The education and parenting world has a new buzz word - Neuroscience. Neuroscience is the science behind understanding how the human brain works. Its concepts and messages have underpinned a whole industry of foods, toys, supplements, exercises, meditations, music etc. These all claim to make people smarter or promote brain development. After listening to Nathan Wallis, I set about learning as much as I could about the latest and most reliable research of how the brain works. Many people often refer to "the research" but are often unable to say where it came. Given the implications of decisions that are being made based on "the research" I wanted to have a firmer foundation of what scientists are confidently saying about how the brain works to inform the work we are doing as a school. The most informative work that I came across was a semester of University Lectures on how the brain worked from a world leader in Neuroscience Professor Indre Viskontas, PhD https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/brain-myths-exploded-lessons-from-neuroscience.html This work was fascinating (from a geeky point of view) and gave me an understanding of the brain that I never knew. It blew apart lots of misconceptions that I had of the brain that I had always assumed to be factual based on "the research" so many people had quoted. In short, what did I learn? The answer is this - scientists do not confidently know how the brain works! There are many working theories about how the brain works. These theories work in some cases, but not in most cases. Dependent on age, gender, left or right-handed, upbringing, career, etc., each brain is unique. Warning - I am about to get a bit geeky; but stay with me, as the key takeaways will be worth the wait. The reason scientists have such difficulty trying to figure out how the brain works is relatively simple - the brain appears to be infinitely complex and unique. There are currently three ways we can understand what the brain might be doing. The first is either through MRI and fMRI scans. These give us some working theories about how the brain works. But until we can make these devices portable to allow us to see what is happening in real life, and in real-time (rather than in a hospital or laboratory) and we can create a full three-dimensional scan of the brain to see what is happening within seconds, we can only make educated guesses. The second way we create theories about how the brain works is by comparing dead brains. The problem with this method is it is like looking at a body at the bottom of a cliff then guessing what might have caused the person to fall. The third way is by putting probes in animals like rats to try and understand what is happening. This method works on the theory that the human brain and the rat brain might work in similar ways. So, what do almost all scientists agree on? Neuroscientists generally all agree on four things that make a significant difference in helping to create sharp, healthy brains.
3. Exercise feeds the brain - Scientists are not entirely sure why exercise benefits the brain, but they all agree that regular exercise year upon year is an advantage. Some speculate that exercise helps the body to create the fuel the brain needs to be most effective. Numerous studies show that those who exercise tend to have an advantage across a range of cognitive and mental tasks compared to those who do not remain physically active. This becomes more pronounced in old age, which leads scientists to speculate that the advantage of exercise is just as pronounced in brain development but is less obvious. 4. Social Interaction - Numerous studies show that social interaction is critical for the human brain. Some scientists speculate that it is one of the things that set us apart from all other forms of life. This is one of the reasons why solitary confinement is considered one of the worst torture techniques. The complexities of interaction seem to have benefits on a wide range of learning and memory tasks. The language that we use when interacting forms our perception of the world. What we see, hear, smell touch is all understood through social interaction that tells us if we are safe or in danger, accepted or rejected. Numerous studies demonstrate that the vocabulary range that parents use in front of their children significantly influence how a child's brain develops. Environments that are loving, accepting, rich in exploration all have high levels of social interaction which tend to create stronger brains. So what does this all mean? Ironically, none of the above is new! Getting enough sleep, a healthy diet, exercise and hanging out with parents and friends are essential to create healthy brains. Unfortunately, this is where the poverty cycle kicks in. We live in a world where it is cheaper to buy sugar drinks than milk. Fatty foods cost less than healthy foods. Processed food often tastes better than natural food. Often families that live in poverty have cold, damp homes which affect sleep. These families often have less education and a smaller vocabulary range. This means the quality of interactions and experiences parents have with their children wires brains differently due to the vocabulary range they expose their children. Violence in the home affects their understanding of social interactions. Exercise, adventures, holidays and interaction are replaced with Netflix and trips to Fast Food venues. Poverty can create a cycle where the things that develop vibrant brains are out of the reach of generations.
The other elephant in the room when raising children is technology and screen time. Technology is changing the way that our children interact with the world around them, which tends to lead to the question about screen time. However, the question we should be asking about screen time might be taking us down the wrong path. Perhaps a better question would be to ask if children are getting enough exercise, sleep, social interaction and healthy food. The neuroscience is really clear that it is a healthy dose of these four things, rather than too much of other things that inhibit the development of strong, healthy brains. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMike Malcolm - Principal of Leamington School Archives
August 2019
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