The Role of the Heart in Learning and Intelligence A Summary of Research and Applications with Children

Strong scientific evidence now indicates that emotional stress and the environment children are exposed to have tremendous effects on their brain and nervous system development, their ability to learn and retain skills, and their long term health. In today’s fast-paced society, there is increasing pressure on children to achieve and excel in school at younger and younger ages. These same children, however, experience considerably greater stress in their lives, shouldering far greater responsibilities and emotional burdens than youngsters their age did even as few as 10 years ago. Our educational systems focus on honing children’s cognitive skills from the moment they enter the kindergarten classroom. But very little emphasis is placed on educating children in the man-agement of the inner conflicts and unbalanced emotions they bring with them every day to school. As new research sheds light on the development of the brain and concepts such as “emotional intelligence ” become more widely understood, many educators are realizing that cognitive ability is not the sole or necessarily the most critical determinant of young people’s aptitude to flourish in today’s society. Developing skill in emotional management, conflict resolution, decision making, communication and interpersonal skills are essential for children to develop a broader intelligenc