‘Let’s Start at The Very Beginning, it’s a Very Good Place to Start’.
(Sound of Music)
Learning doesn’t begin at school. It begins in utero. Conception to age 5 is critical in providing the foundation for future physical and mental health as well as the overall wellbeing of kids. I cannot express more strongly to parents just how important your role is during these formative years. The brain is developing rapidly and experiences during this time have a lifelong impact. Children in the early years are especially sensitive to influences that promote the acquisition of perceptual, motor, cognitive, language, social and self-regulation skills. Between conception and 18 months brain development is faster than in any other period of development, and 90% of a child’s brain development has already occurred before they even walk into a classroom. As I said, pretty damn important!
So, what do children need in those early formative years, before school, to support healthy brain development. And what do parents need to know? It’s surprisingly simple.
Firstly, don’t believe everything you read! The brain is evolutionary in its development and hasn’t changed since prehistoric times. Children need to feel safe, make an early attachment to someone and be part of a tribe that connects and socialises with each other. Cavemen didn’t have technology, phones or iPads, so they are not a requirement for healthy brain development, no matter what toy or ‘app’ companies may tell you.
Talk as much as possible to babies and children. There is a correlation between the number of words said to a child each day and their cognitive development. Sing songs, makes sounds, read poems, in fact read anything! It doesn’t matter, as long as you are looking at their face and sounds are coming out of your mouth. It’s why you will see students in early childhood singing everything from good morning to the days of the week, why music education is such a focus at our school, and why our students are taught a community song. The brain loves melodic sounds, and it supports brain growth.
Spend time outside in nature and doing physical activity. Brains need huff and puff exercise to build neural connections through an increased oxygen supply and then calming time outside to reset. The natural environment is a powerful drug for the brain, reducing stress and improving health and mental wellbeing.
Interact with your child and be present with them. The human face stimulates more brain activity than anything else. When a child is looking at a human face, his or her brain activity is at its highest point. That’s why teachers insist on students looking at them when either the teacher or the student is talking and why we reiterate looking at the person who is speaking at our assemblies. When the person they are looking at is deeply present, brain activity increases even more.
For a child’s brain to develop well, that child needs interactions with people who are completely present with them, which means eye contact, a reciprocal conversation back and forth, physical closeness or contact and no distractions or technology.
Knowing this, it makes you wonder what is going on in the brains of babies and toddlers when they are in a pram and can’t see their mum’s face because it is hidden behind a phone, or the child themselves is looking at a device. I hesitate to say not much, or at least not what is supposed to be happening.
There is considerable research around what behaviours and experiences trigger each step of brain development in early childhood. In my opinion the best tool for translating that research into practice for parents is Bright Tomorrows. A parent app/website created initially here in WA by the Telethon Kids Institute, that recognises the early years are a great opportunity to build children’s health, development and learning. It’s based on the knowledge that children thrive when their parents are supported, especially in a child’s early years – the fastest period of brain growth. Underpinned by the latest child development science, Bright Tomorrows aims to build understanding about the amazing potential of a baby’s developing brain and provides expert advice and evidence-based tools to support children’s health, development and learning. You can find out more and download the Bright Tomorrows app via the website below and receive access to over 1000 meaningful moments and tips to help build young brains.
So that’s it. Look, talk, move, connect and love. Pretty simple if you ask me, and not a fancy gadget, government policy, or social media influencer in sight!
Still want to know more about early brain development?
Research Articles
Comic The Story of Brain Development 2025.pdf