• With our knowledge of Artificial Intelligence we can understand what "settings" refers to. It is the master configuration that underpins all Apps or functions or operations in a digital device.

•  Settings are changed and selected by the user. 

• Settings can be changed so that a device works according to the user's intentions.
  A child's brain can be described as having established a particular setting when a child forms patterns of thinking that operate consistently.
  This can also be described as the child's habits of mind. 

• These settings therefore affect the manner in which the child does all of their thinking and learning, including gathering information from the 5 senses, interpreting those information signals, processing them and responding to the desired outcome for the purpose of survival and growth.

• They become a child's thinking behaviours and habits and they constantly rely on these behaviours (or settings) to solve new challenges
  These habits, or settings, if formed well can be beneficial to the child intellectual pursuits, but if developed poorly they can cause limitations. - or poor settings.

• And since the brain keeps strengthening these patterns or settings every time it is used it keeps confirming the pathways and thus the inefficient thinking can persist.
  We can, therefore summarise, that the degree to which a child applies their thinking skills depends on his or her "personal thinking settings" OR the gears available in their mental operations.
  The child consistently applies these thinking settings to react to stimulus, process the received information, and respond to solutions accordingly. These settings affect the child's perception of their world.
  
  Take for example, books do not think, nor do classrooms or any other environment or objects of learning. None of these would make any difference to a child's learning if their personal thinking settings are compromised.

SO CAN THESE SETTINGS BE CHANGED?

YES. When thinking is seen as brain settings then it also implies that these settings can be changed and improved. It is a conscious and deliberate act. The child's learning habits, attitude and patterns of behaviour and their ability to change and adapt can be taught, coached, trained, and re-set.

INTELLIGENCE AS APPS IN THE BRAIN OR MENTAL OPERATIONS 

In any machinery, "operations" implies a need to action or apply. Without operation a machine would remain in its dormant state.

Thinking skills are like mental operations in the brain.

Different modes of thinking such as comparing, analysing, synthesising etc can be seen as operations that need to work for the right function or performance. 

These operations also exist in degrees of complexity from simple to highly advanced and complex. We discuss this on another page.

Whether it is problem solving, critical thinking, decision making, understanding, judging, evaluating or any other cognitive demand, the setting of these MENTAL OPERATIONS determines the quality of interaction.

In the case of intelligence development in a child, without effective functioning of these mental operations, learning would be difficult, if not impossible, and performance compromised.