Maximizing your child's learning potential

From the time your baby was born, you have already been eagerly awaiting his first smile, first step, and first word. These are milestones that make parents swell with pride and also provide them with the assurance that the baby is progressing to the utmost of his abilities. But when the rest of the same-age kids at the playground seem to be doing things that your child has yet to master, it might require you to take a second look at the so-called triad of factors in a child’s mental development.

In the first few years of life, paying attention to the triad of factors could spell the difference between the optimal learning of your child and a genuine cause for concern. Children will satisfactorily develop their mental skills when parents can successfully address these three key considerations: one, a well-formed and functioning nervous system; two, a good learning environment; and three, proper nutrition.

“There should be interplay among these three important factors,” advises Dr. Joselyn Eusebio, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician with 18 years of experience. “It’s not just about having good genes. Nutrition and stimulation are especially important at that time when brain development is at its peak.”

Dr. Eusebio is one of the co-authors of the Wyeth Minds in Progress module currently being used to teach parents how to optimize their child’s learning. One of the main points of the module is to take advantage of the early stages when brain development is at its peak.

“The brain has a certain degree of ‘plasticity’ but only up to a certain age,” she explains. According to the Wyeth module, the first three years of life is a period of incredible growth in all areas of development. This is the time when the brain has the maximum number of neurons and synapses, making it highly sensitive to new input and, consequently, learning. Constantly stimulating the child’s brain will ensure that it retains as much of this capacity as the child gets older. An environment that engages a child’s senses and gives him opportunities to learn and act will accomplish this.

More, Dr. Joselyn Eusebio mentions, “If the environment is not stimulating, there may be delays in a child’s development, which may result in some misbehaviors. For example, a child with language delay may exhibit unacceptable behaviors like throwing tantrums and acting uncontrollable, because of his inability to express his needs and to be understood by the people around him.

It is also during the preschool stage when nutrition can easily affect a child’s mental growth. A balanced diet at an early age can help strengthen a child’s ability to learn, communicate, think analytically, socialize effectively, and adapt to new environments and people. The opposite can impede these abilities in children below eight years old.

 Dr. Iris Mendiola-Tanchuling, a pediatrician from St. Luke’s Hospital, explains: “Your brain won’t have the necessary building blocks to get bigger, to make longer synapses, and make neural connections.”

For a child at this stage, progress can be quick. It can all depend on what you know about the triad of factors. Paying attention to brain development, creating a stimulating environment, and providing proper nutrition are the keys to maximizing your child’s learning potential.