By Paul Blackman I was playing tennis and suddenly felt acute pain in my chest. This led to a two-hour delay finally getting to a hospital where I can be treated. The doctor who examines me tells me that I have had a major heart attack and that if I made it through the night
As complex a task as reading is, thanks to developments in neuroscience and technology we are now able to target key learning centers in the brain and identify the areas and neural pathways the brain employs for reading. We not only understand why strong readers read well and struggling readers struggle, but we are also
Dyslexia isn’t just about bad spelling – teachers need to try a variety of strategies to build confidence. I have this issue with how I hear words, Gareth, a 31-year-old graphic designer, tells me. “So for example, while I was growing up, it was really hard to tell the difference between the words ‘girl’ and
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences proposes that people are not born with all of the intelligence they will ever have.
This theory challenged the traditional notion that there is one single type of intelligence, sometimes known as “g” for general intelligence, that only focuses on cognitive abilities.
Humans have likely been speaking since the dawn of the species a quarter million years ago. Over evolutionary time, the human brain has been molded for language, as regions such as Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas have become specialized for speech production and perception. These aren’t new brain structures or unique to humans, but their exact functions in our hominid ancestors and primate cousins are still unclear.
We are born with a natural thirst for knowledge. Biologically, the highest concentration of happy hormones (endorphins) in our body is found in the learning centers of our brain. This means we are hardwired to learn. It also means learning brings us great joy.
Just imagine what you would rather do – engage in a stimulating activity like reading or drawing or staring at a blank wall? The answer is fairly simple..
