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The ABCs of How We Learn: 26 Scientifically Proven Approaches, How They Work, and When to Use Them
Selected as one of NPR's Best Books of 2016, this book offers superior learning tools for teachers and students, from A to Z. An explosive growth in research on how people learn has revealed many ways to improve teaching and catalyze learning at all ages. The purpose of this book is to present this new science of learning so that educators can creatively translate the science into exceptional practice. The book is highly appropriate for the preparation and professional development of teachers and college faculty, but also parents, trainers, instructional designers, psychology students, and simply curious folks interested in improving their own learning.
Based on a popular Stanford University course, The ABCs of How We Learn uses a novel format that is suitable as both a textbook and a popular read. With everyday language, engaging examples, a sense of humor, and solid evidence, it describes 26 unique ways that students learn.
Each chapter offers a concise and approachable breakdown of one way people learn, how it works, how we know it works, how and when to use it, and what mistakes to avoid. The book presents learning research in a way that educators can creatively translate into exceptional lessons and classroom practice.
The book covers field-defining learning theories ranging from behaviorism (R is for Reward) to cognitive psychology (S is for Self-Explanation) to social psychology (O is for Observation). The chapters also introduce lesser-known theories exceptionally relevant to practice, such as arousal theory (X is for eXcitement). Together the theories, evidence, and strategies from each chapter can be combined endlessly to create original and effective learning plans and the means to know if they succeed. 26 illustrations
Based on a popular Stanford University course, The ABCs of How We Learn uses a novel format that is suitable as both a textbook and a popular read. With everyday language, engaging examples, a sense of humor, and solid evidence, it describes 26 unique ways that students learn.
Each chapter offers a concise and approachable breakdown of one way people learn, how it works, how we know it works, how and when to use it, and what mistakes to avoid. The book presents learning research in a way that educators can creatively translate into exceptional lessons and classroom practice.
The book covers field-defining learning theories ranging from behaviorism (R is for Reward) to cognitive psychology (S is for Self-Explanation) to social psychology (O is for Observation). The chapters also introduce lesser-known theories exceptionally relevant to practice, such as arousal theory (X is for eXcitement). Together the theories, evidence, and strategies from each chapter can be combined endlessly to create original and effective learning plans and the means to know if they succeed. 26 illustrations
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 11, 2016
It's not a book per se but a handy, relatively concise synopsis of what current brain science tells us about best practices for teaching and learning. In addition to outlining the research and the practices, each chapter has a “risks of”, “good and bad examples”, and references. Here's a synopsis:
A: Analogy
1. Explaining the novel by analogy
2. Show two examples and ask about deep structure vs. surface features
B: Belonging
-ward off stereotype threat
-make it easy to belong
-Shared norms
-Collaborative problem solving
-help them reframe/ gain perspective
C: Contrasting Cases
-experts see the details but novices do not
-help people to notice what is important
-cases should be as similar as possible
D: Deliberate Practice
-Focus on what is beyond current skillset; effortful; unsustainable concentration
1. Chunking
2. Knowledge reorganization
-setting goals & Choosing tasks
-rich feedback loops
-effort & rest
-motivation
E: Elaboration
-make connections to prior knowledge
-Make a story out of it
1. precise and relevant
2. chunking
3. connect to well-structured knowledge (spatial memory with sequences of actions)
F: Feedback
-support self-improvement
-practice makes permanent; w/ feedback makes perfect
-good if timely; specific; understandable; nonthreatening; revisionable
G: Generation (build lasting memories)
-Retrieve memories multiple times
1. desirable difficulty
2. strengthen the memory not the cue
3. space it out; several sessions (sleep on it)
H: Hands-On
- Use nonlanguage skills
I: Imaginative Play (developing cognitive control)
Role-Play; “What if?” questions
J: Just in time telling (making lectures and readings work)
Learn explanations after experience (rather than being told what the problem was)
Effective lectures rely on prior knowledge – make sure the prior knowledge is present!
Don’t give away the solution before students struggle
K: Knowledge
1. Development of efficient knowledge to solve recurring problem types
2. The application of innovative knowledge to solve novel conditions
Combo: Innovation (initial) and Efficiency (later)
L: Listening and Sharing collaborative learning)
-effective group work: Joint attention (communal focus):listening; Sharing; Coordinating; Perspective taking.
-Establish norms, have group-worth tasks, Independence & accountability
M: Making
Make See the fruits of your Labor Share what you’ve done(getting feedback) Overcome new challenges Learn strategies and methods Make
N: Norms
Make explicit the informal rules that regulate interaction
O: Observations (imitate feelings and procedures)
Let students observe you experience failure & model resiliency
P: Participation
Socially contextualized activities with access to goals, consequences, method, and interpretations.
Zone of proximal development (task is hard to do independently but is achievable with help)
Community of practice, Support from a knowledgeable person, scaffolding
Q: Questions Driven
Driving questions can increase curiosity, purpose, attention, and well-connected memories
R: Reward (motivating Student behavior)
-shape behavior with extrinsic rewards
-sustain engagement with intrinsic reward
S: Self-Explanation (Go beyond the information given)
Improve comprehension by explaining, connecting, restating, talking through
T: Teaching
Learn by teaching: peer instruction, jigsaw activities
U: Undoing (overcoming misconceptions & misplaced reading)
-Reveal the misconception; build up the alternate (correct) framework
V: Visualization (giving structure to complex information)
-distributing cognition, relational specificity, emergent structure, interpretive ease, reorganization
W: Worked Examples
When creating step by step how-to’s: -reduce distracting complexity, avoid splitting attention, eliminate the need to search for information, & highlight the subgoals
X: Excitement (turning up attention and arousal)
-focuses attention and improves memory formation
-social interactions, movement, engage curiosity and interest
Y: Yes! (increasing self-efficacy)
-past success; seeing others like you achieve the goal; hearing you are efficacious; psychological signals: noticing the effort and time involved while doing an activity.
-growth vs. fixed mindset
-changing attribution; Skill and will
Z: zzzzz (consolidating memories for the day)
- Laying down long term memories
A: Analogy
1. Explaining the novel by analogy
2. Show two examples and ask about deep structure vs. surface features
B: Belonging
-ward off stereotype threat
-make it easy to belong
-Shared norms
-Collaborative problem solving
-help them reframe/ gain perspective
C: Contrasting Cases
-experts see the details but novices do not
-help people to notice what is important
-cases should be as similar as possible
D: Deliberate Practice
-Focus on what is beyond current skillset; effortful; unsustainable concentration
1. Chunking
2. Knowledge reorganization
-setting goals & Choosing tasks
-rich feedback loops
-effort & rest
-motivation
E: Elaboration
-make connections to prior knowledge
-Make a story out of it
1. precise and relevant
2. chunking
3. connect to well-structured knowledge (spatial memory with sequences of actions)
F: Feedback
-support self-improvement
-practice makes permanent; w/ feedback makes perfect
-good if timely; specific; understandable; nonthreatening; revisionable
G: Generation (build lasting memories)
-Retrieve memories multiple times
1. desirable difficulty
2. strengthen the memory not the cue
3. space it out; several sessions (sleep on it)
H: Hands-On
- Use nonlanguage skills
I: Imaginative Play (developing cognitive control)
Role-Play; “What if?” questions
J: Just in time telling (making lectures and readings work)
Learn explanations after experience (rather than being told what the problem was)
Effective lectures rely on prior knowledge – make sure the prior knowledge is present!
Don’t give away the solution before students struggle
K: Knowledge
1. Development of efficient knowledge to solve recurring problem types
2. The application of innovative knowledge to solve novel conditions
Combo: Innovation (initial) and Efficiency (later)
L: Listening and Sharing collaborative learning)
-effective group work: Joint attention (communal focus):listening; Sharing; Coordinating; Perspective taking.
-Establish norms, have group-worth tasks, Independence & accountability
M: Making
Make See the fruits of your Labor Share what you’ve done(getting feedback) Overcome new challenges Learn strategies and methods Make
N: Norms
Make explicit the informal rules that regulate interaction
O: Observations (imitate feelings and procedures)
Let students observe you experience failure & model resiliency
P: Participation
Socially contextualized activities with access to goals, consequences, method, and interpretations.
Zone of proximal development (task is hard to do independently but is achievable with help)
Community of practice, Support from a knowledgeable person, scaffolding
Q: Questions Driven
Driving questions can increase curiosity, purpose, attention, and well-connected memories
R: Reward (motivating Student behavior)
-shape behavior with extrinsic rewards
-sustain engagement with intrinsic reward
S: Self-Explanation (Go beyond the information given)
Improve comprehension by explaining, connecting, restating, talking through
T: Teaching
Learn by teaching: peer instruction, jigsaw activities
U: Undoing (overcoming misconceptions & misplaced reading)
-Reveal the misconception; build up the alternate (correct) framework
V: Visualization (giving structure to complex information)
-distributing cognition, relational specificity, emergent structure, interpretive ease, reorganization
W: Worked Examples
When creating step by step how-to’s: -reduce distracting complexity, avoid splitting attention, eliminate the need to search for information, & highlight the subgoals
X: Excitement (turning up attention and arousal)
-focuses attention and improves memory formation
-social interactions, movement, engage curiosity and interest
Y: Yes! (increasing self-efficacy)
-past success; seeing others like you achieve the goal; hearing you are efficacious; psychological signals: noticing the effort and time involved while doing an activity.
-growth vs. fixed mindset
-changing attribution; Skill and will
Z: zzzzz (consolidating memories for the day)
- Laying down long term memories
October 29, 2017
I highly recommend this book to both students and professionals. As the title suggests, the book presents twenty-six topics in the latest research for how learning happens in humans. It opened my eyes to how I could approach and grow in my profession and in my life. It also helped me to reflect on times when I wasn't learning effectively, and how I could've maybe approached it differently. Furthermore, it gave me insight into how schools, organizations, and companies can be better prepared to help its constituents learn more effectively.
Each chapter is organized the same way: an explanation of the theory, examples of how to apply the theory, and risks/downfalls/misinterpretations associated with the theory. You can read the book straight through or use it as a reference text. I read it all the way through, but I have already come back to individual chapters for review on later occasions.
I've paired reading this book with Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (which has a more narrative reading experience), and it helped to reinforce many of the concepts and theories in my head.
Each chapter is organized the same way: an explanation of the theory, examples of how to apply the theory, and risks/downfalls/misinterpretations associated with the theory. You can read the book straight through or use it as a reference text. I read it all the way through, but I have already come back to individual chapters for review on later occasions.
I've paired reading this book with Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (which has a more narrative reading experience), and it helped to reinforce many of the concepts and theories in my head.
June 28, 2018
I’m always trying to find ways to better teach and train. I, just like you, have seen plenty of bad training courses, where you want to stab pencils in your ears and gouge out your eyes just to stop the pain of listening and seeing the training session. While not every teaching engenders this response, far too many of them do. My goal is that no one will ever feel that way in my teaching. I desire to create an experience that’s aligned with how adults learn and is based on everything we know about learning through research.
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June 8, 2017
First off, either I totally missed everything this book said or the book description on Goodreads is wrong (it has absolutely nothing to do with global politics, much less the Palestine-Israeli conflict). More seriously, this book was a good guide to understanding some of the basics of learning and how to facilitate learning as a teacher. I read this book in the context of my job as a "peer learning assistant" (aka, a tutor), but it also changed some things about how I approached my classes as a student. Each chapter focuses on a different technique to enhance learning and contains sections that help teachers to understand how each technique works and can be facilitated. Part of each chapter talks about how a someone can use the technique to teach themselves, which was helpful for helping people develop study strategies.
I would not necessarily recommend this book as an introduction to pedagogy without some of the context that you might gain from other books or programs because it provides each technique, but not a broad framework of learning or teaching. However, it can be useful when looking for new techniques or ways to expand on current teaching techniques.
I would not necessarily recommend this book as an introduction to pedagogy without some of the context that you might gain from other books or programs because it provides each technique, but not a broad framework of learning or teaching. However, it can be useful when looking for new techniques or ways to expand on current teaching techniques.
May 6, 2018
This is a great reference material. You can pick it up and start where you left off and not loose on the continuity. Each chapter (letter) is full of insightful details on how we learn and how we can use the concepts to teach. Key highlights would be deliberate practice, feedback, self-efficacy, mindset to remind remind ourselves of how we should structure our teaching. A recommended read, especially for someone who has already taught for few years to replenish ideas and reenergize your efforts. The chapters are structured really well to maximize engagement with the content, just like what the book is set out to do.
July 9, 2023
Some of the chapters are a little surface-level but overall a very good read and an amazing way of structuring information. I'll probably remember the majority of the chapters for a long time just because you can go through the ABCs and remind yourself of each one. More books should probably have this structure, or a similar one.
The authors do a great job of including TONS of papers which I love, but they don't really talk about effect size much. They're the type to just say "X results in improvements in Y" ... by how much? It's talked about in the paper they're usually summarizing, so the book really just feels like a collection of references to good papers sometimes.
The authors do a great job of including TONS of papers which I love, but they don't really talk about effect size much. They're the type to just say "X results in improvements in Y" ... by how much? It's talked about in the paper they're usually summarizing, so the book really just feels like a collection of references to good papers sometimes.
July 30, 2018
While some of the entries are a bit forced to fit the alphabet scheme and could be folded into other chapters, I really loved this book and wish it was available years ago. As someone very interested in educational techniques and singing the graces of various techniques which seem to be aggressively ignored in the education of adults, it was vindicating to see them present here with scientific backing, well-organized by utility. A must-read for every educator.
February 18, 2019
Education needs this book!
This book should be required reading for all teachers. It lists the pros and cons of all the strategies and doesn’t push a particular idea or product. Chapters can be read in isolation so it doesn’t require an all at once commitment. I’ve ordered a number of copies for my school. Now if I can just get others to read them!,,
This book should be required reading for all teachers. It lists the pros and cons of all the strategies and doesn’t push a particular idea or product. Chapters can be read in isolation so it doesn’t require an all at once commitment. I’ve ordered a number of copies for my school. Now if I can just get others to read them!,,
June 27, 2020
It’s good. It’s well organised by using the 26 alphabet to represent different learning skills. More easy to memorise it(a good example on the use of method teaches inside the book). Those are important and can improve your learning skills, or if you would like to use it for parenting.
December 18, 2019
One of my favorites. I'm not a teacher, but I'm highly interested in education and how it can be improved (especially for learning computer programming). This book is full of fascinating studies.
December 27, 2019
Focused on teachers. A little bit for self learners
, but not much.
, but not much.
August 13, 2017
Written by a team of Stanford professors, this book manages to be practical and scholarly at the same time. Loved it! If I ever get a chance to instruct again, I'll go back and re-read it ... then keep it close by on the shelf. Recommended to any educator.
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July 7, 2017I love this idea of summarizing teaching/learning strategies with the 26 Alphabet letters.
A is for analogy.
B is for Belonging.
C is for contrasting cases.
D is for deliberate practice.
E is for elaboration.
F is for feedback
G is for generation.
H is for hands on.
I is for imaginative play.
J is for just-in-time telling.
K is for knowledge.
L is for listening and sharing.
M is for making.
N is for norms.
O is for organization.
P is for participation.
Q is fur question driven.
R is for reward.
S is for self-explanation.
T is for teaching.
U is for understanding.
V is for visualization.
W is for worked examples.
X is for excitement.
Y is for yes.
Z is for ZZZs.
A is for analogy.
B is for Belonging.
C is for contrasting cases.
D is for deliberate practice.
E is for elaboration.
F is for feedback
G is for generation.
H is for hands on.
I is for imaginative play.
J is for just-in-time telling.
K is for knowledge.
L is for listening and sharing.
M is for making.
N is for norms.
O is for organization.
P is for participation.
Q is fur question driven.
R is for reward.
S is for self-explanation.
T is for teaching.
U is for understanding.
V is for visualization.
W is for worked examples.
X is for excitement.
Y is for yes.
Z is for ZZZs.
March 8, 2019
Loved the tone, format, and organization of this book! A great read for any educator or parent.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews