"Just like his Ask the Cognitive Scientist column, Dan Willingham's book makes fascinating but complicatedresearch from cognitive science accessible to teachers. It is jam packed with ideas that teachers willfind both intellectually rich and useful in their classroom work."
—Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers

"This readable, practical book by a distinguished cognitivescientist explains the universal roots of effective teaching and learning. With great wit and authority it practices the principles it preaches. It is the best teachers' guide I know of—a classic that belongs in the book bag of every teacher from preschool to grad school."
—E. D. Hirsch, Jr., university professor emeritus, University of Virginia

"Dan Willingham, rare among cognitive scientists for also being awonderful writer, has produced a book about learning in school that readslike a trip through a wild and thrilling new country. For teachers and parents, even students, there are surprises on every page. Did you know, for instance,that our brains are not really made for thinking?"
—Jay Mathews, education columnist,The Washington Post

"Educators will love this wonderful book—in clear and compelling language, Willingham shows how the most important discoveries from the cognitive revolution can be used to improve teaching and inspire students in the classroom."
—John Gabrieli, Grover Hermann Professor of Health Sciences,Technology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Scientists know so much more than we knew thirty years ago about how children learn. This book offers you the research, and the arguments,that will help you become a more effective teacher."
—Joe Riener, English teacher, Wilson High School, Washington, D.C.

"A must read for those wishing to improve their classroom and those looking for ways to help their students be successful."
—G.L. Willhite, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse—Highly Recommended

"Drilling often conjures up images of late-19th-century schoolhouses, with students singsonging state capitals in unison without much comprehension of what they have learned," (New York Times, 2010)

"But Mr. Willingham's answers apply just as well outside the classroom. Corporate trainers, marketers and, not least, parents -- anyone who cares about how we learn -- should find his book valuable reading." (Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2009)

Daniel T. Willingham is professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. He writes the popular Ask the Cognitive Scientistcolumn for American Educator magazine.

Acknowledgments.

The Author.

Introduction.

CHAPTER 1 Why Don't Students Like School?

CHAPTER 2 How Can I Teach Students the Skills They Need When Standardized Tests Require Only Facts?

CHAPTER 3 Why Do Students Remember Everything That's on Television and Forget Everything I Say?

CHAPTER 4 Why Is It So Hard for Students to Understand Abstract Ideas?

CHAPTER 5 Is Drilling Worth It?

CHAPTER 6 What's the Secret to Getting Students to Think Like Real Scientists, Mathematicians, and Historians?

CHAPTER 7 How Should I Adjust My Teaching for Different Types of Learners?
 

CHAPTER 8 How Can I Help Slow Learners?

CHAPTER 9 What About My Mind?

Conclusion.

Notes.

Index.

Credit Lines.