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Learning Solutions for the 21st Century |
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The Hidden Growth: 1 ½ to 3 ½ months. Robert
Ornstein has estimated there are more possible connections in the
brain than there are known atoms in the universe! Sorry!
You’ll have to ask him yourself how he worked that one out and I don’t
have his e-mail address. The first
three years of a child’s life has been described as the time when the
brain gets wired-up. Imagine what would happen in your home if the
electrician didn’t finish wiring-up the house properly. Perhaps that’s why math in
particular used to ‘leave me in the dark’ when I was in school. Characteristics
Language Development What you
can do: Talk is so important. Tell her about what it is she is
looking at, hearing or feeling. Try and provide different objects for him to
explore with his senses – hear, see and feel and as he
is exploring describe them to him. You will notice him turning towards sounds
he can hear
around him. Provide a ‘running commentary’ about what you are doing, what he
is doing and about the
immediate world around him. You may not be Diana Ross but what the heck – sing to your baby. Continue to
imitate the cooing and gurgling sounds
he makes which will encourage him to persist
and show him he can get your attention apart from crying! Hold ‘conversations’ with him regularly. You will find
yourself and your baby ‘taking turns’ in making
sounds. Intellectual Development Move your child to different
locations around
the house and put her in different
positions as she is now
beginning to take more notice of her surroundings. Color is important so lay her on a colored and
textured quilt that Joseph would have been proud of! As she
begins to take more notice of her hands tell
her what she sees. “There’s your hand!” etc Place or hold brightly colored
objects within you baby’s reach. As she tries to grasp it encourage her to repeat her efforts. Color is
often an underused factor in learning. We have greater memory recall for color
than we do for verbal cues
or objects. Mind-maps, universally regarded as one of the best tools ever
devised for memory-recall,
note-taking and thinking utilize color to great effect. Our math program Ensure Your
Child Succeeds At Math also utilizes color via Cuisenaire rods that are themselves
a very powerful
learning tool if used properly. We don’t
advocate using the rods with children under three. Infants of three upwards
love playing with them but should
be supervised although some suppliers stock larger rods for infants. We would
suggest you get familiar with the program which is ideal for using at home with
your child
regardless of what method the school uses. Social/Emotional Development Emotions
play a significant role in a child and adult’s learning. It is now generally
recognized that children
who are ‘emotionally intelligent’ will out-perform those with a higher I.Q.
More importantly they will
live happier and more fulfilled lives. Jesus once told us to ‘love our neighbors as ourselves.’ If we don’t
love ourselves what chance do our neighbors have? And if parents/partners don’t
love each other .
. .what chance the child? Schools
often employ methods like ‘check-in’ or ‘circle-time’ at certain times of the
day to try and create a
positive ‘emotional-learning’ environment. In many schools around the world
background music of a
certain type (usually baroque eg Mozart) is played to help create a positive
emotional learning-state. ‘Brain-gym’
activities like ‘hook-up’ are also used to lower stress levels. The
emotional state of the learner is the most critical of all if optimum learning
is to happen. Stress and
anxiety are the enemies of learning because they actually produce
‘electrical-storms’ in the
brain that cause us to revert to ‘survival mode.’ Many
children, usually kinesthetic learners, need to ‘feel good’ about what they are
about to learn. If they
don’t, then forget it! What you
can do: Make a point of smiling at your baby when feeding or just being with
him. Keep eye contact. Smile! Involve
other family members. Let them cuddle, sing, talk softly and rock your baby. Create a secure and loving environment for your child. Show him lots of affection and give him plenty of your time while he is awake. He will now get
excited when he
sees or hears adults he is familiar with. The quicker you respond to your
baby’s cries the more confident he will become and the less he will
cry. When
he does cry or shows signs of discomfort gently
massage and stroke his back, shoulders, arms and
legs. He will
need to suck on something like fingers, thumb or dummy. This satisfies his emotional needs. Baby will
delight in imitating your facial expressions. When he does then do it back to
him as this will encourage him to continue. Encouragement
breeds persistence, a quality so vital if your child is to succeed in life. “Great works are performed not by
strength, but by perseverance.” – Dr Samuel Johnson Motor Development Put a blanket on the floor, preferably colored and textured,
so she can move around freely as this will
strengthen muscles and improve co-ordination. By placing your baby on his stomach for a
short time you will encourage him to improve control of his head as
well as providing a different visual perspective. Lie on the floor with your
head elevated on a pillow
or cushion and lie your baby on your
chest so he can look at your face. Do this daily. If you hold an object about 30-40cm from his eyes
he will study it. Move it slowly
from side to side. Make sure
there is sufficient light in the room for him to see all the details. You can offer your baby small safe toys by
holding them to the middle of his body.
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