Understanding How Young Children Learn: Bringing the Science of Child Development to the Classroom, Aug/2012

Because little kids can't tell you how their minds work and what makes them learn, you need this book about new scientific discoveries that explain how young children learn and what teachers can do to use those findings to enhance classroom teaching. Discover where the desire to learn comes from and what occurs during children's development to wire their brains for attention, language, curiosity, and memory. Included with the author's clear explanations of how young children learn are examples of classroom strategies that enhance children's motivation, attention, and memory. Learn why and how to

Encourage children to take intellectual risks.

Plan an "outrageous lesson" and occasionally add surprises to your classroom.

Provide children with choices and avoid high-stakes situations.

Incorporate meditation and free play into lessons.

Schedule time for children to let out their physical energy.

Use storytelling for conveying new content.

Add emotional hooks to lesson and unit plans.

Even seasoned teachers, who already know through experience how young minds work, need this book to bolster their practice with scientificce evidence on effective teaching of young children.

Dr. Wendy L. Ostroff is Associate Professor in the Program for the Advancement of Learning at Curry College.