When parents consider their two-year-old to be showing evidence of learning, they often refer to a moment of recognition — when a child sees her mother, for example, and utters the word mama. True learning consists of a complex process of making connections. When your child says mama for the first time, she is connecting an ability to speak with a desire to communicate with you. Connections occur in the brain when babies are exposed to information, are stimulated by their environment, and are engaged by others. Learning is dynamic and often spontaneous.