Research on Brain
Development
F
or decades researchers have been aware of the extraordinary
development of a child’s brain during
the first five years of life. Recent advances in neuroscience
have helped crystallize earlier findings, bringing
new clarity and understanding to the field of early childhood
brain development. Children are born ready to
learn. They cultivate 85 percent
of their intellect, personality
and skills by age five. The first
months and years of life set the
stage for lifelong development.i
Because of the importance of
early brain development, what
happens in the early years has
serious implications for public
policy that will be explored later
in this paper.
With the neuroscience of
brain development unfolding,
we now know that (1) the way a
brain develops hinges on the complex interplay between
the genes a person is born with and the experiences a
person has from birth on; (2) it actually takes up to 12 years
for the brain to become fully organized, with parts of the
cortex still to become organized through the later teen years;
(3) the quality of an infant’s relationship with his or her
primary caregivers has a decisive impact on the architecture
of the brain, affecting the nature and extent of adult capabilities;
and (4) early interactions directly affect the way
the brain is “wired,” and do not merely create a context for
development.
The human brain develops more rapidly between birth
and age five than during any other subsequent period.
The 100 billion neurons that humans are born with make
connections through synapses, “wiring” the brain for action.
The experiences an individual has impact the types
and amount of synaptic connections that are made. Synaptic
connections begin prior to birth and are created at a
rapid rate through age three. The brain operates on a “use it
or lose it” principle. Only those connections and pathways
that are activated frequently are retained. Other connections
that are not consistently used will be pruned or discarded
so the active connections can become stronger.ii