Lifelong Learning: The Fountain of Youth

By Leigh Marcos

Homeschooling can really put the fun back in learning, both for kids and parents. The amount of flexibility homeschooling provides is amazing, not to mention the new info parents can benefit from too. That’s right, even parents can learn something new, as they teach their kiddos about the world out there. Learning is a lifelong process, and just because you might be a certain age, it doesn’t mean you should stop. After all, who wouldn’t want to keep their mind young forever?

The impact of lifelong learning

The impacts of learning throughout your life are never-ending according to a number of researchers. As stated by the BHIA health, the brain continues to create new cells, well into later life. If used correctly, these can aid retrieval of information. The University of Harvard says that being mentally active improves and increases mental capacity and keeps the memory strong, something that we could all use a little help with from time to time!

Furthermore, in children and teens, the same stands true; in a recent comparison of SAT scores, homeschooled children averaged 568 on the verbal test and 525 on the math test. This is significantly above the national average which saw scores of 506 on the verbal and 514 on math. This suggests that homeschooling can certainly be advantageous.

Ways to stay mentally active

One of the most effective learning approaches is for parents and children to do it together. This not only nurtures family bonds but ensure learning can be fun, free and autonomous. Being able to choose your own topics for learning, such as oceans and forests, can enhance and lengthen the learning time. Topics chosen together are likely to be more successfully absorbed. The active learning approach fits the needs of young and old alike too.

In addition, the physical and online world is full of books and texts for any taste or interest out there. Reading is fundamental to keep a handle on spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Finally, the world of gaming has developed massively and is no longer just a sanctuary for fed-up teenagers. Brain training can be used across age ranges to keep the mind active and developing. Strategy games teach vital skills – for instance, how to think under pressure and make vital decisions. Whether this is online or via an old-fashioned board game, it sure is useful.

The National Library of Medicine has found that the volume of the brain seems to decline with age at a rate of around 5% percent after the age of 40. To keep the mind healthy and active, engage in fun learning activities and stay young for good.

So be a good sport and play some games with mom and dad, or grandma and grandpa. Not only will they appreciate it, but it can help bridge the generation gap – and besides, in the long run it’s for your own good too. 🙂

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