7. Brain development

Children's brains are influenced by both their genes and their environment. Babies are born ready to learn, with more than one million neural connections forming every second during the first few years of life. The early years are important, as how the brain grows is strongly influenced by what's happening in a child's environment and their interactions with the people around them. Vision and hearing pathways develop first, followed by early language skills and higher cognitive functions. A child's vocabulary often quadruples between ages two and four. These connections become more complex over time as children grow, and influence brain development to create positive learning behaviours from an early age.

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