Of the top four Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, the top right scan represents the activity that would occur in your child's brain as you read to him/her.

If you stopped reading and your child simply looked at the words, the top left scan would be representative.

If your child simply read the words to you, the scan at the bottom left would apply.

If you engaged your child by asking, "what do you think happens next?," the scan might look like the one at the bottom right.

However, if your child is actively engaged with you at the computer, going through the words of the story with you as it's read and answering your all-important question, "what do you think happens next?," all of these areas of the brain are engaged in extremely rapid succession.  This is what cognitive stimulation looks like. 

The relationship between brain research and the learning of information will continue to evolve for years to come ... and brain synapses will always be "the great facilitator" of the flow of that information throughout the brain. 

Next >