Building Blocks of Experience

To a great extent, children’s brains are constructed with the building blocks of experience. As they begin to experience the world through sight, sound and touch—and to a lesser degree, smell and taste—the wiring and sculpting of their brain falls into place. In essence, a baby’s brain grows with the flood of experiences absorbed through the senses. And the more they experience these senses, the more importance a child’s brain attaches to them.

A child who receives too little stimulation—or the wrong kind of stimulation—may not realize his or her full potential as the brain forms the wrong connections. In fact, research shows that children who do not receive enough touching or experience too little play time may develop brains that are 20 to 30 per cent smaller than average. Conversely, the right kind of stimulation will have a decisive and positive impact on a child’s development and learning. 

In their report—Early Years Study—co-chairs Margaret Norrie McCain and J. Fraser Mustard stated that “. . . early child development is as important, if not more important . . . than the periods children spend in education or post-secondary education.” Their study found that the development of the brain (at an early age) sets the base for competence and coping skills for the later stages of life. 

The first three years, the study concluded, are especially crucial in the growth of a child’s brain. A baby is born with billions of neurons in its brain. While the brain grows brain cells throughout life, it is during the early years—the sensitive period—when these neurons develop their function and key connections. Loving interactions between the child and other human beings provide the stimulation and nourishment that these neurons need “to connect” with one another. Conversely, if neurons are not stimulated early in life, they tend to wither and become more difficult to stimulate. 
How well this web of connectedness is established in an individual child depends on two factors:

• who the parents are—in other words, what genetic code is passed on to the child; and
• the environment in which the child is raised—how the child is nurtured, protected and loved.