Birth to Three: Brain Development

Brain Development
The first three years of life are a period of
incredible growth in all areas of a baby's
development. 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. We
will learn about the many ways parents and
caregivers can help children get off to a good start
and establish healthy patterns for life-long
learning.

3.

The Importance of Brain
Development
How the Brain Develops
Critical Periods of Development
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. As the baby grows, his
experiences will reinforce some
connections and others will fall into
disuse.
The formation of synapses doesn't
happen evenly. For this reason,
knowing your infant's critical periods
of development and choosing ageappropriate ways to help her develop
in those areas are critical to her
development. For example, start
talking to 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.

4.

Stages of Brain Development
In
an
Infant,
Child, and
Young
Adult

5.

A Good Caregiver is…
Loving and Responsive
One who hugs, rocks, cuddles, seeks eye contact and enjoys the child...who responds
to the baby's smiles and emerging skills and interests...who finds ways to expand
upon children's play to help them learn new skills...who is sociable and interested in
children. One who talks with the baby about what they do and see... a playful partner
who introduces new ideas, objects and games...who supports children in building
relationships with other children and adults.
Respects the baby's individuality
One who understands and nurtures babies' development...who recognizes the baby's
personal rhythms, style, strengths and limitations...and tunes into these when
planning the pace and time for eating, sleeping and playing...one who is comfortable
accommodating to children's special needs or conditions.
Provides a stimulating and child-friendly environment
An area that is clean and safe so babies can explore their surroundings...filled with
interesting and stimulating things to explore...set up to promote learning through
free play...changed regularly to accommodate the needs of growing infants and
toddlers...organized to have distinct eating and diapering areas and set up to
be comfortable and practical for adults, allowing them to focus on the children.

6.

Activities to Stimulate Brain
Development
Look into the baby's eyes. Infants begin to recognize faces very early!
Each time he stares at you, he's developing his memory.
Encourage communication. Whenever a baby babbles or coos, repeat
the sound he makes and then pause to give him the chance to respond.
This shows him that what he's saying is important to you and
encourages communication.
Sing songs. Play music. Say nursery rhymes. It is thought that if a child
is exposed to these things early in life, it lays many foundations for
academics (math and reading).
Tickle his toes -- and everything else. Laughter is the first step in
developing a sense of humor. Playing games like "Patty Cake", "This
Little Piggy", or "I'm Gonna Get You!" teaches your child to anticipate
events.
Change baby's positions frequently. When an infant learns to play in a
new position (such as on his side), his motor skills are challenged in
different ways and develop more thoroughly.

7.

Continued….
Use your baby's name when talking to him. Studies show that babies
can recognize their own name by 4 1/2 months if it is used often.
Make the most of diaper time. Use these moments to teach body parts
or pieces of clothing, and to sing nursery rhymes. Narrate to help your
baby learn to anticipate routines.
Surprise him. Do the unexpected every now and then by gently blowing
on his face, arms, or tummy. Make a pattern with your breaths and
watch him react and anticipate.
Read books. Read books. Read books! Scientists have found that babies
as young as 8 months can learn to recognize the sequence of words in a
story when it's read 2 or 3 times in a row. This is believed to help them
learn language.
Teach baby sign language. Baby signing is linked with earlier
development of non-verbal and verbal communication. This is a terrific
way to give a boost to infant brain development.

Birth to Three: Brain Development

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