Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens

by Barbara Oakley PhD, Terrence Sejnowski PhD, Alistair McConville

Overview

A surprisingly simple way for students to master any subject—based on one of the world's most popular online courses and the bestselling book A Mind for Numbers

A Mind for Numbers and its wildly popular online companion course "Learning How to Learn" have empowered more than two million learners of all ages from around the world to master subjects that they once struggled with. Fans often wish they'd discovered these learning strategies earlier and ask how they can help their kids master these skills as well. Now in this new book for kids and teens, the authors reveal how to make the most of time spent studying.
We all have the tools to learn what might not seem to come naturally to us at first—the secret is to understand how the brain works so we can unlock its power. This book explains:
• Why sometimes letting your mind wander is an important part of the learning process
• How to avoid "rut think" in order to think outside the box
• Why having a poor memory can be a good thing
• The value of metaphors in developing understanding
• A simple, yet powerful, way to stop procrastinating
Filled with illustrations, application questions, and exercises, this book makes learning easy and fun.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143132547
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	94,343
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	10 - 17 Years

About the Author

Barbara Oakley is a professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and Ramón y Cajal Distinguished Scholar of Global Digital Learning at McMaster University. Her research involves bioengineering with an emphasis on neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Dr. Oakley teaches the massive open online courses (MOOCs) "Learning How to Learn" and "Mindshift," alongside legendary neuroscientist Terrence Sejnowski. Dr. Oakley has received many awards for her teaching, including the American Society of Engineering Education's Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in education and the National Science Foundation New Century Scholar Award.

Terrence Sejnowski is the Francis Crick Professor at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where he also directs the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory. He is among only twelve living scientists who have been elected to the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering.

Alistair McConville is the deputy head of Bedales School, one of England's most prestigious private K-12 schools.

Table of Contents

A Note to Parents and Teachers vii

Chapter 1 Is The Problem with Passion 1

Chapter 2 Easy Does It: Why Trying Too Hard Can Sometimes Be Part of the Problem 13

Chapter 3 I'll Do It Later, Honest! Using a Tomato to Beat Procrastination 30

Chapter 4 Brain-Links and Fun with Space Aliens 45

Chapter 5 The Other Side of the Teacher's Desk 68

Chapter 8 Learning While You Sleep: How to Wake Up Smarter 76

Chapter 7 School Bags, Lockers, and Your Attentional Octopus 88

Chapter 8 Slick Tricks to Build Your Memory 97

Chapter 9 Why Brain-Links Are Important (and How Not to Back a Car into a Ditch) 112

Chapter 10 Learning with Clubs and Groups, Finding Your Mission, and Mow Terry Nearly Burned Down the School 126

Chapter 11 How to Pump Up Your Brain 134

Chapter 12 Making Brain-Links: How Hot to Learn from a Comic Book 143

Chapter 13 Asking Yourself Important Questions: Should You Listen to Music While You're Studying? 160

Chapter 14 Learning Surprises: Pssst… Your Worst Traits Can Be Your Best Traits! 174

Chapter 15 How to Do Well on Tests 186

Chapter 16 Going from "Have to" to "Get to" 195

Solutions to End-of-Chapter Problems 206

Suggested Resources 216

Illustration Gredits 220

Acknowledgments 223

References 225

Notes 230

Index 236

About the Authors and Illustrator 245

Editorial Reviews

A fun, practical book about how to help your kids build the most important skill in life: the skill of learning.”
—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg

"Young people are expected to learn, but are rarely taught how. This book does that job beautifully. Based on the latest research, Learning How to Learn conveys ideas and strategies simply and directly, covering all the bases. I wish someone had given me this book when I was in middle or high school. If you have (or know) children this age, do them a favor and give them this book.” 
—Henry L. Roediger III, coauthor of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

"The authors' neuroscience-grounded, yet real-life, approach will be of value to learners of any age."
—Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, Professor in Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco

“In this highly readable and lively book, the authors illustrate how the brain and behavioral dynamics underlie effective learning—and they do so in a way that young learners will find understandable and even entertaining.”
—Robert A. Bjork, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles

"Learning How to Learn shows kids and teens that a little knowledge of how their brain works goes a long way in helping them improve their learning and studying success. This unique book is full of fun learning strategies—I highly recommend it!”
—Paula Tallal, PhD, Board of Governors Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience at Rutgers University and cofounder of Scientific Learning Corporation

“I devoured Learning How to Learn in three sittings (I needed time for diffuse thinking, active recall, and sleep). A terrific book!”
—Jeff Sandefer, cofounder of Acton Academy

“This book helps students understand how to learn more effectively. My 10th grade daughter especially enjoys applying the technique of ‘sleeping on it’ to enhance her recall.”
—Todd Troutman, Dean, Science and Mathematics, Mott Community College

From the Publisher

02/01/2019

Gr 7 Up—The lifelong process of learning is revolutionized in this self-help book. It is a clear, detailed step-by-step guide to improve any reader's ability to learn. Oakley's personal journey overcoming her start as a "terrible student" who hated math and science to her current status as a professor of engineering encourages readers not to limit themselves to learning only what they are good at. Oakley shows not only that everyone can learn all kinds of things, but also that learning a variety of subjects will help achieve mastery in them all. A mix of neuroscience, metaphors, and illustrations help transform complicated concepts into digestible information. Personal success stories are interwoven with techniques to encourage focus and limit distraction, strategies to aid memory and retention, and scientific rationale. The author's methods can easily be put into action immediately. Readers will learn to do a "pomodoro," intently focusing for 25 minutes, create a memory palace, placing knowledge in a safe spot for easy retrieval, control their "attentional octopus," managing their ability to juggle multiple thoughts and ideas at the same time, and create a "brain chain," linking ideas with practice, repetition, and recall. They see how sleep, exercise, and eating balanced meals promotes dendrite spine growth in neurons in the brain. Practical advice on how to successfully prepare for tests is also offered. VERDICT A compelling read that is a must for all libraries.—Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

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