Building A Better Brain
1st April 2006
Over the last few years, brain research has been so rife that some of it that has turned popular has become obsolete for a very long time. We know, however, that there are some basic truths about the brain we need to know in order to help our children develop.Â
- Neurons can grow. Brain cells, once thought to never regenerate, now apparently do. Research continues to support the idea that stimulation of the brain helps faciliate the growth and development of brain cells.Â
- Brains are plastic. Neuroplasticity is one of the characteristics of the brain that helps brains that are damaged to call on other resources to fulfill the function of that part of the brain. Children who have operations to remove tumors and seizures live life as though nothing happened to them… but they literally have only half a brain!Â
If you think of the tremendous potential your child has, it’s about how you develop the brain at home. I think forced stimulation may be just as good as voluntary stimulation in developing the brain, but we probably develop different parts of the brain in both cases. Â
To ensure your child doesn’t lose out on bad decisions, you probably need to make a choice to do something for them. So, sometimes, you coerce them into doing something. What if you had such a good relationship with your child that they ended up buying your idea? I think it’s possible, if you know how. The main concept is what I coined as parallel instruction. It takes what the child already is interested in and activates that while teaching something else. So, if he’s interested in computer games, I teach mathematics and the complexities of computer graphics. If it’s sport, I use it as an opportunity to teach physics and forces. Â
Other forms of stimulation include encasing the learning process within some other kind of activity. For instance, jungle survival camp. There, participants could learn a lot more about survival and working with teams. They would probably then appreciate their biology teacher a lot more! In this respect, it would be viable to set aside some time and money to invest in their continued growth, with their education in mind. Not just formal courses of study, but informal ones, those that keep their brain stimulated and growing. Exchange programs, homestay programs and the like are going to be useful and effective for overall enrichment and development.Â
Then, talk to them about it, discuss it and have fun interacting! After all, what is parenthood without the joy of sharing in exciting moments in your children’s lives!