Brain Building Quiz with the Facts

  1. Babies start to understand words as early as: 6 months

The Facts:Recent research has found that infants as young as 6 months can understand words, and at seven months are practicing in their brain how to form words.2014, University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences.

  1. Brain Connections are built between the ages of 0-5. False

The Facts:Although 90% of our brains are built in the first 5 years of life, the human brain isn’t fully mature (all parts communicating effectively) until the mid-twenties, and we all continue to learn new things throughout our adult lives. First Five California.

  1. Most young children have someone at home who reads to them every day. False

The Facts: Only 53 percent of children ages three to five were read to daily by a family member. Children in families with incomes below the poverty line are less likely to be read to aloud everyday than are children in families with incomes at or above poverty. Source: U.S. Department of Education, NationalCenter for Education Statistics, from

  1. Almost all children will eventually learn to read and most struggling readers will catch on once they get a bit more mature.False

The Facts: Almost 75% of children who are struggling with reading in third grade will still be struggling in high school. This reduces their chances of graduating, attending college and contributing to the knowledge-based economy. Source: Literacy in the Labor Force Report, 2003.

  1. Although we know that exposure to primetime and regular TV programming is not necessarily good for infants and toddlers, there are many programs designed especially for young children (such as Baby Einstein) that are beneficial and actually help them learn to read. False

The Facts:University of Washington researchers found that for every hour spent watching baby DVDs, infants learned up to eight fewer new words than babies who had never watched these DVDs. This is because as babies watch TV, they are spending less time interacting with parents or engaging in creative play- two activities that promote learning. The AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics recommends NO electronic media before age 2. It interferes with a young child’s developing brain. Source: