Brain under construction! 🚧 🧠 🚧 Did you know that the period from prenatal to age three is the single most consequential window in all of human development? It is here that the fundamental architecture of the brain is “wired” in ways that will serve to support (or hinder) your child’s success for decades to come. At birth, your baby’s brain comes equipped with roughly 100 billion nerve cells, virtually all they will ever have. But what these cells must develop is the ability to communicate effectively with one another. They do this by transmitting electrical impulses. And there’s no time in life when these connections (known as synapses) are firing like they are during infancy. Scientists estimate that during the earliest years of life these neural connections are being made at a rate of one million per SECOND. Pretty impressive, huh? How can you help ensure your baby’s brain is optimally wired for success? Through attentive and nurturing interactions like the ones shown here. Every word you speak, every facial expression you convey, and every loving touch is helping to create important new connections. No one can be this attentive 24 hours a day. But prioritizing time to speak, sing, laugh, and play with your baby face-to-face is an investment you’ll never regret - and one that will serve them well for years and years to come. Know a new parent or grandparent? Pass it on! This brain-building dad and his adoring little one were shared to IG by genesiscostner.

You probably know that reading with your baby is important. But do you know why? There’s actually a long list of reasons, but today let’s focus on one of the most important of them all: the development of a rich vocabulary. Your baby develops language by taking in the examples you provide. But the truth is that most of our day to day experiences can be a little mundane. That’s where books come in. Take a moment to consider this lovely father-daughter read aloud and all of the new language introduced. It’s not unreasonable to think this family might have a pet - likely a dog or a cat. But consider all the other animal words here, for example, that may not be a part of their daily experience. In just this short snippet alone, father and daughter discuss lambs, sheep, kittens, bunnies, monkeys, and lion cubs. Notice how dad makes a point of repeating the word “lamb” as our hero interacts with the fuzzy woolen material embedded in the board book. Notice too how he uses the opportunity to introduce additional words (ball and yarn) inspired by the pictures, even when not included in the text itself. In a little over a minute, dad introduces his daughter to a whole collection of words that they’d be unlikely to have discussed were it not for this time spent reading together. Now imagine the impact of daily reading over a period of years. Research consistently links vocabulary size with long term academic success. A rich vocabulary is also a tremendous advantage as children learn to read for themselves. Reading isn’t the only way to expose young children to a rich and varied vocabulary, of course. But it sure is a great one. Read with your children daily. It’s an investment in their future that you’ll never regret. This stellar example was shared to IG by lelah_and_lou.