Using 10% of Our Brains

Which of these statements is false?

1. We use only 10% of our brains.
2. Environments rich in stimuli improve the brains of preschool children.
3. Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style, whether auditory, visual, or kinesthetic.

The answer, according to Christopher Chabis, writing in the Wall Street Journal (November 16, 2012) is that "all three statements are false — or at least not substantiated by scientific evidence.  Unfortunately, if you got any of them wrong, you're hardly alone.

"These 'neuromyths ' were presented to 242 primary and secondary school teachers in the Netherlands and the U.K....  47% of the teachers believed the 10% myth.  Even more, 76%, believed that enriching children's environments will strengthen their brains....

"The myth about learning styles was the most popular: 94% of the teachers believed that students perform better when lessons are delivered in their preferred learning style.  Indeed, students do have preferences about how they learn; the problem is that these preferences have little to do with how effectively they learn."

Contributed by Zvia Dover

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