By: Psychology Department From the earliest months of pregnancy, babies begin developing skills that will be useful to them once they're born: they develop reflexes, recognize their mother's voice, and even learn to cry in tones similar to their native language. This shows that the human body is designed to learn from conception onward, especially during early childhood, when neural plasticity is at its peak. So why not take advantage of this critical learning period to give children skills that will serve them throughout their academic life? In the first months of life, children develop skills that have a strong impact on their academic future. Studies have shown that children who take part in well-structured programs at an early age tend to be more successful in school, are more socially competent, and show higher verbal and intellectual development. Despite this, many parents choose not to enroll their children in school until a certain age, believing that "they don't learn anything important until they learn to read." In reality, many of the foundational skills for reading and writing development are acquired in the first months of life. Take crawling as an example. Babies learn to crawl on their own, right? Even so, some babies never develop the correct crawling pattern, or simply skip crawling altogether and go straight from scooting to walking, because they weren't given the right stimulation at the right time. Crawling is crucial for developing balance, eye-hand coordination, and integration between the brain's hemispheres, among other things; it has been shown to later affect attention, math skills, and even the ability to copy efficiently from a board. Motor development is just one of the areas stimulated in an infant program. Verbal development is also supported, expanding vocabulary through stories, songs, and rhymes, and this is the optimal age to introduce a second language. It's not too early for cognitive development either, so babies are exposed to sensory experiences that broaden their range of textures, tastes, and smells, while they also learn the functions of objects around them and acquire basic concepts (colors, shapes, etc.). In the socio-emotional area, babies begin learning to manage emotions, manners, follow instructions, and interact appropriately with adults and peers, among other skills. At New Horizons, we have seen the growth of students who joined our Preschool classrooms from as early as 9 months old, over 10 years ago now. These children were able to graduate "already knowing how to read and write" by kindergarten, developing stronger social skills, comprehension, and abilities.
