Research indicates that the brain grows in spurts occurring every two years or so and alternating with plateau periods in which the gains due to growth are consolidated. While the number of brain cells no longer increases after the age of about 18 months, substantial increases in the complexity of neural networks occur generally between the ages of 2 and 4 years, 6 and 8, 10 and 12, and 14 and 16. These growth spurts occur at age levels corresponding closely with those of the major stages in cognitive development identified by Piaget. This document provides a basic overview of the current understanding of brain growth periodization and discusses the implications of this relatively new area of study for education from the preschool years through high school. It is argued that many of the failures of education arise from the mistaken notion that brain growth is steady and continous, and from unrealistic expectations that students of a common age and grade will also share the same level of cognitive abilities. (PGD)