What is your first memory?

What is your first memory? I remember sitting in my father’s lap and looking at his big thumb next to my little finger and realizing the two are different. We’ll maybe that is a big stretch as a memory – more like a dream, so let me jump to another much later. When my first daughter was born, she came out a crier and let the world know she was present. As the nurses worked on her, I said, “Hi there…” At the sound of my voice, she stopped crying, turned her head and looked in my direction. I don’t know what new born babies see, but she was processing something – maybe even some prior knowledge she brought with her from the womb. There is research that suggest that babies cry in the accent of their mother’s language. “French babies’ cries end on a rising note, while German babies’ end on a falling note – imitating the ‘melodic contours’ of those languages. (see http://www.babble.com/pregnancy/learning-fetus-development-in-the-womb-prenatal/)

ALL learners, even the smallest, come with some prior knowledge and skills that help make sense out of the situation. And the more experiences someone has, the chances are it will be easier to learn new material. When we teach or train people, a good teacher will figure out what that learner brings with him or her and will capitalize on it.

So, just out of curiosity, “What is your first memory?” And, "Why do you remember it?