Early Childhood is a Critical Time for Brain Development

The early years of life are the most crucial years for the healthy growth and development of a child.  A critical period of development in a child’s early life is from the time a baby is growing in its mother’s womb to age six. 

Early healthy brain development is vital for a child’s future well-being as it contributes to learning new skills, controlling behaviour, and promoting good health.  In order to promote this type of healthy development a nurturing and supportive environment is essential.

What can parents do to provide a nurturing and supportive environment for their child? Parents can take an active role in the healthy development of their child’s brain by playing, cuddling, comforting and creating a stimulating environment. For example, parents can stimulate their child’s senses by letting them experience new sounds, foods and objects. 

As babies mature, monitoring their growth and development is critical for early intervention.  Ask your health care professional to use screening tools to assess your child’s development along with his or her vision, hearing, speech, language and motor skills.  Addressing concerns sooner rather than later can have a significant positive impact on a child’s optimal development. 

Another key component to early childhood development (ECD) is early childhood education.  The Aga Khan Development Network strongly promotes early childhood education and states: “By the time a child reaches school age, most key brain wiring, language ability and cognitive foundations have been set in place.  The early years are critical in the formation of intelligence, personality, social behaviour and physical development. Investment in the early years offers outstanding returns – both in human and financial terms.”

It’s never too early to start thinking about saving resources to plan for your child’s future education and well-being.

The Ismaili Council for Ontario offers a number of early childhood development programs, including:

• SEED, Supportive Environments and Experiences for Development
• School readiness programmes for pre-Kindergarten children
• Reading and storytelling programmers in Jamatkhanas
• Music programmes for young children
• Monthly webinar programmes for parents and caregivers
• ECD tip sheets through the weekly Al-Akhbar
• BUI pre-primary programme
• Early Childhood Development fair