Are YOU smarter than a Fifth Grader?

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you will have sensed that I am a big believer in continuous learning. Learning is growth, and growth is the essence of life. Our society places a great deal of emphasis on learning for children, but for some reason, it tends to taper off as we become adults. When we think of adult learning, we generally consider very specific training or classes to learn a certain skill necessary for our job. Or perhaps the thought of seminars or workshops come to mind, but general education tends to stop when most finish high school.


There have even been paradigms suggesting that learning is not as easy for an adult as for a child. Notice I used the word paradigm. That is because the Truth of the matter is, that is all that it is. If children seem to learn new information quicker or easier than adults, it is only because they make use of all of their faculties to learn more so than adults. Adults tend to use certain faculties less and less.


Children’s minds are active by their very nature. Children learn things kinesthetically. They do a new thing, whether they do it with proficiency or not. Adults tend to inhibit themselves, because they believe they have to do it well or they will look bad. Does this make any sense? Language is a prime example of this. In one of my businesses, Bridge Lingual Services, I deal with a lot of people from other countries. I hear again and again from parents who rely on their children heavily because they feel they can’t communicate well enough in English.


These children may not speak all that well either, but it isn’t long before they can. This is because they simply do it. This is kinesthetic learning. Certainly some people respond better to kinesthetic learning than others; however, this is only one way where children seem to jump in where adults don’t.


One of the best ways that children learn is by incorporating their imagination. They pretend all the time about being in different situations. They act out these situations and the “experience” of doing so goes straight to the subconscious mind. Bingo! A new habit is learned.


You see an example of this in some training exercises with adults from time to time. Take sales training for example. Role playing is often used to get new sales persons to pick up new techniques and build confidence. This is also used in classes in conflict resolution in the work place frequently. This make-believe style of learning could be used in much more far reaching ways. Use your imagination.


Another idea that helps children learn well is the simple idea of something being new or interesting. When children want to learn a certain thing, they really want to learn it. They get themselves involved with the new idea or concept and make it their own.


Often times, adults don’t seek out to learn new things. They wait until someone comes along and decides for them that they “need” to learn something new. Then they begrudgingly set out to learn it with no real vested interest in learning it. Technology is a good example. Many of us adults have grown up in a time before computers and cell phones and digital cameras and CDs.


These new technologies appeared on the scene and only appealed to the younger generation at first. Now you can hardly find a job without having at least the basics down of computing skills. Can you type on a computer keypad?


Saying that you are too old to be learning new things is only true if you decide it is true for you. But what a loss thinking like this can be. Learning is something that never has to stop, and just in continuing to learn new things continuously you improve the quality of your life. Not only because of the new thing you learned, but also because you are continuing to use what God gave you between your ears.


Continual learning can have numerous beneficial effects on your overall health and well being. Studies have shown this to be true. But really you don’t need studies to tell you this. Just find something that interests you that you know little about and get going to learn it. You’ll see for yourself. And your own experience can be much more convincing than any studies that someone might sight.




To Your Continual Growth,



Jeffrey B. Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way: A Guide to Discovering Your Higher Self.








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