Neuropsychological Science

WHY LEARNING IS SO TIRING, AND SO GOOD FOR YOU

We all know that learning is good for the brain. But, the reasons for why are less understood. By drawing on neuropsychological investigation, this page offers research and findings about the neuroanatomical basis of learning and cognition. Here are some of the key foundations of neuropsychology: 

1. The brain looks different at every stage of life. A teacher has to recognize this. A toddler of 3 years of age is at a very different neurocognitive stage than a 6-year-old, and even more different than a 12-year-old. This has to do with the cognitive formation of the brain. At different stages of life, the brain is wired for different kinds of learning. 

2. All of the major regions of the brain are involved in learning (the frontal lobe, the parietal lobes, the temporal lobes, and of course, the cerebellum, which is responsible for tasks like sight and motor function). This is why language learning can feel so tiring— because the brain has to engage many parts at once. 

3. However, this tiring act of engaging many parts of the brain is especially optimal for your brain health. Neurologically, the process of learning fosters the growth of new neural synapses or neural connections— a process linked to longevity and the prevention of serious neurogenerative diseases later in life. The connection between different regions of the brain also facilitates the growth of new neural networks as well as the maintenance of existing neural regions. In addition, language learning is one of the best proven ways to increase the gray matter of the brain— which enhances executive functioning (e.g. decision-making, emotional regulation) and memory recall. 

NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION | The prefrontal cortex (PFC) — especially the dorsolateral/ ventromedial regions — supports:

• executive functions (planning, organizing, problem-solving)

• impulse control and delay of gratification

• goal-directed behavior and error monitoring

The PFC matures into the mid-20s and myelinates relatively late compared to sensory/ motor regions.

SIGNIFICANCE | Why this matters for students

• Young learners aren’t “bad at self-control” — their neural systems for regulation are still developing

• Emotional or reward-driven systems (e.g., amygdala, ventral striatum) can dominate behavior when PFC control is thin

• Supportive structure often compensates better than punishment or willpower talk

PRACTICAL IMPLICATION | What we can do about this

• Provide external scaffolds for executive skills: checklists, routines, visual schedules

• Break tasks into shorter, structured steps the PFC can manage

• Teach regulation strategies (pause → label emotion → choose action) as skills that map onto brain control systems

This reframes behavior as developmental neurobiology, not character.

NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION | The hippocampus and medial temporal lobe structures bind new experiences into episodic and declarative memories and coordinate their gradual redistribution to neocortex (systems consolidation). Sleep supports:

• replay of hippocampal–cortical activity patterns

• strengthening of synaptic traces

• pruning of irrelevant connections

SIGNIFICANCE | Why this matters for students

• “Learning in one go” is biologically inefficient because the hippocampus needs spacing and reactivation. Students ought to have periods of rest and later attempt to recall this information.

• Fatigue and sleep loss impair hippocampal encoding and working memory networks

• Re-visiting topics or using similar structures across topics enhances student recall and encoding.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATION | What we can do about this

• Prioritize spaced learning and next-day review over massed cramming — it aligns with consolidation biology

• A short review before sleep can strengthen hippocampal reactivation. Integrate short breaks in lessons. Protect sleep for children and teens — it is part of the memory system, not optional

• Include short comprehensions questions after every activity, using similar formatting.

This connects study habits directly to memory circuitry, not motivation alone.

NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION | The basal ganglia (particularly the striatum), in interaction with dopaminergic midbrain pathways, support:

• habit formation and procedural learning

• selection and automation of repeated actions

• reinforcement learning (reward prediction and feedback)

With repetition, control of a skill can shift from cortical effort to subcortical efficiency, reducing cognitive load. 

SIGNIFICANCE | Why this matters for students

• Behaviors repeated in stable contexts become automatic habits because they are encoded in basal-ganglia loops

• Feedback that signals success or progress strengthens these circuits more than vague evaluation

• Students feel more confiddent about what they already known when words are repeated for confirmation.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATION | What we can do about this

• Build consistent routines in stable contexts (same place, trigger, sequence) to support automaticity

• Use specific, timely feedback and small rewards to reinforce practice

• Expect early learning to feel effortful — automation emerges as circuits transfer from cortex to habit systems

This grounds “practice makes permanent” in the neural habit architecture.

NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION | Language is not confined to “language areas.” 

• Effective learning recruits a distributed network that integrates: i) Temporal cortex — speech perception; phonology & semantics, ii) Inferior frontal gyrus / Broca’s area —speech production; sequencing, iii) Parietal regions (phonological working memory), iv) Sensorimotor cortex & cerebellum — articulation, gesture, timing, v) Basal ganglia — procedural learning and automatization. 

• When learners pair language with action, gesture, or sensory experience, the brain forms multimodal traces that are harder to forget (and easier to remember). Activating motor and perceptual cortices alongside language regions increases the number of converging retrieval routes during recall.

• This reflects principles of embodied cognition and Hebbian learning: circuits that fire together across modalities are more likely to stabilize into long-term memory.

SIGNIFICANCE | Why this matters for students

• Words learned only as sounds or text remain fragile, context-bound

• Words linked to movement, objects, imagery, and use build richer cortical representations

• Producing language (speaking, writing, acting it out) strengthens motor–language coupling

PRACTICAL IMPLICATION | What we can do about this

• Pair vocabulary with gesture or action (mime “jump,” trace shapes, act scenes)

• Use manipulatives, drawing, or role-play when learning new concepts or verbs

• Encourage speaking aloud, repetition with articulation, and teaching others

• In second-language learning, combine pronunciation practice + situational behaviors (ordering food, greeting rituals)

This is why “learn by doing” works: it recruits language + sensory + motor systems, reinforcing long-term consolidation. 

NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION | The words we say have a chemical and biological effect on the brain. 

• Emotion and learning are tightly coupled through interactions among: i) Amygdala — salience tagging; emotional significance, ii)  Hippocampus & medial temporal lobe — episodic/declarative memory formation, iii) Prefrontal cortex — regulation, attention, appraisal, iv) Mesolimbic dopamine pathways— motivation, reward prediction

• In supportive, optimistic, and encouraging contexts, moderate positive arousal and safety signals: i) enhance hippocampal encoding, ii) increase dopaminergic signaling linked to curiosity and exploration, iii) free prefrontal resources for attention and cognitive control

• By contrast, chronic stress or harsh, punitive climates drive elevated threat responses (amygdala hyper-activation, cortisol effects), which can: i) narrow attentional focus to threat cues, ii) impair working memory and flexible thinking, iii) disrupt hippocampal plasticity and consolidation

SIGNIFICANCE | Why this matters for students

• Encouragement and psychological safety are not “soft” variables — they are conditions of optimal neural functioning

• Optimistic framing and specific, constructive feedback support dopamine-mediated learning signals

• Shame, fear, or constant criticism bias the brain toward defense rather than exploration. The brain's neuroanatomy and neurochemistry quite literally changes into "survival mode" rather than explorative and learning mode, when it senses perceived threat of danger or vulnerability. 

PRACTICAL IMPLICATION | What we can do about this

• Pair challenge with warmth, predictability, and credible hope (“you can grow with practice”)

• Use error-friendly feedback (“let’s see what this tells us”) to keep the amygdala quiet and the PFC engaged

• Build classroom/home routines that feel safe, respectful, and collaborative and take the opportunities to celebrate small progress signals to reinforce reward circuits

In short: positive emotional climate allows for better encoding, stronger consolidation, and more resilient recall because the brain is free to learn rather than protect.

PRINCIPLE  | Key Concept
Learners acquire language most effectively when they receive rich, meaningful input they can mostly understand (70-90%), with just enough new structure to stretch their current system.

This isn’t rote exposure — it’s input processed for meaning, where grammar is picked up implicitly through repeated, meaningful encounters.

SIGNIFICANCE | Why this matters for students

• Grammar is often acquired through usage patterns, not rules first

• Understanding messages primes implicit learning mechanisms

• Overly difficult input stops processing; overly easy input stalls growth

PRACTICAL IMPLICATION | How to implement this

• Story-based, content-rich listening/reading

• Narrow reading/listening on one topic to recycle structures

• Focus on meaning first, lightly highlighting forms afterward