New research shows that meditation not only helps children feel calmer, but can also benefit executive functions such as memory, cognitive control, and flexibility. Additional research has also found that meditation can have its greatest impact on cognitive development in the first five years of life. This is because the brain develops connections in prefrontal circuits at its fastest rate in early childhood. Since play is the main learning modality of a young child, how can you teach a two- or three-year-old child how to meditate?
This is where the I Create What I Believe! (ICWIB) Program is really excelling!
Preschool teachers around the country are finding that using “Just Scribble”, the first activity in the ICWIB Program, you can teach a young child how to move their body and mind out of stress and into a relaxed and conscious state using just crayons and paper. This same activity is also a wonderful way to introduce the art of self-reflection. Other ICWIB activities can strengthen observation and small motor control, and enhance cognitive, social, and emotional skills.
When teachers have an understanding how stress affects the child’s developing mind and learn to use the simple ICWIB activities, great change can take place in the classroom very quickly. Learning how to actively move from the reactive mind to the problem-solving mind autonomously in the first five years of life also equips a child with the ability to respond to challenging situations in a constructive manner throughout their whole life.
The ICWIB tools are a simple and effective way to support positive development in a young child. With this in mind, I would like to invite you to explore some of the ICWIB art activities and videos for FREE.
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