How Teens Learn
By Lisa Mercurio, M.S.; ABSNP; Park Tudor Upper School Learning Specialist
During late adolescence and young adulthood the brain is continuing to develop in a number of areas, especially the frontal lobe.
The importance of the frontal-lobe system is quite amazing. It is responsible for executive functioning, including independent judgment and problem solving, abstraction and generalization, and inhibitory controls of thought, emotions and behavior.
As students progress through the grades, the functions of the frontal lobe become increasingly more important. One critical skill called upon is higher-level or critical thinking. This is the ability to reason, form concepts and solve problems that include unfamiliar information.
Each student is working towards becoming as much of an independent learner as possible before transitioning to college. Parents may notice their child resisting assistance more and more. This is a natural occurrence and a way of testing his or her wings. Despite this, the family continues to be a crucial part of a student’s life, and family members’ support factor heavily in a student’s success in school.
For more detailed information about how parents can help develop their teenager's learning skills, read the complete article, "Development Continues in the Adolescent Brain," at right.