By Tyrone Dukes
When do people start learning? Research has proven that learning begins before birth. A baby’s brain begins forming shortly after conception.
During the third trimester, the brain grows rapidly, forming neurons (brain cells) and beginning to organize them into pathways that will control movement, hearing and behavior. During this phase, a baby’s brain begins to absorb and respond to information. This is known as prenatal learning.
Before birth, babies are listening and remembering familiar sounds, like their mother’s voice. They are tasting what their mother eats and feeling movement and rhythm. After birth, their brain continues to grow at a very fast pace for the first few years, overproducing neural connections.
There are factors that can influence brain development, such as genetics, environment, nutrition and sleep. The environmental factor provides a child the experiences that will help them determine which connections are kept and which ones are not. This is known as postnatal learning. During this phase, infants will learn through observation and interaction. This makes each experience vital to a child’s brain development and helps to establish a strong foundation.
The impacts of early experiences, both positive and negative, will help shape how their brain advances. So, everything introduced to a child during the early learning period helps lay the footing for success in their future.
A high-quality early childhood education (ECE) is an experience that is essential to a child’s brain development and can provide many lifelong benefits. ECE encourages growth in five areas of development: cognitive, social, emotional, physical and language and literacy.
Cognitive development is how a child thinks, explores and figures things out. Social development helps a child interact with people and build relationships. Emotional development helps a child understand emotions and to manage their feelings. Physical development helps a child use their gross motor skills and their ability to control their movements. Language and literacy development are two skills that build on each other. Language development helps a child understand and use spoken or signed words. Literacy development helps a child recognize letters and sounds, as well as express ideas through written language.
Focusing on these areas of development at an early stage helps children prepare for primary school. Educators in early childhood education centers are trained to observe and screen for developmental delays or behavioral concerns, which allows for early intervention. ECE also offers guidance and resources to parents to help support their child’s learning and developmental needs.
Learning is a process that starts before we are born and continues throughout a lifetime, and early childhood education is the foundation.
Tyrone Dukes is the preschool director for RCCG GSA Preschool. The center is located at 710 S. Kings Ave., Brandon.
