The Baby Class – The Year the Brain Triples in Size

By Cozette Laubser |

The first year of life is the proverbial holy grail of all developmental years, it is THE year to prioritise brain development. Whoa, didn’t see that one coming, did you? Most don’t, because too often we think of the baby years as a time of changing nappies, feeding schedules and sleep, or the lack thereof, and we miss the most amazing timeframe to cultivate a healthy brain-body system when it is the easiest.

This article comes after a season spent amongst preschool staff, sharing their joys and frustration on the mat. Highlights from the staff most often include the thrill and excitement as babies grow – how they develop and transform from passive little babies into competent little movers. When I hear this, I think “YES! If this thrills them – the right people are in class!”. On the other hand, exhaustion and frustration levels run high. Parents can be demanding and sometimes, employers expect the energy levels of an 18-year-old, the wisdom of a retiree and the immune system of an immortal. The reality sadly is – the baby class is left with one over-extended teacher and her assistant with 12 babies in their care.

According to the South African Government Regulations and Policies for Registration of Early Childhood Development Centres, for children 0-18 months there must be 1 teacher for every 6 babies/toddlers. In most cases that means 1 teacher and 1 classroom assistant per class of 12.
Did I just say 12 babies? That’s correct, 12 babies.
1 Baby at a time had me knackered, that number leaves me utterly breathless.

DID YOU KNOW?

The newborn brain weighs approximately 350g at birth and a whopping 1kg by the time the baby celebrates their first birthday. That means the brain almost triples in size in only 12 months! To put this into perspective, the brain of a 6-year-old weighs 1.2kg and the brain of an adult is 1.4 – 1.5kg.

Guess who shapes the baby’s brain in this phenomenal year? The person who spends the largest part of the day with the baby. Is it the parent? Is it a nanny? Is it the baby class teacher? Or is it Ouma or Gogo? No matter the title, for the purposes of this article we can just as well call them the Master Brain Shaper.

For the next few paragraphs, I would love to imagine that we can throw the business of taking care of babies out on its ear. Let’s pretend it’s not a business at all and profits don’t matter. That we only have to do what is age-appropriate and developmentally ideal for the baby – this magical little human with a powerhouse brain.
Can we do that? Right, let’s go!

START BY KNOWING WHAT THE BRAIN WANTS IN THE FIRST YEAR

Three distinct layers of the brain are responsible for 3 distinct functions. All three layers are present at birth but develop at different times and at different rates. We call these sensitive periods that should be optimized for age-appropriate brain development.

The Brain’s priority from conception to 14 months is Physical Development

Physical development includes awakening all the senses and strengthening all the muscles. This is also the time when a baby reaches big motor (big muscle) milestones like suckling, controlling the head, rolling to both sides, sitting unsupported, crawling on all fours, pulling up, and walking.

The brain’s priority from 14 months to 4 years is Emotional Development

Emotional development is all about developing emotions and a sense of self. This is a very selfish time in a child’s life, It is all about ME, ME DO, MINE and so forth. This is the only time in a human’s life where it is acceptable to be selfish, please allow them the opportunity. It does not mean they do not need to learn to share in time, it just means they still need to learn that skill and it is relatively age-appropriate to not want to wait, share and take turns initially.

ME before WE
ME refers to my own body and emotions, WE refers to the people around me. This is a time frame where one‐on‐one attention is a must to develop the emotional brain. Once the emotional brain is on track, social development follows spontaneously. Now waiting, sharing and making friends come naturally.

The brain’s priority from 4 – 11 years is Cognitive Development

Cognitive development refers to the clever part of the brain. When most people talk about the brain, they talk about this part. This is where more advanced skills reside like impulse control, language, reasoning, problem-solving, words, numbers and so forth.

When we learn about the sensitive time frames for brain development, the baby, toddler, and preschooler’s learning needs make so much sense.

1. The child needs to be aware of their body and be able to use it appropriately – that includes all the senses and all the muscles.
2. The child needs to be aware of their emotions and learn to function in a group.
3. They also need to learn the names of people, objects, and places so that they start to build their clever brain in readiness for big school.

PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT SAVVY BABY CLASS

Let’s explore a few practical ways a baby class environment can be set up to support optimum brain and body development, during a time when it matters most.

Introduce parent orientation that clearly defines the developmental ethos of the school

Language

Language of teaching or instruction should be communicated clearly and be fixed. If you position yourself as an English school, that is all you speak at the school. No matter how many languages a teacher or the child can speak, the language of communication within those 4 walls remains fixed. The more consistent you are, the faster and better the children’s language of learning will establish.
According to Dr Melodie de Jager, the founder of BabyGym says, “A child should be immersed in a language for at least 3 years before they are ready to learn to read and write in that language.” Mixing languages leads to language delays. Language role models, like parents and teachers, should consistently stick to the chosen language. At home you speak the home language, at school, you speak the school language. Children have the phenomenal ability to learn both languages (and more!) if the language role model speaks clearly, has a good vocabulary and only sticks to 1 language.

Clothing

A principal shared with me her concern about parents’ clothing choices for the little ones – fancy clothes and inappropriate shoes. Create and clearly communicate the development ethos for your school in terms of clothing. I.e., “At this school, the best shoes are no shoes. The best clothes are plain clothes that encourage movement and exploration”. You can have fun with playground signs reading, “Here, mud stains are worn as badges”. “Here, we dress up once a year for photo day!”

Devices

Another principal said morning drop-offs can be a headache – some parents expect the teacher to greet a child and immediately be the one to grapple with the child to return the smartphone in hand back to the parent. What a start to the day!

Boundaries are a great way to foster good relationships between parents and teachers. Clearly communicate your stance. I.e. “You are entering a tech-free zone. Here we thrive on eye contact, big hugs and I love you’s. Devices are best left snuggly in the car.”

The master brain shaper should be nimble and enthusiastic

Babies and toddlers need to be on the floor for the largest part of the day. Dr Melodie de Jager says, “If you limit movement, you limit a baby’s potential to learn and develop.” This means they need an adult companion who can interact and move with them on eye level. A carer who cannot comfortably get onto the floor or get up from the floor will rely on contraptions to raise the baby. Remember, the first year is a crucial year to develop the body and what it can do.

Young babies are dependent on a lot of near-face eye contact to learn and in time master facial expressions. Reading facial expressions leads to reading emotional, social and language cues.

Nature has equipped every brain with mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that respond equally when we perform an action and when we see someone else perform the same action. This is where the saying, ‘Monkey see, monkey do’, is spot on. Not only does the Master Brain Shaper shape the brain, but this role model also shapes the child’s facial and bodily expressions. It is so important that this person’s attitude, posture and energy levels model what we want to cultivate in small people.

Group classes according to the developmental phase in the first 18 months

According to the South African Government Regulations and Policies for Registration of Early Childhood Development Centres, every baby requires a floor size of 2m2 indoors, every toddler a floor size of 1.5m2 indoors and 1m2 per child outdoors. But let’s take into consideration that most baby classes range from 0 – 18 months. If you have 1 baby that needs a nappy change and you have 1 howling baby that needs consoling, it leaves the other 10 babies without adult hands.

If we have passive babies under 5 months lying on the floor (which should be encouraged for body development!) and we have bustling little crawlers and walkers who are still learning to control their limbs and the speed at which they move, it is not a question of will one get knocked over, but rather when, and how hard.
It is no surprise that facilities ‘employ’ contraptions like high chairs, bouncers and walkers to keep the younger ones raised and safe from one another. BUT, and this is a big but, this is a temporary solution that undermines the long-term goal. if we want to be brain savvy, we need to honour the brain’s developmental need to move at this very important age.

A safer and more practical way to divide the group is according to their level of mobility.
• Passive babies: 4 Months to sitting (+-8 months)
• Moving babies: From crawling to pulling up (+-8 months – 14 months)
• Speeding toddlers: Walking toddlers who understand instructions well and have a growing need to run and climb (+-14 months – 18 months).

It is not our recommendation that babies younger than 4 months join a group class. Birth to 4 months is a time of major adjustment for the entire nervous system and the best place for that baby to be is with the mom. If it is on mom’s chest, even better! When mom and baby are together in a nurturing and supportive environment, immunity, bonding, milk production and brain and body development follow naturally.

Should a baby join before 4 months, it is imperative to:
• Support breastfeeding and responding to cues for feeds on demand and not according to a schedule.
• Support relaxation by wearing the baby, keeping the mom’s natural smell near the little nose and introducing a soothing ritual like massage.
• Support the parent’s need for updates and connection. It is not only highly stressful for the baby to be separated from the parent, but it is highly stressful for the parent’s brain to be away from the baby too. As mammals, we are neurologically wired to seek close contact with our babies after birth. An experience of so-called anxiety to know how your baby is doing during the day is not only normal but biologically sound.

Prioritise exploration in nature

Many children arrive at preschool soon after sunrise and are collected from preschool just before sunset. For these children, the world and what it contains is shaped almost solely by what happens between the 4 boundary walls of the preschool.

Can we dream about a school environment that is as natural and wholesome as possible? Children should learn with their senses and move with their muscles. Natural elements like water, soil and sunlight are not only good for plants but growing minds too.

Nature is by definition dynamic. Wind moves through plants and they move. Insects and birds come and go and with them the sounds they make. By simply being in this natural environment the baby or toddler is invited into this wonder world of life, “Come, beckons the garden, there is so much to enjoy and to explore!”.

IN CONCLUSION

Policy communicates babies and toddlers can be grouped together from birth to 18 months, 12 at a time. Yet, our innate biology asks for a highly responsive and enthusiastic role model to interact with throughout the day. As a society, we need to figure out how to best care for our children and teachers. What happens in the first 18 months shapes the child for the rest of their life.

Setting up a baby class with the child at the core may not offer much financial reward initially, but it makes a whole lot of sense once you see this class move through years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the children are happy, well-adjusted, emotionally secure beings who conquer new challenges week by week and continue to grow in intelligence.
The baby class is where it all starts!