What are the mechanisms by which education modifies the child's brain ? I'll try to summarize a few key principles from the cognitive sciences that are applicable to the classroom. Cognitive psychology and brain imaging support two strong ideas :
- Children possess a wide range of early intuitions, particularly in language and mathematics, which serve as a foundation for later learning.
- From infancy onwards, the brain is equipped with a sophisticated learning algorithm, some of whose essential components are attention, active engagement, reward, error detection, automation and sleep. Readings can be greatly enhanced when the teacher makes the most of these child resources.
