New sensitive area in neural development found in 3rd graders

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

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http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/06/does-third-grade-lead-to-brain-changes/?hpt=hp_c2

It's amazing how much can change during the sensitive periods of development. We're talking permanent increases in problem solving capability and so many other capabilities. It's a wonder why we don't have more cognitive neuroscientists dictating our educational system.

 

[Morzh]

There have been dozens of synpatogenic "critical periods" found in prenatal, infant, and adolescent development.

But there is a HUGE gap between identifying the existence of these periods and actually being able to exploit them in beneficial ways. The kind of development children need is just normal human developmental experiences. These discoveries are interesting and tell us a lot about how the brain develops, but you have to be careful not to extrapolate beyond the evidence that is actually shown in the study. As a scientific community we have to be careful to keep the distinction between real science and junk science unmistakably clear.

But yes, our educational system would be much better off if educational psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists had more influence and politicians had much less.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

There have been dozens of synpatogenic "critical periods" found in prenatal, infant, and adolescent development.

Yup, the brain develops certain regions at different times and as such there are different sensitive/critical periods.

But there is a HUGE gap between identifying the existence of these periods and actually being able to exploit them in beneficial ways. The kind of development children need is just normal human developmental experiences. These discoveries are interesting and tell us a lot about how the brain develops, but you have to be careful not to extrapolate beyond the evidence that is actually shown in the study. As a scientific community we have to be careful to keep the distinction between real science and junk science unmistakably clear.

I agree, but there's been almost no real study of these critical period and how to exploit them. We overall just know that they exist and that removing the experiences causes defects. I suppose this is mostly in part to the fact that this is all relatively new stuff.

But yes, our educational system would be much better off if educational psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists had more influence and politicians had much less.

Yup....