Our Littlest Learners

According to neuroscientists, the human brain contains about 86 billion neurons. Most of these are produced during pregnancy, when the brain creates close to 250,000 brain cells every minute! Many others develop during the first year of life, when so much critical growth takes place. It goes without saying that a newborn baby arrives with a pretty impressive toolbox to begin his or her job of learning!

We are wired to care for and nurture our babies, but sometimes it requires more awareness and training to become sensitive to our children’s cues about stimulation and learning. They tend to explore, naturally and voraciously, almost from the time they’re born, seeking out the proper stimulation that will provide them with what they want and need to know. They may be restricted at first to visual exploration, but quickly move on to more tactile and auditory experiences to feed that natural desire to learn all they can about their environment.

When considering how to approach this amazing journey with your baby, just remember that simple things are best. There’s no real need for fancy toys or programs. You are your baby’s favorite plaything! Your voice is the one they long to hear because it reminds them of the familiar sounds they heard in the womb. Reading exposes them to more unusual words than they will encounter through conversation (one-sided as it may be for a while). Singing soothes them and helps to create a safe space in which to soak up the world. Repetition of words, phrases, melodies, and actions is critical to learning; it is essential for imprinting information and strengthening neural connections. Almost anything you do with your baby is fuel for growth. They know they’ve got a job to do, and you are their first, and best, teacher.

Guest post by Bridget W. 

Me-Time...STAT!

Babies are very cute, but they sure are needy! If you have a newborn at home, there’s a pretty high likelihood that your “me-time” has substantially diminished or even become non-existent. It’s your responsibility to make sure that your baby is fed, bathed, happy, diapered, well rested, stimulated, and kept alive. That doesn’t leave time in the day for much of anything else. This can be rather overwhelming. The thought of taking time to read a book that you want to read, one that’s not full of touch-and-feel objects or cartoon animals, is almost laughable. I, as a librarian, however, know how important it is for all of us to read, you included. Therefore, I have a little secret to share with you, one that I hope will make those long days a little shorter: While it’s true that reading to newborns is critical for the development of strong language skills, it does not matter what you read to your baby. That’s right—newborns can’t understand what you’re saying. Just hearing words and the rhythm of language is really helpful for them. So, when it’s been one of those days, grab today’s newspaper, that novel you were dying to read, or even a gossip magazine. Then, kick back with your little one and enjoy. Trust me; you’re doing yourself and your baby a favor!

Reading Effectively to Newborns

I’ve started reading this new book, by Judith A. Schickedanz and Molly F. Collins, called So Much More Than the ABCs: The Early Phases of Reading and Writing, and it gives some really good ideas about what and how to read to your newborn baby.

According to the book, babies this young (birth to three months) “do not yet have fully developed visual acuity, and therefore prefer images with high contrast and large shapes and patterns.” In addition, they tend to prefer pictures of human faces over other objects. So, books like Tana Hoban’s black and white books and Margaret Miller’s Baby Faces are perfect for the youngest babies. Another great idea the book suggested is making your own book of faces, using a binder with plastic sleeves or a photo album, and putting in your own photographs. If your baby is going to be looking at books of people’s faces, why not make them faces of familiar people?

In addition, most books for young babies don’t typically have many words to read. That’s okay; adding your own words to go along with the book “promotes language development, because it connects the sounds of our language with the objects, actions, or attributes to which the language refers.” Plus, since newborn babies don’t yet see pictures well or understand the meanings of words, it doesn’t matter what is read as much as the fact that something is read or said to them. Even just reciting nursery rhymes or singing songs is really effective for babies at this age.

Finally, take cues from your baby to decide when to stop reading. If she seems to be engaged, keep going! But, when she shows signs of being disinterested, move on to something else. Don't force it. Even at the earliest age, you want to make reading a fun experience!