Recent research indicates that the growing fetus is more than an unfeeling organism, but that it is actually an active learner! Experiments done with fiber optics, for example, show that the fetus turns away when light is shined on it; other studies show an increase in heart rate and changes in the movement in the fetus when loud music is played, or when the mother is experiencing states of stress.These observations suggest that even before birth there are specific behaviors being modified and changed in response to experience, and that the fetus is in the process of learning all about them.You can take advantage of these findings and use your pregnancy as an opportunity to begin the process of educating your child.First, sing or hum softly to your fetus; the sounds provide an introduction to rhythm and tone that will be important to later language development.Second, avoid highly stressful situations which can expose your fetus to hormone levels that block prenatal learning.Finally, pursue your own learning activities, whatever they are. While the fetus will not learn directly from these experiences, your own mental attitude will be a kind of comfort and security to her that will provide her with the basis for a positive attitude toward learning after she is born.

Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. is an award-winning author and speaker with twenty-eight years of teaching experience from the primary through the doctoral level, and over one million copies of his books in print on issues related to learning and human development. He is the author of nine books including Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, In Their Own Way, Awakening Your Child’s Natural Genius, 7 Kinds of Smart, The Myth of the A.D.D. Child, ADD/ADHD Alternatives in the Classroom, and Awakening Genius in the Classroom. His books have been translated into sixteen languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Hebrew, Danish, and Russian.