There is, to be sure, a wealth of knowledge about human development learned over time by behavioral and social scientists and others, said Jack Shonkoff, dean of the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis University. And the growing prominence of neuroscience has led to increased cooperation among fields, which Ken Whang, a program director for the National Science Foundation's Research on Learning and Education program, said is the key to progress in improving education. But policymakers and educators often ignore or misinterpret what is known to be effective in learning, Shonkoff and others said. Environment matters, the National Research Council report said, though educators and legislators stress test scores and other things that do nothing to create such bonds. Vance has said he wants to revamp early childhood education based on brain-based research suggesting that language development ought to begin as early as age 3.
Experts say early musical and language stimulation is important.
Neuroscience both confirms and contradicts common beliefs about learning and memory. It was once thought that humans learn far more in the early years than in adulthood, partly because brain neurons and synapses were thought to be created only in utero and during the first year of life. It was recently discovered that they grow throughout life, supporting lifelong learning. Research has also shown the brain to be flexible. Size depended on how long they had been driving taxis.