From zero to three:
Prime time for learning
IF there’s one thing that Spongebob represents, it is the fact that a child’s brain works like a sponge. The amount of information that a child can absorb is tremendous, especially from zero to three years of age. Years of continuous research by developmental psychologists affirms this. That is why parents should seriously consider getting their babies and toddlers to learn even before they step into pre-school.
Although the best school is still at home during the early years of life, not all homes have ideal environments for teaching children. This is why parents are beginning to appreciate the value of allowing other parenting figures like caregivers and teachers to help them raise their children to their full potential through learning.
The Julia Gabriel Center for Learning embraces this philosophy by giving parents a major role in the learning process. It uses unique methods of learning through play, drama, and other programs that are age-appropriate. Trained educators motivate students to express themselves the best way they can to make learning fun.
What may seem to adults as mere child’s play is actually serious work for babies and toddlers. It is through these activities that children begin to develop their motor, social, cognitive, and language skills. While children are capable of playing alone, adults must get themselves involved to assure early development.
Without the participation of parents, caregivers, and teachers, developmental milestones are likely to get delayed and more difficult for children. According to studies made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of children in the US have developmental disability or disabling behavioral problems. These include delays in language and other areas, which affect the children’s readiness for school. Only less than 50 percent of these children are identified before they even start going to school. Early screening could have helped them and their parents intervene earlier to ensure proper child development.
Infants and toddlers who get proper guidance learn to walk, talk, think, and socialize quickly. Their curiosity can actually help them develop initiative, independence, self-esteem, judgment, interaction, respect, and communication skills.
Josephine C. Reyes, managing director of the Julia Gabriel Center for Learning, affirms this. "There is great opportunity for children beginning at birth until three years to learn faster than the parents can imagine. What children from this age learn – from their experiences to the bond that they form with their parenting figures – will influence how they develop as they grow older. Their decision making, values formation, and social interaction will all take root during their early years," she says.
Parents need not put pressure on the child or on themselves as transactional patterns of development occur naturally. The child will influence the adult’s behavior, whether they are in a playful mood or throwing tantrums. Conversely, adults influence the child’s development with his commitment to raise the child promptly and properly. It is a constantly evolving process, making developmental experiences and outcomes different for every child.
One of the most important benefits of brain cell connection in the early years is the ease in learning language. Millions out of the billions of these brain cells connect to each other once the baby hears the sound of a spoken language. The language connection becomes well established by the age of 10, making it the primary language used by the child perhaps until adulthood. The cell connection is so great early in life that children can learn up to three languages by the age of three. This explains why there are children who can at least understand a second or third language without necessarily speaking it fluently.
The Julia Gabriel Center for Learning believes that one should never run out of thirst for learning; but one must begin learning early in life. "There is no better way to explain it. There should be a pre-school before pre-school… a stage where the child’s potential can be nurtured. He should be able to explore and learn without feeling any pressure or stress about the process. This is the only time in his life that the child can have this opportunity," Reyes says.