“Kids come into the world before their brains are fully developed. The result? Parenthood.” - John Medina, Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five
Yes, 90 percent of a child’s brain develops before Kindergarten and most of this development takes place in the first 3 years (1 million neurons per second).
But does this mean that your child’s brain is set for life? Does my child need to learn it all before age 5? Will educational toys, flash cards, classical music make my kid smarter? How can I get my kid into Harvard? How can I raise a happy child?
The answer lies in the first 5 years.
Genes (Nature)+ Early Experiences (Nurture)
“The basic architecture of the brain is constructed through a process that begins early in life and continues into adulthood. Simpler circuits come first and more complex brain circuits build on them later. Genes provide the basic blueprint, but experiences influence how or whether genes are expressed. Together, they shape the quality of brain architecture and establish either a sturdy or a fragile foundation for all of the learning, health, and behavior that follow. Plasticity, or the ability for the brain to reorganize and adapt, is greatest in the first years of life and decreases with age.” - Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
Genes + Experiences (reading, talking, singing, playing) + Environment (safe, caring) + Relationships (loving, dependable, responsive) = Brain Architecture
Multiple studies show that infants and toddlers learn about themselves and their world during interactions with others. Brain connections that lead to later success grow out of nurturant, supportive and predictable care. What does this mean? Parents and anyone helping parents take care of their child in the first few years are shaping a child’s mind which has a significant impact on a child’s future.
When and how do babies start learning?
As per the UNICEF, a child starts learning right from birth (or even in the womb). In fact, a child is either learning or sleeping. As per The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers (Dombro, Colker and Dodge, 1997), during the first 3 years of life, infants and toddlers look to caregivers for answers to these questions:
Do people respond to me?
Can I depend on other people when I need them?
Am I important to others?
Am I competent?
How should I behave?
Do people enjoy being with me?
What should I be afraid of?
Is it safe for me to show how I feel?
What things interest me?
In a way, parents, and caregivers (relatives, nanny, babysitter, daycare, preschool) are the first “educators” for children.
“Don’t pick your child every time they cry, babies cry“, “Don’t hug your child too much, you’re babying them”, “Don’t kiss your child too much, you’re raising them to be to soft”, “Don’t give in to tantrums, you need to control them”…Boy, how times have changed!!!
Research confirms what parents have always known by intuition..it is the everyday moments of comforting, showing affection, loving, caring, and playing with children that builds strong and healthy brains. BTW, there is no scientific evidence that responding to a crying baby causes a baby to be clingy.
Decades of research have confirmed that sensitive and responsive parenting leads to secure attachment and produces the best outcomes in children. Parents and caregivers who are dependable, consistent, respectful, and responsive to their children help them develop a sense of security and trust, which in turn leads to independence. Research finds that a child’s social skills, social-emotional skills, self-esteem, and empathy are also enhanced by a positive parent-child relationship in a family setting.
Studies also show that kids who feel safe and secure are more likely to develop and use appropriate emotion regulation skills (one of the strongest predictors of academic achievement and success).
Moreover, as per the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, the single most common factor for children who develop resilience is at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver, or other adult.
Children are like mirrors that reflect everything around them. Did you know that the mirror neuron system in the brain helps children learn to do things from imitation alone?
Myths about brain development
You need to learn it all before age 5
You need special educational toys to boost development
Playing classical music to babies makes them smarter
The brain is set for life after the first 5 years
Sensitive periods are the broad windows of opportunity for certain types of learning. Early brain research highlights birth through age 3 as a sensitive period for learning and development in all areas. Between birth and age 3, the brain creates more synapses than it needs. The synapses that are used a lot become a permanent part of the brain. The synapses that are not used frequently are eliminated. This is where early experiences play an important role in wiring a young child's brain and the synapses associated with these quality early experiences (at home, with a relative, caregiver, child care, preschool) become permanent. The skills acquired during sensitive periods are those that some people are better at than others. They include the social, emotional and mental characteristics that lay the foundation for future learning, behavior, and health.
However, sensitive periods represent a less precise and often longer period of time when skills, such as acquiring a second language, are influenced. But these opportunities are not lost forever. Individuals learn new languages at many different times in their lives. So give yourself grace. Your child doesn't need to learn the piano, play soccer, be fluent in Mandarin and Spanish, and learn it all before age 5.
There’s no evidence that pricey “educational” toys make a difference in brain development. Yes, children learn through play and toys certainly help. But play is not synonymous with toys. What is a critical part of the brain-training equation? Human-to-human interaction. The very “best brain training toys”, however, are those that require children to be active, are engaging, meaningful, inspire social collaboration, and have a clear learning objective. Want to buy toys? Buy toys that are 90 percent child and 10 percent toy.
You've probably heard about the “Mozart effect” which holds that exposing babies to classical music, even in utero, boosts their IQ and other aspects of their cognitive development. But subsequent studies have shown that “enjoyment arousal” is what truly affects performance, not classical music per se. Even in the studies with positive results the enhancement is small and only certain kinds of spatial reasoning have shown improvement (and even that improvement is fleeting at best); and general intelligence is not affected. Nonetheless, it's a no-lose situation” as the worst that can happen is that one listens to some good music! You know what can increase your child’s IQ? Talking to your child!
Yes, 90 percent of the brain develops in the first 5 years. BUT, that doesn't mean that you've missed the boat or your child's brain is "set" for life. The brain is remarkably changeable throughout life. The brain is continually reshaping to meet the demands of everyday life, even throughout adulthood. New neurons are produced throughout life, though far less rapidly, and probably in numbers sufficient only to replace those that gradually die off.
“The major difference between brain development in a child versus an adult is a matter of degree: the brain is far more impressionable (neuroscientists use the term plastic) in early life than in maturity. This plasticity has both a positive and a negative side. On the positive side, it means that young children’s brains are more open to learning and enriching influences. On the negative side, it also means that young children’s brains are more vulnerable to developmental problems should their environment prove especially impoverished or un-nurturing.” - Zero to Three
What does this mean? Early intervention is key, but it is never too late. You don't need to feel guilty and wonder "if you've done enough" for your child in the first few years. The most important thing that any parent can do to support the development, and particularly the brain development of a young child, is to get to know that young child, get to be able to read that child’s cues, get to be able to engage in “serve and return” interaction.
Yes quality child care impacts brain development. Trying to find quality daycares and preschools? Allow us to help.