Blog

1. Stuffing Your Child’s Brain
It is Saturday afternoon and the family is gathered for grandpa’s birthday party.
Camille reads Vinnie The Cat in the Hat. They have already read Le Chat dans le Chapeau. ‘Look Vinnie.
What is this? … Good boy. … And what is the cat doing? Yes, clever boy,’she can be heard cooing at the
child all afternoon. When granny brings lunch, Camille continues to give Vinnie a running commentary of
who is doing what and of what is being served. He won’t be eating what we are eating though and
Camille whips out his bottle of water and snack box of carrots, ground sunflower seeds and crackers.
Vinnie is two years old. He can write his name, tell the difference between a rhombus and a rectangle and
has a better grasp on French gender use than many second language speakers.
My first reaction is fascination and mild amusement. It is followed immediately by worry. Is my little boy,
who is contentedlyscribbling in a colouring book,going to grow up to be an ignorant, lazy member of
society? Not only do I want to give him the best possible start in life, but I also have a fiercely competitive
streak, and I‘ll trade in the colouring book for a children’s thesaurusif needs be.
Fortunately, that won’t be necessary. According to Pam Winter, an expert on early childhood who wrote
Engaging Families in the Early Childhood Development Story, the report that sums up the current state of
the science for the Australian government, stimulation is critical for healthy development of the child’s
brain. Children whose parents read to them, play with them and feed them healthy foods do well in life.
Those whose parents don’t, don’t.However, Winter’s report goes on to say that the scientific literature had
discovered ‘little or no evidence that… unusual types or excessive amounts of stimulation will increase
intellectual capacity.’
The U.S.’s National Scientific Council on the Developing Child agrees. It found ‘no credible scientific data
to support claims that specialized videos or particular music recordings... have a positive, measurable
impact on developing brain architecture... Similarly, didactic instruction in skill areas that are
developmentally inappropriate is an exercise in futility.’
It is a relief to know there is no need to waste time obsessing over my toddler’s intellectual development,
and that he can enjoy discovering the world around him one step at a time – colouring in today, calculus
tomorrow.
03-06-2016