When a baby is born, primitive structures in the brain-those controlling respiration, reflexes and heartbeat-are already wired. But in higher regions of the cortex, neural circuits are rudimentary at best; the vast majority of the 1,000 trillion connections (synapses) that the newborn’s billions of neurons will eventually make are therefore determined by early experience.
Connections that are reinforced by a baby’s exposure to language, images, sounds, facial expressions and even lessons in cause and effect (Baby smiles, Mommy smiles back) become permanent. Tentative connections that are not reinforced by early experience are eliminated. To maintain such a large number of connections requires so much metabolic energy that a child’s brain consumes twice the energy of an adult’s. And because no two babies have the same experiences, no two brains are wired the same.
The Windows of Opportunity Circuits in different regions of the brain mature at different times. As a result, different circuits are most sensitive to life’s experiences at different ages. What a child is best able to learn when:
1 month old
Language. Small throaty sounds may turn into cooing by end of first month. Responds to voices.
Memory. Some babies may start to expect feedings at regular intervals.
Tips. Use simple, lively phrases and address baby by name.
2 months old
Awareness. Begins to make simple associations–if he cries, he gets picked up. Awareness of outside stimuli increases.
Language. Communicates mainly by crying. Grunting noises sound more vowel-like, such as “ooh-ooh” and “ahh-ahh.”
3 months old
Awareness. May respond to mirror image by smiling. Stops sucking to listen to parent’s voice.
Language. Whimpers, squeals, chuckles, gurgles at back of throat. Stimulated to make sounds by hearing others talk.
4 months old
Awareness. May sense strange places or people.
Language. May babble routinely to himself or to others. May raise voice as if asking a question.
Memory. Distinguishes who’s who in his life. May recognize mother in a group of people.
Tips. Engage child in face-to-face talk. Mimic his sounds to show interest.
5 months old
Awareness. May drop object just to watch parent pick it up. Looks at where object fails from and where it lands on the floor.
Language. Watches mouths intently and tries to imitate inflections. May start to utter consonant sounds like “m” and “b.”
Memory. May anticipate a whole object after seeing only part of it.
6 months old
Awareness. May perceive cause and effect: wave the rattle and it makes a noise.
Language. Learns to make new sounds by changing shape of mouth.
Tips. Try to phase out baby talk and use more adult language around child.
7 months old
Awareness. May sort toys like blocks by size.
Language. May make several sounds in one breath. Recognizes different tones and inflections.
Memory. Improves memory by playing hiding games and by observing the comings and goings of others. Remembers that a jack-in-the-box pops up at the end of a song.
8 months old
Language. Starts to imitate a broader range of sounds. Responds to familiar noises by turning head and torso.
Tips. Remembers how to respond to specific phrases: raises his arms when he hears “so big.”
9 months old
Language. May respond to his name and other words, like “no.” Listens intently to conversations. May say “ma-ma” and “da-da.” Likes to imitate coughs.
Memory. Notices when someone leaves room and anticipates their return.
10 months old
Awareness. May be able to determine heights and edges of objects.
Language. Adds gestures to words: waves when saying “bye-bye” or shakes his head while saying “no.”
11 months old
Language. Imitates word sounds as well as actions. Learns the meaning of words by hearing them used in different situations.
Tips. Games like peekaboo and pat-a-cake stimulate baby’s memory skills.
12 months old
Language. May babble short sentences that only he understands. Shows more control over intonation and inflection. May say two to eight words like “bow-wow” or “hi.”
13 months old
Awareness. By imitating adult actions, she learns that objects have functions. Uses toy telephone like a real phone.
Language. May not say full words yet but gestures to complete idea. Says “ha” and points to ball.
14 months old
Awareness. Understands that she can make things happen by her actions.
Language. Enjoys rhymes and jingles. Expresses needs mainly through gestures: brings books to parent to read.
15 months old
Language. May follow simple commands like “come here.” Points to familiar objects when requested. Recognizes names of major body parts.
Tips. Develop associations by giving word labels to everyday objects and activities.
16 months old
Language. May say six or seven words clearly. Enjoys word games and singing songs like “Pop Goes the Weasel.”
17 months old
Language. May start to use words to express needs: says “up” to be held. Enjoys pointing at pictures in books. May understand more words than can say.
Tips. Speak slowly and give child time to respond.
18 months old.
Awareness. May grasp the idea of “now.”
Language. Vocabulary explodes. Child starts learning as many as 12 words a day. “No” is chief word. Points to own body parts or to pieces of clothing when asked. May refer to self by name.
Tips. Asking child simple questions stimulates decision-making process.
19 months old
Awareness. May be aware of cause and effect but not of potential dangers. Realizes doors open and shut, but may not know to keep hands from getting caught.
Language. Focuses on words and objects that are central to her life.
20 months old
Language. Near end of second year, she learns that everything has a name and constantly asks, “What’s that?” May combine two words like “all gone.”
Memory. May be able to recall a familiar object or person without seeing or touching it.
Tips. Do not pressure a child to speak. Acknowledge her body language but let child hear the words that complement the gesture.
21 months old
Awareness. Improving memory skills may allow child to make right associations. Matches shoes with the correct family member.
Tips. Explain safety in simple terms. Feeling the heat from a stove teaches the meaning and danger of “hot” objects.
22 months old
Awareness. Recognizes when a picture book is upside down. Learns to turn pages one at a time.
Language. Enjoys listening to simple stories. May take the lead in conversations and use words to express feelings or ideas.
23 months old
Language. May use words to express frustration or anger. At times, still relies on facial expressions or an occasional scream to communicate feelings.
Memory. May follow simple directions, but attention span is fleeting.
Tips. Have genuine two-way conversations with child. Try not to respond with “uh-huh.” A child will recognize when you are not listening.
24 months old
Language. By end of second year, some children may have a vocabulary of more than 200 words. Mimics adult inflections and actions.
Memory. May grasp meaning of “soon” and “after dinner. . .” but has limited knowledge of days and time.
25-29 months old
Awareness. Starts to solve problems in his head. May understand number concepts like ordination (one dog, two dogs) and the process of classification (a cat is an animal).
Language. Vocabulary grows rapidly and child starts combining nouns with verbs to form three-to four-word sentences. Begins to use pronouns, such as “I” and “me,” and other parts of speech. May begin to ask “why” questions. Pays attention to what others say, whether to him or to someone else.
Tips. To keep his attention, choose books that encourage touching and pointing to objects.
30-36 months old
Awareness. Understands relationship between objects. May sort out toys by shapes and colors. By the age of 8, has very one-sided reasoning and still cannot see an issue from two angles.
Language. May grasp two-or three-part command. Can follow story line and remembers many ideas presented in books. May correctly name colors.
Memory. Becomes more focused on activities like reading and drawing. May tell people his age but has no sense of the length of a year.
Tips. Do not expect child to use perfect diction. If he stutters, set an example by talking calmly and correctly. Slow down speech and try not to draw attention to his difficulties. Help child use words to describe emotions.
Divided into four lobes, the cerebrum represents 70 percent of the central nervous system. A person’s ability to remember, feel and think depends on this region.
Active from the second or third month, the parietal lobe allows child to recognize objects and have better eye-hand coordination. The temporal lobe assists with hearing, language and smell.
The cerebellum controls a newborn’s balance and muscle tone. Later this large region of the brain coordinates motor, sensory and other functions.
The brain stem controls the necessary functions of the body, such as breathing, circulation, heartbeat and reflexes. It is one of four regions of the brain already completely wired at birth.
Along with the sensorimotor cortex, the thalamus regulates a newborn’s basic movement and is already wired at birth. The cingulate cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia are also just about fully formed and control basic functions.
The frontal lobe develops gradually at the end of the first year. It coincides with the arrival of higher cognitive abilities such as reasoning and speech.
One Word at a Time
Babies understand more than they can say at first, so don’t be discouraged if your child’s first words take time. Speak to your child constantly. During the second year, a toddler discovers that everything has a name, and vocabulary explodes:
Age Average number of words 12 months 3 18 months 2 2 years 272 3 years 896 Age Sounds mastered 4-7 months First language-like sounds: “eee-eee,” “ooo-ooo” 7-9 months First well-formed syllables: “ma-ma,” “da-da” 9-12 months Melodic babbling Around 12 months First words 18-20 months First word combinations Around 2 years First sentences
SOURCES: “The Early Childhood Years: The 2 to 6 Year Old,” “The Second Twelve Months of Life” and “The First Twelve Months of Life” by Theresa and Frank Caplan; “Caring for Your Baby and Young Child” by Steven P. Shelov, M.D.; “Your Baby & Child” By Penelope Leach; “The Baby Book” By William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N.; Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc.; Harry T. Chugani, M.D., Wayne State University’s Children’s Hospital; Dorling Kindersley’s “Ultimate Visual Dictionary”
