Kath + Belle | How Do Babies Learn?

Babies Learn From Early Years

Babies come to experience adventures and the so-called journey of life. At first, they don’t know you are there to feed and take care of them. However, they know when they’re feeling safe and comfortable, or not. From birth itself, babies start to communicate with us by giving us signs and signals. They always signal us when they are hungry, tired, awake and in discomfort.

Babies are learning all the time. As a parent, your job is to help them know that the world is a safe and welcoming environment where their needs will be met. With their senses always on alert, your baby needs a stimulating environment with a variety of ways to learn. On top of that your baby also needs opportunities to repeat and practice what they have learned. 

You are playing the most important role in helping your baby to navigate through this world and learn through their early years. 

How Do Babies Learn

Babies learn in a stimulating environment where they can explore in a safe manner. Together with your bond with your baby, they will learn best from engaged, loving and responsive relationships. Let’s find more how they learn:

1. Using Their Bodies and Sense of Touch
   They learn from reflex movements such as grasping, sucking and pulling. By the 3rd month, babies start to watch their hands and feet wave in the air and even wave towards your face or some other desired objects.
   
2. Sight and Sound
   Newborn babies can hear, and have been hearing noises from well before they were born. In the first couple of months, they are attracted by bright light and primary colours. The first object they recognise is the human face. And by week 4, your baby may show more interest in sounds. Remember to not expose them with too many bright lights and loud noises.
   
3. Language and Speech
   For the newborn, crying is their only means of communication. It is important to respond to your baby as soon as possible when they cry. This will help them to experience that they’re in a safe environment. By 7 to 8 weeks, your baby will begin to discover their voice and make cooing noises and vowel sounds.

Things to Do in Supporting Their Learning

Your baby needs your support for learning. Here are the suggestions on encouraging your newborn’s development:

• Hold and cuddle them a lot
• Talk to them gently while look at their face
• Imitate their gestures and movements
• Stroke different parts of their body to see how they like to be touched
• Rock them
• Play soft music