An Instrument Strengthens the Brain

Based in Austin, Texas, Dr. Hind Louali founded Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, known as the French School of Austin. In addition to overseeing all general operations of the bilingual school, Dr. Hind Louali guides curriculum development, which includes performing arts, French language, and a mandatory string program that teaches students violin or cello.

Particularly for children, learning a musical instrument can enhance neuronal communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. As the child practices, they must process the mathematical, logical information of the notes, which relies heavily on the left hemisphere of the brain. Simultaneously, they engage the right hemisphere of the brain to express musical creatively.

Especially in developing brains, this collaboration between the two hemispheres increases activity in the corpus callosum that divides the two hemispheres. Because messages travel faster and across more diverse paths through the brain, children often see improvements in learning and memory. Additionally, learning an instrument enhances their ability to solve social and academic problems.

US Education Benefits of Speaking

The founder of Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Austin, Texas, Dr. Hind Louali aims to create a culture of positive, engaged learning. Dr. Hind Louali helped develop a curriculum that includes music, performing arts, and French immersion for students in preschool through eight grade.

According to the US Department of Education, learning more than one language during early childhood has several benefits. Children who learn a second language at school or home before age 6 increase their cognitive function, improving their ability to solve word problems, understand concepts, use logic, and make decisions.

While parents may be concerned that a second language will confuse their children, the process actually sharpens thinking skills by helping children process more complex tasks and processes. Moreover, children who learn a second language tend to take more flexible approaches to learning in other areas. Because they can distinguish important information and focus on key elements, their performance improves across multiple subject areas.

Currently, more than 20 percent of the United States population speaks more than one language. Language learning in early childhood education also enriches a child’s social-emotional development by introducing multicultural concepts and a broader sense of community.

Honey Soy Grilled Pork Chop Recipe

Dr. Hind Louali is the founder of Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a school that teaches children in Austin, Texas, with a French curriculum, expressive arts, and guides them in three languages. Outside of work, Dr. Hind Louali spends her time with a few hobbies, and one of them is cooking.

Meat is a large portion of most American meals, and grilling meat is now a huge part of American culture. Grilling can be an individual activity or a group bonding exercise. One of the most popular grill recipes is the honey soy grilled pork chop recipe.

First, marinate the pork for about three hours with soy sauce, honey, lemon, and dijon mustard to make the meat tender and give it flavor. The ideal temperature for grilling pork chops is 145 degrees. Once the proper temperature is set, remove the meat from the marinade and place it on the grill, cooking each side for about eight minutes. Remove the meat from the grill, season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.

Mental Health Benefits with Family

Founder of Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Dr. Hind Louali spends most of her professional time managing all operations of her school. Dr. Hind Louali tries to create immersive ways to teach the French Curriculum to the students in Austin, Texas. She also tries to replicate a family-like environment for the students, with their small numbers, making it a mentally encouraging space for children.

The family is the most important unit in society, as it is the first place people learn mental, emotional, personal, and social development skills. Therefore, spending time with family members greatly benefits children. These benefits, however, spread to other members of the family and are discussed below.

The busyness of everyday life can be exhausting and demoralizing. However, spending quality time with well-rounded family members can serve as an escape from this, and it also helps develop long-lasting relationships with family members. Quality time with family members also helps build self-confidence and self-esteem, especially for kids, as it teaches them interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills.

Spending quality time with family members has also been linked to a reduction of delinquent behavior, especially in children. Studies have shown that children, adolescents, and teenagers that communicate and spend more time with their families show lower levels of hostile behavior, aggression, substance misuse, and overall delinquent behavior.

Families that participate in core balanced recreational activities are more likely to share problems and provide emotional support for each other. This is because open communication and quality time spent together lessens feelings of anxiety, and this leads to lower emotional and mental burdens and, as such, better mental health.