News Herald – Juliann Talkington
As we learn more about the brain and researchers gain a better understanding of how the body works, it appears that education does more than prepare kids for fulfilling careers.
According to Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, a Nobel Laureate in medicine, there is a link between education and biochemistry at the cellular level. Although the research is still in the early stages, there appears to be a significant correlation between education and health – the more education, the better the health, and the slower the aging process.
In addition, there is research that suggests the brain is a biologic computer that has the ability to customize itself based on experience and exposure. Researchers believe the brain contains the cells necessary to handle trillions of processes. If signals are sent between brains cells, the connections become hard-wired. If signals are not sent between cells, the connections are discarded. Most researchers believe the hard-wiring/discarding process is nearly complete at the onset of puberty.
There has been much debate about education and IQ. In the past, many people believed IQ was fixed at birth. However, a recent Norwegian study that analyzed IQs before and after an increase in compulsory education appears to confirm that education can improve IQ.
So what do these findings mean for parents?
High quality education during the formative years is critical. Some experts argue parents should consider reallocating college funds to preK-8 education to allow children to maximize brain development and IQ.
Making a decision to reallocate funds has a long-term impact, so parents need to be sure the education is worth the price.
The best elementary and middle schools have innovative curricula designed to stimulate the brain in different ways. Some of the critical elements are:
– cross disciplinary creativity/innovation curriculum (arts, sciences, languages, math, music, etc.)
– immersion instruction in languages other than English
– challenging analytical processing exercises (advanced math and science)
– exposure to different cultures (including the arts)
– opportunities to synthesize information and formulate ideas
– quality reading material (challenging vocabulary and sentence structure)
– interactions with people of a variety of ages (not just peers)
– opportunities to hone public speaking skills
– spatial, verbal, written, and active instruction
– focus on diet and exercise
– teachers with real world experience and subject area degrees
Changing your financial focus to the early education may be radical, however, the change could make a significant difference in your child’s life.