Babies do not enter the world with an instruction manual but they do come with an enormous capacity to learn that began at conception. In the first three years of life, each young brain undergoes an amazing period of development creating more than a million neural connections every second
At age three, the young brain could have twice the number of neural connections as it will have in later life. The surplus connections are gradually eliminated by a neurological process known as blooming and pruning.
The World Health Organisation has recently released a comprehensive report stating that negative experiences in early childhood known as toxic stress are responsible for chronic health conditions in later life. It is unfortunate that some people working in the early childhood area have little or no knowledge of what neuroscience is telling us, especially about how young brains build for future successes.
Parents, families, and communities are being told what they could do, what they should do, and what they must do with young children but much of this information is misinformation. Very little consideration is currently being been given to the fact that young brains are hot-wired to be curious and inquisitive. All children begin life needing and wanting to examine, explore, and enjoy new, exciting experiences.
Neuroscientific research has shown that a revolutionary shift in current early childhood practices is urgently needed and that parents, grandparents, relatives, family friends, and communities must guide this change. We have produced two packages of practical, easy-to-understand, low-cost downloads to assist in this process.
Twelve short, easy to read, ‘Ages and stages’ downloads with simple descriptions of various developmental levels, as well as ‘Managing behaviors’ and ‘The need to build better brains’.
Eighteen longer, more extensive ‘Early childhood: Where the magic happens’ titles ranging from ‘The importance of play’, ‘Games and activities’, ‘Establishing a playgroup’ and a comprehensive ‘Policies and procedures manual’.
Each of the thirty titles may be purchased separately to be ‘dipped into as the occasion arises. The materials may also be purchased assets, and used by teachers, families, and community groups for discussion and training purposes.
The packages could also become corporate gifts for employees and clients who are expecting or have become new parents. Neuroscience is urging us to revisit and update current early childhood practices by transforming new knowledge into practical ideas and activities that encourage and support a lifetime of learning.
Short introductions to parenthood over 165 easy-to-read pages: the set of 12 titles.
Babies are born learning. The more they are held, nurtured, and stimulated by language, movement, and play in the first three years of life, the better their brains will be for the rest of their lives.
Every brain, just like every fingerprint or tongue print is unique, and we each possess a gigantic network of information to which we have almost no access. Can we understand what's going on in the brain when we love someone, when we listen to a piece of music when we read a play or a book or a piece of poetry? It is trying to understand what makes us human that generates these, and other, fascinating questions.
A newborn's brain is about 25 percent of its approximate adult weight but by age 3 it has grown dramatically by producing billions of cells and hundreds of trillions of connections, or synapses, between these cells. There are many ways parents and caregivers can help children get off to a good start and establish healthy patterns for life-long learning, enhancing the body’s ability to reduce the incidence of chronic preventable diseases.
Between 13 and 20 months, a toddler’s brain is able to process speech more quickly. At this age, children understand more of what is being said to them than they are able to say themselves. Beginning around 12 months, a child’s babbling will gradually transform into her first “words.”
At this age, your toddler starts to experience new emotions like anger and frustration, guilt, shame, possessiveness, and excitement. These ‘big’ emotions can be hard to deal with for your toddler, and you might see some temper tantrums as a result. Your child is also beginning to think about how she feels and might link her feelings with words for example, she might tell you she’s ‘sad.
Toddlers between two and three really want to find out about themselves and what they want and don’t want. Because they are beginning to talk in sentences, and sometimes say things in a big and definite voice, we can be tricked into thinking that our toddlers are more grown-up than they really are. The most important thing to remember about your children at this age is that they are still babies.
Your three-year-old is at the very beginning of learning how to get on with others. He can control his strong feelings somewhat better than he did at two but he is still likely to have some tantrums. He starts to understand social skills like sharing and being kind, but he can only practice these skills for a short time when he is feeling safe and happy. Three-year-olds often enjoy being with other children and they now begin to play together more. They are learning that other people are real and have feelings. This means they can be upset when other people are upset.
Four-year-olds are less likely than two-year-olds to have kicking and screaming tantrums. They are eager to please you. With your help, they might be able to try something else or wait for a few minutes. Your child may still have fears of noises, the dark, animals, monsters, etc. Five-year-olds are developing a sense of humor and like to laugh at and repeat silly words and situations.
Five to six-year-olds are moving out into the world and can usually play happily with other children and enjoy lots of physical games as well as stories. They are learning to understand the feelings and needs of others, and their behavior shows that they can feel empathy for others and can share their toys and take turns, at least some of the time. They may sometimes feel jealous of their parents’ relationship.
Good communication helps children develop confidence, feelings of self-worth, and good relationships with others. It makes life with them more pleasant and helps them grow into adults who have good feelings about themselves and others.
You cannot change your child’s temperament. Understanding why your child might be behaving the way he does is better than trying to change him. Some babies are born placid and easy to settle, while others are wakeful and active. Some are regular in their habits from the early days, and others have irregular sleeping and toileting times. These traits start to show themselves in the first few weeks of life and are linked to particular temperament types. Temperaments are inborn and are not the result of the actions of adults.
We know that secure attachments and stimulation are significant aspects of brain development and that play provides active exploration that assists in building and strengthening brain pathways. Young children’s play allows them to explore, identify, negotiate, take risks, and create meaning. Children who engage in quality play experiences are more likely to have well-developed memory skills, language development, and are able to regulate their behavior, leading to enhanced school adjustment and academic learning.