Sensitive Periods in Brain Development – Implications for Education Policy

Functional plasticity is the ability to change behaviour based on experience. Structural changes in the brain occurring with increasing age are sometimes associated with a reduction in functional plasticity, leading to the idea of sensitive periods in development. In this article we assess the implications of recent findings on sensitive periods in brain development for educational policy. We address three points. Can the educational curriculum be optimised by teaching particular subjects at a point of maximum plasticity for the brain systems involved? Do some skills need to be acquired later so that acquisition is optimised only after children reach a certain age? How should educational practice be adjusted to optimise learning for individuals who have passed the age of maximum plasticity?