Modern science is increasingly interested in how the brain works. We have come a long way since the ancient Greeks, who didn’t even realise the brain was the centre of thought.
Teachers, too, want to know more about the workings of those little grey cells, in order to help their pupils to learn better. Many schools have been investigating ways to teach thinking skills, and we hope this issue of TES Primary will give them something to ponder.
There are many ways of thinking, and problem-solving is only one. Plans to boost citizenship education (page 5) mean there will be a greater emphasis on encouraging children to think about others, to analyse the issues in a debate, to consider their own place in the world.
And amazingly, that grey matter also thinks in glowing colour, as we reflect on the creative, artistic side of life. This month’s project will help young children learn about how language describes colour and how colour inspires language. It’s all part of the way we think about the world.