Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Babies Learn From Moment Of Birth

Babies learn from the moment they are born. They use their sense of feeling, hearing and seeing to interpret the world, says Irene Lee, family and child development specialist, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Babies discover movement when they are lifted and carried. They will feel safe and protected as parents hold, rock or walk them. Shift a baby's position often when he is lying down. Give him a gentle massagerub stomachs, backs, arms and legs. Baby will enjoy this. Let her grasp your finger.

Babies learn when they mouth or touch their toys. Objects they play with help them learn about nearness and distance, inside and outside, position and placement. When they can hold a toy, give them one they can grasp, but not anything with sharp edges or parts that may come loose and be swallowed. A toy that does something will help them learn about cause and effect. They gain a sense of competence when they can make something happen.

Ability to hear develops even before birth. Hearing is necessary for normal language development and sounds help babies know about the world. Parents can talk gently to babies. Infants understand very little, but it is good for them to hear sounds. Encourage vocalization. Newborns will respond to a calm, loving voice; a loud voice will upset them. When you play with them or change their clothes, describe what you do. They won't understand you, but the sound of your voice will contribute to language development and learning.

Read aloud to babies at an early stage to help them learn to talk. Babies will imitate sounds they hear. Sing nursery songs to them. Place a ticking clock in their room for a while. Gently rattle some plastic keys by the baby's ears. Hang a set of Christmas bells or a wind chime in the doorway. Take baby with you around the house on "learning walks." Let them see and hear children playing. Let them hear the blender and the washing machine. Sometimes let the radio play softly in the baby's room.

An infant's eyes function from the moment of birth, but vision is blurry and they are sensitive to light. Muscles are not well developed, so the two eyes may not work together right away. Vision is significant in the child's motor development, which is the ability to control and coordinate body movement.

Put colorful and interesting objects so infants can develop sight. Hang a mobile over the crib, or tie bright colorful magazine pictures or scraps of material to a clothes hanger. Hang a shiny pie pan, a crushed ball of foil or a piece of crumpled tissue to twist in the wind. Babies like to look at themselves so hold them in front of a mirror, smile and talk to them. One of the best things baby can see is a parent's face. When the parent smiles and talks baby will smile and coo. These experiences help babies feel secure, loved and trusting.

For more information about how infants learn contact the Clark County Extension office at 501 Clay Street in Arkadelphia.