According to Judith Graham, Human Development Specialist at the University of Maine, when infants are born, their brains contain as many neurons, or brain nerve cells, as there are stars in the Milky Way -- about 100 billion neurons. As your baby grows, she learns by interacting with you and others as well as by playing, imitating and watching others.
How The Brain Develops
An infant is born with almost all the neurons, or brain cells, he will ever have. Over time, these neurons grow larger and form connections between them called synapses. These synapses act like bridges and allow messages to travel between neurons, which help the baby to learn and interact with his environment. How those synapses develop is influenced, in part, by his experiences. Most of these synapses are formed after birth, according to Sean Brotherson, Family Science Specialist at North Dakota State University. As the baby grows, his experiences will reinforce some connections and others will fall into disuse.
Critical Periods of Development
The formation of synapses doesn't happen evenly. For example, the critical period for visual and auditory development occurs between birth and ages 4 or 5; whereas, the critical period for language development occurs between birth and age 10. For this reason, knowing your infant's critical periods of development and choosing age-appropriate ways to help her develop in those areas are critical to her development. For example, start talking to your baby during infancy because even though she may not understand the words yet, she is learning about language. This understanding will lead to talking and building vocabulary as she gets older.
Learning Through Experience
Children learn through their experiences; individual experiences are what make each child different. Infants who are encouraged to play with colorful blocks and toys during most of the day will form different synapses in different ways than an infant whose parents choose to entertain her with music for all day, for example. These experiences aren't all about creating skills, however. Children learn about emotions by the way that you treat them. An infant who is picked up when he cries learns that expressing himself gets attention, for instance.
Helping Your Child Learn
You don't need to spend a lot of money to help your child learn. Reading to her, talking to her, playing with her and showing her things that might interest her all contribute to her learning. Help her experience her world in a safe and age-appropriate manner. Learning isn't all about giving in to your child's whims, however. Limit her exposure to activities that can be harmful to her development, such as turning off adult television programs when she is present. In addition, tell her when her behavior is inappropriate; help her to understand acceptable behaviors and actions.
References
- North Dakota State University: Understanding Brain Development in Young Children; Sean Brotherson; April 2005
- The University of Maine; Children and Brain Development: What We Know About How Children Learn; Judith Graham; 2011
- The University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences; Building Baby's Brain; Diana Bales, Ph.D.; 1998
