“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning “- William Arthur Ward

Walt Disney, a pioneer in Cartoon films and the creator of Disneyland created history in the world of entertainment. The Electric light bulb invented by Thomas Edison changed lives for billions across the world. Albert Einstein’s theory of Relativity set the foundation for revolutionary inventions such as Nuclear energy.  The one thing that set these innovators apart from the crowd is the intense curiosity that drove them to experiment, discover and contribute revolutionary innovations to the world.

The spirit of curiosity is latent in every child and is most powerful between 0-6 years because rapid brain development takes place during this phase. The challenge is to arouse this spirit at this time when the brain is most receptive to learning and when the child is eager to learn so we can maximize the potential for brain development.

Why is the phase of 0-6 years most crucial?

• • There are well-researched studies to establish that these formative years of a child are an extremely crucial phase when it comes to a child’s brain development because it sets the stage for further development of several brain faculties as the child grows up.

• • This is also the phase for the simultaneous development of multiple skills such as linguistic skills, social skills, cognitive skills, emotional skills, and motor development skills.

• • Every experience during this phase is said to multiply the neural connections between the brain cells and repetitive experiences are believed to strengthen these connections. Therefore learning opportunities should be maximized.

• • Different parts of the brain are responsible for various functions of the mind. Accordingly, the brain has to be fed with the right mix of experiences so that holistic development can happen.

• • The timing of the learning opportunities to be provided is also an important aspect of early childhood development so that the learning aligns along the developmental milestones led by brain cells in respective areas of the brain.

The human brain is comprised of at least 5 major parts and each part is responsible for various skills or faculties. Researches provide us with established milestones for a child’s brain development. Let us have a quick look at some examples.

• • The Cerebellum for example which is responsible for functions such as balance, rhythm, and coordination is said to triple in size in the first year of birth and therefore a crucial period for the development of gross and fine motor skills.

• • The Occipital Lobe on the other hand is responsible for understanding and Storage of Visual memory and it is established that over the first six months, cells in the brain will develop adequately to make up the visual cortex making this the crucial phase for introducing colors, shapes, and patterns.

• • Thinking, Problem-solving, Reasoning, Organizing, and Social Behavior are all functions of the Frontal Lobe which is expected to grow during the period 18 months – 2 years.

• • Likewise, auditory functions, Language, Memory and Emotions driven by Temporal Lobe and Sensory information like Taste, Touch, and Smell driven by the Parietal Lobe have their own milestones for development and accordingly, opportunities for the right kind of experiences have to be created at the right time.

Kreedo’s philosophy not only recognizes all of these as extremely important aspects of early childhood learning but is extremely conscious of a unique pedagogy that is necessary to capture the immense and powerful quest for learning that children have during these years.

Kreedo’s early childhood solutions embody these elements in various concepts that need to be inculcated in a structured environment between the age group 0-6 years and that includes Practical life skills, Language skills, Sensorial skills, and Cultural skills besides essential learning topics such as Mathematics, Botany, Zoology and Geography.