Download Intellectual Development Birth – First Year

Intellectual Development
Birth – First Year
Study of the Brain
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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
Study of the Brain
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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
Structure of the Brain
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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
Parts of the Brain
(see page 281)
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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
How the Brain Works
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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
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
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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
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Building the Brain
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More pathways give the brain more
power
Increase in connections direct
result of sensory input
How Brain Becomes
Organized
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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
Is the Brain Organized
Only Once?
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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
Speeding the Brain’s Work
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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
Stimulate Brain Development
in an Infant (page 286)
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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
Learning in the First Year
(Section 2)
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Newborns can:
 Hear
 See
 Taste
 Smell
 Feel
 Able to learn from the senses…Perception
 Perception improves as experience is
repeated
Four abilities babies develop
during the first year:
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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
Developmental Milestones
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Key skills used to check a child’s
progress against average
development
Page 290 Intellectual
Developmental Milestones
Piaget’s Theories
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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
Piaget’s Theories
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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
Sensorimotor Period
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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…
Sensorimotor Period
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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
Preoperational Stage
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2-7 years
Think in terms of own activities
What they are experiencing at the
moment
Concrete Operations
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7-11 years
Logical thinking occurs
Children learn best through
experiences
Formal Operations
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11- Adult
People are capable of abstract
thinking
Stimulating Infants’
Senses
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Touch
Sight
Hearing
Taste
Concept Development
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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)
Concept Development
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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
Helping Infants Learn
(section 3)
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Encourage Learning
Encouraging learning depends
on:
 Attention
 Knowledge
 Time given to child
Positive Actions to
Encourage Learning:
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Learn about child’s development
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Understand age appropriate behavior
Helps caregivers develop realistic
expectations on child’s capabilities
Give the child time and attention
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Talk to baby
Play simple games with baby
Positive Actions to
Encourage Learning:
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Provide positive feedback
 Show pleasure in child’s
new accomplishments
 Respond with praise
Express love
Positive Actions to
Encourage Learning:
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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
Importance of Play
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Play is the “work’ of children
Toys are the tools for learning
Allows for strengthening of muscles
Refine motor skills
Learn about their world
Toys!
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Birth to three months
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Things to look at
Things to listen to
Four to six months
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Sense of touch important
Touch, bang, tattle, suck and chew
Avoid choking hazards at least 1 ½ inches
across
Toys!
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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
Toys
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Choosing Toys
Look for toys that:
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Encourage participation and use
Will remain interesting and appropriate
for a number of years
Are safe and nontoxic
Developing
Communication
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All areas of development interact
with learning to communicate:
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Physical
Emotional
Social
Intellectual
Developing
Communication
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Babies and Communication
 Communicate long before able to
say words
 Crying
 Movements and/or gestures
 Special sounds
Learning to speak
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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
Learning to speak
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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