Connecting Brain Dominance and Learning Capabilities
The Therapy Group
correlation between learning capability and brain dominance is on the
rise. The question remains, what happens when the environment and
teaching style children are being asked to participate in doesn't
match their dominant learning style?
Individuals use both the left and right hemisphere throughout their
daily activities and routines. Interestingly enough test results show
there is generally a dominant side of the brain that is activated more
often than the other. The hand you write is no longer an exclusive
indicator of which side of the brain you use the most.
Instead, your actions and perceptions of situations tend to define
which side of the brain you use more often. Left side dominant
individuals tend to excel in areas such as mathematics and language
skills. These individuals are very comfortable with concrete concepts
and logical thinking. They often notice differences between objects.
Rules, agendas, and structured environments where cause and effect are
evident are mandatory for strong left sided thinkers. Right side
dominant individuals tend to thrive in the 'hands on' experiences.
Their analytical and artistic skills are used to assist them in
learning. Right-brained individuals often see similarities and
patterns. They tend to think in pictures and use their 'gut instincts'
to make decisions or guide them during testing. Right brained
individuals see connections between events vs. recalling rote facts
and figures.
Although it is interesting to be able to identify which side of your
brain is dominant, is it really that important? For individuals
struggling with learning, the answer is YES! When researcher Roger
Sperry published his works in the late 1960's he not only identified
the differences between the two hemispheres of our brain, he also
indicated the communication between the two is essential for
maximizing memory retention and learning. Learning can take place no
matter which side of the brain is dominant. However, if information is
presented to the learner in a format consistent with their dominant
learning style, the information is stored more efficiently for memory
retrieval because the neurological connections on their dominant side
of the brain are vast. Furthermore, when the information is able to be
passed from one side of the brain to the other, there becomes two
"homes" for the information to be retrieved from. When information is
stored on each side of the brain, memory recall is much faster and
consistent.
Research tends to show most Americans are left brain dominant. Many
schools and professions, institute rules and regulations that are
geared towards left brained individuals. Learning is often expected to
take place through repeated repetitions and memorization. Often
information is presented by somebody reading, either to themselves or
aloud, and the learning is measured by the student's ability to recall
that information accurately. Spelling words and multiplication tables
are memorized, science and history information is recited, and testing
if often multiple choice.
While these methods have proved to work for most, they do not apply to
all. Many teachers have begun to use more 'right brained' learning
techniques in their classrooms. They have created opportunities to
allow more hands on learning. They are now presenting information
through a variety of methods that can appeal to both right and left
brained individuals. However, with recent cutbacks in our school
systems, and the newly mandated concept of "No Child Left Behind",
teachers are faced with a growing challenge of reaching a classroom
full of students all with a wide variety of learning styles.
While the learning environments appear to be adapting to the concept
of dominant learning styles as best they can, very few standardized
tests are bending to conform. While parents and teachers are
attempting to get the information in as efficiently as possible, the
tests that count still follow most left brained methods. However,
there are alternative techniques to assist with information recall and
memorization. One of the means of increasing learning capability is to
reinforce the opportunity for information to pass between the two
hemispheres more easily, resulting in increased memory retention and
recall capabilities. The integration of the left and right side of the
brain has a very powerful impact on the brain's ability to process
information making learning happen easier and faster.
As a pediatric Occupational Therapist specializing in sensory, visual,
and auditory processing, I have witnessed tremendous advancement in
children once labeled with a learning disability simply by identifying
brain dominance and providing them with programs and activities
designed to increase the connections between right and left brain
functions. Learning difficulties can be helped. Not necessarily by
giving the individual compensatory strategies, but by improving the
whole learning process. When you are able to use your brain for
efficiently, frustration and anxiety over learning decreases and
learning becomes interesting and fun.
In summary, identifying brain dominance can be the key to unlocking
learning capabilities and memory retention. There is hope for
struggling learners. By identifying learning styles and integrating
both hemispheres of the brain more efficiently, learning capabilities
are endless.