Are We Teaching Against the Brain?

The Surprising Science That Could Transform Learning

I recently gave a TEDx talk and I wanted to share with you the most important parts of the talk. You can watch the entire talk on the TEDx YouTube channel (embedded below). Here are some key takeaways.

When We're Learning, Our Brains Work Really Hard

Think about a time when you were doing something new or challenging. (For my husband, a brilliant biochemist, this happens when he's assembling furniture.) You may have felt something like a heavy weight in your head. You may have felt tired when you finished. That’s because when we’re learning, we need a lot of our brain’s resources to do that one thing.

This is what neuroscientists call having a "heavy cognitive load.” But, as we practice and repeat that thing we're learning, it gets easier and more automatic to do. 

The more we repeat, the easier things get

One way the brain makes it easier to do things is by building neural shortcuts. Think of it this way, when we’re first learning, we have this tangled web of neural connections. But, as we keep practicing, repeating, or thinking about the new knowledge/skill, the brain prunes back the connections it doesn’t need just like you prune an apple tree to make it grow more fruit. Then, the brain can strengthen the connections that are left. This repetition creates efficient neural pathways. And, this pruning happens throughout our lives, not just in childhood. The more we work at something, at any age, the more efficient our neural networks become.

No two brains are alike

But each of our brains develops on its own unique timeline. For example, my daughter started reading on her third birthday (freakishly early) but my son didn’t read well until around age 9. As adults, they are both solid readers. So, we can expect learning to happen at different rates in different people. This is not a problem. This is normal human development.

We repeat what interests us

One reason no two brains are alike is because we repeat what interests us. We don’t have to force ourselves to practice when we want to learn the thing we’re learning. For example, my daughter loves music so she plays instruments, sings, and listens to music every day. She has made her brain efficient at musical tasks. It took a lot of work to get as good as she is but the work itself was enjoyable. Our interests drive us to repeat, and repetition sculpts the brain. This is why Montessori education centers on following the child's interests—it's not just philosophy, it's neuroscience.

Montessori brains are different

Recently one of our research heroes, Solange Denervaud, and her team (led by Paola Zanchi) conducted neuroimaging research that compared the brains of students in traditional schools with those in Montessori schools (read the full research article by Zanchi et al., 2024 here). The findings? Montessori students showed greater neuronal stability and greater network integration. This means that the type of learning environment we’re in may influence brain development in measurable ways.

What This Means for Education

These are the three key insights that I hope you take away from this TEDx talk.

1. Because no two brains are alike, trust each human’s timeline. Everyone’s brain is unique. Some skills will come earlier, others later. Don’t panic if someone is “behind.” Instead, be intentional and explicit about the instruction and find a way to link it with their interests.
2. Honor repetition. The more we repeat, the easier things get so create reasons to keep working on a topic and make time for everyone to progress at their own rate.
3. Because interest is learning’s superpower, follow the interest. When you, your child, or your student shows an interest in something, support them in going deeper. Find a way to expand the interest into a field of academic inquiry.

There’s a lot more to know about the brain and learning, but if we all start here, I think it would put us on a sane, effective, and compassionate path.

Feel free to add your thoughts to the comments below. I hope this helps!

References

Courchesne, E., Pierce, K., Schumann, C. M., Redcay, E., Buckwalter, J. A., Kennedy, D. P., & Morgan, J. (2007). Mapping early brain development in autism. Neuron, 56(2), 399-413.

Gaillard, W.D., Hertz-Pannier, L., Mott, S.H., Barnett, A.S., LeBihan, D., & Theodore, W.H. (2000). Functional anatomy of cognitive development: fMRI of verbal fluency in children and adults. Neurology, 54, 180-185.

Immordino-Yang, M. H., Nasir, N. I. S., Cantor, P., & Yoshikawa, H. (2023). Weaving a colorful cloth: Centering education on humans’ emergent developmental potentials. Review of Research in Education, 47(1), 1-45. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X231223516

Kolk, S.M., Rakic, P. (2022). Development of prefrontal cortex. Neuropsychopharmacology. 47, 41–57. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-021-01137-9

Zanchi, P., Mullier, E., Fornari, E., Guerrier de Dumast, P., Alemán-Gómez, Y., Ledoux, J. B., ... & Denervaud, S. (2024). Differences in spatiotemporal brain network dynamics of Montessori and traditionally schooled students. npj Science of Learning, 9(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-024-00254-6