Building Blocks, Building Brains

Online Interactive Resource

An Introduction to the Science of Early Brain Development

Building Blocks, Building Brains Workshop Materials

Building Blocks, Building Brains Presentation (PPT) This file is large and make take a few minutes to download. 

Trainer Document (PDF) 

Participant Handouts (PDF) 

Supporting your baby’s brain development: What Can Parents Do? (PDF) 

Background

New research has revealed a great deal about how the brain develops during pregnancy and after birth. The early experiences a baby has can change how brain connections are formed and even how genes function later in life. We now know much more about the impact of early negative experiences on the developing brain and how these can set lifelong trajectories for poor physical and mental health. 

Many early care and education training programs in Canada do not currently incorporate this new brain development research, yet ECE workers often act as a resource for parents and caregivers. This workshop is designed to educate ECE workers about experience-based brain development. 

This project is supported by Health Canada, and is intended to be delivered across Canada in First Nations and Inuit communities. 

The Training Package includes powerpoint presentations, trainer and student manuals. 

The Chair has partnered with Mount Royal College to develop an online version of the workshop, to be completed Fall 2009. 

For more information about the Building Blocks, Building Brains workshops, please contact Maddison Spenrath at Maddison.Spenrath@AlbertaHealthServices.ca