Focusing on the brain to support early childhood education

The early childhood period (0-6 years), crucial for children’s overall development, has attracted significant attention from numerous researchers. One of them is Professor Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy (Ph.D. Education, 2020) from the Department of Didactics, who has been appointed to the new Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience for Early Childhood Education. Over the next five years, the Chair will aim to generate new knowledge surrounding early childhood education from the relatively underexplored perspective of neuroscience and facilitate its application to enhance the quality of educational services provided.

A 2018 survey by the Institut de la statistique du Québec indicated that around the age of five, one in four children is vulnerable in at least one developmental area, with the rate climbing to nearly a third in disadvantaged regions. “Quality educational settings offered from early childhood—like daycare and kindergarten—can serve as a protective factor for children’s development, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds or vulnerable populations, thereby promoting equal opportunities,” states Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy.

“Due to the high plasticity of the brain during early childhood, early and high-quality educational interventions not only likely limit the negative impacts of inadequate environments but also create lasting positive effects on cognitive, emotional, social, and academic aspects.”

Lorie-Marlene Brault Foisy,
Professor in the Department of Didactics

The professor further adds, “Because of the brain’s significant plasticity during early childhood, early and quality educational interventions can not only mitigate the adverse effects of unsuitable environments but also yield lasting positive outcomes on cognitive, emotional, social, and academic levels.”

The uniqueness of the Chair beacons from its focus on the cognitive and cerebral aspects of child development, a relatively new area of research. “Much remains to be uncovered regarding the development and maturation of cerebral processes, especially during initial learning,” emphasizes Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy.

Brain mechanisms and early learning

In its initial line of research, the Chair will aim to identify the brain mechanisms engaged during early learnings, which predominantly occur in a play context during early childhood. “This involves motor, emotional, and social learning, as children interact with one another and explore their interests,” explains the researcher. “This is also the stage when children become aware of the world of writing, as well as the foundations of mathematical and scientific reasoning.”

Throughout this learning process, brain mechanisms underlie essential cognitive functions, notably executive functions, which are fully developing during early childhood and continue to evolve gradually until early adulthood. These executive functions encompass self-regulation, attention, reasoning, planning skills, and working memory. “Among these functions,” notes Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy, “inhibitory control emerges as a vital mechanism to resist automatic thoughts that might hinder learning. These can include intuitive beliefs about natural phenomena, such as the idea that all moving objects are necessarily alive or that the sun orbits the Earth because it moves as we observe it in the sky.”

“Inhibitory control is a crucial cognitive function that helps resist preconceived notions that may obstruct learning. These notions can include instinctive beliefs about various natural phenomena.”

To further comprehend the brain mechanisms involved in early learning, particularly around the application of inhibitory control, the professor and her team will employ various psychophysiological measurement techniques, such as electroencephalography and eye tracking, which offer insights into the mobilization of different cognitive processes.

Relationship between brain and behavioral levels

Another research strand seeks to correlate data on cognitive processes with observational data gathered in educational settings. “This endeavor is essential for identifying the most typical behavioral expressions of the cognitive processes studied, which have received limited attention,” remarks Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy. “For instance, we will aim to gain a clearer understanding of how the application of different cognitive processes, such as inhibitory control, is reflected in observable behaviors of children.”

The Quebec Preschool Education Cycle Program, established in 2021, emphasized the critical role of executive functions across all children’s learning. “The challenge is that educators often lack adequate training in this area,” states the professor. “The work of the Chair will also provide valuable guidelines on this subject.”

The goal is to assist educators and teachers in observing the children in their care more effectively, especially concerning their cognitive development, to tailor their interventions accordingly—particularly within a playful context. “By enhancing our ability to observe children’s behavior accurately, we can implement educational strategies that are better suited to their needs.”

Tailored educational interventions

The development of educational interventions tailored to the cognitive and cerebral functioning of young children, as well as the assessment of their effects on both behavioral and cerebral levels, will represent the Chair’s third research focus. “This aspect undoubtedly presents a challenge. Such interventions, carried out within a framework of free and playful activities, could foster the development of specific cognitive functions and thus contribute to the future educational success of children,” believes Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy.

The Chair will initially concentrate on assessing the impacts of engaging educational interventions on the activation of executive functions, including inhibitory control, while also examining the broader skill development associated with executive functions, with the aim of eventually evaluating their influence on academic outcomes related to certain early learning processes that necessitate the use of these executive functions.

A new research laboratory

The Chair’s endeavors will benefit from a new research facility, funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, named P’tit Labo, which will be located within the Faculty of Education and is set to open in the coming months. “This laboratory will enable the collection of cognitive and brain data using tools that are suitable for young children, as well as behavioral observation data, all within environments that closely mimic the conditions prevailing in educational contexts,” explains the researcher. P’tit Labo will primarily accommodate children aged 3 to 6 who are enrolled in educational services (CPE or daycare) or about to begin their educational journey (kindergarten), accompanied by their educators or teachers.

The laboratory will feature a playroom outfitted with cameras and microphones, alongside another room designated for the collection and analysis of psychophysiological data, which includes electroencephalography, pupillometry, and facial emotion recognition equipment.

“Through its association with P’tit Labo, the Chair will enhance existing knowledge in cognitive neuroscience regarding early childhood education and facilitate its transmission to both the scientific community and practitioners in early childhood and educational environments,” emphasizes Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy. “The ultimate objective is to contribute to narrowing developmental gaps by promoting higher educational quality for all young children.”

The Importance of Early Childhood Education: Insights from Cognitive Neuroscience

Decisive for the overall development of children, the early childhood period (0-6 years) is the subject of great attention from many researchers. A prominent voice in this field is Professor Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy (Ph.D. Education, 2020) in the Department of Didactics, who holds the new Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience for Early Childhood Education. Over the next five years, the Chair aims to develop new knowledge regarding early childhood education through the yet-explored perspective of neuroscience and facilitate its transfer to improve the quality of educational services.

Understanding Vulnerabilities in Child Development

A survey by the Institut de la statistique du Québec revealed in 2018 that around the age of five, one in four children is vulnerable in at least one area of their development, with the rate rising to nearly a third in disadvantaged areas. Lorie-Marlène Brault Foisy emphasizes, “Quality educational settings offered from early childhood – daycare and kindergarten, for example – can be a protective factor for the development of children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or vulnerable populations, thereby contributing to equal opportunities.”

“Because of the high plasticity of the brain during early childhood, early and quality educational interventions are not only likely to limit the negative effects of inadequate environments, but also to produce lasting positive impacts on cognitive, emotional, social and academic levels.”

Lorie-Marlene Brault Foisy,
Professor in the Department of Didactics

Neuroscience and Early Learning: The New Frontier

Professor Brault Foisy highlights the originality of the Chair, focusing on cognitive and cerebral aspects of child development, a relatively recent research area. “There is still much to discover about the development and maturation of cerebral processes, particularly during early learning,” she emphasizes.

Brain Mechanisms and Early Learning

The Chair will investigate the brain mechanisms mobilized during early learning, which largely occurs in a play context. This learning includes motor, emotional, and social aspects as children interact with peers and explore their interests. It is also when they begin to engage with written language and develop initial mathematical and scientific reasoning skills.

During early learning, essential cognitive functions like executive functions come into play, which continue to develop until young adulthood. These functions include:

• Self-regulation to facilitate learning
• Attention and reasoning skills
• Planning abilities
• Working memory

“Among cognitive functions, inhibitory control represents a key mechanism for resisting automatic thoughts that can create obstacles in learning. These can include intuitive conceptions about various natural phenomena.”

Research Methodology

The research team will utilize various psychophysiological measurement tools, such as:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) for brain activity tracking
• Eye tracking to monitor visual attention and focus

These tools will aid in understanding the mobilization of cognitive processes during early learning.

Linking Cognitive Processes with Behavioral Levels

An essential line of research aims to link cognitive processes with observational data collected in educational contexts. “This task is crucial in order to specify the most typical behavioral manifestations of the cognitive processes studied,” says Brault Foisy. The objective is to uncover how cognitive processes like inhibitory control manifest in observable child behaviors.

Role of Executive Functions in Learning

The 2021 Quebec Preschool Education Cycle Program emphasized the importance of executive functions in all children’s learning. However, many educators lack training in this area. Therefore, the Chair aims to provide benchmarks to help educators refine their observations and interventions. Enhanced observational skills will allow them to adapt educational strategies to children’s specific needs.

Developing Tailored Educational Interventions

A key focus will be the development of educational interventions tailored to young children’s cognitive functioning. Evaluating the effects of these interventions on both behavioral and brain levels will be a significant challenge. The initial focus will be on understanding how fun educational activities can enhance executive functions, including:

• Inhibitory control
• Development of general skills linked to executive functions
• Long-term academic outcomes

P’tit Labo: A New Research Infrastructure

The research will be complemented with infrastructure funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, called “P’tit Labo.” This laboratory will allow for collection of cognitive and behavioral data, simulating real educational environments for children aged 3 to 6. Key features include:

• A games room equipped with cameras and microphones
• Data collection and analysis facilities for psychophysiological measurements, including EEG and facial emotion recognition

“Through its connection to P’tit Labo, the Chair will deepen existing knowledge in cognitive neuroscience and facilitate its application in educational settings,” emphasizes Brault Foisy. “The ultimate goal is to reduce developmental gaps and promote higher educational quality for all young children.”

Benefits of Early Childhood Education Research

• Empower Educators: Provide critical knowledge to enhance teaching practices.
• Quality Learning Environments: Foster better educational settings that cater to children’s developmental needs.
• Bridge Developmental Gaps: Establish programs that support vulnerable populations and promote equal opportunities.

Case Studies: Successful Implementations

In various regions, focused early childhood education programs have shown significant improvements in children’s academic performance and social skills. For instance:

Program	Outcome	Target Group
ABC Early Learning Center	30% increase in school readiness	Disadvantaged families
Play and Learn Initiative	Significant improvement in social skills	All backgrounds

Practical Tips for Educators and Parents

To capitalize on the findings from early childhood education research, here are actionable tips for educators and parents:

• Encourage play-based learning to foster cognitive and social development.
• Stay informed about the latest research in cognitive neuroscience to adapt teaching methods accordingly.
• Regularly assess children’s executive function development to tailor interventions effectively.