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Powerful Evidence: Self-Control Training Works — and Changes Brains

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 24, 2019

Both survey data and fMRI neuroimaging suggest that a program to help poor children develop self-control skills had real benefits over many years. Continue reading →

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Putting The Canary on a Better Book Shelf

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 22, 2019

A student’s “prior misconceptions” often interfere with new learning. To help them understand new material, we first need to identify the misconceptions that make it hard to understand in the first place. Continue reading →

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Decorating the Classroom: How Much Is Too Much?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 19, 2019

Teachers decorate classrooms for many reasons — especially to make students feel at home. Recent research, however, suggests that too much decoration distracts students’ attention an interferes with their memory. When it comes to classroom decoration, there can indeed be too much of a good thing. Continue reading →

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Learning Grows: The Science of Motivation for the Classroom Teacher

Rebecca Gotlieb
by: Rebecca Gotlieb
Posted on: June 17, 2019

Andrew C. Watson, the editor of Learning and the Brain Blog, long-time teacher at some…

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Design Thinking: How Does It Work In The Classroom?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 16, 2019

A careful study of design thinking finds modest successes — especially for students who have struggled in school. Continue reading →

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“But I Study Much Better With My Music On”

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 13, 2019

Yet another study shows that background music — especially music with lyrics — makes reading comprehension harder, not easier. We study best in silence. Continue reading →

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Overcoming Potential Perils of Online Learning

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 10, 2019

Typical at-home distractions can indeed interfere with online learning. Happily, researchers have suggestions on how best to mitigate these problems. Continue reading →

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“How You Got to Be So Smart”: The Evolution of...

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 8, 2019

Evolution of the Learning Brain: or How You Got to Be So Smart, by Paul Howard-Jones, offers an evolutionary history of learning itself. Both richly scientific and fun to read, it gives teachers a helpful, fresh perspective on our work in classrooms and schools. Continue reading →

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Why Do “Learning Styles” Theories Persist? [Updated 6-7-19]

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 5, 2019

We’re still trying to understand why learning styles theory — although widely debunked — still persists. Could it be because schools of education still support it? Continue reading →

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Handshakes at the Door: Hype, or Helpful?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 3, 2019

It’s not just cute videos! Research also shows that greeting individual students at the classroom door leads to higher levels of attention and fewer classroom disruptions. Continue reading →