Trumpeted by celebrities and touted in the media, the "zero to three" theory, the idea that a large part of a person's behavior into adulthood is based on his experiences in the first three years of life, has brought early childhood development to the forefront of national politics.
In some states, newborns receive classical music CDs to help build their brains. In many others, day care programs for babies and toddlers, designed to make the most of their critical stage of brain development, are being implemented and revamped.
So what impact does a book like The Myth of the First Three Years: A New Understanding of Early Brain Development and Lifelong Learning have on issues like child development and public policy, particularly day care? John Bruer's controversial new tome cites the lack of substantive brain development research to debunk the "zero to three" theory.
Five nationally recognized experts in child development and public policy will join with Bruer to discuss that issue during The Myth of the First Three Years: Implications for Child Development and Public Policy, a symposium on Monday, March 13, at Temple University.
Sponsored by Temple's psychology department and its Center for Public Policy, the symposium runs from 1-3:30 p.m., in Room 101 of the Tuttleman Learning Center, 13th St. and Montgomery Ave., on the University's Main Campus.
Panelists, who will discuss the implications of Bruer's arguments on both child development and public policy, include four nationally prominent Temple professors: psychologists Marsha Weinraub, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Nora Newcombe and geography and urban studies professor Anne Shlay.
Deborah Phillips, study director with the Board of Children, Youth and Families of the National Research Council's Commission on Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Institute of Medicine, will serve as moderator.
Bruer, president of the St. Louis-based James S. McDonnell Foundation since 1986, maintains in his book that beliefs about the all-or-nothing effects of early experience on a child's brain and development are not substantiated, and bases his arguments on brain research. The McDonnell Foundation awards $18 million annually in support of biomedical science, education, and international projects.
The "zero to three" idea has been supported nationwide by celebrities, including film producer Rob Reiner and First Lady Hillary Clinton, and legislators from Florida to Georgia to California.
"The Myth's basic premise is: ‘How individuals function from the pre-school years all the way through adolescence and even adulthood hinges, to a significant extent, on their experiences before age three,'" writes Bruer, whose book was deemed "superb, clear and engaging" by the New Yorker.
"The brain is not ‘cooked' by age three or age 10. Our brains remain remarkably plastic and we retain the ability to learn throughout our lives. What we know about the brain, childhood and human development all suggest that the world is likely much more complicated than the premise of the myth of the first three years allows."
While they generally agree that there's not enough data to fully support "zero to three," Bruer's arguments have serious child development and public policy implications that must be explored, the Temple professors stress. Hirsh-Pasek and Newcombe will address child development issues, while Weinraub and Shlay will discuss public policy issues, particularly child care, during the forum, which is free and open to the public.
"Bruer lays bare the fact that we really don't know much about brain behavior connections in young children," notes Hirsh-Pasek. "The real news of brain development in the past 10 years is not on critical periods, but on the brain's new-found plasticity.
"The promise of a biological foundation for development in the first three years put child development on the center stage in both popular discussions and in political debates. I only hope that a book like this will not prompt decision makers to throw the baby out with the bath water."
"Quality child care must be continued or the gains we've made will be lost," adds Weinraub. "And it's not just kids who need intervention. It's families. It's parents."
The author of numerous articles on school and learning, including the award winning book Schools for Thought: A Science of Learning in the Classroom, Bruer was appointed in 1995 to the National Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board, established by Congress. He works as a consultant on educational issues for the national media, including the New York Times Magazine.
Hirsh-Pasek, who specializes in infant language development and cognitive learning, and Weinraub, who researches personality and social development in infants and young children, both serve as investigators for the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the largest federally funded study ever of the issue.
Shlay, director of Temple's Center for Public Policy and a well-known policy researcher and evaluator, heads a University-based interdisciplinary team that is evaluating Child Care Matters, a city initiative to improve child care. Weinraub also serves on the team.
Newcombe, co-director of Temple's Infant Lab, is recognized nationally for her research on cognitive development, which focuses specifically on spatial cognition and memories of early childhood experiences.
"Science is making rapid progress in understanding the developing brain and the relation of brain development to children's behavior," says Newcombe. "But are we ready yet to make policy recommendations? What will society do to decide policy if science is not ready to give advice? These questions are the focus of this symposium- itself part of the process of grappling with the issue."
Register for the symposium by phone at 215-204-7894, or by e-mail at joconnor@unix.temple.edu .