Tag Archives: Brain Development

How children learn, Language Development, Learning, Life Skills, Mathematical Development, Memory, Milestones, Social Development, Speech and Language Milestones, The Practica Program

Birth to 24 months: 14 Fundamental Areas of Development

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25
Jan

It’s uninspiring when an educational programme considers only the most basic areas of development. Children learn more quickly during their early years than at any other time in life, simply because the plasticity of the human brain decreases with age. In other words, the younger your child, the greater an enriched environment will impact on […]

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Brain Development, development, Exercise, Learning, Mathematical Development

How physical exercise increases maths scores!

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06
Nov

We’ve all heard, somewhere along the line, that exercise is good for us. Every parent would agree, in theory, that children should be encouraged to be physically active. Yet, few make it a family priority. Here is a study that should provide us with the necessary motivation to get moving! A group of 171 children, […]

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Brain Development, Choosing the right toy; Age-appropriate Toys, development, Music, The Practica Program

Games for Practica Parents

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06
Nov

Parents of young babies: Dear Practica Parents, You will notice, as you read through the monthly sections of the Practica Parents’ Guide, that we often refer to your baby’s “midline” and what you can expect in terms of him crossing that midline. (The midline is the imaginary line that divides the body into right and […]

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Brain Development, child development, Developing Confidence in your Child; Benefits of One-on-One Interaction; Boost your Child's Brain; Brain Development; Effective Parenting; How children learn, development, educational toys, Learning, learning tools, The Practica Program

Games for Practica Parents

Posted on by admin
06
Nov

For Practica Parents with 2 to 7 year old children: Do you routinely ask questions like “Can you name this colour?” or “How many ducks do you see?” when you’re around your child? If the answer is yes, you may be slipping into the role of a test administrator instead of having fun as a […]

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Brain Development, Develop Concentration, Following instruction; child development, How children learn, How to teach a Child to Concentrate, learning tools, Life Skills, Self Esteem

Concentration – your child’s mental workout!

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30
Jun

Concentration – your child’s mental workout! Downloadables: Practica Programme Hand-out Concentration Span    Parents often phone into the Practica Programme Advisory Service asking why concentration is not listed as a ‘skill’ in the Parent’s Guide. This is because most parents want to help grow their children’s ability to concentrate. We agree that it is very important […]

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Brain Development, Language Development, Learning, Loving Communication, Television

Television – The Great Thief

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29
Oct

  I have been rather afraid of writing this post, because it is without a doubt going to be rather difficult for many parents to swallow. The important thing, however, is to tell the truth (no matter how ugly), because our philosophy at Practically Speaking is that “when we know better, we do better”. So, stick […]

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Brain Development, Learning, Life Skills, School Readiness

School Readiness

Posted on by admin
08
Oct

School Readiness What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘School Readiness’? I know that in my mind I think of giving my child a head start, maybe trying to teach him how to read before school… maybe some counting too… the overwhelmed part of me also considers ‘putting it off’ until he’s older and big enough to […]

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Amygdala Hijack, Brain Development, Tantrums

Amygdala Hijacking

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30
Sep

“Amyg… what?” I hear myself say as Lizette suggests this post… But this has turned out to be one of the most interesting topics I’ve written about so far. Imagine you’re in the traffic… you’ve had a particularly bad day so far, and nothing is quite going your way. Just as you’re about to get your […]

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Brain Development, development, Language Development, Learning, Mathematical Development, Music

The Magic of Music

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24
Sep

  Music is so intrinsic in our lives, and has been for centuries. No one can deny the power that music has to elicit emotions and affect our mood. Music is an art form that has no other use except as a means of self-expression and self-actualisation. But unlike a painting which stands still, music is an art that […]

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