How to Boost Your Child’s Brain Development and Learning

Have you ever heard that listening to Mozart, watching baby videos, and even eating a fish based diet, can all increase a child’s level of ‘intelligence?’

The truth is: These ‘intelligence boosting myths’ don’t actually work. While it’s been proven that you CAN’T increase a child’s IQ.

The good news is: Science HAS proven that you CAN make learning and development easier with the right tools.

When learning is easier- Children are able to develop important foundational skills faster and with more clarity. Leading to all sorts of benefits like improved memory and higher academic performance throughout life.

Imagine if playing music while your child is learning creates a fondness that helps them learn now and leads to them mastering the same skill later in life.

Wouldn’t this be a simple yet powerful way to support your child’s development? The good news is, there are dozens of ways to boost learning and development.

Read This – 5 Healthy Habits that improve Kids’ Mental and Emotional Health

Here are a few powerful examples:

Music- A 2016 study by the University of Southern California‘s Brain and Creativity Institute found that music can accelerate brain development.

Because music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, maximizing learning and improving memory. Music also helps to ignite the social-emotional, motor, language and overall literacy skills a child needs for school. Accelerating language learning and even reading skills. Not to mention music makes learning fun!

Play- While we might think of play as ‘fun time.’ The truth is, play is a fundamental way that children learn. Our kids develop an understanding of the world around them through play. And play gives them a safe way to explore the new situations they observe every day.

This is why learning through play is an integral part of our Christian Childcare Auckland‘s curriculum. Our teachers support children with resources that allow them to create scenarios where they can problem solve and learn with their peers.

Talk- Young children need to hear full sentences in order to expand their vocabulary. They need to experience the tone and expression behind each word.

A great way to help children expand their vocabulary is by using full sentences. Instead of saying, “Look at the car!” We could say, “Look at the big blue car driving on the road.”

Read This – 5 Tips To Help Your Children Stay Active

Movement- Harvard Medical School released a study which proves exercise helps us to learn faster.
Because for a short while after we exercise, our brain is more alert. And our nerve cells are encouraged to bind to one another, which is the basis of logging in new information.

Basically, exercise doesn’t just help the brain pick up new information it also makes the entire process of learning much easier.

Nurturing- A study done by the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education in Australia recorded whether parents thought their child was above or below average.

Five years later, the study found that children whose parents had overestimated their ability did better on their tests in comparison to the other children. These children also became more interested in their learning over the years.

It’s the reason why teachers at Childcare Avondale focus on praising children to reinforce their behaviour. Because it’s often a parent or teacher’s optimism that is reinforced in a child’s development.

The more we use learning boosters the easier we make it for our children to succeed. It’s why our preschool strives to implement each of these learning and development boosters into our curriculum.

By playing, talking, sharing music, moving around and reinforcing positivity children can grow now and be prepared for what’s to come. Supporting our children as much as we can today, gives us the remarkable positive lifelong citizens of tomorrow…