| In The Phenomenon of Assimilation, we discussed the
need for "downtime," the time set aside for a child's brain to assimilate new
information. We stated that it was a time of neural reorganization and
restructuring. What can teachers and parents do to shorten the
length of this assimilation process? How can we make a child better able to process
new information? By encouraging the child to build a network of prior knowledge.
Developing prior knowledge: To
shorten future periods of assimilation, a parent or teacher may want to introduce topics days or
weeks before a lesson begins. By pre-exposing the child to new information, his brain has an opportunity to form new patterns prior to
instruction. “This principle,” writes Eric Jensen, author of Brain-Compatible Learning,
“suggests that we ought to be aware of how the brain makes sense out of random information
through pattern-making; and the importance of engaging the child with a big picture
perspective.” By building a structure of
prior knowledge, the child's brain has time to adjust the puzzle pieces before receiving
new incoming information. Looking
ahead: At the beginning of a new school year, when a child brings home a
new textbook, the parent may want to write on a calendar the topics to be covered
throughout the year. For example, if in
January he will be learning about Japan,
the parent can help him develop an
interest in the country during the fall. Not
statistical information like the major imports and exports, but something he can identify
with, like a Japanese child’s school day. Set
one clock in the house to Tokyo time and label it “Tokyo, Japan.” The budding geographer will want to know more. When he goes to bed, he will know that his
counterpart in Japan is eating breakfast – tomorrow!
What is he eating? Does he take
the school bus? Is he going to walk to school? Does
he wear tennis shoes? Through this wonderful
process, the child is developing a geographical and cultural neural network of prior
knowledge concerning the country of Japan.
If, next spring, he will be learning about the metric
system, the parent can begin in the fall to stir up his mathematical curiosity.
Convert his height from inches and feet to meters. When grocery shopping,
he could weigh an apple, then convert it to grams. For example, a 7-ounce Granny Smith
apple weighs 200 grams. (.035 ounces = 1gram. Therefore, 7 divided by .035 =
200grams.) Would his counterpart in Japan use the metric system? Are
Granny Smith apples even available in Japan? Now we are back to our social studies
topic. What fruits are indigenous to that region? Building a
network of prior knowledge: Children are naturally curious. This
built-in hunger for knowledge includes a system of neural networking that is designed to
enhance learning. Helping a child develop preliminary patterns of organization and
reorganization through the introduction of prior knowledge decreases the time needed for
him to assimilate new information. |