Education Begins At The Moment Of Birth, Just As Nature Planned
Adults make sense of what they see and hear by processing information logically. A small child, however, whose left hemisphere has not yet been developed, perceives with his or her senses and reacts to them, not as parts to be analyzed, but as a patterned-whole. This perception of experience as patterns is a function of the right hemisphere and is a valuable tool to be used for learning.
By repeating actions and sounds over and over, a baby learns what to expect of the world via the patterns he or she produces. Thus we find that a two-year-old readily grasps basic math patterns when shown flash cards again and again, or learns to play Bach or Chopin by hearing a tune over and over again. There is nothing surprising in this, but it seems that as the abilities of the left hemisphere increase, the ability of the right hemisphere to absorb information via patterns decreases. It makes sense then the information which needs to be learned by rote memorization, by patterning, such as letters, language, numbers, etc. should be taught before the left hemisphere begins to dominate thinking.
Just by observing and listening to the words and tones its mother uses in her daily routine, a child comes to associate certain words and expressions with their appropriate feelings. Although the literal meaning of the mother's words and actions cannot be understood, the child absorbs the patterns in the situations, the whole of the message inherent in repetitive experience. That is why it is so important for a child to be brought up in a consistently loving and disciplined environment.
