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Local physicians present 'Building Brains from the Beginning' to council, urge early language engagement
Summary
Two local doctors summarized neuroscience and launched a community resource, buildingbrains.org, urging parents and city partners to promote early language interactions to improve kindergarten readiness.
Dr. Janet Gerard, a family physician in Fayette County, and Dr. Julie Turner, a retired Fayette County Board of Education employee, presented a community initiative called Building Brains from the Beginning to the Peachtree City City Council, explaining early brain development and urging community outreach to boost kindergarten readiness.
The presenters told the council that the first five years of life are critical for brain development, when sensory pathways, language and higher cognitive skills are formed. "The brain is really flexible and plastic in the early developing years," Dr. Gerard said, and she emphasized caregivers' social engagement with children as the strongest influence on language and emotional development.
"Language must be learned, and it is learned through social interaction," Dr. Turner said, describing receptive language development that allows infants to recognize words before they speak them. The presenters warned that time spent on screens can interrupt caregiver–child interaction and slow language and social-emotional development.
The presenters cited local kindergarten-readiness data and named the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS), saying that, at times, only "30 to 40 percent of children are at what's considered the appropriate developmental level for kindergarten readiness." They said Building Brains connects parents to practical strategies based on the 3Ts (tune in, talk more, take turns) and the University of Chicago's 30 Million Word Project.
BuildingBrains.org now hosts resources the presenters said are tailored to Fayette County families — including links to the county health department, Babies Can't Wait information, library story-time listings and local early-learning programs. The presenters asked that the council share the website and printed rack cards at City Hall and at community events and consider waiving booth fees for outreach.
During a council question-and-answer exchange, a councilmember asked for specific GKIDS counts for children below readiness this year; Dr. Turner said she did not have that data at the meeting but offered to follow up: "I can get back with you on that and send you that information," she said. Council members also asked about impacts of English-language learners and the COVID period on readiness; the presenters noted the school system's ESOL supports and said that while bilingual children can develop strong neural language pathways in their home language, precise pandemic-era effects would require district data.
The presentation concluded with the council receiving rack cards and a request that staff member Yasmin post leftover materials where parents can find them and consider a lobby slide promoting buildingbrains.org.
The presentation was introduced under the agenda item "Building Brains from the Beginning," and no formal council action on the initiative was taken at the meeting.
