Introduction
Every child must be stretched and encouraged in order to gain from your lessons as a teacher or tutor. Adapting education to the maturity level of a child and teaching that is either above or below a child’s cognitive level of intellect is not only ineffective but can also lead to classroom behavior issues. Failing to match education to your students’ intellectual development can explain inappropriate behaviors including procrastination, questioning hierarchy, and aggressiveness against other students. You should also be aware that not every brain processes develop at the same time. Children with superior verbal ability may have a harder time developing the ability to learn how to write properly. Other children may be physically strong but lack the ability to control their interpersonal skills. Others may be intelligent but emotionally immature. In today’s blog on education, we’ll look at how our brain grows for better learning.
For these reasons, it’s critical to comprehend how our brains evolve and the disparities that may exist at each stage of “regular” progression.
How Does the Brain Grow?
Children use a variety of educational methods. And, while brain maturity is a significant determinant in learning differences, the truth is more convoluted. Age, developmental stage, and brain maturity all have an impact on children’s learning styles. Genes, characters, and surroundings all have a role in learning differences, but we’ll concentrate on how and when the brain develops in this session.
- Before birth – Different parts of the brain develop at diverse speeds and in different ways, but maturation begins long before birth. Nerve cells, also known as neurons, move to their final sites within the brain as a fetus matures. There is no gurantee in the survival of each neuron. Because neurons fight for limited space, those that cannot find a home, a place to live and thrive, are clipped and destroyed. Although it is unknown why some neurons find a place and others do not, once a neuron has found a home, it continues to expand and mature within its brain area.
- Schooling years – Both the motor and sensory components of the brain are operational at birth. A newly born baby’s motor control is capable of supplying and moving further away from uncomfortable or undesirable sensations. Although the audio and visual processes are present from birth, they continue to develop as the brain interacts with the surroundings during the first few months after birth.
During babyhood and kindergarten age, children’s motor and sensory processes continue to improve. During this phase, both auditory and visual skills develop. Because environmental inputs impact brain development after birth, and because those impulses are different for each kid, hence, each human brain is unique.
Where does learning happen?
Children’s motor skills, visual-motor synchronization, logic, communication, social comprehension, and memorization all develop during the early elementary years. Thoughts blend into meaningful portions that can be used later as learning is accumulated into neural networks. This stage marks the beginning of a child’s ability to generalize and think, which will last till adulthood. These youngsters also learn about perspective-taking and social interaction during this time. Understanding one’s social position is essential for the formation of proper connections with others. The development of the right hemisphere tracts is linked to these talents. These are also the emotional processing centers of the brain.
Here’s something you as a parent should do:
- Be conscious of your students’ developmental trajectories
- Recognize that normal growth varies greatly even among children of the same age and class.
- Be mindful that preterm born children may not be at the same developmental stage as their chronological peers:
- Be mindful that childhood disorders like throat infections, breathing problems, severe allergic reactions, repeated illnesses, and so on, as well as family disruptions like death or divorce, can have an impact on a child’s upbringing.
- Keep in mind that a healthy brain enjoys learning. Learning is best when children are exposed to a wide range of concepts, experiences, abilities, and resources.
- Keep in mind that not all brain systems develop at the same time or at the same rate. The growth of a child can accelerate in one area and delayed in the other.
Things to Avoid
- Don’t assume that a child has a condition if there is a delay in learning.
- Do not presume that a child’s current delays will improve over time.
- Avoid using a one-size-fits-all strategy for your child.
- Don’t put kids in groups exclusively based on their age.
- Do not make assumptions about someone’s ability solely on their physical attributes.
To Conclude
It is critical for educators to grasp the relationship between brain development and learning at each phase of development. When there is a disparity between health and aspirations related to one’s cognitive pedagogy, this knowledge is especially crucial. Variations in brain growth or a developmental defect could be to blame for the imbalance. Research has discovered differences in brain anatomy, function, and growth in children with learning difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and mood problems.