WiseTip: CD-MEM-M0003-E01A

Cognitive Development

Promoting Memory

Change and rearrange objects or pictures in the environment. This creates new sights and visual interest for your baby. Talk to your baby about the changes.

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New Jersey Council for Young Children. (2013). New Jersey Birth to Three Early Learning Standards. Retrieved from https://www.nj.gov/education/ece/guide/standards/birth/standards.pdf
Rose SA, Feldman JF, Jankowski JJ. (2001). Attention and recognition memory in the 1st year of life: A longitudinal study of preterm and full-term infants. Dev Psychol.; 37(1):135-151.

WHY IT MATTERS

Babies develop memories from the time they are born. Shortly after birth, newborns can recognise their mother's voice.

DeCasper A.J., Fifer W.P. (1980). Of human bonding: newborns prefer their mothers’ voices. Science. ;208(4448):1174–1176.

By three to four days old, babies can remember and recognise their mothers' face.

Simion, F., & Giorgio, E. D. (2015). Face perception and processing in early infancy: inborn predispositions and developmental changes. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 969. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00969

Studies have found that infants initially preferred to look at that which is familiar as they begin to process a stimulus. Once processing becomes more advanced, their preference shifts to the novel. Hence providing new things for infants to look at will help stimulate the brain and encourage memory and processing.

Rose SA, Feldman JF, Jankowski JJ. (2001). Attention and recognition memory in the 1st year of life: A longitudinal study of preterm and full-term infants. Dev Psychol.; 37(1):135-151.