Your Child's Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning From Birth to Adolescence [Paperback]

Jane Healy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2004

The classic guide to understanding children’s mental development is now updated and better than ever!

Hailed by parents and educators, Your Child’s Growing Mind is a window into the fascinating process of brain development and learning. It looks at the roots of emotion, intelligence, and creativity, translating the most current scientific research into practical suggestions for parents and teachers.

Dr. Healy also addresses academic learning, offering countless suggestions for how parents can help without pushing. She explains the building blocks of reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics and shows how to help youngsters of all ages develop motivation, attention, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Using the science of childhood development, she also examines today’s hot issues, including learning disabilities, ADHD, influences of electronic media, and the hazards of forced early learning. From infancy to adolescence, this is the perfect guide to helping and enjoying a youngster’s mental, personal, and academic growth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

–“A solid gold gift to anyone teaching or parenting or encountering the learning child. Jane Healy seems to have it all—the richness and insight from the think tank, the wisdom and experience of her life.” —David Mallery, Independent School Quarterly

“A sane and readable guide to the burgeoning literature on human development. I particurly liked the discussions on the perils of superbabying and on the fostering of creativity.” —Dr. Howard Gardner, author of Frames of My Mind and The Mind’s New Science

"Dr. Healy has done it again with Your Child's Growing Mind. Noboday Makes child development and it's practical applications so clear and readable. A must for parents." –Michael Brody, M.D., Chair of The Television and Media Committee of The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

"This book became an instant classic when it was published in 1987, and has been a cornerstone for educators ever since. Now revised and updated to reflect recent findings in brain research, this book guides parents, teachers, and caregivers as they gauge the level of development of an individual child's brain." –Ingram

From the Inside Flap

The classic guide to understanding children?s mental development is now updated and better than ever!

Hailed by parents and educators, Your Child?s Growing Mind is a window into the fascinating process of brain development and learning. It looks at the roots of emotion, intelligence, and creativity, translating the most current scientific research into practical suggestions for parents and teachers.

Dr. Healy also addresses academic learning, offering countless suggestions for how parents can help without pushing. She explains the building blocks of reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics and shows how to help youngsters of all ages develop motivation, attention, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Using the science of childhood development, she also examines today?s hot issues, including learning disabilities, ADHD, influences of electronic media, and the hazards of forced early learning. From infancy to adolescence, this is the perfect guide to helping and enjoying a youngster?s mental, personal, and academic growth.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 3 edition (May 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767916158
• ISBN-13: 978-0767916158
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Have Children, You Must Read This Book, February 24, 2006

By 

Wendi (One of the Great Lakes States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Your Child's Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning From Birth to Adolescence (Paperback)

I appreciated the valuable information about brain development, how children learn, how we can help them, what real education and learning are all about, and the things we do that hinder brain development.
I assigned it to my teens for part of the homeschooling program, and they enjoyed it so much they recommend it to friends, too.

Jane Healy writes well, and she makes a lot of sense. Reading this book also helped us understand why one of our children has some of the learning issues she has. I just can't recommend it highly enough.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for parents of young children, September 7, 2007

By 

NYer family (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Your Child's Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning From Birth to Adolescence (Paperback)

This literally spells out what's going on in those little brains. Full of great advice on parenting and supporting young learners--and letting your child show YOU how they need to learn. I wish there'd been a bit more about the developing adolescent brain. You can't start reading this book too early.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!, January 30, 2010

By 

Avid Learner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Child's Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning From Birth to Adolescence (Paperback)

After enjoying Endangered Minds years ago as part of a developmental psychology class, I am now a parent myself and was anxious to read this book. I feel this book provides accessible neuroscience for caregivers who want to understand how brain development progresses and what a growing mind NEEDS as it matures. Ms. Healy provides a lot of practical information and tips, based on research and her experience as a learning specialist, for what we can do to provide the best environment and stimuli for our children's learning at the various stages. For instance, my husband now understands that our baby needs lots of physical and sensory play at this stage of his life - his brain simply isn't ready to "read" or participate in the type of learning that some programs advocate to help one's child get a leg-up on schooling. I would recommend this book to anyone who participates in the care of children. Enjoy!