preschool for parents

Preschool for Parents: Surprising Long-Term Benefits

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: July 5, 2018

Head Start programs prepare young children — especially those from lower socio-economic cohorts — for success in school. Can these programs help more if extended by the parents? Continue reading →

false learning categories

You Are a Learning Style of One

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: July 2, 2018

Many educational fads ask teachers to sort our students into false learning categories: by learning style, for example, or by gender. Instead, we should focus on cognitive processes — like memory and attention — that apply to all our students. As learners we can’t be categorized, but we’re more alike than different. Continue reading →

expert teacher vision

Do Expert Teachers See More Meaningful Classrooms?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 30, 2018

Why do chess experts win more chess matches than novices? This question has a perfectly…

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How To Be A Critical Psychology Consumer

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 28, 2018

Teachers who want to shape our practice with research find ourselves taking on extra responsibilities….

using research well

Don’t Just Do This Thing; Think This Way

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 27, 2018

Do hard-to-read fonts improve learning? The answer is: that’s the wrong question. Instead, we should ask: how can we set the right level of difficulty as students learn material? And: are hard-to-read fonts a useful tool in getting to that level. Only the classroom teacher can answer those questions. Continue reading →

mind wandering advice

Conflicting Advice: Mind-Wandering Is Bad, or Just Fine

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 25, 2018

Some researchers say that mind wandering is “just fine.” Others say that it interferes with comprehension. Which is true? When looking at conflicting findings, focus on the research that best resembles your classroom. In this case, you should probably worry about mind wandering — except under specific circumstances. Continue reading →

learning styles

Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 21, 2018

At one of the first Learning and the Brain conferences I attended, a speaker briefly…

PowerofDifferent

The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder and Genius...

Rebecca Gotlieb
by: Rebecca Gotlieb
Posted on: June 19, 2018

Gail Saltz, author of The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder and Genius, argues…

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Capture Intergalactic Criminals; Feel the Mental Burn

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 17, 2018

I’ve posted a good bit recently about the dangers of working memory overload. (For instance:…

Putting Research to Work in the Classroom: Success?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: June 15, 2018

Some study habits have been shown to work in psychology labs. Do they work in college classrooms? A recent study shows that “retrieval practice” clearly helps students learn. The findings on “the spacing effect” are harder to interpret… Continue reading →