Magic Trees of the MindBy: Marian Diamond, Janet Hopson Cutting edge scientific research has shown that exposure to the right kind of environment during the first years of life actually affects the physical structure of a child's brain, vastly increasing the number of neuron branchesthe "magic trees of the mind"that help us to learn, think, and remember. At each stage of development, the brain's ability to gain new skills and process information is refined. As a leading