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| Parent's Guide |
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Help Your Baby Learn |
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Build Your Baby's Brain |
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| At birth, the human infant's brain is an astounding organ composed of some 200 billion nerve cells but the vital connections are not yet established. During the early years, parents and caregivers make a lifelong impact on their children's lives. A healthy, nurturing environment during early childhood is essential for a child's success in school and life. Scientific research shows that the years from birth to six are the crucial window for the benificial development of the individual, as well as the prevention of later destructive behaviors. |
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| Did You Know? |
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- Brain cells begin forming in the first months of fetal life.
- At birth, almost all the neurons that the brain will ever have are present.
- Most brain cell connections are made in the first year of life.
- By the time a child is 2, the brain is about 90% of the adult size.
- After the first several years of a child's life, it becomes much more difficult to make significant changes in a child's physical, cognitive, and emotional abilities.
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| A Parent's Touch |
| Parents' touching, holding, talking, cooing, playing, and reading are vital to the development of their baby's brain. |
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- Early loving interactions with babies maximize the number of connections created.
- Networks of brain cells developed before age 3 allow thinking and learning to take place.
- Touching, holding, singing, reading, and cooing all help stimulate the brain to release important hormones that help form the networks.
- As the baby grows, these vital brain connections will enable him or her to cope with new experiences and situations.
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| Providing Positive Enviroments |
| Children raised in environments where they are lovingly nurtured dramatically maximize brain connections. |
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- The ability to form relationships and to learn are established by a child's early life experiences.
- You can help your child become a creative problem solver by encouraging him/her to explore a variety of solutions until they find one that works for them.
- Positive parenting requires time, patience, listening skills, and encouragement but it is well worth the effort.
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| Remember |
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- The lost potential of a neglected, underdeveloped brain cannot be fully recovered when a child is older.
- Neglected children begin school at a disadvantage.
- Children in stressful environments learn to respond aggressively or defensively.
- Exposure to trauma, such as abuse, develops pathways that control the fear response and causes high levels of hormones that trigger aggressive and violent behavior.
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| Children are eager learners from the very start. Parents play the most important role in providing the nurture and stimulation that children require to help their children develop learning and thinking skills. Other caring adults, including grandparents, caregivers, and teachers can help as well. While we know that the development of a young child's brain is a "work in progress" that takes years to complete, we also know that development in the early years is quite dramatic and can establish patterns for life-long learning. |
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Read to Your Baby
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| | Nurturing a love for reading and writing is a role that parents can play in their children's lives. Success in school and later careers depends on having good reading and writing skills. These days we constantly hear about the importance of literacy. Help your child learn to love reading. The key is to start early.
Read out loud to your child regularly.
Research shows that reading together just 30 muniutes a day significantly increases your child's reading ability. Help your child see that books can be lifelong friends. |
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|  How to read with your newborn to six-month-old |
| How to read with your six-month to one year old |
| How to read with your one year old |
| How to read with your two year old |
| How to read with your preschool child |
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Help Your Baby Learn
