Re: What age do children start learning?

From: Nina Sazer O'Donnell
Email: nina.sazerodonnell@gmail.com
Date: February 13, 2006

Comments

Hi Annette:

Children are actually born learning and some research shows that they are probably even learning even before they are born. Some researchers (Chuck Nelson and others at the University of Minnesota) have shown that babies recognize and prefer their parents just a few hours after birth, implying that they learned how their parents voices sound in utero.

From the moment of birth on, children learn from everything they experience and observe. They learn to trust (or not) the people around them, they learn how things sound and feel and they continue this learning, hopefully, forever.

Although very young children can't read books the way older children can, the development of language and pre-reading skills also begin at birth. The best way to encourage this learning is to talk, sing and play with babies - and as they get older, to name things and to look at pictures and books together. Thanks for your question and I hope this helps!