We can Learn

I read a recent Scientific American online article about a study done that showed that certain memory exercises can bolster intelligence. There are critics of the study and its methodology, but if the data holds, it is a great finding. It is common thought among psychologists, that transference of improved intellectual skills from one kind of task to another does not work. This study would alter that line of thought.

As I think of this, I am reminded of the studies on expectations and success. Students whose parents and teachers hold high expectations and helped their students realize that they could learn tend to learn at a higher rate. In another study, students who were led to believe they could learn a subject, even if that subject were difficult for them, had more improvement than those that didn't believe. One example of this might be math. Too often I've heard from parents or other adults, "I understand why he/she can't learn math. I wasn't very good at it either." Instead, we must help our children see that learning some subjects may be difficult, it is not an impossible task. Giving examples of others who struggled with the subject before finally "getting it," helps provide students with a model for perseverance in learning.