Some people believe that their brains cease developing after birth and that their brain cells continue to die off throughout their lives, although this is disputed in the book Nurturing Habits of Mind in Early Childhood.
Actually brain development in ages 2-7, before the advent of neuroimaging, the majority of neuroscientists held the view that brain plasticity existed exclusively in the young. Memory cells (neurons) and the connections between them were thought to be present from birth, and to form fully and irreversibly throughout the first year of a child’s life. We now know, however, that development of the underlying and linking cells that enhance communication between memory-holding cells, along with the related advances in cognitive and social-emotional skill sets, actively continues far beyond the first year.
Most of a child’s brain develops and is active in the first year or two of life, with the goal of ensuring survival and meeting the child’s fundamental requirements via instinctive, involuntary, reflexive, and reactive actions and knowledge acquisition. Excitingly, during this stage of life, brain growth is proceeding at a pace that is accelerated, with greater responsiveness that establishes new connections between neurons. Brain development in ages 2-7, children’s brains develop rapidly, laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning and development in areas like memory, language, and social interaction. Nonetheless, every kid grows up at their own speed.
These are, in fact, crucial phases in the general development of a kid, and they occur at irregular intervals. The first one often starts around age 2, while the second one typically begins throughout puberty. During these times, synapses (connections) between neurons in the brain multiply by a factor of two. So, for instance, your two-year-old has twice as many synapses as an adult. This is why a child’s formative years are so crucial for taking in information, learning, and maturing. A child’s learning potential peaks between the ages of 2 and 7, and it remains high throughout their formative years. Their cognitive growth is crucial at any age, but it’s most crucial brain development in ages 2-7.
An excellent illustration of this is Albert Einstein. While sick and confined to bed all day, his father got him a compass to help pass the time. Einstein’s interest in science was piqued by a curious machine. In short order, Einstein’s mother, a skilled pianist, presented her son with a violin. The timing of these two presents presented unique mental challenges to Einstein.
How can we help in their brain development in ages 2-7? To do so, we can;
1. Inspire a thirst for knowledge
It’s important that students learn to take pleasure in the academic process rather than stress about their grades. Parents and teachers alike may stress the benefits of expanding one’s horizons and gaining experience with previously unfamiliar pursuits. Kids need to be taught that making errors is okay and even necessary on the path to mastery.
A growth mindset, the conviction that one’s traits and abilities can be cultivated through work rather than being fundamentally fixed, is especially important to instill in children and adolescents. Furthermore, teachers should refrain from pigeonholing students and making broad comments about their abilities. They should stress the importance of sticking with a problem until you find a solution and provide comfortable environments for learning. Demonstrate excitement for the learning process, and you’ll inspire a lifelong passion for education.
2. Rather focusing on result, focus on breadth
Rather of focusing on mastery of a certain skill or set of skills, it is more beneficial to encourage a wide range of experiences and exposure during this stage of cognitive development. Because children’s minds are still growing and receptive to new information, now is the ideal time to introduce them to a broad range of activities, such as music, reading, sports, math, art, science, and languages. In a nutshell, we might refer to this time frame as the “sampling period,” a phrase used by Albert Einstein. A child’s potential is at its peak at this time. Of course, they may always focus their studies in the future.
3. Increase your EQ by focusing on emotions
The brain development in ages 2-7 of children’ emotional intelligence is often overlooked by educators. They don’t realize that practicing social skills like empathy, compassion, and collaboration during this formative stage of brain development is advantageous as well.
Those who read The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson Acceptance of one’s own emotions is the first step in developing empathy. They recommend teaching kids this age to identify their feelings (e.g., “I feel sad”) and then explain what happened to trigger those feelings (e.g., “I feel sad because I wanted ice cream and you said no”).
Once kids get the hang of identifying different sensations, teachers may move on to questions that have them thinking about the emotions of others around them. Involving children in the things that adults do for others, such as letting them assist with domestic tasks, is another method to foster a sense of responsibility and compassion.
4. Don’t think early child education as merely a precursor to “Real” education
As has been noted, a child’s brain is in a prime state for learning. Several studies have shown that this early window of opportunity for brain development in ages 2-7 is crucial for the acquisition of certain abilities. For instance, studies have shown that pre-schoolers are optimally prepared to understand the norms of language acquisition, making them capable of fluently mastering a second language at the same level as their original tongue.
When a kid reaches the age of eight, however, they begin to regress in their language skills and are no longer able to communicate as well in their second language as they were in their first. Music skills, such as perfect pitch, are also discovered to have an age influence on their acquisition.
In this regard, consider the fact that Albert Einstein’s parents did not enroll him in physics classes. As an engineer himself, his dad taught him how to do everything. During this time, his mom enrolled him in violin classes. And both helped his young intellect in a holistic way. As a result, we may claim that it is easy to see preschool and kindergarten as a stepping stone to “real” school. It’s possible, however, that this is the most pivotal period. The “appropriate and complete” maturation of a child’s brain throughout this time period is of paramount importance.
Bottom line
There is no age limit to develop your brain, however, brain development in ages 2-7 plays a crucial part in the upbringing of a child. Some of the best scientists like Albert Einstein experienced higher levels of brain development in the early stages of life, due to which he was capable of using his brain cells at its best. We hope after reading our article, you have understood the importance of brain development in ages 2-7.
