CHILDREN'S LEARNING Childhood learning and brain development are fragile and depend on numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The most critical time period for infant brain development is from the second trimester to the first three months of life (Marshall, 2011). During this period, neural pathways form, areas of the brain mature, and brain development is rapid. From infancy to age 3, neural pathways are still forming in response to stimulation and for this reason it is extremely important for caregivers and parents to be aware of the many factors that can influence brain development in infants (Marshall , 2011). ).Folk PsychologyCommon beliefs regarding infant learning tend to focus on the issue of breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding. The vast majority of speculation in the media is directed towards this controversy. For example, a “study published in the journal Pediatric Health found that premature infants fed a formula enriched with protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and several micronutrients performed better on IQ tests than premature infants. who had been fed either regular formula or breast milk” (Miller, 2008). This may very well be true, however, folk psychology generally denies the large number of other factors crucial to childhood learning. Research There is a great deal of current research on the topic of childhood learning covering a wide range of topics. Among the most widespread are sleep patterns, environmental factors, social development, cognitive memory, language learning, and association. Sleep Patterns Newborns sleep an average of 16 to 18 hours per day (So, Adamson & Horne, 2007). Because of the speed at which children are able to retain information on this topic, it is difficult to focus on a single factor and obtain the information needed. The biggest problems with the studies reviewed are the small sample size, lack of information regarding the demographics of the test subjects, and the broad topic of the experiments. Conclusion Childhood is a special time of growth, learning and awareness. At no other time in human life is the brain so awakened to stimuli and neural pathways at such a rapid pace. While popular psychology focuses exclusively on the common question of how to best feed your baby, current research covers everything from cognitive development related to cultural awareness, to nap patterns and memory function. While research on this topic is extensive, much remains to be discovered about how the brain develops in this fragile new state of life known as childhood..