A child’s formative years are essential in physical and cognitive growth. Scientists have identified that the first 5 years of a child’s brain development becomes critical for their future life. During this phase, the child is receptive to the outside world. They pick on even the slightest cues—both good and bad. As a result, the child needs assistance from a kids brain trainer. The professional guidance will help them enhance their cognitive abilities.
This blog will explore how a child’s brain develops in the first 5 years. It will further dive into the critical skills they form during those stages.
Child’s brain development stages
You would be surprised to hear that 85% of a person’s mind grows within five years. Hence, the early childhood development phase determines how well they excel in cognitive functions. So, here are the child development stages.
Birth to 3 months
In the first three months, the hippocampus sees considerable growth. As a result, children will recognize shapes and objects. They can even concentrate on faces and moving objects. Even though the development has just begun, the child’s brain is already nuanced. It can sense the volume and pitch difference, distinguish tastes, and show facial expressions. This phase is marked by the growth in Vision and Hearing.
3 to 6 months
During this phase, the child’s brain will have remarkable perception ability. It would familiarize faces and even start responding to those expressions.
6 to 9 months
The brain sees significant development in sensory abilities. Children can tell the difference between inanimate and animate objects. Also, they can even recognize pictures showing a variety of objects and shapes. That is why most brain trainers start right brain training with flashcards during this stage.
9 to 12 months
This phase is an essential milestone in child brain development since they begin to realize the concept of object permanence. In simple words, it is when the child knows an object continues to exist even though it cannot be seen during that moment. The children will happily go through picture books in this period as they can now recognize objects more clearly.
1 to 2 year
Toddlers start to identify both similar and different objects during this period. This age is characterized by constant exploration and imitation. They can copy an adult’s action and even respond to it. All the higher cognitive functions start peaking during this phase. A kid’s brain trainer will use scientifically proven child concentration exercises to develop cognition further.
2 to 3 years
By this time, children would become more independent. Everything that they’ve learned till now is from their experience. They can achieve certain milestones like:
- Arrange objects based on category (animals, birds, flowers, numbers, shapes, etc.)
- Sort toys from largest to the smallest
- Match objects
- Respond to specific directions from caregivers and parents
- Recalling familiar shapes and images from a picture book
3 to 4 years
Children develop cognitive schemes at this stage of their life. They start wondering about the world around them and become more curious about how everything functions. Their cognitive abilities are so developed that they can understand their past and present experiences and use them to shape their behavior.
4 to 5 years
Children develop language comprehension and become ready for school by this time. They excel at rhyming words, drawing pictures, and identifying colors.
The first five years are very crucial for their brain development. Parents need to nurture them well to shape their mental and emotional behavior. Since they learn things from their surroundings, fostering a pleasant environment to grow in is a must.