How the Brain Learns
David A. Sousa continues his successful tradition of translating current research findings into effective classroom strategies and activities in this new version of his bestselling text. The fourth edition of How the Brain Learns integrates the most current developments in neuroscience, education, and psychology to inform your instruction and enhance your students′ learning. Included are
Indispensable for all educators who want to better understand the way children learn, this classic volume will help you rediscover the joy of seeing students reach their full potential. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Types of Brain Imaging | 2 |
Implications for Teaching | 4 |
Some Important Findings | 5 |
Why this Book can Help Improve Teaching and Learning | 6 |
Chapter Contents | 7 |
Who Should Use this Book? | 8 |
Try it YourselfDo Action Research | 9 |
Chapter 5 Brain Organization and Learning | 175 |
Brain Lateralization | 176 |
What Causes Specialization? | 178 |
Specialization does not Mean Exclusivity | 179 |
The Gender Connection | 180 |
Schools and Brain Organization | 185 |
Spoken Language Specialization | 187 |
Learning Spoken Language | 188 |
Whats Coming Up? | 10 |
Chapter 1 Basic Brain Facts | 15 |
Some Exterior Parts of the Brain | 16 |
Motor Cortex and Somatosensory Cortex | 18 |
Cerebrum | 20 |
Brain Cells | 21 |
Brain Fuel | 23 |
Neuron Development in Children | 24 |
Windows of Opportunity | 25 |
The Brain as a Novelty Seeker | 29 |
Whats Coming Up? | 35 |
Chapter 2 How the Brain Processes Information | 41 |
The Information Processing Model | 42 |
Limitations of the Model | 43 |
Inadequacy of the Computer Model | 44 |
The Senses | 45 |
ShortTerm Memory | 46 |
LongTerm Storage | 55 |
The Cognitive Belief System | 56 |
Learning Profiles Styles | 58 |
Whats Coming Up? | 60 |
Chapter 3 Memory Retention and Learning | 82 |
How Memory Forms | 83 |
The Temporary Stimulus | 84 |
Stages and Types of Memory | 86 |
Emotional Memory | 89 |
Learning and Retention | 91 |
Rehearsal | 92 |
Retention During a Learning Episode | 94 |
Implications for Teaching | 95 |
Learning Motor Skills | 102 |
Does Practice Make Perfect? | 103 |
Daily Biological Rhythms Affect Teaching and Learning | 106 |
The Importance of Sleep in Learning and Memory | 107 |
Intelligence and Retrieval | 110 |
Retrieval | 113 |
Chunking | 116 |
Forgetting | 120 |
Whats Coming Up? | 124 |
Chapter 4 The Power of Transfer | 143 |
What is Transfer? | 144 |
Types of Transfer | 145 |
Transfer of Learning | 146 |
Teaching for Transfer | 147 |
Factors Affecting Transfer | 149 |
Teaching Methods | 154 |
Transfer and Constructivism | 157 |
Technology and Transfer | 158 |
Whats Coming Up? | 159 |
Learning a Second Language | 191 |
Learning to Read | 192 |
Neural Systems Involved in Reading | 193 |
Skills Involved in Reading | 194 |
Problems in Learning to Read | 196 |
Implications for Teaching Reading | 198 |
Chapter 6 The Brain and the Arts | 216 |
Why Teach the Arts? | 217 |
The Arts and the Young Brain | 218 |
The Arts and Creativity | 220 |
The Sciences Need the Arts | 221 |
Impact of the Arts on Student Learning and Behavior | 222 |
Music | 224 |
Effects of Listening to Music versus Creating Instrumental Music | 225 |
How the Brain Listens to Music | 226 |
The Benefits of Listening to Music | 227 |
Creating Music | 228 |
Benefits of Creating Music | 229 |
Creating Music Benefits Memory | 230 |
Music and Reading | 233 |
Student Attitudes toward Music in the Schools | 234 |
Research on Visual Arts and Learning | 236 |
Movement | 237 |
Implications for Schools | 238 |
Whats Coming Up? | 240 |
Chapter 7 Thinking Skills and Learning | 250 |
Types of Thinking | 251 |
Thinking and Emotion | 252 |
Are We Teaching Thinking Skills? | 253 |
Modeling Thinking Skills in the Classroom | 254 |
Revisiting Blooms Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain | 255 |
The Models Structure and Revision | 256 |
Important Characteristics of the Revised Model | 260 |
Cognitive and Emotional Thinking | 261 |
The Taxonomy and the Dimensions of Thinking | 262 |
The Critical Difference between Complexity and Difficulty | 263 |
Curriculum Changes to Accommodate the Taxonomy | 265 |
Whats Coming Up? | 267 |
Chapter 8 Putting it all Together | 279 |
Daily Planning | 280 |
TwentyOne Questions to ask During Lesson Planning | 284 |
Unit Planning | 286 |
Maintaining Skills for the Future | 287 |
Conclusion | 289 |
Resources | 292 |
Glossary | 296 |
| 301 | |
| 314 | |
Common terms and phrases
ability action research activity amygdala areas arts auditory Bloom's Taxonomy brain learns cells cerebellum cerebrum Chapter chunking classroom cognitive complex Concept Maps concepts cortex critical attributes curriculum declarative memory down-time educators effect emotions enhance environment example experiences explain Figure fMRI focus frontal lobe functions help students higher-order thinking hippocampus human brain identify images important increase instruction involved language learner learning episode learning objective left hemisphere lesson limbic limbic system long-term memory long-term storage mathematics mental metaphor mirror neurons motor cortex motor skills neural neurons neuroscience occurs past learning patterns performance phonemes practice PRACTITIONER’S CORNER problems procedural memory reading recall recognize rehearsal remember response result retention retrieval scans self-concept sense and meaning sequence similar sounds stimulate stored strategies Students learn studies task taxonomy teachers teaching temporal lobe tion U.S. Civil War understanding visual words