A child's brain development through the early years is an amazing process that happens incredible quickly.  Repeating actions, stories, songs and more allow the brain to strengthen the neural pathways that develop the brain.  Creating these connections is vital to the proper development of your child's brain; it is through the use of the five senses that a child experiences the world and strengthens the neural pathways in the brain that are necessary for every skill in life, both simple and complex.

If the required repetition is not provided, then the neural pathway will eventually fade and die.  This is a completely natural process through which a baby's brain determines which pathways are needed and which are not.  While it is normal for the unnecessary neural connections to fade away, when the needed ones are not properly cemented in the brain learning delays can occur.  Diana Bales, PhD of the University of Georgia's Department of Child and Family Development says "From the moment a baby is born, every experience taken in by the five senses helps build the connections that guide development".    This means that the more experiences a baby has, the more neural pathways the brain will build.

In addition, says Bales, "Each child develops individual pathways to deal with his or her experiences. For example, a hearing child makes many connections related to oral language. The brain of a deaf child does not get the experience needed to make those connections".  Your child's particular experiences will determine which paths in the brain become developed and which fall out of use.

Parents can help encourage brain development in two key ways: by providing a wide variety of new experiences on a regular basis, and also by repeating activities, stories, songs and other experiences to allow those neural pathways to become stronger.  Sean Brotherson, NDSU Family Science Specialist explains. "Few things build a child's brain and open opportunities for learning more than consistent repetition of healthy activities or experiences. Telling the same stories and singing the same songs over and over may feel boring to you, but it is not boring to children."

Encourage healthy brain development by keeping these facts in mind:

• Brain development is influenced by everything in the environment, even things in the background like the television
• Babies need repetition to encourage learning
• Lots of time spent on learning activities helps new pathways form and old ones strengthen
• A parent's time and attention are needed to encourage learning

Creating a learning environment in your home where your child can learn new things and practice the skills they are developing will ensure the best possible opportunity to develop the brain.  With attention, repetition, and new experiences, your child's brain will flourish.