May 23, 2021 at 10:25 pm by Sean Crommelin By the age of two, the brain of a child is almost three-quarters the size of an adultâs. However, within this brain exists notable distinctions between the growing and grown mind. Courtesy of Zoe Liberman While research has shown that humans have remarkably malleable, or neuroplastic, brains compared to other animals â even into adulthood â early childhood is when the human brain is most malleable, and these formative years of neuronal growth set the stage for the future in big ways. Early childhood provides a foundation for future health, behavior and learning. Stress, trauma, speaking, play and reading all have outsized, lifelong impacts when they occur in early childhood.Â