ABSTRACT

When a baby is born, the majority of the neurons that the child will have throughout life are already present, but the synaptic connections among neurons are not extensive. Thus, human brain development is highly affected by the environments with which the child interacts during the first three years of life. The brain growth spurt that began in infancy continues at a high pace throughout the toddler years. According to Bornstein et al., research has shown that the types and variations of experiences during the toddler years are related to later cognitive performance. In an extensive review of brain areas involved in early language learning, in particular in the learning of more than one language, Kuhl has outlined how infants’ responses to phonetic stimuli are reflected in their later language and pre-reading abilities and that this learning requires a “social context".