10 Ways that Neuroplasticity can Improve Your Child’s Brain.
28th August 2023
Growth Mindset
Has your child ever said to you, ‘I can’t do that, my brain just doesn’t work that way!’ ‘Growth mindset’ was widely adopted in schools a few years ago; it is a way of encouraging children to think differently. Instead of saying ’I can’t do that,’ we added…’yet’ to the end of their sentence. A growth mindset refers to an individual’s belief that they can improve their abilities and skills through effort. You may think that this is easier said than done…but not if we consider our brains through the lens of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity can improve your child’s brain; it enables this change by allowing new neural pathways to be formed as we learn, enabling us to acquire knowledge and develop our skills. Thus, neuroplasticity supports a growth mindset by providing the biological basis for learning and development.
Rewire your brain
Neuroplasticity is the process by which the brain can rewire itself in response to experience. It is how we learn, form memories and adapt our behaviour. The process allows us to adjust our thinking patterns and behaviours, even when faced with adversity or trauma. This means that learning becomes easier and more efficient over time as neurons are able to fire faster and create new pathways for information processing. Neuroplasticity can help people learn new skills quickly, master complex tasks, improve their memory capabilities and develop better problem-solving abilities.
It used to be thought that our brains stopped developing at a certain age and that our brain cells would then die throughout the remainder of our lives. But science has proven that this is not the case. Our experiences and practice can shape pathways throughout our life. It is something that happens on a day to day basis but we can also purposefully stimulate the development of the pathways that we want to encourage. You can read psychologist’s explanation for more detail about the science
Your child can practise techniques that can literally change their brain and their way of thinking, learning and approaching difficult tasks. It is the optimum time to train their brain as, by the age of 2, there are twice as many neuron connections as with the average adult.
Our top ten tips
- Physical activity can increase the hippocampus (this part of the brain plays a major role in learning and memory. This includes dancing!
- Ensure that your child gets enough sleep. This also has a significant effect on the hippocampus.
- Immerse your child in examples of what they want to achieve. Expose them to the modelled example as often as possible.
- Visit as many new places with your child as possible. New stimuli and new environments will open up new pathways
- Practise the brain training technique of mnemonics (e.g.creating rhymes, visual images, key words, music or acronyms to help remember new information).
- Expand your child’s vocabulary
- Ask your child to complete tasks using their non-dominant hand. For example, they could try to write a sentence with their left hand if they are right handed.
- Learning a musical instrument or another language increases connectivity.
- Teach your child how to juggle.
- If your child plays video games, encourage them to play 3D adventure games as these will help to improve memory and problem solving skills
