make your baby sleep, to why we love to snuggle, to how children learn, forget, play, talk, walk, and feel. Welcome to Your Child's Brain is eye-opening and necessary, soon to become a staple for parents and children alike"-- Provided by publisher How children think is one of the most enduring mysteries#8212;and difficulties#8212;of parenthood. The marketplace is full of gadgets and tools that claim to make your child smarter, happier, or learn languages faster, all built on the premise that manufacturers know something about your child's brain that you don't. These products are easy to sell, because good information about how children's minds really work is hard to come by. In their new book, neuroscientists Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang separate fact from fiction about the inner workings of young minds. Martialing results from new studies and classic research, Aamodt and Wang provide the most complete answers out there on this subject. It liberates readers from superstitions and speculation, such as Freud's idea that all relationships are modeled on one's mother, or that it's not safe to eat sushi while pregnant. And it will reveal new truths about everything from how to make your baby sleep, to why we love to snuggle, to how children learn, forget, play, talk, walk, and feel. Welcome to Your Child's Brain is eye-opening and necessary, soon to become a staple for parents and children alike