Intellectual Development Birth – First Year

1. Intellectual Development Birth – First Year

2. Study of the Brain • Recent scientific research indicates baby’s brain capacity greater than ever suspected • Baby’s increased brain function directly linked to quantity and quality of experiences offer to the baby • Nerve cells called neurons

3. Study of the Brain • Babies are born with billions of neurons • Each new experience to baby develops links between neurons (Neural Pathways) • Neural pathways control body functions and thinking processes

4. Structure of the Brain • Immediately after birth: • Whole array of changes in the baby’s environment • Temperature • Light • Sounds • Smells • This sensory input helps build neural pathways • Reflexes of newborns • Learning about world through senses • Abilities develop

5. Parts of the Brain(see page 281) • Cerebrum • Receives info from senses and directs the activity • Controls speech, memory, problem solving • Most activities of cerebrum occur in Cortex • Cortex • Outer layer of cerebrum • Growth here allow for more complex learning • Quality of caregiver directly linked to development of cortex

6. How the Brain Works • Born with all the neurons (nerve cells) you will have your entire life • Dramatic changes to brain after birth • Neuron connected to Axon and Dendrites (act as transmitters of information) • Each axon coated with waxy substance called Myelin • Myelin helps send info from one nerve to the other

7. How the Brain Works • Dendrites receive the message • Dendrites are very near dendrites of other axons but don’t touch • The space is called Synapses

8. How the Brain Works • Chemicals released by axons called Neurotransmitters • But can only attach to Dendrite with the right receptor • The more times axon and dendrite connects the stronger the connection • This information leads to the necessity of a stimulating environment for infants

9. Building the Brain • More pathways give the brain more power • Increase in connections direct result of sensory input

10. How Brain Becomes Organized • Each child’s brain is unique • Organized according to that child’s experiences • Repetition of actions increases connection allows for more neural pathways • Connections between neurons not permanent • Broken when idea or behavior is not repeated • New connections are made with new behavior or ideas or skills

11. Is the Brain Organized Only Once? • NO! • Stroke victims or damage to child’s brain for various reasons • People learn to accommodate • Brain adapts and new connections are made and used

12. Speeding the Brain’s Work • Myelin (Waxy substance coating axons) • Makes it easy for axon to transmit signals • Axons produce myelin coating in different areas of brain at different times • Continues till about age 20 • If axon controlling a certain activity has not yet produced myelin, that activity or skill will be hard for the child to master • This helps to explain why some children develop certain skills at an earlier age than other children

13. Stimulate Brain Development in an Infant (page 286) • Keep it simple and natural • Cuddle • Talk sing • Match experience to child’s mental abilities • Age appropriate • Practice makes perfect • Routine • Actively involve baby • Children learn best by doing • Provide variety but not overload • Too many activities can overwhelm • Avoid pushing the child • Look for clues that child is still interested in activity

14. Learning in the First Year(Section 2) • Newborns can: • Hear • See • Taste • Smell • Feel • Able to learn from the senses…Perception • Perception improves as experience is repeated

15. Four abilities babies develop during the first year: • Remembering experiences • Crying stops when someone enters the room • Making associations • Associates a parent with providing comfort • Understanding cause and effect • One action results in another action • Paying attention • Attention span grows longer

16. Developmental Milestones • Key skills used to check a child’s progress against average development • Page 290 Intellectual Developmental Milestones

17. Piaget’s Theories • Great influence on today’s knowledge of how children learn • Observations of growth, ability to reason, increases in learning capacity were recorded • Saw the pattern of intellectual development

18. Piaget’s Theories • Identified 4 learning stages • These periods occur in same order for all children • Children master one skill before moving on to the next • Children cannot be forced to understand a concept • All children need opportunity to apply new skills in order to reach full potential • All children need to have constant learning opportunities

19. Sensorimotor Period • Birth – 2 years • Babies learn through senses and own actions • This time frame coincides with neurons developing pathways • Today’s study and new knowledge of babies’ brains validates Piaget’s theory that sensory stimulation fosters intellectual development • Object Permanence - Babies about 10 months recognize that objects exist even when out of sight…

20. Sensorimotor Period • Can be broken down into 6 shorter more precise stages • Abilities build upon abilities developed in previous stage • Imaginative play – Pretending, occurs in last stage of Sensorimotor period • Coincides with symbolic thinking…using words or numbers to stand for ideas • This is the framework from which pre reading skills begin • Chart page 202

21. Preoperational Stage • 2-7 years • Think in terms of own activities • What they are experiencing at the moment

22. Concrete Operations • 7-11 years • Logical thinking occurs • Children learn best through experiences

23. Formal Operations • 11- Adult • People are capable of abstract thinking

24. Stimulating Infants’ Senses • Touch • Sight • Hearing • Taste

25. Concept Development • Between ages of 1-3 children categorize information they receive from senses • Begin to form concepts general categories of objects and information • Begin to develop abstract concepts (time)

26. Concept Development • Children believe that labels are for whole objects not parts • Children believe that labels apply to one group, not an individual object • Children tend to believe that an object can only have one label

27. Helping Infants Learn(section 3) • Encourage Learning • Encouraging learning depends on: • Attention • Knowledge • Time given to child

28. Positive Actions to Encourage Learning: • Learn about child’s development • Understand age appropriate behavior • Helps caregivers develop realistic expectations on child’s capabilities • Give the child time and attention • Talk to baby • Play simple games with baby

29. Positive Actions to Encourage Learning: • Provide positive feedback • Show pleasure in child’s new accomplishments • Respond with praise • Express love

30. Positive Actions to Encourage Learning: • Helps baby grow in self confidence • Offers encouragement to try more and learn new things • Talk Talk Talk!!!! • Helps child learn about his environment • Encourages brain development • Builds feelings of security • Provide for Safety in Learning • Allow freedom of movement • Child proof the house

31. Importance of Play • Play is the “work’ of children • Toys are the tools for learning • Allows for strengthening of muscles • Refine motor skills • Learn about their world

32. Toys! • Birth to three months • Things to look at • Things to listen to • Four to six months • Sense of touch important • Touch, bang, tattle, suck and chew • Avoid choking hazards at least 1 ½ inches across

33. Toys! • Seven to nine months • Anything that makes noise • Variety of textures • Safe household items • Ten to twelve months • Things to crawl after • Pushing and pulling toys • Toys they can manipulate

34. Toys • Choosing Toys • Look for toys that: • Encourage participation and use • Will remain interesting and appropriate for a number of years • Are safe and nontoxic

35. Developing Communication • All areas of development interact with learning to communicate: • Physical • Emotional • Social • Intellectual

36. Developing Communication • Babies and Communication • Communicate long before able to say words • Crying • Movements and/or gestures • Special sounds

37. Learning to speak • Babies able to associate meanings and words • Use simple words and correct pronunciation • Speak slowly and clearly • This method of communication helps with brain development

38. Learning to speak • Physical changes take place • Babbling is way children get ready for real speech • First understandable words recognized between 8-15 months • Page 303 for Developmental Milestones in Speech