However, this doesn’t mean that you have to go out and buy novelty items to enhance your child’s development. Instead, involve them in making their own toys.

Occupational Therapist, Kate Bailey, shows how you can make homemade play dough. The squashing and squeezing motion will help with fine motor skill development, plus it’s the perfect opportunity to encourage creative and imaginative play.

Helpful advice and tips from the Pampers® Institute are available at www.Pampers.co.za and on www.youtube.com/PampersZA Receive emails with information tailored to your baby’s age by subscribing at www.Pampers.co.za/registration and connect with us at www.facebook.com/PampersSA

The post Video: Make homemade play dough for your baby’s development appeared first on All4Baby.

Talk to your baby like an adult

And while high-pitched, sing-song tones may capture your baby’s attention, the best way for them to learn is to be spoken to like adults. At least when it comes to vocabulary and sentence structure.

“It’s not just how much speech you get, but the kind of speech you get,” says Erika Hoff, a psychologist at Florida Atlantic University.

“Speech needs to be rich and complex.”

Reason disadvantage kids perform poorly

Talking to babies is so important that researchers say it is a major reason why children from disadvantaged backgrounds perform poorly in school.

By the time they reach the age of five, the children of low-income, poorly educated parents typically score two years behind their privileged peers on standardized language tests.

These differences can also be measured in the brain, said Columbia University neurologist and pediatrician Kimberly Noble.

The human brain experiences incredible growth in the early years

By the age of three, it has formed 1,000 trillion neural connections — the links between cells that help the brain do everything from picking up a stick to remembering song lyrics.

“A child’s experiences really come into play to determine whether those connections strengthen or are dropped or pruned,” Noble told reporters at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual meeting.

Noble and her colleagues compared the brains of children with low socioeconomic status to those whose parents are highly educated and paid well.

While they found differences in the core cognitive systems that support social skills and memory, the largest disparities were in the brain structures for language development.

“With increasing age, children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds devoted more neural real estate to those regions,” she said.

Learning comes from being spoken to directly

Stanford University psychologist Anne Fernald has found that the language gap can be measured as early as 18 months. By a child’s second birthday that gap is already six months wide.

Fernald and her colleagues made recordings of what a group of low-income, Spanish-speaking children heard all day.

They found that infants didn’t gain much from simply overhearing their parents and caregivers talk — the real learning came from being spoken to directly.

It is crucial to develop “culturally sensitive interventions” to teach low-income parents to talk to their children, Fernald told reporters.

“There’s a wide range of views about whether it’s even appropriate to talk to a child — in some cultures it is not,” Fernald said.

A pilot project she is running in San Jose to teach Latina mothers to engage verbally with their children has shown promising results.

“By 24 months, the children of more engaged moms are developing bigger vocabularies and processing spoken language more efficiently,” Fernald said.

Stick to your native tongue

While parents might want to help their children prepare for school by speaking to them in English, Hoff said they are usually better off sticking to their native tongue.

A study she was set to present on Friday showed that when parents don’t have a firm grasp of a second language, they aren’t able to teach it to their children.

Instead, they end up limiting their children’s overall language development by failing to expose them to more complex speech.

“We want to do whatever it takes to give children access to rich, varied language input at an early age,” Hoff said.

Parents wanting to enrich their children with a bilingual education also have to weigh the cost.

“Learning two languages is a great thing. What we have to recognize is that learning two languages does not happen for free,” Hoff said. “You don’t learn two languages as quickly as you learn one.”

(AFP Relaxnews)

The post Baby talk encourages brain development appeared first on All4Baby.

Healthy development in the early years provides the building blocks for educational achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health, strong communities, and successful parenting of the next generation.

The architecture of your baby’s developing brain

The connections (synapses) that are made between brain cells are vital for development. For example a connection in the language part of the brain will result in understanding of speech or in speech itself as illustrated in a video by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University 

One of the most essential experiences in shaping the architecture of the developing brain is “serve and return” interaction between children and significant adults in their lives. Young children naturally reach out for interaction through babbling, facial expressions, and gestures, and adults respond with the same kind of vocalizing and gesturing back at them. This back-and-forth process is fundamental to the wiring of the brain, especially in the earliest years.

Your baby can only benefit optimally from stimulation when it is balanced, varied and meaningful and occurs at a time when he can best utilise the sensory input

Sense-able stimulation

As important as stimulation is for development; we do not want to over stimulate our babies either. It’s a fine balance that we need to aim for.

Here are a few guidelines on ‘sense-able’ stimulation:

• Appropriate stimulation at opportune times of the day is beneficial for your baby’s development. Choose a time of day when your baby has been fed and is well rested. This may possibly be after the early morning nap. In a content state, your baby will best benefit from stimulation activities.
• Overstimulation leads to fussiness, especially in young babies and is not beneficial. Watch your baby for signs of fussing and withdrawal and stimulate him only when he is calm and alert. While you are stimulating your baby he may start to show early signs of overstimulation, such as looking away, grizzling, high pitched shrieks and hand sucking. When you notice these subtle signals, stop the stimulation or remove your baby from the stimulus.
• Don’t over schedule your baby, rushing him from one activity to the next. Choose baby classes with care and thought and schedule them so they don’t interfere with your baby’s sleep times. An overtired baby will not enjoy or benefit from stimulation. As a rule of thumb: babies under three months need no additional stimulation groups, as they are very susceptible to overstimulation. Babies under six months don’t need extra stimulation in the form of a group but moms benefit immensely from meeting other moms in a group and getting ideas for stimulation or massage at home. Between six and twelve months one group a week suffices.
• Balance calming and stimulatory activities and link them to the time of day. Calm activities are important before sleep times. Keep stimulation for playtime during the day. When your baby shows signs of overstimulation, take him for a walk or put on soft calming music in this way the calming activity will also be beneficial to his development.

Aim for a fine balance when it comes to stimulating your baby

For more information on how to make the informed decision for you and your baby join us at the 2014 Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminar for #baby101.  There’s pretty much nothing that the Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminars doesn’t offer. You can expect au pairs looking after your baby on the day, expert advice covering challenges arising during specific periods of parenting (Tina Otte, Dr Claudia Gray, Ann Richardson and Megan Faure), a fun day with treats, prizes and goodie bags, plus the chance to meet pregnant moms and new parents.

Don’t miss out on this all inclusive #baby101 seminars! Book now online babysense.com/talks-and-workshops or call (021) 671 3245  facebook.com/babysense @BabySense #baby101

The post Stimulating your baby and getting the balance right appeared first on All4Baby.

Your little one also starts to develop postural control, which is the basis for all movements as your baby gets bigger.

Occupational Therapist, Paula Barnard explains why tummy time is so important for your baby’s development in this Pampers YouTube video. She also shares her tips on how to get your baby used to tummy time so that it is something that he enjoys.

Helpful advice and tips from the Pampers® Institute are available at www.Pampers.co.za and on www.youtube.com/PampersZA Receive emails with information tailored to your baby’s age by subscribing at www.Pampers.co.za/registration and connect with us at www.facebook.com/PampersSA

The post Video: Why tummy time is important for your baby’s development appeared first on All4Baby.

Occupational Therapist and Pampers Institute Member, Kate Bailey, suggests that you make sure to prioritise unstructured free play so that your baby can make sense of the world with no added pressure.

Unstructured, free play time allows your baby to find his place in the world around him. Watch the Pampers YouTube video for more of Kate’s insight into why play time is so important for your baby.

Helpful advice and tips from the Pampers® Institute are available at www.Pampers.co.za and on www.youtube.com/PampersZA Receive emails with information tailored to your baby’s age by subscribing at www.Pampers.co.za/registration and connect with us at www.facebook.com/PampersSA

The post Video: Prioritise free play for your toddler’s development appeared first on All4Baby.

Pediatricians encourage reading

Pediatricians have long encouraged reading to children, but the guidelines are the first official policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics telling doctors to talk to parents about daily reading to their children, from the first year of life until kindergarten.

It also calls on doctors and policymakers to ease the burden on poor and working families by distributing kids’ books for free to children in need.

Reading stimulates brain development

Reading with young children “stimulates optimal patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime,” the AAP guidelines said.

Research has shown a stark divide among economic lines when it comes to reading — just one in three children in poverty are read to daily, resulting in “a significant learning disadvantage” when they get to school, the AAP added.

Even wealthier families do not always make reading a ritual, with 60 percent of those with incomes 400 percent of the poverty threshold saying they read to their children from birth to age five, according to a 2011-2012 survey.

Babies can benefit

Busy schedules are a constant obstacle, and some pediatricians are concerned about the widespread use of screen technology — from televisions to smartphones and tablets — which may be edging out reading time, too.

The AAP has previously said babies under age two should be as screen-free as possible, and that the best kind of learning takes place through unstructured, interactive play with humans and toys.

Very young babies can get benefits from reading, even if they do not seem interested, said Peter Richel, a fellow of the AAP and chief of pediatrics at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York.

“We can stimulate greater brain development in these months and years,” said Richel.

Earlier word recognition

“I do see earlier word recognition, earlier phrases and sentence formation, and singing — I always recognise that in those who are exposed to daily reading.”

In order to bridge the income gap, the AAP said it “supports federal and state funding for children’s books to be provided at pediatric health supervision visits for children at high risk.”

Word gap between children who read and those who don’t

Speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Denver, Colorado, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said she supported the new guidelines.

Clinton also announced that Scholastic, a leading publisher of children’s books, would donate 500,000 books that pediatricians could distribute to families in need.

“By four years of age, children in lower-income families tend to have heard more than 30 million fewer words than children in more affluent families. Thirty million. Because they hear fewer words, they learn fewer words,” Clinton said.

“The word gap leads to an achievement gap that can have lifelong consequences.”

Clinton, whose daughter Chelsea is pregnant, said she remembered seeing her daughter’s face light up when she and her husband read to her as a child.

“Certainly we saw that when Bill and I were reading to Chelsea and we expect to do the same with our new grandchild coming in the fall,” Clinton said.

(AFP Relaxnews)

The post Boost your baby’s language skills with reading appeared first on All4Baby.

The importance of sensory activities

Because senses kick the brain and muscles into action, sensory activities strengthen not only the the body, but the brain as well.

How does it work?

Touch is the first stepping stone to your baby developing academic skills.

Cells in the skin send signals to the brain regarding texture, temperature and pain.  Thus, a baby does not learn just by looking, but by touching and feeling the different signals sent by the skin.

Remembering boundaries

As a mom or caregiver, you still need to set boundaries when it comes to touching (and tasting) as a means for your baby to explore the world around him. It is important that you teach your baby from an early age the difference between touching or tasting something that is safe and something that is potentially dangerous.

Simple sensory activities

Simple games and activities can improve your baby’s sensory integration and skills. At Pienkvoet-Pret, we encourage our moms to boil up a pot of spaghetti for a fun sensory activity. The texture of the cooked (and cooled) spaghetti will stimulate your baby’s sense of touch, encouraging him to manipulate the strings with his fingers. The spaghetti will also encourage him to grab. By learning how to grab, your baby will be able to engage in more play – whether by himself or with you.

To introduce colour (another great way to stimulate your baby’s senses), add a dash of food colouring to the boiling pot of spaghetti. Primary colours are a great idea.

About the Author: Pienkvoet-Pret is a holistic and integrated method of fine and gross-motor education for babies and toddlers. For more information, visit www.pienkvoetpret.co.za. You can also “Like” them on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pienkvoet-Pret/120438064636105?sk=timeline

The post Baby development: Why sensory integration is important appeared first on All4Baby.

Educational materials used to determine ability

For the study, published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, researchers examined 117 babies, aged nine to 18 months.

One group was provided with educational materials in the form of a baby media product, including DVDs, word and picture flashcards, and flip books to be used daily over a seven-month period.

The other group received no materials. Assorted tests were used to determine the babies’ ability to “recognize letter names, letter sounds, vocabulary, words identified on sight, and comprehension.”

Products shown to have no effect

The end of the experiment showed no difference between the group that had the materials and the one that didn’t.

Although educational DVDs and similar products were shown to have virtually no effect, they do seem to have an effect on parents.

Parents have confidence in products

“It’s clear that parents have great confidence in the impact of these products on their children,” says lead study author Susan Neuman, a professor in NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching and Learning. “However, our study indicates this sentiment is misplaced.”

Used to encourage cognitive development

While babies exposed to educational DVDs may not to learn to read any faster, it’s still possible to encourage cognitive development. A 2012 study by researchers at North Dakota State University and Texas A&M found that babies who sit up — either alone or with assistance — will reap the most reward from educational toys and videos.

(AFP Relaxnews)

The post Baby development: Can you teach your baby to read? appeared first on All4Baby.

Development Specialist, Melodie de Jager believes that walking is the “Graduation Day” of movement and every other milestone until then is just baby learning at University.

So moms, make sure you keep your babies moving!

Watch the YouTube video for more.

Helpful advice and tips from the Pampers® Institute are available at www.Pampers.co.za and on www.youtube.com/PampersZA . Receive emails with information tailored to your baby’s age by subscribing at www.Pampers.co.za/registration and connect with us at www.facebook.com/PampersSA

The post VIDEO:Why walking is one of your baby’s biggest developmental milestones appeared first on All4Baby.

Bailey’s tips include observing your child’s behaviour and responding in a productive way with loving touches and encouraging words.

Watch the Pamper’s YouTube video for more tips on how to assist your baby’s social development.

Helpful advice and tips from the Pampers® Institute are available at www.Pampers.co.za and on www.youtube.com/PampersZA . Receive emails with information tailored to your baby’s age by subscribing at www.Pampers.co.za/registration and connect with us at www.facebook.com/PampersSA

The post VIDEO: Encourage your baby’s social development with these tips appeared first on All4Baby.