Voices in Jewish Education

Brain Trust

We must learn to recognize the developmental stages that need addressing in our education system.

Q: What will it take to make Jewish
learning exciting, meaningful and
ongoing for all ages?

DR. JOAN LESSEN-FIRESTONE
Special to The Jewish News

E

ducational practices are
constantly improving as a
result of new research on
how the brain learns best.
Research, using PET scans and other
emerging technologies, is teaching us
what types of learning experiences
make permanent changes in the
wiring and structure of children's
developing brains.
Jewish education programs focusing on these brain-compatible
learning strategies will allow Jewish beliefs and experiences to enter
children's brains. The four strategies following are particularly impor-
tant for religious education programs to implement:
• First, Jewish education should begin at an early age. While it is
never too late to learn, windows of opportunity to learn easily occur
when children are young. It is easiest, for example, to learn the sounds
of a language and the emotional tone of our culture in the first three
years.
Informal mother-toddler groups, as well as developmentally appro-
priate part-day and full-day education programs, should be made
widely available and affordable to young families.
• Second, Jewish education programs should center on active, sensory-
based learning. Until about age 9, the part of the brain that deals with
abstract learning is only minimally developed. Areas dealing with sen-
sory input begin to develop in infancy.
Young children can learn easily through use of the sights, sounds,
smells and tastes we associate with Judaism. Programs that provide
children many opportunities for active involvement with hands-on
experiences, like baking challa for Shabbat dinner and writing Hebrew
letters in shaving cream, will result in the development of long-lasting
brain circuits relating to Jewish content.

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• Third, Jewish educational con-
tent will only be remembered if it
is meaningful. We can most easily
remember and recall information
that is relevant to us if what is
learned at religious school is an
elaboration of what is practiced at
home; children then will grasp its
significance and store the informa-
tion in long-term memory.
Similarly, if parents and teachers
actively engage older children in
discussions relating biblical lessons
to current-day happenings, the
lessons will be more easily remem-
bered.
Jewish education will only be suc-
cessful when teachers and families work together to help children see
the application of Judaism in everyday life.
• Finally, students of all ages can only learn in settings where they feel
comfortable and secure. Large amounts of cortisol are released when
the brain is stressed, preventing learning from occurring. Students
who feel isolated from the group or frustrated with learning Hebrew
simply will not learn in their classroom setting. If learning is to occur,
time must be taken to build a warm, nurturing classroom community
where all students feel safe and valued.
We now know much more than ever before about structuring
learning experiences to be compatible with brain functioning.
Whether we change religious education to match our new under-
standings is up to us. Outcomes from Federation's Alliance for
Jewish Education emphasizing early childhood and family educa-
tion programs are reasons for optimism. We are beginning to use
brain-compatible teaching strategies to further Jewish education in
Detroit.

❑

Dr. Joan Lessen-Firestone is the early childhood consultant for the

Oakland Intermediate School District. She is past president of the
Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children.

