How the Brain Learns

From “How the Brain Learns” by David A Sousa

Adapted from presentation by Jeff Hruby

Power Point by Laura Westermeier

This presentation will show you how to make use of

how the brain learns to increase

your students’ retention of new material.

Graph of when new material is introduced in your classroom

1. Use a marker to show over time how much new information is presented over time in a typical class period

Class time in minutes

Am

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

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On the same graph:

1. Use a different color marker to show over time how much new information the brain remembers over time in a class period

Class time in minutes

Am

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

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Deg

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Levels of Retention:• Most information retained in first 5-12 minutes• Low levels of retention for new materials

during middle of class• Increase in retention last 5 minutes of class

Class time in minutes

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Example• Think of a time when you met a lot of people

• Which names do you remember?

• Usually the first few and last few, but often not

the ones in the middle

Class time in minutes

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40Little

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Retention During a Learning Episode

Class time in minutes

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Down-time

Prime-time-1

Prime-time-2

The degree of retention varies during a learning episode.

•We remember best that which comes first (prime-time-1) and last (prime-time-2)

•We remember least that which comes just past the middle

Activity - Retention During a Learning Episode

1. Number your paper 1-10.2. You will see a list of 10 “words” for 12

seconds.3. After the “words” are removed you will

write as many words as you can remember. Be sure to write the word next to the corresponding number.

1. _____2. _____3. _____4. _____5. _____6. _____7. _____8. _____9. _____10._____

Number your

paper like this

Click when you are ready to start the 12 seconds!

The next slide will automatically change

after 12 seconds.

1. KEF2. LAK3. MIL4. NIR5. VEK6. LUN7. NEM8. BEB9. SAR10.FIF

1. _____2. _____3. _____4. _____5. _____6. _____7. _____8. _____9. _____10._____

Now write as many “words”

as you can remember

1. KEF2. LAK3. MIL4. NIR5. VEK6. LUN7. NEM8. BEB9. SAR10.FIF

Circle the “words” you had correct

•They must be spelled correctly

•They must be in the proper number on the list

How did you do?• Chances are you remembered the

first 3-5 words and the last 1-2 words.• You probably had difficulty with the

middle words (line 6-8)• Your pattern in remembering is a

common phenomenon called the primacy-recency effect

Primacy-Recency Effect

• We tend to remember best that which comes first

• Second best that which comes last• Least that which comes in the middle• This is not new – first studies on this done in

1880’s

Retention During a Learning Episode

Class time in minutes

Am

ount

of n

ew in

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Little

LotsD

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Ret

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Down-time

Prime-time-1

Prime-time-2

Implications for Teaching

• New information or new skills should be taught during prime-time-1 because it will most likely be remembered

• Only correct information should be discussed during prime-time-1

• This is not the time to solicit what students know since if it is wrong information students will remember the incorrect information

Implications for TeachingPractice and review during the down-time

Practice helps the learner organize information for further processing

Class time in minutes

Am

ount

of n

ew in

form

atio

n pr

esen

ted

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Little

Lots

Deg

ree

of R

eten

tion

Down-time

Prime-time-1

Prime-time-2

Implications for Teaching

• Prime-time 2 is the second most powerful learning time

• Opportunity for learner to determine sense and meaning

Possible Classroom Strategies

Delivering New Information (Minutes 3-5)

Processing Information (Minutes 15-35)

Consolidating New Information (Minutes 35-45)

Possible Classroom StrategiesDelivering New Information (Minutes 3-5)

Processing Information (Minutes 15-35)

Consolidating New Information (Minutes 35-45)

• Asking essential questions

• Academic vocabulary

• Task specific vocabulary

• Power points

• Making connections

• Cornell notes

• Summarizing

• Pair/Share

• Guided questions

• Jigsaw

• Socratic Seminars

• Group work

• Making connections to prior

knowledge

• Relating to misconceptions

• Teacher asking “What did you learn

in this lesson?”

•Summary on Cornell notes

•Consolidating question of the day

•Note cards

• Relate to visual images

What about longer class periods?

• Plan four 20-minute learning segments instead of one long episode

• If using direct instruction do it during the first segment

• Go off task between segments– Stretch– Tell a joke or story– Share a cartoon

To Increase Retention During a Learning Episode

To Increase Retention During a Learning Episode

• Teach the new material first• Avoid asking students what they know at

the beginning of a lesson so you don’t reinforce wrong information

• Use down-time portion to have students practice new learning

• Do closure during prime-time-2 so learner’s can attach sense and meaning to the new learning

How the Brain LearnsHow does this

information affect how you will increase student engagement this year?

If you would like to learn more about“How the Brain Learns”

• By David A. Sousa• 2006• Corwin Press• ISBN 1-4129-3661-6