Don’t throw away your child’s most important years!
At birth, the human brain already has about all of the neurons it will ever have. It doubles in size in the first year, and by age three it has reached 80 percent of its adult volume; by age five, 90 percent.
Between birth and three, more neural connections are formed in the brain than at any other time.
Called “synapses,” these neural connections are what make learning possible. At the age of three, a child’s synapses have peaked. From then on, the brain will discard underused synapses.
The foundation for successful reading is laid during these first three years.
Talk to your baby!
During the first year, your child’s language circuits will develop. Babbling is your baby’s way of learning and practicing speech sounds.
At birth, a baby is capable of making the sounds used in any language spoken on earth. By the age of one, it has discarded speech sounds not heard in the speech of parents or caretakers.
Between the first and second birthdays, the child’s language acquisition takes off. Vocabulary may increase fourfold during this twelve-month period.
At the age of three, a child’s synapses have reached their peak and begin to decline. Unused or underused connections will become inactive.
Tell your baby the names for everything.
A child’s language experience between birth and three years will influence reading success or failure when the child reaches school age.
Children who have limited experience with language during the preschool years will start school as much as three years behind their more experienced peers. They may never close the gap.
Parents who want school success for their children must make talking and playing as much a part of their new baby’s life as feeding and bathing. From the very first day!
Reading is a by-product of spoken language.
TALK TO YOUR BABY.
Send your child to school with the spoken vocabulary needed for reading success.
