Introduction
Humour and comedy during teaching can significantly enhance cognitive functions in young children. These methods help improve attention, memory, comprehension, and social skills, creating a positive and engaging learning environment.
Evidence
1. Improved Attention and Memory:
Humour in the class can capture and maintain children's attention, making lessons more memorable. When teachers use humour, it eases tension, diffuses hostility, and helps maintain listener attention, facilitating better retention of information (Mowrer & D'Zamko, 1990).
2. Enhanced Comprehension:
Teaching comprehension of humour, such as double-meaning jokes, helps children understand complex verbal cues and improves their cognitive processing. This type of training has shown to improve comprehension and appreciation of humour, aiding cognitive development. (J Appl Behav 2021)
3. Development of Social and Emotional Skills:
Humor and comedy encourage children to understand different perspectives and develop empathy, enhancing their social interactions. The use of humor in teaching fosters a positive classroom environment, promoting better social and adaptive behavior (Jewell, 2005).
4. Cognitive Development and Creativity:
Engaging children with humour requires sophisticated cognitive abilities, such as relating multilevel disparate concepts. This enhances their creative thinking and problem-solving skills, as humour often involves creating and understanding complex ideas (Jewell, 2005).
5. Positive Learning Environment:
Incorporating humour in teaching can reduce anxiety and create a more enjoyable learning atmosphere. This positive environment encourages children to participate actively, leading to better learning outcomes and cognitive development (Powell & Andresen, 1985).
Conclusion
Humour and comedy during teaching enhance cognitive functions in young children by improving attention, memory, comprehension, and social skills. These methods create an engaging and positive learning environment, fostering better cognitive and emotional development.
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