Synopsis
Eric Jensen—a leading expert in the translation of brain research into education, argues in Enriching the Brain that we greatly underestimate students’ achievement capacity. Drawing from a wide range of neuroscience research as well as related studies, Jensen reveals that the human brain is far more dynamic and malleable than we earlier believed. He offers us a powerful new understanding of how the brain can be “enriched,” across the board to maximize learning, memory, behavior and overall function. The bottom line is we have far more to do with how our children’s brains turn out than we previously thought. Enriching the Brain shows that lasting brain enrichment doesn’t occur randomly through routine or ordinary learning. It requires a specific, and persistent experiences that amount to a “formula” for maximizing brain potential. Parents, teachers and policy-makers would do well to memorize this formula. In fact, the lifelong potential of all school age kids depends on whether or not we use it. Offering an inspiring and innovative set of practices for promoting enrichment in the home, the school, and the classroom, this book is a clarion call. All of us, from teachers to parents to policymakers must take their role as ‘brain shapers’ much more seriously and this book gives the tools with which to do it.
Library Journal
Jensen (Teaching with the Brain in Mind) an internationally recognized expert on "brain-based" learning, posits that educational methods today, which focus on rigorous curricula and high-stakes testing, ignore what neuroscientific research has determined to be effective ways of improving the efficiency and efficacy of student learning. Such research has shown that learning is less likely to occur during ordinary or routine activities than when activities are novel and meaningful, when learning environments are complex but coherent, and when students are offered plenty of physical activity, good nutrition, limited stress, and social interaction. Jensen offers suggestions on implementing what we know of how the brain works in order to improve student performance. He believes that students' intelligence is often underestimated and that it is possible to use neuroscience to help all students achieve their full potential. The book is divided into ten chapters, among them "The Fixed-Brain Myth," "The Science Behind Enrichment," and "Exploring Exceptional Brains." Well written and backed by solid scholarship, this is an essential purchase for any academic library serving education students and professionals, as well as for public libraries serving parents of school-aged children.-Mark Bay, Univ. of the Cumberlands Lib., Williamsburg, KY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.