Brain development is “activity-dependent”. It is an active connection of neurons that relates to sensory, motor, emotional and cognitive areas in the brain. Babies are born with a set of very useful instincts for surviving and orienting to their new environment.
Parents should respond to their baby’s cues by:
- Touching
- Holding
- Comforting
- Rocking
- Singing
- Talking
This is the best kind of stimulation for their growing brains. Brain development is heavily dependent on early sensory experiences.
Babies: Birth to 12 months
There are certain milestones that are achieved within the brain according to the age of the child:
- Age 4 months: The brain starts responding to the different words or sounds produced in any language spoken.
- Age 8 to 9 months: The infant’s brain begins to develop memory as they experience different activities like pushing a ball around or throwing a spoon.
- Age 10 months: The child begins to focus on his own new language like ma, pa, da-da, ba-ba, etc. and pays little attention to the other languages spoken around him.
- Age 12 months: The child begins to respond to words that are spoken in an animated manner. Thus, it is often said a child should be spoken to in the language he understands.
Babies: 12 to 24 months
There are certain milestones that are achieved within the brain according to the age of the child:
- Age 12 to 18 months: Babies and toddlers begin to explore their memories and carry out the forgotten activity. If the child sees a toy that needs winding up, the child will wind it until it finally begins to play.
- Age 24 months: The toddlers and pre-schoolers recognise the people around them and know their friends from strangers. They begin to cry when handled by people who are unknown to them.
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