The Importance of Brain Breaks
“Brain breaks” are pretty self-explanatory. They are breaks that our brains need in order to be most productive. Anytime we are learning or engaging in any cognitive task that requires brain power, our brains need opportunities to rest. These breaks are especially important for children and adolescents whose brains are not only learning, but also […]
Using Screens for Learning
Virtually all students spent a good amount of the 2020–2021 school year on screens. Some were on screens for some of the day, others for most of the day, and some even for their entire school day. Now that summer has come, kids are on a break from the daily grind of the pandemic school […]
Strategies for Building High Schoolers’ Independence
By the time students hit high school, they begin making the transition from academic hand-holding to independence. Up until about 9th grade, most students receive tremendous amounts of support with all aspects of their learning. Teachers help them with everything from how to have a group discussion, to remembering a deadline for an assignment. Once […]
Empowering Middle Schoolers
No one has ever claimed that being a middle schooler is easy. For average pre-teens, bodies, hormones, and friends change on an almost daily basis, and the last thing they want to think about is school. Having to spend hours each day doing what someone else tells you to do isn’t exactly their idea of […]
Using Teachable Moments
Although unplanned, teachable moments can lead to some of the most significant learning experiences kids have. They are often more memorable than daily lessons because they come about authentically from children’s questions, misconceptions, or interests. Therefore, they feel relevant, which always makes learning more meaningful. So how do we recognize a teachable moment when it […]
How Schema Makes Learning More Meaningful
All of our experiences, memories, and beliefs play into how and what we learn. In part, this is because our perspectives and backgrounds contribute to how we interpret information. This prior knowledge is part of our schema. Schema refers to what we already know, and it plays a critical role in making learning meaningful for […]
What is Working Memory?
Human memory functions in complex ways. There are things we’d like to remember all the time but always forget, like where we put the car keys. Other memories that seem inconsequential in the moment may stick with us for years. Children’s memories play a huge part in their learning. After all, remembering information factors heavily […]
Understanding ADHD and Executive Function Skills
Challenges with executive function skills go hand-in-hand with ADHD. These difficulties can impact a chid’s ability to organize resources and information, manage time and tasks, and maintain focus and attention. As a result, many kids with these issues are labeled as “lazy,” “scattered,” or a “space cadet,” when in fact they are doing the best […]
How to Use Choice as a Powerful Learning Tool
Everyone likes to feel like they’re in charge. Kids are no different! When we offer students choices, it allows them to feel like they are in control over a given situation. All students benefit from having choices as we all learn better when we have a say in our learning. For students who struggle with […]
What’s Your Learning Style?
The question of learning style has become a heated one in recent years. That’s because the idea of learning styles has been a part of teacher training for decades, yet there isn’t a huge amount of data to illustrate the effectiveness of using this information in the classroom. In fact, Howard Gardner, the godfather of […]
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