Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy

Steeped in scientifically backed practical advice, this groundbreaking guide provides real-world practices and the latest research on how to train your brain for better learning.
"Written by a cognitive psychologist who has spent decades studying how we learn, OUTSMART YOUR BRAIN is the definitive guide to help students master the skills of understanding material and retaining information. In clear, accessible prose, Dan Willingham lays out the techniques necessary for students at any stage to succeed and thrive when learning, studying, and taking exams. When studying, the tendency is to focus on the mental tasks that we control most easily, and which create a sense of familiarity, like rereading and highlighting. But, as explained in OUTSMART YOUR BRAIN, familiarity is not the same thing as retention or comprehension. Real learning comes from practices we may not be as likely to implement, like self-testing. Each chapter in the book is devoted to one process that contributes to learning, such as avoiding procrastination or understanding what you're trying to learn. The book offers an analysis of what makes it difficult and then offers specific strategies which work. Each chapterends with a "For Teachers and Trainers" section. OUTSMART YOUR BRAIN is grounded in scientific findings but devoted to practical advice which make a difference to student test scores and grades. Giving readers a peek under the hood at their own brains will help them understand which learning strategies work and why"--
In this revolutionary, comprehensive, and accessible guide on how the brain learns, discover how to study more efficiently and effectively, shrug away exam stress, and most of all, enjoy learning. When we study, we tend to focus on the tasks we can most easily control—such as highlighting and rereading—but these practices only give the illusion of mastery. As Dan Willingham, professor of psychology and bestselling author, explains, familiarity is not the same as comprehension. Perfect for teachers and students of all ages, Outsmart Your Brain provides real-world practices and the latest research on how to train your brain for better learning. Each chapter provides clear and specific strategies while also explaining why traditional study processes do not work. Grounded in scientifically backed practical advice, this is the ultimate guide to improving grades and better understanding the power of our own brains.