make it stick: the science of learning

Curriculum

Oct 11

Written By Sarah

*Make it Stick Sketchnotes by Krystyna Gadd*

The Science of Learning

Make it Stick, by Peter C. Brown, has been one of the most impactful books I have read as an educator, and I firmly believe that everyone would benefit from it. In this book, Brown takes decades of research on how the brain learns and breaks it down into meaningful practices for students and educators.

So, what exactly is the science of learning (SOL), and what strategies can we apply to our homeschool?

The findings from all of the research and insights give us evidence-based teaching and learning strategies. Keep in mind there is a wide range of quality and interpretation that can make it hard to see the full picture.

Sometimes, data can be used to support different ideas, and only highlighting specific research findings can make a teaching method seem better than it really is.

It's important to carefully check where the evidence comes from, how reliable it is, and whether it makes sense for your child's education.

RETRIEVAL PRACTICE

Retrieval practice is simply memory work. The effort of recalling knowledge or skills enhances its longevity and our capacity to remember it later on.

We can embed this in our homeschool by including memory work in our routine, “quizzing” our students by asking questions and playing memory games.

SPACED PRACTICE

Spread out opportunities for recall/memory work.

““The more you’ve forgotten about a topic, the more effective relearning will be in shaping your permanent knowledge.””

— Peter C. Brown, Make It Stick

INTERLEAVED PRACTICE

Interleaving is a learning strategy that involves mixing together different topics or forms of practice to increase long-term learning.

For example, instead of learning history one country at a time, you can learn about a variety of countries around a specific theme, such as ‘homes around the world. If learning multiplication facts, a student can move through different types of solving problems such as arrays, repeated addition, multiplication algorithms, etc.

ELABORATION

Elaboration is the process of uncovering deeper layers of meaning in new information by making connections.

This process includes providing detailed explanations and descriptions of concepts and establishing links between the new material and your personal experiences, memories, and everyday life. It's about making connections and applying new information to your life.

GENERATION

Generation is an active learning strategy where students create or generate information, responses, or solutions from their understanding and knowledge.

Some examples include explaining concepts, narration, solving problems, creating something to represent learning, notebooking, and more.