0:05 [Music] [Applause]
0:14 [Applause]
0:17 this is a graph of brain development
0:20 over time the most dramatic growth
0:26 occurs before age 3 when 85% of the
0:30 brain is formed this red line shows
0:34 public spending on education the
0:38 relationship the relationship is nearly
0:42 inverse with less than 4% of funds
0:45 invested by Age 3
0:49 research shows that brain development is
0:52 cumulative so the early years lay the
0:55 foundation for future learning new
0:58 studies at Harvard University show that
1:01 genes implicated in learning are
1:05 actually turned on or off based on a
1:09 child's earliest experiences and yet
1:13 there is an education void during the
1:17 most formative time in a person's life
1:21 I'm here today to talk about how parents
1:23 and caregivers can address this
1:26 education void during their child's most
1:31 critical years I wanted to be a teacher
1:34 since I was 10 years old I spent my
1:36 after-school and summer jobs teaching
1:39 pursued degrees in psychology and
1:42 education went through to Montessori
1:44 trainings and finally began my dream job
1:47 as a preschool teacher despite all the
1:49 criticism that I was throwing away my
1:52 Ivy League degrees then I became a
1:55 mother given my background I was so
1:58 excited to give my baby the best
2:01 education from birth when he arrived I
2:06 got a seven pound 11 ounce reality check
2:09 between diapers and feedings and sleep
2:12 deprivation I couldn't keep up with his
2:14 developmental needs and I felt like I
2:18 was failing him I realized that parents
2:21 like myself who are by default our
2:24 baby's first teachers are sorely under
2:28 supported to do that job so I left my
2:30 classroom and devoted myself to
2:33 empowering new parents in their role as
2:38 educators as a society we haven't been
2:40 talking about education for babies
2:43 assuming it might steal away from the
2:47 ease and joy of babyhood toy industry
2:50 advertising has colored our ideas of
2:53 what babies should be learning decades
2:56 ago marketers at some of the biggest toy
3:00 companies added letters and numbers to
3:03 baby toys against the advice of their
3:06 learning experts simply because it sold
3:11 more products I want to be clear that
3:13 education from birth to three is not
3:16 about racing to academics like reading
3:20 and math now is the time to draw from a
3:23 compelling body of research and proven
3:26 practices from infant toddler classrooms
3:29 to define what education for babies
3:32 looks like at its best
3:35 beyond offering loving connection and
3:37 responsive caregiving
3:40 the most effective thing you can do for
3:43 your baby's education is to thoughtfully
3:47 prepare their environment babies are
3:50 learning how to learn so we make the
3:53 most impact by helping them develop
3:55 healthy learning habits such as
3:59 concentration and focus perseverance and
4:02 problem solving creativity and the love
4:05 of learning these habits are early
4:07 building blocks in a set of skills
4:11 researchers call executive function
4:13 executive function is what allows us to
4:16 meet goals while managing our thoughts
4:20 emotions and behavior it is a
4:22 better predictor of academic success
4:26 than IQ as well as a predictor of
4:32 long-term income well-being and health
4:34 Montessori learning environments are
4:37 proven to help children establish
4:39 executive function skills which will
4:42 serve them throughout their lives
4:44 preparing a learning environment for
4:47 your baby at home one that is beautiful
4:50 inviting and rich with experiences does
4:53 not have to be complicated it starts
4:58 with a low shelf and a few toys in fact
5:03 more toys do not equal more learning
5:06 just like an adult who finds it hard to
5:08 focus on work when their office and desk
5:11 are a mess a child feels overwhelmed by
5:15 an overflowing play area research shows
5:17 that adults function better in orderly
5:19 environments and the same applies to
5:23 children displaying a few good options
5:26 on a low shelf and rotating them as
5:30 needed will allow even a baby who is not
5:33 yet walking to independently choose the
5:36 toy they want and concentrate without
5:39 distractions that's my youngest baby at
5:44 10 months old if you want your baby to
5:46 remain actively engaged during play
5:50 choose toys that are baby powered not
5:53 battery-powered electronic toys with
5:56 sounds and lights can put your child
5:58 into passive mode pushing a button and
6:02 waiting to be entertained simple wooden
6:05 toys on the other hand need a child to
6:08 activate them so they naturally invite
6:11 engagement and creativity keep in mind
6:14 that if you place both electronic and
6:17 non electronic toys on the same shelf
6:19 it's like offering your child a plate
6:23 with junk food and brain food
6:26 side-by-side the best way to encourage
6:29 healthy choices is to curate their
6:33 environment beyond toys we can create opera
6:33 opera
6:36 throughout our homes for babies to
6:40 exercise executive function skills
6:43 setting up a water cooler where a newly
6:45 walking child can get a drink when
6:48 they're thirsty not only allows them to
6:51 practice their motor skills and
7:01 independence it also allows them to
7:04 build up their planning goal-setting
7:07 skills and their self-control key
7:09 elements in the development of executive
7:13 function we can build similar skills by
7:15 hanging low hooks for their hats and
7:18 jackets and providing a mirror at eye
7:20 level so they can actively participate
7:24 in dressing and caring for themselves
7:26 observing your child in their
7:28 environment will allow you to present
7:31 the appropriate level of challenge to
7:34 stretch their skills not so little that
7:36 they are bored and not so much that they
7:40 give up research shows children thrive
7:43 in this zone teachers know that setting
7:46 children up at this optimal level of
7:49 challenge and offering help only when
7:52 needed cultivates perseverance and
7:57 problem-solving for example when a baby
7:59 is trying to grasp a ball that is just
8:02 out of reach they are building both
8:04 their gross motor skills and their
8:07 perseverance they might make noises
8:09 similar to how adults sound when lifting
8:12 heavy weights at the gym just as we
8:14 would never take weights away from
8:15 someone who was working hard to lift
8:18 them unless they really needed help we
8:20 don't want to steal growth opportunities
8:25 away from our child after we've prepared
8:27 the environment it's important to view
8:31 it not as our masterpiece but as a work
8:34 in progress observing your child closely
8:36 will help you to see when the
8:39 environment must be adapted to meet
8:42 their changing needs the only way we can
8:45 observe clearly is if we are approaching
8:47 our child with curiosity
8:51 rather than expectations which brings me
8:53 to the most important elements of a
8:57 child's environment their caregivers the
8:59 most influential form of education is
9:03 modeling from adults we are showing
9:06 babies what it means to be human if we
9:09 want them to love learning we can model
9:12 our excitement to explore and discover
9:15 with them if we want them to be
9:18 confident we can model by accepting
9:23 ourselves mistakes flaws and all we make
9:26 countless sacrifices for our children
9:29 but perhaps what they need even more is
9:34 to see us being kind to ourselves so
9:36 they grow up with permission to do the
9:40 same if we thoughtfully prepare these
9:42 types of learning environments for
9:45 babies it will allow them not only to
9:48 maximize their potential from birth to
9:52 three but to expand their potential for
9:56 the future personally I can't wait to
9:58 see what the next generation will do
10:01 with that potential thank you [Applause]
10:05 [Applause] [Music]
10:07 [Music] you
