Critical periods in early postnatal life are windows of time during development when the nervous system must obtain certain critical experiences, such as sensory, movement, or emotional input, to develop properly. These periods are characterized by high learning rates.
After a critical period, connections diminish in number and are less subject to change, but the ones that remain are stronger,more reliable, and more precise.
Research also shows that enriched environments can bolster brain development. For example, studies show that animals brought up in toy-filled surroundings have more branches on their neurons and more connections than isolated animals. In one recent study, scientists found that enriched environments resulted in more neurons
in a brain area involved in memory.
Many people have observed that children can learn languages with greater proficiency than adults, and recent research suggests that the heightened activity of the critical period may contribute to this robust learning.
Brain Development, Society for Neuroscience
http://www.sfn.org/skins/main/pdf/brainfacts/2008/brain_development.pdf
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