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POPSBrains of low-income kids function differently This UC Berkeley study found detectable differences in the function of the prefrontal cortex (critical for problem solving and creativity) between low-income and higher-income kids. Low frontal lobe response is more likely in kids from low-income families. The authors conclude that environmental factors are tremendously important - simple factors like talking and reading together. The conclusion is simple: Parents matter a lot. The nurture they provide significantly impacts the brain development of their children - and by consequence their later educational and social opportunities.
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POPSTeaching kids to work hard This Scientific American article commends teaching kids about how the brain grows so that they understand that "they are agents of their own brain development."
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POPSNurture affects physiology A study at the University of Minnesota is finding that nurture in early childhood really does matter to the physical structure of the brain.