“Between the ages of 6 and 12 your child’s brain is actively undergoing synaptic pruning,” explain VK Mah and EL Ford-Jones, two researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children at the University of Toronto in the Pediatrics Department, in their latest research abstract.
This is the time period where your child’s brain is becoming more refined. And according to the researchers, how well this refining process occurs is dependent on your child’s environment.
It may help to take an inventory of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Start with school-related activities since we live in a culture where reading, writing and arithmetic are absolutely essential for survival. How well is your child reading? How well is she writing? How well is she doing math? If any of these skills are suffering, it’s time to do something about it.
By increasing your child’s cognitive abilities, you can assist the process of synaptic pruning. In other words, you can help your child’s brain “snip out” the bad synapses and axons that are related to poor reading, math , and writing skills – just by replacing them with new cognitive skills in these areas.
Imagine what would happen if you didn’t. Your child may progress from grade to grade with feelings of inadequacy and incompetency. Before long, your child might feel that he or she is stupid. In the long term, this will affect your child’s self image as well as his or her success in school and in life.
Gain control of your child’s synaptic pruning and let your child shine.
Source: Mah VK, Ford-Jones EL. Spotlight on middle childhood: Rejuvenating the ‘forgotten years’. Child Health 2012 Feb; 27(2):81-3.