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Infants ’ brains undergo rapid synapse formation. From 3-10 years, children’s brains have more synapses than at any other time in their lives. Early experience causes synapses to form or protects them from elimination at puberty. The time of rapid growth and/or high connectivity is the critical period in development, the optimal learning period. Enriched environments are most important and beneficial during the critical period. Ideas from Neuroscience • Synaptogenesis-- in infancy the brain forms synapses in excess of adult levels. • Critical periods-- normal development of neural systems requires specific experiential input at specific times