Marian Diamond and her
team of researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have been
studying the impact of enriched and impoverished environments on the brains of
rats. Diamond believes that enriched environments unmistakably influence the
brain's growth and learning. An enriched environment for children, Diamond
says,
N Includes
a steady source of positive emotional support;
N Provides
a nutritious diet with enough protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories;
N Stimulates
all the senses (but not necessarily all at once!);
N Has
an atmosphere free of undue pressure and stress but suffused with a degree of
pleasurable intensity;
N Presents
a series of novel challenges that are neither too easy nor too difficult for
the child at his or her stage of development;
N Allows
social interaction for a significant percentage of activities;
N Promotes
the development of a broad range of skills and interests that are mental,
physical, aesthetic, social, and emotional;
N Gives
the child an opportunity to choose many of his or her efforts and to modify
them;
N Provides an enjoyable atmosphere that promotes exploration
and the fun of learning;
N Allows
the child to be an active participant rather than a passive observer.
Diamond, M., &
Hopson, J. (1998). Magic trees of the mind: How to nurture your child's
intelligence, creativity, and healthy emotions from birth through
adolescence (pp. 107-108). New York: Dutton.