ABSTRACT
Fantasy and imagery are processes often described in the psychological literature as being under the control of the right hemisphere of the brain. Conversely, the left hemisphere is thought to control activities such as language and rational thinking. Education in this country has been criticised in some quarters, notably by feminists and health educators, for placing a higher value on left-brain activities while devaluing right-brain activities, and there have been consistent attempts to make educational practice more integrated and holistic in its approach to learning. It must be admitted, though, that with the onset of the national curriculum and testing at seven, eleven and fourteen, such initiatives are bound to lose momentum unless teachers themselves take responsibility for giving students the opportunity to experience learning other than through a verbal mode.
