Questions Kids Ask About Their Brains

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, PhD, is an instructor at the Harvard University Extension School in a course called the Neuroscience of Learning: An Introduction to Mind, Brain, Health, and Education. She has taught at kindergarten through university levels, is the associate editor of the peer-reviewed journal Science of Learning, and is an international educational consultant. Her books include Bringing the Neuroscience of Learning to Online Teaching: An Educator's Handbook and The New Science of Teaching and Learning.

Contents Acknowledgments ?ix Preface ?xi Questions as a Gateway to the Mind ?xi How to Read This Book ?xii 1. ? The Pedagogy of Listening ?1 A New "Theory of Brain" to Complement "Theory of Mind"? ?3 Where the Questions Come From ?4 2. ?Life Changes the Learning Brain ?6 What You Know Influences What You Can Know ?7 Educators, Mind, and Brain ?10 3. ?Identity: Who Am I? ?12 Similarities and Differences ?12 Nature via Nurture Plus Free Will ?15 Perception ?26 Self-Awareness ?28 Summary ?34 Resources to Extend Learning ?35 4. ?Structure: What Is the Physical Structure of the Brain? ?36 Color and Texture ?37 Weight and Size ?38 Divisions of the Brain ?42 Hemispheres and Laterality ?53 Neurons and Synapses ?58 Blood and Nerves ?63 Summary ?66 Resources to Extend Learning ?66 5. ?Growth: How Does the Brain Develop? ?67 Babies' Brains ?67 Children's Brains ?72 Adolescent Brains ?77 Adult Brains ?82 Old Age ?83 Brain Death ?87 Afterlife ?90 Summary ?91 Resources to Extend Learning ?92 6. ?Function: How Does the Brain Work and Stay Healthy? ?93 Brain-Body Connection ?93 Control and Choice ?94 Sleep and Dreaming ?98 Nutrition ?114 Physical Activity ?119 Summary ?122 Resources to Extend Learning ?122 7. ?Emotions and Feelings: What Does My Brain Have to Do With My Feelings? ?123 Emotional Processing ?123 Emotional Triggers ?131 Emotional Load ?136 Relationships ?141 Negative Emotions ?144 Positive Emotions ?153 Motivation, Boredom, and Procrastination ?158 Summary ?166 Resources to Extend Learning ?167 8. ?Memory, Attention, and Executive Functions: What Are the Building Blocks of All Learning? ?168 Memory ?169 Attention ?186 Executive Functions ?194 Summary ?202 Resources to Extend Learning ?203 9. ?Learning: How Does Stuff Get Into Our Brains So We Can Use It in the Future? ?204 Processing ?204 Connectivity ?206 Cognitive Load ?210 Maximum Potential ?213 Innate Intelligence ?214 Best Learning ?218 Speed and Range ?219 Genius, Gifted, and Talented ?222 Creativity and Imagination ?224 Problem-Solving ?226 Training and Studying ?228 Summary ?232 Resources to Extend Learning ?232 10. ?Problems That Impede Learning: Why Are There Brains That Work a Little Bit Differently? ?233 Dyslexia ?234 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ?236 Executive Dysfunction ?241 Headaches, Brain Damage ?241 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) ?245 Addiction ?246 Psychopaths ?248 Brain Health ?250 Summary ?251 Resources to Extend Learning ?253 11. ?Final Thoughts ?254 References ?257 Index ?259 About the Author ?271