 Learning from birth to pre-school
What is Early Learning?
In this context early learning is the learning that takes place from birth to 3 years old. Numerous research studies confirm that the first three years of life are the most critical for the intellectual and emotional development of an infant.
Although it has already undergone an amazing amount of development, the brain of a newborn baby is still unfinished. At birth a baby's brain already has 100,000,000,000 brain cells but it is only about 25% developed. Some of these cells are connected to other cells but much of the brain's wiring does not happen until after birth. In the first months and years of life, brain cells form connections in many parts of the brain. These connections are formed at a dramatic rate by the experiences and the stimuli that the baby receives. By the age of two a child has the same number of connections as an adult. By the age of three a child has twice a many brain connections as an adult.
Babies have been shown to recognise their mother’s voice or music played to them whilst in the womb indicating that learning does truly begin before birth. It accelerates rapidly immediately after birth. A newborn has to learn and understand his new environment, a language, how to talk, how to walk, how to survive!
Early learning is all about providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment in the critical early years of their development – an opportunity that only comes once and should not be missed.
You do not need to wait to start this learning process until your baby can speak or sit up, or even appear to understand - start as early as possible, you can start from birth.
Parents play an important part in this development process. Babies and infants prefer human stimuli; your face, voice, touch and even your smell over anything else. Baby’s brain development is so heavily dependent on early experience, most will receive the right kind of nurturing from their earliest days through your loving urges and parenting instincts.
Using these stimulation techniques can also help with father’s attachment and bonding with the newborn baby. Click here for more information.
Why is it so Important?
Research has shown that a baby or infant’s early years environment has a dramatic effect on brain development. Babies have a biological need and desire to learn. Even in the first year of life you can see dramatic changes in your baby in: how he behaves, how he understands, how he interacts with the world. The first few years are a period of intense brain growth. These first three years of life are a period of unparalleled growth, during this time your baby lays the foundation connections of his brain’s synapses; his brain’s neural network is being wired.
Brain development is “activity-dependent”, this means that the experiences and stimuli "shape" the way the connections are made. Every experience excites certain neural circuits and leaves others inactive. The more stimulating and interesting an environment you give your baby will mean that more connections are made and the stronger the possibilities are for enhanced learning in the future. This can establish patterns for lifelong learning. Repetitive stimulation strengthens these connections and makes them permanent, whereas young connections that don't get used eventually die out.
The kind of care a child receives plays a big role in how the brain chooses to wire itself. Parents are the best teachers. They can provide appropriate stimulus, care, love and support, which in turn, will also build emotional connections that will lead in the future to healthier relationships.
For more information on bonding, Click here
For more info on brain development, Click here
There is only a brief window of opportunity to provide the supportive, stimulating environment that will give your baby the best possible start in life; allowing him to achieve his full genetic and intellectual potential. Research has shown that the foundational networking of the brain's synapses is nearly complete after the rapid brain development of the first 3 years. It is also said that by the age of 5 years old a child’s basic personality traits are set.
Providing an enriched learning environment in the early years builds the foundations for enhanced curiosity, attentiveness and concentration - a love of life, a love of learning, a love of you.
What Do You Need to Do? – activities to provide an enriched learning environment for your child’s early years
You can follow a well-established programme (link) or you can put together your own particular programme to suit you and your baby. The techniques are quite simple; they can use sight, sound and touch or combinations of these.
These basic elements have been distilled below:
SIGHT
A baby’s vision develops gradually; at birth he cannot focus fully. So if you are starting from birth the emphasis is on developing the basic visual pathways; images should be bold and contrasting – black and white.
Visual stimulation can produce developmental advantages including enhanced curiosity, attentiveness and concentration.
This visual stimulation can take various forms; -
Reading out loud is very important.
SOUND
Your baby can hear from birth but needs a little time to develop listening skills. His hearing can be stimulated in a number of ways:
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Using voice – by talking, reading and singing to you baby you will introduce them to the various tones and sounds of language. At this early stage it is possible for them to easily learn another language. You can also use tapes to provide background or primary sound sources.
To shop for music and nursery rhymes - Click here
Don’t forget to praise him when is trying to communicate or work things out.
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Using music - play music to your baby either using instruments or cassette / CD player etc. Melodies and different note patterns are good stimulation even classical music.
To shop for music and nursery rhymes - Click here
TOUCH
Babies love to be touched, massaged and cuddled, they also love to explore with touch and taste. Try the following:
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Massage – you can try regular and rhythmic stroking of your baby while you are talking to him, you do not need to be a massage expert. Just soft, gentle touching will soothe your baby. Natural chemicals are released in a child’s brain as a response to parents’ warm hugs and kisses.
Click here for more information
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Rocking – rocking and cuddling in a rocking chair provides a relaxing experience for mother and baby. During breastfeeding the use of a cushion will help to relax both mother and baby. To shop for breastfeeding cushions - Click here
'Wear’ your baby - babies love to be in close proximity of their parents, using a baby carrier allows your baby to experience the world first hand whilst being close to their mum or dad. Babies love this ‘skin’ to ‘skin’ type contact.
To shop for baby carriers - Click here
- Play – babies love to explore and discover things for themselves. The old adage “play is babies work” is very true; tThey learn through these experiences. It is not necessarily the toy, it is the experience gained from the toy that is most important. Give your baby safe, soft toys to explore with his mouth and hands and always remember to provide a safe environment for your baby to explore. To shop for development aids and toys - Click here
One of the most important factors in providing this learning environment is you, not just as a teacher but also as a parent. You are your baby’s best toy. These activities are as much about being with your baby and infant and forming a closer relationship, as they are learning. Your child will come to know that they can rely on you for support and comfort, which can lead to a ‘well-rounded’ confident child. Respond to your baby’s requests (these could be in the form of cries) without hesitation but with love, affection and attentiveness, these are very real needs.
Tell your baby you love him, he will soon learn what it means.
Make sure your baby’s world is safe and secure. Respond lovingly and consistently to your baby's cries. Stress can slow brain development.
Remember don’t overdo the activities if you see baby is getting distressed or bored just stop.
More importantly this should be fun for you and your baby – don’t make this a chore.
The way to make your baby happy whilst learning is to make it fun.
For more information on early learning activities, Click here
Don’t forget to feed your brain...
Eating properly is very important for baby and mother (particularly if breast feeding). Diet and nutrition makes a big difference in brain development even before the baby is born. It is even more critical in the early months after birth because of the rapid pace of myelination. Myelination is very important; it is the process of laying the protective coating (myelin) over the nerve fibres that carry impulses to and from brain cells. Click here. Mother and baby need to maintain good levels of essential fatty acids in their diets, until at least about two years of age. Click here. If a baby is not breast-fed they may need to add these essential fatty acids to their diet.
For more information on breastfeeding, Click here
For more information on diet and nutrition, Click here
For more information on essential fatty acids, Click here
For more information on diet for optimal brain development, Click here
To shop for aids associated with early years development - Click here
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