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Teenage brain development: the basicsChildren’s brains have a massive growth spurt when they’re very young. By the time they’re six, their brains are already about 90-95% of adult size. The early years are a critical time for brain development, but the brain still needs a lot of remodelling before it can function as an adult brain. This brain remodelling happens intensively during adolescence, continuing until your child is in their mid-20s. Brain change depends on age, experience and hormonal changes in puberty. Inside the teenage brainAdolescence is a time of significant growth and development inside the teenage brain. The main change is that unused connections in the thinking and processing part of your child’s brain (called the grey matter) are ‘pruned’ away. At the same time, other connections are strengthened. This is the brain’s way of becoming more efficient, based on the ‘use it or lose it’ principle. This pruning process begins in the back of the brain. The front part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, is remodelled last. The prefrontal cortex is the decision-making part of the brain, responsible for your child’s ability to plan and think about the consequences of actions, solve problems and control impulses. Changes in this part of the brain continue into early adulthood. Because the prefrontal cortex is still developing, teenagers might rely on a part of the brain called the amygdala to make decisions and solve problems more than adults do. The amygdala is associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour. Have you noticed that sometimes your child’s thinking and behaviour seems quite mature, but at other times your child seems to behave or think in illogical, impulsive or emotional ways? The back-to-front development of the brain explains these shifts and changes – teenagers are working with brains that are still under construction. Building a healthy teenage brainThe combination of your child’s unique brain and environment influences the way your child acts, thinks and feels. For example, your child’s preferred activities and skills might become ‘hard-wired’ in the brain. How teenagers spend their time is crucial to brain development. So it’s worth thinking about the range of activities and experiences your child is into – music, sports, study, languages, video games. How are these shaping the sort of brain your child will take into adulthood? You're an important part of your child’s environment. You mean a lot to your child. How you guide and influence your child will be important in helping your child to build a healthy brain too. You can do this by:
Behaviour strategies for teenage brain developmentWhile your child’s brain is developing, your child might:
Here are some tips for encouraging good behaviour and strengthening positive brain connections:
Teenagers are often passionate about their interests, especially ones that give them opportunities to socialise. You can help your child develop skills and confidence by supporting your child’s interests, activities and hobbies. Thinking strategies for teenage brain developmentBrain growth and development during these years means that your child will start to:
You can support the development of your child’s thinking with the following strategies:
Sleep and teenage brain developmentDuring adolescence, sleep patterns change because of hormonal changes in the brain. But children still need plenty of sleep for their overall health and development, including their brain development. These tips can help your child get they sleep they need:
Which brain structure's neural connections increase in middle to late childhood in regards to memory?Brain pathways and circuity involving the prefrontal cortex, the highest level in the brain, continue to increase during middle and late childhood. These advances in prefrontal cortex are linked to children improved attention, reasoning, and cognitive control.
Which of the following is are the leading cause of death during middle and late childhood?Accidents (unintentional injuries) are, by far, the leading cause of death among children and teens.
What is the main factor attributed to the normal weight increases during middle and late childhood?Middle/late childhood: 5-7 lbs weight gain per year (muscle and skeletal changes). Due mainly to increases in size of skeletal and muscular systems, as well as size of some body organs.
What happens when areas of the brain are used as children develop quizlet?-As children develop, activation of some brain areas increases, while that of others decreases. One shift in activation that occurs as children develop is from diffuse, larger areas to more focal, smaller areas.
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