WORDS Dr. Jenny Brockis
s d i k r u o g Helpin r e t t e b n r a e l to
Did you have a favourite teacher at school? If you did, was the subject they taught the one you most enjoyed? How effectively we learn depends on a number of factors. Liking your teacher is a great place to start, but there are lots of other things that make a difference too. While we can’t pick and choose teachers for our children or even predict what subjects our kids might enjoy, there are a number of things we can do as parents to help our kids be ready learners.
1 Sleep right Tired brains find it much harder to pay attention, let alone remember what is being taught. The amount of sleep our children needs depends on age. Between the age of 7 and 12 they need between 10 and 11 hours. Between 12 and 18 they need between 8 and 9 hours a night of good quality uninterrupted sleep. Getting our kids to bed at a reasonable time can be a challenge especially when sleep is competing with TV, homework and socialising with friends. Setting sleep boundaries is important as it sets up good sleep habits for later years. The current recommendation is that TVs, laptops and phones should be kept out of the bedroom and preferably switched off 2-3 hours prior to bedtime. This is because all these gadgets emit a blue light that causes the brain to think it is still daytime and so makes it harder to go to sleep. This is true for adults as well! If your child’s grades are slipping or they are uncharacteristically grumpy, it might not be that they’re not trying or disinterested – they may be tired. Sleep deprivation builds up over time and can’t be repaid with just a couple of lieins over the weekend. Keeping to a regular sleep routine (at all ages) is what matters.
2 Encourage daily exercise
DR. JENNY BROCKIS is the brain fitness doctor. Her mission is to boost performance through greater brain awareness in all aspects of our lives. Her new book Future Brain – the 12 Keys to Create a High Performance Brain published by Wiley, will be available from all good bookstores in October 2015 To download a free chapter or pre-order your copy visit www.drjennybrockis.com
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Parentingideas Magazine Issue 17
Exercise is crucial to brain development and our kids brains aren’t fully mature until they are in their mid twenties. Research has shown that kids that exercise regularly are primed to be better learners because the extra ‘shoosh’ of blood flow to the brain brings extra oxygen and nutrients boosting performance and making learning easier. The ‘which’ exercise matters less than participation. It’s about giving a sport a go to see which one(s) your child likes the best. Reluctant athletes may find other activities such as dance, Wii machines or tree climbing appealing – it’s all about moving more and sitting less. Prolonged sitting has now been shown to increase our risk of feeling anxious.
Being involved in team sports not only builds cooperation, it helps to create team spirit, motivating allegiance and collaboration as well as an interest in sport as a means to stay well and healthy. Kids who play sport regularly are less prone to mood disorders. With levels of stress, anxiety and depression in kids reaching epidemic levels, getting them out for 30-60 minutes of running, cycling, kicking a football or going for a swim every day can make all the difference. Yes you read that right; our kids need to be active for at least an hour every day.
3 Fuel ‘em up Brains need fuel to work at their best and science is showing how food choices impact learning, thinking and mood. Rather than banning certain foods, which are seen as bad, and which only makes them far more desirable – look to encourage your kids to make healthier food choices at each meal especially when it comes to fruit and veg, and keep sweets and snack foods as occasional treats. Our kids follow our example, so if we are seen to be making healthier food choices, so will they. Well that’s the theory! Plus of course you are likely to be the one making the food purchases at the supermarket and/or making that packed lunch.
a better result the next time. If the focus is purely on academic marks this pressure can lead to a fixed mindset where there can only be success or failure, and actually diminishes the desire to do better.
5 Encourage whole brain learning While some kids will be naturally drawn to either be more interested in science and maths, or drama and art, as parents we can encourage our kids to learn to love art, learn about our social history, stay engaged with nature and to explore cool science projects.
5 Provide down time Learning happens best in chunks of time. The brain isn’t designed for longterm focus. After a full day of school its important kids have some down time just to chill out and relax and not think about school stuff. This is because it gives the subconscious time to decide what it needs to keep in long-term memory banks as well as strengthening new memories. It also provides the time needed for busy brains to restore and replenish, to then be best prepared for another great day of learning tomorrow.
Diets that are high in sugar, fat and salt not only put physical health at risk, they have been shown to promote higher levels of inflammation in the body, which is bad for brain health and thinking.
Scheduling in technology breaks is important. Society has fully embraced our new technologies and it’s now hard to imagine a world without them. That being said, overuse of smart phones, tablets and computers for texting, playing on-line games or watching movies can result in it being hard to switch off or enjoy short periods of time that aren’t crammed full of ‘doing’. This can lead to fragmented attention and difficulty focusing on a task for long enough either to complete it or to a satisfactory level.
4 Foster curiosity
8 Check in on happiness
Kids are naturally inquisitive and love to share their ideas and thoughts. Rather than providing the answer to every question, look for ways to encourage them to discover the answer themselves. Not only does it promote imagination and enquiry, it helps to nurture creativity. Talking about different subjects around the dinner table can also be a great way to foster deeper understanding of a topic as well as stimulate some healthy debate.
We send our kids to school to learn – but one of the biggest influencers on how well our kids do will be the strength and happiness of their relationships with their friends. As parents we can support them through those times when friendships get a little rocky, by teaching them how they can learn how to manage their own feelings in a positive way. Sometimes just being there as a sounding board (trying hard not to succumb to the temptation to tell them how to fix the problem) or to give that much needed hug is what counts the most.
Reality TV shows have done a lot to re-engage us with the idea that food, its preparation and consumption is fun and has helped expose our kids to the idea that there are a myriad of different foods to try and enjoy.
5 Reward effort How we praise our kids has been shown to have a big impact on self-esteem and belief in their own ability. When we reward effort, it promotes what is called a growth mindset where failure is not seen as shameful, merely a stimulus to learn from so as to get
We all learn more effectively when we are relaxed, happy and interested. Teaching our kids how to stay in that zone more often and for longer is what will help them to retain the joy of learning. Issue 17 Parentingideas Magazine
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