Learning and Teaching in the First Year

It is important to maintain and sustain the learning and teaching process of your baby. According to novelist John Steinbeck, a genius is “a child chasing a butterfly up a mountain”; let your baby’s curiosity be the butterfly and let his learning environment be the mountain. Most real learning in the first year occurs within the context of ordinary everyday life. It doesn’t require formal training; it is a natural consequence of everyday experience. Be that as it may, to maximize your baby’s learning potentials, you need to create an enriched learning and teaching environment. The typical American child, however, does not live in an enriched environment: he spends hours watching television or playing electronic toys; he is often engaged in self-directed play, instead of interactive and imaginative play with his parents.

An enriched learning and teaching environment for babies and children to reach their maximum intellectual potentials includes the following:

Your baby needs to spend time in a safe, secure, and quiet environment.

Your baby needs a dimly lit environment to see better; use only 40-watt or less light-bulbs in the nursery.

Your baby needs freedom of movement; use the crib or playpen sparingly.

Your baby needs age-related toys and art materials.

Your baby needs new things to look at all the time.

Your baby needs regular contacts with adults, especially eye contacts.

Your baby needs smiles, as well as friendly and affirmative words.

Is Your Baby Ready to Play and Learn?

There are some obvious physical changes and signs if your baby is good and ready to play and learn.

Your baby needs good rest before he can play and learn. Adequate rest avoids mood swings and improves the brain function in your baby.

Your baby’s breathing is always slow and even, with a relaxed abdomen, if he wants to play and learn.

Your baby sucking rate also slows down considerably.

Your baby’s attention focuses on the source of stimulation, his fingers and toes fanning with excitement towards it, as well as his pupils dilating and his eyes widening.

On the other hand, your baby may show signs of overstimulation when he cries and squirms, flailing his arms and legs, and even thrusting out his tongue.

Good parenting means providing an enriched learning environment for babies and children to learn while playing. A study conducted at the University of Chicago found out that some accomplished adults, such as distinguished athletes, musicians, mathematicians, and scientists all had parents who shared certain outlooks about enriched environment in which they were raised and reared.

They all unintentionally produced a prodigy

They all encouraged their children to play and to explore the world.

They all stimulated and motivated their children through playing and learning.

They were all dedicated to their own interests, and encouraged their children to do likewise, but without pushing them in that direction.

They all supported their children’s self-chosen interests, and made their passion a top priority.

They all encouraged their children to have independent thinking, and to think for themselves through curiosity and asking questions.

The key to successful parenting is to provide an enriched environment for learning while playing, as well as for recognizing talents and potentials that may or may not be the skills and abilities you value most. Praising your baby’s efforts and his accomplishments strengthens your baby’s neurological connections between activity and emotional rewards, and thus instrumental in developing more interest in trying new things and experiences.

Bottom line: the more your baby enjoys spending time with you as he explores the world, the more motivated he will become, and the more he will learn. Relax, loosen up, and always look at the environment and the world through your baby’s eyes, rather than those of your own. It is just that simple.

Read my book: Make Your Smart Baby Super Smart and be a smart parent.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau