Quick Facts About Synapses and Neuroplasticity
- The newborn brain is 0.3 kg and will grow 5 times its size to 1.5 kg when they become adults
- The brain is most flexible when we’re younger. The level of effort to create a new skill in younger children is faster than when they become older. Their brains are plastic or what we term as Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is defined as the brain’s potential to create or change networks of neurons based on experiences (Society of Neuroscience, 2016)
When we provide frequent experiences to children, the brain cells are building connections, and these connections are what help us create skills, memories and all the abilities that we can do as individual people.
Early brain development actually starts in utero, meaning babies are already learning while they're in the womb. Synapses for the skills of seeing/hearing, language and cognitive function begins before birth and continues into adulthood.