• 60% of all the energy a baby expends is concentrated in the brain.
   

• The birth-to-three period is the fastest rate of brain development across the entire human life span.
   

• Babies whose parents frequently talk to them know 300 more words by age 2 than babies whose parents rarely speak to them.
   

• Social interaction enhances the speed and accuracy of learning at all ages.
   

• ALL caregivers who are a part of a child’s life impact his/her brain development.
   

• A strong parent-child bond in early childhood prepares children to better handle stress throughout life.
   

• Babies learn what is important to pay attention to by following the eye gaze of adults.
   

• Humans are born with the ability to learn any language.
   

• Learning more than one language improves cognitive development.
   

• Children do not need special toys or videos to stimulate their brain development.
   

• Babies use the facial expressions of adults to decide how they feel.
   

• Holding and stroking an infant stimulates the brain to release important hormones that allow him to grow.
   

• If babies’ bodies grew at the same rapid pace as their brains, they would weigh 170 pounds by one month of age.
   

• Reading aloud to children helps stimulate brain development, yet only 50% of infants and toddlers are routinely read to by their parents.
   

• By the time they are 3, children’s brains have formed 1000 trillion connections between neurons.
   

• “Floor time” with a child including talking, singing, reading, playing, and exploring objects and physical space are the best ways to stimulate brain development.​
   

Compiled by the Marsico Institute for Early Learning and Literacy, University of Denver, Morgridge College of Education​​