Over the past few years, various neurological and psychological studies have demonstrated that the period from birth to age five constitutes a window of opportunity for social, emotional, and cognitive growth which will not be replicated in subsequent stages of development. In the articles: The Science of Early Childhood Development Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do and the Newsweek article, Your Child's Brain, the neurologist provides data that early brain development, from birth to age five , will shape the rest of a child's life. . Focusing on brain development in early childhood is a crucial element in building a better society. Although genes play an important role in early development, the environment plays an even greater role. Indeed, it is the mutual connections between nature and nurture that shape the growing brain. Genes are responsible for functions such as breathing, controlling the heartbeat, regulating body temperature and producing reflexes, etc. A child's environment shapes his or her social, emotional, and cognitive health. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University's The Science of Early Childhood Development Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do has conducted decades of brain research that shows that birth to age five is the foundation for a child has a happy life. , healthy life. A child's environment and his or her early experiences will have a profound effect, for better or worse, on his or her life. When a child is born, neurons, not incorporated by genes, start like a new computer before preloaded software, the rest comes from the environment. Scientists believe that the basic structure of the brain begins before birth and continues into maturity. “In the first years of life, 700 new neural connections are f…… half of article……gh-Nobar, T., & Braveman, P. (2008). Early childhood experiences lay the foundation for lifelong health. (Issue Short 1: Early Childhood Experiences and Health No. 2012). Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America. doi: http://www.commissiononhealth.org/Publications.aspx. (Summary Number 1: Early Childhood Experiences and Health) Gardner, H.,. (1983). States of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.Helding, L. (2009). Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Journal of Singing, 66(2), 193-199. Shonkoff, J. P., M. D. (2007). The science of early childhood development: Bridging the gap between what we know and what we do - focused on the developing child - Harvard University The National Scientific Council in the Developing Child, 2012-1-16. doi: http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu