The Wondrous Growth of Billions of New Neuron Connections Made from Talking, Reading and Counting

The new brain science we now know tells us that a baby’s brain, from the very moment they’re born, is taking in a multitude of stimuli around them. It used to be thought that simply holding, feeding and caring for your baby was basically an early function of keeping them healthy and growing. But today’s science tells us that each and every direct interaction you have with your child from birth, especially through the first three key years of their life, is creating powerful brain neuron connectivity and growth by the billions.

With this new science, we now know that the simple activities of talking, reading and counting with your baby are increasing essential neurons by the billions to help create a stronger brain for the rest of your baby’s life. Here are a few suggestions to get you started, but remember… there is no shortage of opportunities to help stimulate this neuron growth and connectivity every single time you have direct, loving interactions with your child.

• Talk to your baby regularly, with your eyes looking into her eyes and your face up close to hers.
• Mirror or “parrot” his movements and echo his coos and other sounds and vocalizations, in those first weeks and months. These sounds are the first steps to communicating with him and baby brains very happily add billions of connections every time they hear their baby sounds spoken back to them by a loving and trusted adult.
• Parroting your baby’s sounds in a loving, playful manner is delightful for your child and stimulates them to communicate back. By the same token, notice how your baby will attempt to parrot your actions and words. These are wonderful and important activities that are directly related to increasing neuron growth and connectivity for your child.
• Read to your baby as frequently as you can. Reading at the earliest ages teaches your baby the wonderful linkage between written words and meaning and reading with you teaches your child that you care about him and you want him to be happy and to have a good life.
• Counting with your child needn’t be put off until they’re older. Take every opportunity to point out objects to your baby and count them out. If there are apples on the table in a basket, count them out. Count how many puppies you might see at the park. When playing with your babies toys, like an infant key ring, count them out and identify each one by color as well. These simple activities are stimulating your baby’s and toddlers brain growth in exciting and important ways.