The Washington Post – Lyndsey Layton
“Teenagers always have been a mystery, drawing perplexing parental questions: What was he thinking when he drove down a one-way street the wrong way, just for kicks? Why is she oblivious to the heap of clothes piled on the bedroom floor for two weeks? Frances Jensen, a neuroscientist and single mother of two boys, pondered these quandaries and many more, then delved into the emerging science of the adolescent brain. She came out with provocative new insights for parents, educators, public policymakers and teens themselves…New brain science developed during the past dozen years obliterates some long-held assumptions about teenagers…Once thought to be set in childhood, IQ is fluid during the teenage years…“The idea that IQ is malleable suggests that teenage years are extremely important in terms of the right kind of brain stimulation. It’s a time of working on strengths while trying to improve weaknesses. How you treat your brain in the teen years will define your baseline for the rest of your life.” That’s why an enriched environment, engaging afterschool activities and a robust educational setting are key during teen years, she said.”(more)