More Than Smart: Why Discernment Is the Goal of Education

Are our kids actually becoming less capable thinkers, and if so, why does that matter? In this episode of Facing the Dark, Wayne Stender and Dr. Kathy Koch explore growing concerns about children's cognitive development, drawing on research from cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath. Together, they examine how increased screen use, especially in classrooms, may be reshaping how kids reason and learn. But this conversation goes deeper than test scores or IQ. Dr. Kathy reframes intellect as a muscle, one that fuels discernment, freedom, creativity, and wise decision making. They discuss why intelligence must be understood locally and relationally, not just nationally or digitally, and how parents can nurture thinking hearts by inviting kids into conversation, problem solving, boredom, and responsibility. Grounded in Solomon's prayer for a discerning heart, this episode reminds parents that raising intellectually capable kids isn't about academic pressure; it's about forming wise, free people who can love God with their minds and live faithfully in the world they're called to serve.