While there is a small difference in brain size between the sexes (1.25kg for women and 1.35kg for men), they process information and solve problems at the same speed, but use the brain differently to do so.
The right and left hemispheres of the brain are connected by a band of tissue called the corpus callosum, without which the brain finds it hard to process information. Songs help this connectivity as they use both hemispheres (right for tonality, sound, music and rhythm and left for language processing and rationality) and it appears that songs help Alzheimer's sufferers in accessing information.
The most effective learning occurs when we are enjoying ourselves. The brain is not built to have limits. It tries to make conections between what it already knows and new facts. A variety of sensory input can make it difficult to focus on the facts (eg. tv news - actual news and distractions of clothes & hair of the newsreader, activity behind them). Storytelling gives connections to unrelated facts, making them easier to remember. Rote learning makes no new connections. Child's 'why' questions: if you simply tell them, their brain struggles to file it efficiently. Ask them what they think and explore the topic together - they will start with information they already know.
With a healthy diet, brain cells grow throughout life. Exercise gets oxygen to the brain (which uses 20% of the oxygen we breathe. Stuck on a problem - use a trampoline for a few minutes as the brain has to coordinate major muscle groups for balance (just as good for adults).
Main source:
Make Your Child Brilliant by Bernadette Tynon. Quadrille, 2008 (ISBN 978-184400-579-6)
