Have you ever considered how the unique neurological makeup of a child’s brain can be shaped for optimal growth?

If I told you we were all born different, your response would most likely be along the lines of; ‘tell me something I don’t know.’ But the point I am making goes deeper than the surface level knowledge and assumptions we have. Babies are born with the toolbox for growth, development, and repair. The neurological makeup of babies, and indeed all humans, is unique; each brain born has its own distinct characteristics; no two brains are identical at birth. This diversity in brain structure and function from the very beginning of life highlights the individuality inherent in human development.

Understanding the distinction between grey and white matter is not just a matter of neurological anatomy; it holds implications and explanations for child development. As these two types of brain tissue mature at different rates and serve distinct functions, their balanced growth is critical in shaping a child’s ability to learn, process information, and adapt to their environment. In simple speak, the grey matter is involved in transmitting information as it contains majority of the neurons for information to be transferred along and typically matures in the early 20s.  White matter on the other hand, form the connectors between matter areas, and furthermore, produce the necessary insulation and protection on those neurons known as myelin. White matter is used to interpret sensory information and its development continues until middle age. White matter development is crucial in early childhood; it occurs most rapidly in the few years after birth, which explains why babies grow, develop, and learn the most during this period of life. 

This knowledge stresses the importance of nurturing both aspects of brain development from a young age to facilitate holistic cognitive and emotional growth.

In an earlier article I wrote, ‘Meditation; an unexpected journey’, I set the scene by explaining how meditation impacted a class of students I taught and how it later formed the focus of my research in my degree. I documented the journey in trialling meditation with students and set the scene to share more of my research findings. 

Something I had not anticipated learning through my research were the extensive data available on the diverse benefits meditation can have. These include; 

• Enhancing attention and cognitive inhibition, critical for learning and development.
• Improving cognitive functions, aiding in problem-solving and intellectual growth.
• Increasing visual perception and motor accuracy, vital for physical coordination.
• Reducing stress and anxiety, creating a calmer, more conducive learning environment.
• Promoting better sleep, essential for brain development and daily functioning.
• Improving social skills and emotional regulation, key for healthy emotional development.
• Boosting academic performance, reflecting an overall improvement in cognitive abilities.
• Enhancing immune function, contributing to overall physical health.
• Most significantly, altering the brain’s structure, particularly in areas related to these functions.

This last point is the key point. Before formally researching meditation studies, I knew about the other benefits through informal sources as well as personal experience. I had experienced them and observed students have those outcomes in varying degrees. What I didn’t know, is that meditation could alter the structure of the brain, and it does so by increasing the white matter. 

So, what does that mean, exactly? 

White matter is crucial for communication within the brain. Without white matter, neither the left nor ride side would be able to convey information to each other. Imagine being able to improve this communication channel? Meditation has been found to do exactly that. 

Children would fundamentally experience better self-regulation skills, from a younger age. We would see more thought applied to the decision-making process; we would see children being able to make better links between learning. In essence, the well-known benefits of meditation are not just talk of individual and personal experience, the science is there to back it up. 

Numerous questions arise when considering the potential of meditation in child development. For instance, with the development of white matter being crucial in learning, how might regular meditation influence a child’s ability to learn new languages? Could there be a positive correlation between language acquisition and meditation practice? Might this facilitate the learning of multiple languages for young learners? Additionally, how might improved emotional awareness and regulation, through meditation, affect children’s responses in conflict situations? These thoughts highlight a fraction of the questions that arise in this context, and it’s clear that my exploration has much more ground to cover. 

As an educator, my advocacy for meditation in school stems from experience and is embedded in evidence-based research. Meditation is not just one size fits all approach, it is personalised and inclusive. However, the question about how learners with medical or learning challenges did arise during my research. 

I was able to sequence several research findings together that evidenced that children and adults with ADHD and Autism both benefit from regular meditative practice. Children exhibit less of the ADHD style symptoms, notably decreased inattention, and fidgeting. Research has also proven that medicated children and adults can find relief from pharmaceutical interventions, by engaging in regular meditation. The research findings underscore the broad application of meditation and the transformation it can have. 

Finally, if the formal research was not enough, Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco became my living case study. Visitacion Valley Middle School adopted meditation across the school through two daily meditation sessions. The input, was a relatively low resource, yet the outcomes, were phenomenal. Visitacion reported a transformation in the school atmosphere, culture, community as well as improved attendance, behaviour and social and academic engagement. 

Researching this topic was only the start of the journey. I’ve learned so much more along the way. Ultimately, meditation is something that is hard to describe to others, unless it has been personally experienced. Meditation presents itself as this untapped, underused and not widely understood resource for schools, and even parents at home, to transform ourselves, each other, and the learners in front of us. 

I’ve dedicated my efforts to gathering comprehensive information about the perceptions and challenges involved in implementing meditation in schools. This journey has involved exploring various educational environments, understanding different student needs, and addressing administrative and logistical hurdles. From this research, I have developed a structured approach to introduce meditation in educational settings effectively. 

The ultimate goal is to make meditation a valuable, accessible tool for enhancing the educational experience and overall well-being of students

Works Cited

Aoki, Yuta, et al. “Association of White Matter Structure with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.” JAMA Psychiatry, vol. 74, no. 11, 1 Nov. 2017, p. 1120, jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2652828, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2573. Accessed 10 Dec. 2019.

Fields, R. D. “Change in the Brain’s White Matter.” Science, vol. 330, no. 6005, 4 Nov. 2010, pp. 768–769, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201847/, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1199139.

Leach, Anna. “One of San Francisco’s Toughest Schools Transformed by the Power of Meditation.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 25 Nov. 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/nov/24/san-franciscos-toughest-schools-transformed-meditation.

“Meditation Helps Lower Truancy and Suspensions.” Edutopia, http://www.edutopia.org/video/meditation-helps-lower-truancy-and-suspensions. Accessed 22 Jan. 2024.

Tang, Y.-Y., et al. “Short-Term Meditation Induces White Matter Changes in the Anterior Cingulate.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 107, no. 35, 16 Aug. 2010, pp. 15649–15652, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1011043107. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.

Woodward, Lianne J., et al. “Neonatal White Matter Abnormalities an Important Predictor of Neurocognitive Outcome for Very Preterm Children.” PLoS ONE, vol. 7, no. 12, 28 Dec. 2012, p. e51879, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3532310/, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051879. Accessed 7 Jan. 2020.