GEORGIA PRE-K PROGRAM ORIENTATION
July 29-30, 2013
6:30pm
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PRIVATE PRE-K
ORIENTATION
August 12th
6:30pm
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How Reading Impacts
Your Brain
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Jane Austen's Mansfield Park is a complex, challenging novel read by millions. And now a recent collaboration between Stanford neurobiologists and English Post-doctorate Natalie Phillips suggests that complex novels such as Mansfield Park can activate key brain areas.
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Casual versus critical reading |
Researchers from the Stanford Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging took brain scans of several literary PhD students as they read a chapter from Mansfield Park. First, the PhD students were asked to read the book casually, for fun. Then students were asked to switch to a critical reading mode similar to how they might analyze it in a literature classroom .
This switch in reading modes created a significant shift in brain activity patterns on fMRI scans. Casual reading activated pleasure centers while critical reading increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for the executive functions heavily involved in attending to tasks like reading.
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Executive function and the brain |
Executive function is responsible for more than just attentive reading: this brain function helps moderate how you divide your attention, use your working memory, and generally direct your brainpower. It plays a powerful role in decision-making.
While the findings of the Stanford study are preliminary, they make a good case for further research on the impact of reading on cognition. Philips posits that critical reading could serve as a type of training, "teaching us to modulate our concentration."
There is other evidence that reading can be good for your brain. A 2007 study from the Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology found that avid readers benefited from increased cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the concept that challenging intellectual activity - like reading or brain training - can protect the brain against negative cognitive impacts later in life.
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Invest in healthy habits |
The studies on reading indicate that investing in intellectually challenging habits as early as possible can benefit your brain over the long term. Don't be afraid to start reading chapter books, even complex stories to your child at an early age...it is good for both of you! |
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Georgia's Sales Tax Holiday
is Back!
By Jennifer Wolf, About.com Guide
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Georgia's tax free weekend has been reinstated and is scheduled for 2013. It applies mainly to clothing and is intended to coincide with families' back-to-school shopping needs. By planning ahead, you can help your family save even more money by taking advantage of this savings opportunity.
Georgia's 2013 Sales Tax Holiday: Georgia's Tax Free Weekend is scheduled for August 9-10, 2013. The tax-free savings applies to the following items:
- Clothing under $100
- Footwear under $100
Items that are exempt from the tax-free savings include: jewelry, handbags, umbrellas, eyewear, watches, and more.
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Join the August Action
in Barry's Corner!
Reading lists, parenting tips, learning and craft activities, recommended games or videos...something for the whole family! Click on Barry ...
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Having Fun at Barrington in ...
August 5th: First Day of School
August 9th: Fall Festival
August 19th-30th:
Coca-Cola Fundraiser
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This Is The Way We
Go To School |
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The Snack Zone
When hungry kids burst through the front door after school, they grab whatever is easy and available. So it's best to have a few things prepared in advance. Designate one shelf of the refrigerator and/or pantry as the "snack shelf," with the understanding that anything that's on that shelf is okay to eat without having to ask permission first. Then, stock the shelf with several choices--a little healthy variety to hold the kids' interest and keep you from worrying about them overloading on junk.
Extracurricular activities keep some kids at school throughout the afternoon. Fruit, vegetable sticks, crackers, cheese, granola bars, healthy cookies, and muffins, and peanut butter sandwiches are all high-energy foods that hold up well in a locker until your hungry kid is ready for a homemade pick-me-up. Homemade munchies also helps them avoid the sugar and fat-laden temptation of the vending machine or convenience store.
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