When most people look at a baby they figure that not a lot is going on inside. All babies seem to do is eat, sleep and cry. Nothing could be further from the truth. Researchers have found that the first three years of life are a time of amazing brain development. From birth to three, billions of new brain cells make trillions of new connections between them. Your baby’s early experiences spark those links between brain cells. Richer experiences lead to more and stronger links. Here are some tips to make sure your baby’s brain gets a boost from the start.

Talk

Academic success rests on strong language skills. So one of the most important things you can do is to talk, read and sing to your baby. Your may look at your infant and think that it is way too early to think about school. The research says otherwise. Even six-month old infants can listen to and remember words that are read to them. Their brains are wired to soak up words long before they can speak.

Begin a habit of daily reading, even if it is just one poem. Sing songs and nursery rhymes using your hands, voice and funny faces to dramatize. Get cardboard or cloth books with few words, bright pictures, flaps or peep holes. As you read, follow the words with your finger from left to right. Point to and name the pictures (big red ball). Talk about everything you do (Mommy is washing your toes). Describe the things you see and hear (The bus is loud). Use favorite toys to teach concepts like in, out, below, above, over and under(Your teddy bear is under the chair). Whenever you baby babbles to you, talk or babble back. Talking back and forth is part of normal conversation. Conversation is an important way that people relate to one another. Talking or babbling back teaches your baby how the process works.

Play

Introduce simple toys that your baby can observe, touch, throw or shake. All toys should be safe for infants to put in their mouth because everything ends up there. Toys shouldn’t have any sharp or pointed edges either. You may wonder what play could possibly have to do with learning. For babies, play is learning. Your baby learns about colors and shapes looking at the brightly colored mobile over the crib. Your baby learns about light and dark with a rattle that lights up when shaken. Your baby learns about hard, fuzzy or heavy by lifting large block versus a stuffed toy. Your baby learns about gravity by dropping the doll—twenty times. Stacking cups show how things fit together and come apart. Rolling a ball or pushing the choo-choo teach about cause and effect and motion. Don’t be upset if your baby doesn’t use the toys the “right” way. The whole point of play at this stage is discovery of how the world works.

Get down on the floor and join in the fun, even if only for a few minutes. Your baby loves to play with you. Old standbys like peek-a-boo, pat a cake or “hide the toy” are fun and can help with spatial awareness. Your baby learns that your face is behind your hands or the rattle is under the towel.

Touch

People assume that touch aids social and emotional development. It makes sense that an infant who is regularly rocked and cuddled feels more secure and loved. You might be surprised, however, to know that touch affects brain development as well. Research suggests that infants who are rarely touched actually have smaller brains than those touched more often. Other studies indicate that children who are frequently touched are more alert, gain weight and grow faster. Touch may even strengthen their immune systems. It seems that touch may be as important t your baby's physical, emotional and brain development as food and rest. So go ahead and rock, cuddle and caress your baby often. Dressing, feeding, bathing and diapering can become great “touch” times. Kiss your baby’s face, hands and feet and stroke your baby’s tummy. Don’t just slap on the baby lotion—apply it slowly and gently as if giving a massage.

You already know that your baby gets hungry for food. But your baby’s brain is also hungry—for touch, for language and the sound of your voice. Your baby’s brain needs to learn about the world through play. All of those experiences push those brain cells to make connections that help develop your baby’s brain. Here are some additional resources to give your baby a smart start.

RESOURCES

Books

365 Games Babies Play: Playing, Growing and Exploring with Babies from Birth to 15 Months by Sheila Ellison $12.95

Great ideas for babies to learn and grow through play

Beyond Baby Talk: From Sounds to Sentences, A Parent's Guide to Language Development by Apel and Masterson. Cost: $15

Stages of speech and language development for infants, toddlers and preschoolers; published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Order by phone at 1-888-498-6699 or online at http://www.asha.org/public/beyond_baby_talk.htm.

ONLINE

BrainWonders

http://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/parents.html

Web site on infant brain development in the areas of vision, language, touch and play and how parents can support it

The Power of Play

http://www.zerotothree.org/play

Offers lots of tips on helping your child learn through play from birth to three

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Ed-Genuity offers a team of education consultants with expertise in areas such as curriculum development, parental involvement, professional development for teachers and counselors, leadership development for administrators and pre-college academic enrichment programs. They have worked extensively with schools, colleges, community organizations and churches. Youcan email the Ed-Genuity team at ed_genuity@yahoo.com