Myelin and Mastery: The Connection Between Struggle and Academic Growth

If you’re a parent, you know that learning some things will come easy to your child, and others will require struggle. And, if you’re the parent of multiple children, you also know that no two kids learn in the same way or at the same pace. What your oldest child conquered quickly might require many attempts from your youngest, or vice versa.

From riding a bike to mastering multiplication, the processes that take place in a child’s brain as they learn are truly astounding. Without getting too technical, this video provides a high-level overview of how myelin is built as kids learn new concepts, struggle, fail, and try again.

It will change how you view the learning process forever!

As Mr. Lopez outlines in the six minute video, it’s natural to want to protect your child from struggle, frustration, and failure. It can be normal to ask, “Is this content too difficult for my child’s age?” or “Is it too late for my child to start playing soccer if his friends are much more advanced?” And, it’s extremely common for parents to have thoughts such as, “Well, I was never really good at math, so maybe he takes after me.”

But remember, neuroscience tells us that mastery is the result of hard work and dedication. And struggle, whether it’s momentary or a lengthy process, leads to growth.

We hope this video offered valuable insights into what’s going on inside your child’s brain during the learning process. The brain is incredibly complex and capable, and the more we understand about it, the better we can empower our students with the knowledge and growth mindset for success.