Techniques of Effective Learning. Natalia Kirilina

      Fundamentals to help you learn how children take in new information and develop new abilities and skills

      If you are worried about the development of your child then remember that there are learning strategies and methods which can help them learn more easily.

      I suggest a quick dive into the theory behind how the brain works and how new information, abilities, and skills are built into it.

      Later we will look at the best learning strategies at every level of a child’s brain development.

      First, though, here are some important facts:

      Children learn by creating connections between brain cells which are called “neural pathways”.

      The more often these neural pathways are used, the stronger they become. For this reason, practice helps improve skills.

      Creating the circuit system of the brain

      Every brain cell (neuron) looks like an ordinary tree.

      When children learn information about the world, their neurons branch out and create connections between each other. The resulting neural pathways are similar to electrical wires. Each neuron can have several connections with other neurons.

      These “wires” do not touch each other.

      Instead, they release information in the space between neurons, known as “synapses”. The brain’s chemical elements (neurotransmitters) help the system communicate.

      How neural pathways work

      Each neuron pathway is like a schematic. When electricity goes through the circuit, it receives an answer.

      For example, when you flip a light switch, the light turns on. Some brain circuits, like those for breathing and blood circulation, are already developed at birth. Other schematics are dependent on activity.

      They need input to work, and the more input data they receive, the better they work. This input is more complex than simply flipping a switch.

      This occurs for every experience and event a child goes through.

      Sounds, sights, tastes, smells, as well as feelings and emotions help the brain release neurotransmitters and control these schematics.

      Pruning or forgetting

      Neural pathways which are frequently used become stronger. This is similar to a paved road versus an ordinary path.

      Schematics which are not used become weaker and disappear over time. This process is called “pruning” or simply forgetting.

      This is normal. Everyone has more schematics than they need. “Pruning” occurs gradually over one’s whole life.

      Children’s minds are fairly flexible in order to constantly work to create new schematics and improve frequently used neural pathways. This process is known as “plasticity”.

      Strength of plasticity

      “Plasticity” is especially important for children. Their brains process information differently but do not always use the brain’s chemicals efficiently.

      These differences make it more difficult to create or reinforce some neural pathways.

      Teaching children the techniques of effective learning and information processing makes it possible to show children how to use their brain’s plasticity.

      Children not only learn better and more easily, they also experience less difficulties and stress.

      Learning through feelings

      Children do not need to think about neural pathways.

      This occurs naturally when they experience the world and learn about it.

      The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget created a well-known theory about how children develop skills of recognition and thought.

      Initially children use their senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell to start establishing connections. They taste, shake, and throw items. They also start to roll, reach for objects, and in the end, crawl and walk.

      All these actions help build neural pathways which control things like movement, sight, and language development.

      For example, children start mimicking sounds which grab their attention.

      Later, they continue tasting and discovering the world which surrounds them. They continue to move around to places they want to see. The brain strengthens these schematics and the child continues to develop.

      Learning through speech

      Between the ages of two and seven, language development increases with children learning to talk and understand more words and using more complex sentences.

      This is a critical time to create a rich speech environment for the child.

      At this stage, the more the child is spoken to, the more words they will use and learn. Likewise, the more new skills they will try, the more neural pathways they will form.

      At this point, children can be more creative in how they play with objects.

      For example, you might see your child using a big stick as a horse or turning a box into a rocket ship.

      Social skills develop slowly at this age, as children are not ready to understand logic, reasoning, and other people’s views.

      They often experience difficulty being around unfamiliar company and can likewise openly criticize or say what they do not like or comment on the behavior of other people.

      Learning through logic

      From the age of seven until middle school, children begin to think more logically.

      At this stage children are able to make connections between things. They become “detectives” who are capable of seeing clues and able to connect them.

      Socially speaking, children develop the ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and understand that actions have consequences.

      At this stage, adults can support children by helping them think through things like the cause or effect of any event.

      Learning through reasoning

      Transitioning into adolescence, children start to think more abstractly and with more complexity.

      They reason along the lines of “what if” and can picture the outcome of a situation.

      Children are capable of solving and understanding more complex mathematics, learning chemistry and physics, understanding storylines more deeply, and discussing literature they have read.

      Children can combine different kinds of skills to do more complex things like learn to drive or learn a profession.

      The system of electrical wires in the brain becomes more complex with circuits that intertwine with other circuits so that all the skills can work together.

      Main conclusions

      New experiences help your child form neural pathways. Exploring the world helps the brain grow. Various learning methods and other strategies of intervention can help children develop new paths and acquire more skills.

      There are things at each stage of development which you can do to help your child learn.

      What you can do to help your child learn

      – Study the techniques of effective learning. Learn how to structure text information, create “mind maps”, use the general to specific method, look for and remove mistakes, learn connected speech, and develop both sides of the brain.

      – Work on motivation, interest, attention, and discipline.

      – Improve