Intellectual Development of Infants
Stimulating Infant Brain Development Flyer
Keep it simple and natural
Build neural pathways in a baby's brain by having a normal routine and by stimulating the baby.
- Cuddling
- Talking
- Singing
Match experiences to the child's mental abilities
When interacting with a baby, remember that it will learn best when its experiences are matched to their current mental abilities. If the experiences are too stimulating, or not stimulating enough, the child will not learn very well
- read books together
- don't try playing chess with a 2 year old
- play easy educational games that are appropriate for their mental age
Practice makes perfect
Repetition and routines help children to learn by establishing stronger neural connections. Any repeated activity can help to establish connections. Reading every night with your child is a good example, even if he or she cannot read.
- create a daily routine with your child
- practice things over and over
- try to notice the improvement in your child's abilities during and after repetitions
Actively involve the baby
Children learn best by doing. Involve children in experiences to allow them to develop memories and more refined motor skills
Provide variety, but avoid overload
Exposing a child to stimulation is good and necessary for development, but over stimulation can be bad and can lead to slower learning in the moment of that exposure.
- try to focus on one task or activity at a time
- try new things occasionally. Once or twice a day is sufficient
- do not surround a child with stimulation
Avoid pushing the child
Let a child be itself! If a child were at recess on a playground, he would voluntarily go play and have fun, for the most part. They would do their own thing and try new things until they found what they enjoyed most. This kind of creativity, curiosity, and desire for adventure is stifled when someone is told what is what they should and shouldn't do. When certain societal norms are instilled too early, or too harshly, one will base their actions and creative self on these limitations set by the ones that are trying to "help" the child to grow up to be what THEY want them to be, rather than what the child wants to be. Let them grow without boundaries!
- let the child decide what books he or she reads
- let the child decide what sports he or she plays
- let the child decide what he or she wants too look like
- encourage individuality and finding self worth