The book “Thirty Million Words” by Dana Suskind, M.D., (in my opinion) should be given to every parent as they leave the hospital with their new baby! In this book, the author discusses a very practical formula to provide your child with an optimal environment to develop their brain to their fullest potential in every way (academically and emotionally). It really provides must-have secrets to building your baby’s brain! I have those listed below. Interested!? I was too! The best part is the formula is actually quite easy! I highly suggest picking up this book for yourself, but to give you the gist of book I have provided a few main points below.
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The research (in Thirty Million Words) on child brain development was compiled by a pediatric cochlear implant surgeon, Dr. Dana Suskind, who noticed that babies had worse outcomes in terms of literacy, communication, etc., the longer they waited to receive a cochlear implant (if deaf from birth), suggesting that hearing sounds and words early in life was critical for long-term success.
The author of this text noted that by the age of three, the human brain has completed 85% of its physical growth and wiring, producing a substantial foundation for thinking and learning for the rest of the child’s life. Because of this, nurturing a child’s brain during the first three years of life are absolutely CRITICAL for the long-term outcomes of children, including their ability to reach their potentials in literary, math, spatial reasoning, their ability to regulate their behavior, their reaction to stress, their perseverance, and even their moral fiber.
So what do you do to help your child during those first 3 critical years of life??
Summary of the STEPS TO BUILDING YOUR BABY’S BRAIN:
In the first 3 years of your child’s life (STARTING AT BIRTH):
- Talk ALOT to your child: Research indicates that the early language environment (including both the quantity and quality of words parents speak to their children) is predictive of the learning trajectory of the child (not socioeconomic status, race, gender, or birth order). The more words spoke by the parent, the better the outcome! Practically, this can be achieved through frequent narration of your activities, lots of reading, and eventually lots of conversations. Don’t forget to talk to your young children about math concepts too! An early introduction to the concepts of numbers, counting, shapes, geometry, measurements, patterns, provides a significant advantage in math performance later in life.
- Talk POSITIVELY to your child: Use positive and supportive language and responsive behavior toward your child’s needs and efforts. Providing a positive environment for learning is key to the effectiveness of a parent’s effort in teaching their child. In regard to the “positive language”, it is strongly suggested to focus on praising the process (praise diligence and effort) rather than the child themselves (praising smartness).
- Talk in ANOTHER LANGUAGE: Babies learn the sounds of a native tongue usually by the end of the first year of life, so if you want your child to learn another language – make sure they are hearing it from birth. If you don’t speak another language, try playing something like this from BilinguaSing for them. (We have been using BilinguaSing’s Spanish and French songs for our daughter, and we love them!) Also, expose your child to as much foreign vocabulary as you can by three years old for the best chance of them learning a second language.
Summary: All in all, we can help our child(ren) be better. A lot of the responsibility is on us as the parents to help our children succeed by gifting them with vast vocabulary and unconditional positivity and responsiveness, and of course our love, particularly during the first three years of their lives. Our kids are born with potential and innate abilities/gifts, similar to how seeds have predetermined outcomes (for example, a tomato seed will become a tomato plant), but as parents we need to provide an ideal environment for our children to grow similar to how seeds need good soil, water, sunlight, and pruning to support their growth, strength, and productiveness. While a tomato seed has inherent potential to be a tomato plant if kept in the dark or not watered, it will never see its true potential. Kids are the same way!
Let’s promise to provide our kids a rich language environment with tons of support and watch their brains and lives SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS!
To learn more about this topic, check out Dr. Dana Suskind’s book “Thirty Million Words: Building A Child’s Brain“, as this post is just scratching the surface!
Also, check out a number of groups giving away books for free to help you with these efforts:
- Kellogg’s Feeding Reading Program: For every Kellogg’s product you buy, you can get a free book if you submit a receipt. I LOVE this program! We have received quite a few beautiful board books and hardback books, valued at ~$10 each for free with our Kellogg’s purchases!
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Another great program mailing free books to kids aged 0-5 (only in certain parts of the country) once per month. Check to see if your area is eligible!
- PJ Library: Another programs that mails free books monthly to kids 6 months to 12 years old. These books specifically celebrate Jewish values and culture.
I would love to hear your ideas for building baby’s brain in the comments down below!
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Interested in other educational ideas for your little one?? Check out our list of best online STEM activities for kids to do at home!
