ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a historical overview of the constructs of memory and learning and experimental approaches that have been used to study the phenomena. It introduces neurobiology of learning, theories of memory consolidation and plasticity. The chapter examines the neurological underpinnings of four types of learning, such as, perceptual learning, associative learning, motor learning, and relational learning. It also links the four types of learning to contemporary theories of children's cognitive development. The chapter also focuses on physical activity interventions and children's academic achievement. The transfer of memory short-term, long-term storage has been explained in terms of a process referred to as memory consolidation and how the strength of a memory of an event depends on the passage of time. The study of normal brain and spinal cord development from the point of conception to adulthood provides insight into how environmental factors such as physical activity may modify structures and functions of the central nervous system.
