Ever wonder what is going on in a baby's brain? Or how you can best nurture a child's natural development? Or why exactly Bach is better than Mozart for babies? This book will explain why. No technical knowledge is necessary, as Shore makes recent neurological findings accessible to all those who come into contact with young children. Everything a baby experiences in his or her first five years is building the foundation of life's learning potential. Through increasing the complexity of the early childhood environment in developmentally appropriate ways, we can nurture young children's brains. Developing Young Minds is a must-have for new parents or caregivers of young children.

"Shore, a parent and experienced educator at the college and high school levels, makes an argument for stimulating, complex,and brain-conscious early childhood education, relying on her long-standing interest in 'how and why learning occurs in the brain the way that it does.' The book’s first third outlines scientific findings about the brain that demonstrate the need for a stimulating, language-filled environment during the early years of a child’s life. The next section promotes art, dance, and music for the developing brain. Although this can be done cheaply and easily, the author includes an endorsement for a set of Bach CDs she produced. The last section, punctuated with useful childcare checklists and an age-by-age guide, encourages parents to provide enriching learning environments that are developmentally appropriate and allow young children to grow at their own pace. . . .There’s a little something for all . . . audiences." - Publishers Weekly

"Focusing on the importance of the first five years of life in children’s intellectual development, Shore reviews neurological research showing how important these years are for learning, given what is now known about the structure of the brain. She makes complex material accessible and in most chapters summarizes the important points. In the last chapter she gives specific examples (organized by age and sensory mode) of activities to do with children from birth onward. She devotes two chapters to the significance of music in the development of children’s minds, emphasizing the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. She has created CDs of Bach’s music for babies and writes convincingly of the music’s positive effects. Shore points out that young children are capable of more complex learning than was thought possible in the past, and she wants parents to be aware and take advantage of these crucial early learning years. . . . .Summing Up: Essential. All readers." - CHOICE

"If you’ve ever watched babies – even those under a year old – erupt with joy as they watch dancers on TV, you understand what Shore means when she says 'music matters in the lives of young children.' I’ll admit it’s a bit of a stretch to imagine the busy mothers of infants or toddlers having time to read every word of this well-researched book. But if you’re the mother or the grandmother of a busy mother, tell them this: Bach is tops for building the brains of babies and toddlers." - The Charlotte Observer