Debunking Common Neuromyths

Debunking Common Neuromyths

We only use about 10% of our brains. People are either more left-brained or right-brained. You’re a visual learner. 

If you’ve heard one of these before, you’ve heard a neuromyth, which is a false understanding of how the brain works. Many neuromyths may have very granular effects on life, it shouldn’t really matter if we use 10% or 90% or 100% of our brain at a given time. (Although just to clear the air, we use all of our brain, all of the time).

Then there are neuromyths that can be more harmful, perpetuate bias, or lead to false narratives. An example is that all people with dyslexia see letters backwards. In reality, letter reversal is a normal part of early literacy development for all children. When teachers or parents treat it as the defining sign of dyslexia, a child who never reverses letters may not be suspected of having dyslexia at all. This can delay or prevent diagnosis, in turn hindering necessary intervention.

When we think about the etymology of the word 'myth', it can be traced back to the ancient Greek word mythos, meaning 'delivered by word of mouth'. It makes sense why false beliefs about the brain are called neuromyths. Because neuroscience isn't taught in the K-12 classroom, let alone to preservice teachers in college, most people only ever learn about the brain through word of mouth, whether that's pop-science articles, social media, or podcasts. Without a baseline understanding of the brain, we are left susceptible to misinformation.

"Most people only ever learn about the brain through word of mouth, whether that's pop-science articles, social media, or podcasts."

It has always been interesting to me that we don't refer to misinformation from other subjects, such as chemistry or history, as myths. No one talks about 'chemmyths'. My hypothesis is that it's because we didn't learn chemistry or history through word of mouth. We received direct instruction in school, which built a baseline of knowledge that acts as protective armour, helping us critically evaluate information when we come across it. Brain science deserves the same. It shouldn't just be heard through word of mouth, pop science, or click-bait. The best way to combat misinformation is to build our knowledge base, because the more we know, the better we can do.

"The best way to combat misinformation is to build our knowledge base, because the more we know, the better we can do."

Information is empowering, so rather than listing all of the neuromyths one by one, I want to leave educators with three bigger ideas about the brain to carry into the classroom.

1. Reading is not something our brains are naturally wired to do. Reading is a cultural invention that literally requires the brain to physically and functionally change. I think about how hard I was on myself in getting a room full of third graders to read on grade level, and while I am proud of my dedication and perseverance, I think I could have had more compassion for myself had I known how much of a feat reading truly is. 
2. Adversity in childhood can change how a child shows up to learn. Long periods of toxic stress can impair a child's ability to learn, remember, and regulate. When nearly half of children experience at least one adverse childhood experience, it's no wonder a teacher can feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. Systemic change is necessary to fundamentally change these statistics, but a quote I love and come back to often is 'love them today, teach them tomorrow.' Give yourself more grace in the classroom and remind yourself that it feels hard because it is hard.
3. There's no need to match a learning style to a child, because learning styles are a myth. What the research does show is that all children learn and remember better when they process information in multiple ways. So instead of trying to match a learning style to a child, give every child exposure to diverse modalities.