«Mr Jäncke, why do teenagers find learning difficult?»
A university building in Zurich North. There's a campus atmosphere: young people with rucksacks scurry through the labyrinthine corridors, a queue outside the cafeteria, pizza and sandwiches are in high demand. Lutz Jäncke is waiting for us in his corner office. A tall, distinguished, elegantly dressed man. On the windowsill right next to the door is a collage of sand, deckchair and parasol. A birthday present from his employees: a voucher for a holiday on Sylt, his favourite island. But that will have to wait: «Too much work.»
Mr Jäncke, my son asks whether gaming makes you stupid. Does it do that?
Gaming should not be demonised in principle. There are now several studies that prove that gaming increases dexterity. Computer games also have positive effects on the formation of an identity and on social and cognitive development. Other studies have found that the reward centre in the brain is enlarged. The reward centre is responsible for pleasurable sensations of all kinds. This centre is significantly larger in frequent gamers who play every day.
How do children find the right size?
It is difficult for a child to withdraw from a computer game. If a child has been playing on a console for two hours and you want to take them away, you often experience a phenomenon that is similar to withdrawal in drug addicts: The child resists the withdrawal, becomes petulant and screams. I have also experienced this with my own children.
What is the solution?
Limits are important. Especially for children and adolescents between the ages of 11 and 14, whose brains are currently being completely remodelled. In terms of their brain development, they are not able to limit themselves effectively, which is why parents have to «replace» the missing frontal cortex, the frontal brain, until it has matured. That is parenting.
Should parents set boundaries?
Absolutely. The clearer the boundary, the better.
Let's take an example: A seventh-grader wants to motivate himself for learning - with his games console. What would be a sensible limit?
I would encourage him to do his chores first and only then fulfil his desire to be rewarded. However, you have to realise that it is very difficult for young people to work for a delayed reward. This has nothing to do with renitence, but with brain development. The child's brain is easily distracted. The crux of the matter is that the more often a child gives in to the impulse of an immediate reward, the slower the frontal cortex develops.
What is your conclusion?
I recommend that parents get their children to do things one at a time. Music or social networks are something for the breaks, for relaxing. Children should only play games when everything is finished. This is because the rewarding stimuli act almost like drugs on the brain. After that, it is difficult for a child to get back to their homework.
What do children need to learn?
Children need input, good models, templates and opportunities to acquire and apply knowledge. And they need experiences in order to mature.
«Parents need to set boundaries for children. The clearer the boundaries, the better.»
And self-discipline - something you attach great importance to.
I advocate practising self-discipline, concentration and self-control. Because a child who is given everything - a television, a Playstation, a smartphone and a computer - will never practise self-discipline as they mature. In other words, these regulatory functions are not implemented. If children are given everything they want without giving anything in return, they are being raised to be pleasure-seekers.
How easy is learning during puberty?
The ability to concentrate, self-discipline and the ability to distinguish between what is relevant and what is irrelevant are psychological functions that are of great importance for school. However, teachers and parents should now realise that it is precisely these functions that mature very slowly. The frontal cortex, the frontal brain, lags far behind in adolescents.
The child's brain is immature?
Exactly. The frontal lobe is a late maturing system and is only completed around the age of 20.
Do girls mature earlier than boys?
Yes, girls' frontal lobe is on average one and a half years ahead. In addition, girls are often more self-disciplined, more focussed and more responsible before and after puberty.
Qualities to which the school attaches great importance.
In my opinion, educators and schools, but also parents, should learn lessons from the fact that the adolescent brain is immature.
What does that mean?
School is mostly about acquiring explicit knowledge and then being able to call it up. I also call it «bulimic learning». This means that children cram knowledge into themselves, repeat it in tests and then forget it a little later. This is not very useful at this age.
What would make sense?
In order to anchor something efficiently and sustainably in long-term memory, the newly learnt material must be integrated into existing knowledge networks. This requires networked thinking. Specifically, pupils should be encouraged to memorise material through semantic processing.
What does that mean?
To learn a text, you first have to understand it. To do this, word meanings must be recognised and classified. The more something is analysed and put into context, the better it will be remembered. Anything incidental is quickly forgotten.
What also helps?
Emotions or memories of emotions are helpful because emotions are good memory enhancers. The more intense an experience is, the more it is imprinted in our memory.
«To learn a text, you first have to understand it.»
What about repetitions?
Repetition is the mother of learning. Because the brain sorts. Frequently occurring information is important, selectively conveyed information is less important.
From a neuropsychological point of view, does it make sense not to correct spelling, as is sometimes practised in the lower school?
No, that is completely wrong in terms of learning psychology. Children should not learn through play and make mistakes, according to the motto: crooked things bend again. Mistakes should be corrected and wrong words should be spelt correctly again.
How do children learn best?
The things that need to be ingrained in children's brains should be communicated crystal clear, without interruption and frequently. Those who are constantly playing on different media and multitasking work more slowly, make mistakes and float on the surface. The brain's limited resources are to blame.
Does parental pressure help children to learn?
Success and effort go hand in hand. Rarely does learning happen on the side. Drill and pressure are the worst ways to approach learning. It is better to always visualise the positive goal, the gain or the reward, when you are learning.
Are there any tricks you can use to motivate yourself?
Of course. The more you enjoy a question, the more self-motivation you can develop. This in turn has to do with self-discipline. We know from motivational psychology that we are particularly good when we set ourselves a level of ambition and fulfil it. This - and an undisturbed learning environment - is the key to learning.
What makes up a good school grade?
Neuropsychologists have investigated the factors that influence a good school grade. 10 per cent was intelligence, 40 per cent motivation, self-control and self-discipline.
And the remaining 50 per cent?
The ability to pay attention and concentrate as well as the will. The latter is incredibly important.
«The more fun you have with a question, the more self-motivation you can develop.»
Can you influence the will?
Yes: through praise and recognition as well as a good learning atmosphere.
Which brings us back to the distractible brains of our children.
Yes, all the functions that control our behaviour are not yet fully developed between the ages of 11 and 16. As a result, young people struggle to control their behaviour, sit still and pay attention. That's why I always say: It's not their fault! Children are not small adults, but developing, not yet grown-up people.
It is precisely in those years that children have to qualify for their future.
Twelve years is absolutely the wrong time for this selection. Brain research has amply demonstrated that the brain is in a radical reorganisation phase at precisely this time. The frontal cortex is in turmoil, it is the worst phase in a child's life.
Now I know why people like to call you a school critic.
I am of the opinion that selection is not an educational principle. Children are not peas that need to be sorted out. We categorise - the good into the pot, the bad into the potty. This pigeonholing has been proven to be wrong. I don't understand how, in the most delicate phase of brain building and remodelling, important tests take place that determine later careers.
Some teenagers have had enough and refuse to learn.
When teenagers lose control, they are not angry about it. They don't know what they're doing! We must not leave them alone with their troubles. We, parents and teachers, must help them, guide and instruct them. The most important thing in education is that children are loved.
Wer in Ruhe lernt, lernt besser: «Was sich im Gehirn der Kinder festsetzen muss, sollte glasklar, störungsfrei und häufig vermittelt werden. Wer ständig auf verschiedenen Medien spielt und Multitasking macht, arbeitet langsamer, fehlerhafter.»
What role do genetic predispositions play in school success?
Children are very different. There are some who mature earlier, others who mature later. Some children have better genetic predispositions. However, studies on identical twins have shown that only half of giftedness is hereditary. Large parts of the brain are not determined by our genetic make-up. Humans are dependent on experience and learning. We are condemned to learn.
What about those children who don't have a good start?
They need our help even more. The good thing is that the brain is plastic, it can change and overcome even the most adverse starting conditions.
«Children who make music can understand complicated sentences better.»
Does this mean that we can still learn Japanese at the age of 70?
Yes, it may just take a little longer. Joking aside: the brain can also change in old age, it can become younger again - if we use it. By learning, we prevent the normal degeneration process from occurring.
Does the reverse also apply? That early intervention is desirable?
From a neuroscientific point of view, early learning cannot start early enough. Even small children can handle numbers and letters and learn three languages. However, this does not mean that they should listen to Mozart in the womb. A playful approach to early learning in kindergarten, on the other hand, makes a lot of sense.
Speaking of Mozart: your hobbyhorse is music. Are people who make music more intelligent?
I like to say: if you make music, you get more out of your brain. There are a number of serious studies that prove interesting things.
«Success and effort go hand in hand. Learning rarely happens on the side.»
Namely?
Firstly: after a year of music lessons, children have an intelligence quotient that is eight to nine points higher than without music training. Secondly, children with music lessons have a better verbal memory. And thirdly, children who play music can understand complicated sentences better.
How do children become smart?
Not through performance alone. You also need to be creative and be able to handle the knowledge you have acquired. Learning is based on reinforcement and the development of associations. Both sides of the coin, the acquisition of knowledge and the application of it, are important. If children only ever have to memorise knowledge, you kill their creativity.
What do you consider to be a child-orientated school?
I am a fan of the Scandinavian schools.
What do these schools do well?
They initially concentrate on basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic. They teach this core business intensively. And they impart knowledge across subjects and in blocks. They don't just teach English in one lesson a day, but on a daily basis. Even in subjects such as sport, for example, only English is spoken. In general, cultural subjects such as music, theatre and philosophy are very important in these countries.
Subjects that tend to be neglected in mainstream schools.
Yes, and I think that's a shame. Children use music or theatre to train higher-level functions such as self-discipline, attention, planning, reward deferral and social behaviour. They celebrate successes and are proud of their own achievements. And don't we understand a language or a historical epoch better if we also know the philosophy and art of the epoch?
Lutz Jäncke on ...
... the sweet idleness
If you just sit on the sofa, play games or watch TV and eat crisps, you are not activating your brain structures. I call this process «use it or lose it». It means that if nerve cells are not active, they break down connections and atrophy. You should be aware of this - also in relation to age.
... Self-discipline
Extremely important! The more intensively a child engages with school material, the better their grades will be. That's why parents and school have the task of teaching children to avoid the temptations of everyday life and to devote themselves sufficiently to learning.
... Excessive demands
Excessive demands arise when children have too many choices. And that is mainly in their free time. It's not the school content that overwhelms children, but the extracurricular content.
... Talent or hard work
Both are indispensable. Performance is always a function of willingness, ability and opportunity.
Read more:
- So motivieren Sie Ihr Kind, ein Instrument zu üben. 15 Tipps, die wirklich helfen!
- Musik aus und stillsitzen? Lernmythen auf dem Prüfstand.
- Wie lernen Kinder, richtig zu lernen? Und wie können Eltern sie dabei unterstützen?
- Um mit der Zukunft mithalten zu können, sollen Kinder programmieren lernen, sagt ETH-Informatikprofessor Juraj Hromkovic und fordert ein eigenes Schulfach Informatik.