How The Brain Learns Mathematics

Learn how the brain processes mathematical concepts and why some students develop math anxiety! David A. Sousa discusses the cognitive mechanisms for learning mathematics and the environmental and developmental factors that contribute to mathematics difficulties. This award-winning text examines: Children’s innate number sense and how the brain develops an understanding of number relationships Rationales for modifying lessons to meet the developmental learning stages of young children, preadolescents, and adolescents How to plan lessons in PreK–12 mathematics Implications of current research for planning mathematics lessons, including discoveries about memory systems and lesson timing Methods to help elementary and secondary school teachers detect mathematics difficulties Clear connections to the NCTM standards and curriculum focal points

To reach all your math students, use your brain—and theirs, too! The bestselling and award-winning first edition of How the Brain Learns Mathematics quickly revolutionized math teaching and learning. The second edition takes readers to the next level with new brain-friendly strategies backed by the latest research from education and neuroscience and even more ways to seamlessly incorporate what you learn about your students’ developing minds into your math classroom. In this essential resource, you’ll discover the cognitive mechanisms involved in processing mathematical operations, while exploring the environmental and developmental factors that create learning difficulties. How the Brain Learns Mathematics also presents a unique and simplified four-step teaching model that relates students’ classroom experience to concrete, real-world applications. Features of the new edition include More strategies for motivating adolescents Integration of the arts into mathematics instruction New information on how technology affects attention and memory Expanded sections on number sense and ELL instruction More than 160 new references and a greatly expanded index for readers’ convenience No matter what grade you teach, your students are growing and changing. Understanding how their brains work is the key to reaching every one of them—and making math a positive part of their lives for years to come. "David Sousa’s book is a wonderfully readable presentation of how neuroscience and cognitive psychology can inform the teaching of mathematics in elementary and secondary schools. Sousa engages his readers intellectually with recent research on the brain and mathematics learning, and avoids pat answers where the evidence is suggestive rather than conclusive. The book is a valuable text for teachers who want a deeper insight into thinking processes behind the learning and teaching of math." —Robert E. Slavin, Director, Center for Research and Reform in Education Johns Hopkins University "Teaching mathematics without having read this book is like trying to master tennis without a coach. Sousa′s book is a tour de force: It builds a solid bridge from cognitive neuroscience to daily classroom practice. Every teacher of mathematics will benefit from this well-researched, well-organized, thoughtful, and practical approach to making math instruction align with how brains learn." —Spencer Kagan, Publisher/Professional Developer Kagan Publishing and Professional Development

The text offers a unique and simplified four-step model for teaching mathematics to PreK--12 students that helps teachers consistently relate what learners experience in the classroom to concrete, real-world applications.

To reach all your math students, use your brain—and theirs, too! This updated bestseller takes readers to the next level with new brain-friendly strategies backed by the latest research and even more ways to seamlessly incorporate what you learn about your students’ developing minds into your math classroom. Discover the cognitive mechanisms for learning math, explore factors that contribute to learning difficulties, and follow a four-step teaching model that relates classroom experience to real-world applications. Features include: New strategies for motivating adolescents Integration of the arts into mathematics instruction New information on how technology affects attention and memory Expanded sections on number sense and ELL instruction More than 160 new references

One major development since the third edition of this text is the birth of a new academic discipline. Called educational neuroscience or mind, brain, and education science, this field explores how research findings from neuroscience, education, and psychology can inform our understandings about teaching and learning, and whether they have implications for educational practice. This new edition includes updated information on memory systems, especially the changes in working memory capacity; new research findings on how the explosion of technology may be affecting the brain; new information on brain organization and learning, and revised sections on hemispheric specialization;ánew research on how learning the arts enhances cognitive processing and creativity; an expanded Resources section that includes more Internet sites selected for their reliable information on the brain; and more than 150 new oráupdated references, most of which are primary sources for those who wish to explore the actual research studies. This book opens the door to educational neuroscience in the hopes that educators will experience the joy of seeing more students reach their full potential.

Is there a way to get students to love math? Dr. Judy Willis responds with an emphatic yes in this informative guide to getting better results in math class. Tapping into abundant research on how the brain works, Willis presents a practical approach for how we can improve academic results by demonstrating certain behaviors and teaching students in a way that minimizes negativity. With a straightforward and accessible style, Willis shares the knowledge and experience she has gained through her dual careers as a math teacher and a neurologist. In addition to learning basic brain anatomy and function, readers will learn how to * Improve deep-seated negative attitudes toward math. * Plan lessons with the goal of "achievable challenge" in mind. * Reduce mistake anxiety with techniques such as errorless math and estimation. * Teach to different individual learning strengths and skill levels. * Spark motivation. * Relate math to students' personal interests and goals. * Support students in setting short-term and long-term goals. * Convince students that they can change their intelligence. With dozens of strategies teachers can use right now, Learning to Love Math puts the power of research directly into the hands of educators. A Brain Owner's Manual, which dives deeper into the structure and function of the brain, is also included—providing a clear explanation of how memories are formed and how skills are learned. With informed teachers guiding them, students will discover that they can build a better brain . . . and learn to love math!

Engineering professor Barbara Oakley knows firsthand how it feels to struggle with math. In her book, she offers you the tools needed to get a better grasp of that intimidating but inescapable field.

Selected as the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics winter book club book! Rich tasks, collaborative work, number talks, problem-based learning, direct instruction...with so many possible approaches, how do we know which ones work the best? In Visible Learning for Mathematics, six acclaimed educators assert it’s not about which one—it’s about when—and show you how to design high-impact instruction so all students demonstrate more than a year’s worth of mathematics learning for a year spent in school. That’s a high bar, but with the amazing K-12 framework here, you choose the right approach at the right time, depending upon where learners are within three phases of learning: surface, deep, and transfer. This results in "visible" learning because the effect is tangible. The framework is forged out of current research in mathematics combined with John Hattie’s synthesis of more than 15 years of education research involving 300 million students. Chapter by chapter, and equipped with video clips, planning tools, rubrics, and templates, you get the inside track on which instructional strategies to use at each phase of the learning cycle: Surface learning phase: When—through carefully constructed experiences—students explore new concepts and make connections to procedural skills and vocabulary that give shape to developing conceptual understandings. Deep learning phase: When—through the solving of rich high-cognitive tasks and rigorous discussion—students make connections among conceptual ideas, form mathematical generalizations, and apply and practice procedural skills with fluency. Transfer phase: When students can independently think through more complex mathematics, and can plan, investigate, and elaborate as they apply what they know to new mathematical situations. To equip students for higher-level mathematics learning, we have to be clear about where students are, where they need to go, and what it looks like when they get there. Visible Learning for Math brings about powerful, precision teaching for K-12 through intentionally designed guided, collaborative, and independent learning.

Apply the newest brain research to enhance all students’ learning Recent discoveries about the human brain have the power to transform the way we teach and learn. World-renowned educational neuroscience consultant David A. Sousa has helped tens of thousands of educators understand how brain research can improve teaching and learning. He continues his tradition of translating new findings into effective classroom strategies and activities in this updated version of his bestselling text. The fifth edition of How the Brain Learns integrates recent developments in neuroscience, education, and psychology and includes New information on memory systems, especially working memory capacity Updated research on how the explosion of technology is affecting the brain Current findings on brain organization and learning, and revised sections on hemispheric specialization New evidence on how learning the arts enhances cognitive processing and creativity An expanded resources section More than 150 new or updated references Written for anyone who wants to better understand the way people learn, How the Brain Learns unlocks the mysteries of the human mind and allows educators to experience the joy of seeing students reach their full potential. Read David Sousa’s interview on Education Week Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo. "The strategies in How the Brain Learns are applicable and explained in the context of the research. The what and why are in the same place, and the book helps teachers see what they can and should do to support their students while providing scientific reasons for the strategies. Teachers are prepared to explain and share with students, principals, superintendents, parents, and colleagues." Kris Dreifuerst, Graduate Teaching Lecturer, Neurodevelopmental Approach to Teaching Plymouth State University