Brain Development: The Early Years Matter!
Guest Post by Sarah
A common thought shared about teaching, parenting, or caring for young children is: It may not be the most intellectually stimulating job but it is full of love and fun.
A common thought shared about teaching, parenting, or caring for young children is: It may not be the most intellectually stimulating job but it is full of love and fun.
Thankfully our job is full of love and fun but it doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves in the other department. You know what I mean right? How this job isn’t viewed by everyone as uber serious, intellectual, urgent, thoughtful, etc. I know that while in the classroom, I usually left work with glue on my skirt and marker on my hands. Now days, I constantly have food stuck on me somewhere. I get why we aren’t viewed as the most serious profession ever. But I have some very serious information I would like to share with you because I want YOU to know seriousness of your job or role as a parent to young children and how what you do each day with your little ones impacts the future.
These first 8 years (known as Early Childhood) are so important and crucial to a person’s development. You’ve noticed how your child grows and changes so quickly, right? Well, what you see in your child’s physical appearance is just a little, tiny glimpse into what is going on with their BRAIN.
At birth, your child’s brain is only 25% developed and they have BILLIONS of cells that haven’t even been connected into working networks. By the time they are 3 years old, their brain has developed about 100 THOUSAND TRILLION connections…all from experience they’ve had in those 3 years! Crazy, right?
15 years looks like less, right? Well, after the first 3 years, it slows down a bit and their brain even begins to selectively “trash” some of those connections. The least important ones, we hope!!
The fact that their brain matures in the world, rather than in the womb, means children are deeply effected by their experiences. These early years are crucial. They are moldable, constantly learning and their personal “wiring” is happening.
Think of the brain as the organ of behavior, feelings/emotions, intelligence, creativity and values. How the brain is encoded during these first years of brain development establish life-long patterns for peace or for violence; for love or for hate; for mental excellence or mental mediocrity; for creative social harmony or for social alienation and discord. No job could be more important than nurturing this, right?
How do we make the most of these Brain Development years?
It is during this critical period (the first 8 years) when enriched environments and increased stimulation can have the greatest impact on brain development. Learning at any age should be meaningful. Meaningful learning in Early Childhood happens through play and exploration.
The sad thing is, play is often thought of as something extra you do when the important things in life are done like reading, math etc. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics explains that “Play is essential to development as it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.”
Sensory Development:
Many, many examples:
Young children learn best by experiencing the world with their senses. They need to see, feel, hear, smell and sometimes even taste things to understand them fully. When they play using their senses – called “sensory play” – children also are learning. The more they have to use their senses, the more completely they learn. I love how hard my little man sleeps after a full morning of major sensory play. You can tell he has learned so much that he is physically exhausted…like cramming for a final!
Don’t forget, snuggling on your little one give some major sensory and emotional support. So important!!
Repetitive Language:
Make sure to provide lots of time each day for repetition of songs and stories. This may seem boring to you but what it is actually doing is developing strong neural pathways in their brains! Their brains are “wired” to learn through repetition.
AND think of this: Children whose parents have read to them for 10 minutes a day from age 6 months on have a brain that has received more than 300 hours of this type of stimulation by kindergarten. Who has that many books? Repeat, repeat, repeat.
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Provide Opportunities to STRETCH their Abilities:
Whether this is a cognitive game or physical feat allow them opportunities to do more than they have already accomplished. Give them assistance and guide them in the beginning, before long they will be all on their own! You’ve seen this before, but now think about what was going on inside their head! Amazing, right?
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Emotional Development:
Since this is the time in their life when actual “wiring” is happening, this is a crucial part of brain development. (That is my opinion, at least!)
Create a safe, stress-free, loving and gentle environment for you child. Let them know they are loved, supported and that it is important to love all of God’s creatures!! Respond to your children’s needs quickly. My little one is in the toddler stage at the moment and I have to remind myself daily first, to breathe and next, that his emotions are real, no matter how dramatic they seem. Breathe, his emotions are real. Breathe, his emotions are real. Oops.
The great thing is, you probably do most of these things every day and hadn’t even thought about it! It’s just fun and loving, right!? Next time you are having a down day (we all have them) remind yourself that among the many important things about raising children you are also GROWING their BRAINS!
Seriously, how much more intellectually important can you get??
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Sarah writes for A Teacher at Heart along with her mother, Rita and sister-in-law, Suzie.
This teaching family writes to support and inspire every person involved in raising children.
It’s a team effort and we’re all in it together!
This is a fantastic article. I've learned that very simple things can help a baby's development as long as it includes adult interaction. Playing alone, for instance, with a shape sorter is great, but add an adult and you can hear language for shapes, colors, textures, etc. It's simple when you add a little love.
http://gratefullygrowingingrace.blogspot.com/search/label/baby%20fun
Thank you Amanda!
You are so right about adult interaction! It adds so much more depth to playing a simple game. And builds great memories! :)
~Sarah
A Teacher at Heart
Considering that I was literally crying to my husband two nights ago telling him that I never do anything with my mind anymore, and that anyone could do a better job raising my child than me, I appreciate reading this article NOW. It's hard to leave a job like elementary teaching, where you're constantly sharing information and adapting to the abilities/styles of 20 something learners to learning how to engage one very young child. I wouldn't trade my days with her for anything and appreciate your reminder that what I do manage to teach her while we play matters.
I absolutely agree! There is no more important job in the world where the stakes are so high – a child's physical, social, intellectual & emotional development that directly shapes who they will be for a lifetime! How much more serious can you get?
Amy,
I totally understand those feelings. I'm pretty sure I've had a similar cry-fest with my husband. Have you looked into the website We Teach? It is a great collaboration of teachers (mostly at home now). Keeps you (me) accountable and motivated these days! It's so fun!.
Mama Pea Pod,
I'm with you on that! I love seeing all you do with your little one too! Blogs are such fabulous "real-time" resources!!
~Sarah
A Teacher At Heart
Awesome post! :) Very detailed and well written. And couldn't agree more about repetition part. :) In a way, kids know that repetition is the most important part of the learning. They, themselves, ask us to go through same motion again and again… even when we, parents, are already sick and tired of it LOL
Very articulate and insightful regarding the critical foundation that is built from the beginning….. the foundation upon which everything else will be built.
The days are long and tend to blend one into the next for stay-at-home-moms, but thru insightful articles such as this the immense value can be grasped — the investment recognized.
Thank you for your contribution to young children everywhere!!!
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this
website. I really hope to view the same high-grade content from you later on as well.
In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to
get my own website now ;)