Watch Nathan Mikaere-Wallis explaining brain development in babies, as well as material by the Brainwave Trust on the amazing human brain.

If you missed watching the YouTube clip ‘Brain development for babies — An introduction to neuroscience and infant development’ with a family during the first 6 months of their baby’s life, watch it with them at your next visit. It’s a Compass seminar presented by Nathan Mikaere-Wallis (5:37 minutes).

Compass Seminars New Zealand Nathan Mikaere Wallis Brain Development for Babies (transcript)

What makes humans different?

In the video, Nathan talks about brain development in the first 3 years of life and what makes humans different from other species.

One difference is that humans can adapt to any number of environments.

If you can, try to watch the YouTube clip with the whānau, and afterwards, ask them:

  • What are the most important messages Nathan is trying to tell us?
  • What new things have you learned by watching this?

The amazing brain

Invite whānau to look at the brain development sections called ‘Te hinengaro mīharo’ (the amazing brain) in the Whakatipu booklet Te Pihinga 2 (pages 8 and 21). Ask them:

  • Can you see anything here that’s similar to what Nathan was talking about?

Tell whānau about the Brainwave Trust(external link) and suggest they read some of the articles on the website that interest them.

The Brainwave Trust has educators who do presentations about brain development for community groups – you may wish to organise a speaker to visit your community and invite the whānau you work with.

Helpful resources for whānau