Early Learning Wall Decorations

What you place on your child's walls can and will determine his future success.

It's a wonderful thing to welcome a new baby into your home. It is also an opportunity to introduce early learning into his life by creating a bedroom that's both warm and inviting, painted in bright, cheerful colors that includes artwork with contrasting colors and shapes. Kathleen Kiely Gouley, Ph.D., and an assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine wrote; "The first months and years of a child's life are filled with sensory delight and numerous opportunities for discovery and learning."

Significance

Early learning begins long before school. young graduate image by studio vision1 from Fotolia.com

According to Gouley, "Clinical experience and developmental research reveal the importance of environmental stimulation on children's social, emotional, physical and cognitive development." Painting the walls and hanging early learning wall decor help develop a child's brain. By providing something for a child to focus on, it stimulates vision development, as well as development of other senses. Infancy is where early learning begins, long before a formal education.

Function

Children are naturally inquisitive. Surprised baby 2 image by Aleksandra Konoplya from Fotolia.com

While the function of most wall decor is clearly style, much of it has to do with stimulating the brain. Children are naturally inquisitive, if not dependent on their senses to learn about the world around them, according to Gouley. Providing your child with decorative shapes and objects to focus on creates more than just an adorable bedroom motif. You're providing her with a head start to early learning.

Types

The color of a room has a pyschological impact on a child. babys room image by guiney from Fotolia.com

According to Home and Garden Television, the color of a room has a psychological impact on a person. If you understand how color affects human perception, you can easily create a distinct feeling for your child’s bedroom. Stencils and wall stickers are a valuable tool in creating a focal point that can help develop a child's brain. The American Optometric Association also suggests keeping a nightlight in your baby's room. Adding new items and moving around old items promotes stimulation as well.

Effects

Early visual experience plays an important role in development. baby boy reaching for a toy image by Maciej Zatonski from Fotolia.com

Millie Smith, an educational consultant in Austin, Texas, wrote; "Experiences in all the senses are important, but early visual experiences play a particularly important role no matter what the quality of vision may be. Children deprived of rich and frequent sensory experiences develop brains 20 percent to 30 percent smaller than normal for their age."

Other Benefits

A child's happiness is essential to their healthy development. happy baby 3 image by Pat Lalli from Fotolia.com

It was the late Maria Montessori, Italian physician, educator, philosopher and humanitarian, who wrote, “The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy.” So aside from the obvious benefits of early learning, a child’s happiness is also essential to healthy development.

References

• Zero to Three: Early Development
• See/Hear Newsletter: Visual Stimulation: A Personal Reflection on Its Role and Benefit
• NYU Child Study Center: Stimulation and Development During Infancy: Tuning in to Your Baby's Cues

Resources

• Montessori Child Development Stages: Child Development Stages
• All About Vision: Your Infant's Vision Development
• The National Academies Press: How People Learn