How the Brain Tidies Up!
Synaptic pruning = trimming a hedge 🌿✂️
Explaining Brain Development by Dr Susan Ozer
Watch the Brain Tidy Up! 🧠✨
Toggle between before and after pruning
Lots of connections 🌿
Many pathways 🌟
State 1: Young Brain / Overgrown Hedge 🌿
Lots of messy branches and connections
What is synaptic pruning? 🧠
🌳 Your brain is like a hedge.
🌱 When you're little, it grows lots of branches. Your brain grows lots of connections when you're little.
✂️ As you grow, your brain trims the branches you don't use. As you grow, the brain removes the ones you don't use much.
✨ That's called synaptic pruning. This helps the important connections work faster.
Use It or Lose It! 💪✨
Click on activities to see which brain pathways stay strong
Click an activity to see its pathway light up!
For Teachers & Parents 👨🏫👩🏫
Synaptic pruning is a normal part of brain development, especially in childhood and adolescence. During this process, the brain eliminates weaker synaptic connections while strengthening those that are frequently used.
This biological process is essential for cognitive development and helps the brain become more efficient. It's influenced by experience and learning, which is why engaging children in diverse activities is so important.
The Analogy: Just like a gardener trims plants so they grow better, the brain prunes unused connections so the important ones can work more efficiently. This helps children learn faster and think more clearly as they grow.
Key Takeaway: Encourage children to practice skills they want to keep! Whether it's reading, music, sports, or languages—regular practice strengthens those neural pathways.