A Method to the Madness
I strive to use research based best practices in every dimension of my classroom. At times, this can be confusing to parents as it's not always the way that we grew up learning. Here's a bit of the research behind some of the methods that I use.
Novelty- Why are they playing a game instead of doing worksheets? Novel events are unexpected and spark student attention and curiosity. It brings brains to attention and helps the information travel into memory storage along more than one neural pathway. The goal is to provide experiences that enable students to interact with knowledge in ways that arouse their physical senses and positive emotions, or to connect new information with past experiences and interests (Willis, 11).
Different approaches- It seems like every time I turn around, you're teaching them a different way. The more ways something is learned, the more memory pathways are built. The more ways material is introduced and reviewed, the more dendritic pathways of access are created. If students hear and see information, the brain sets up connections with both the occipital and temporal lobes and the duplication results in greater opportunity for future cues to prompt the brain access to this stored information (Willis, 4). I try to offer a kinesthetic, visual and auditory access point in each of my lessons.
Interdisciplinary Studies- Why are you teaching reading during science and social studies during reading? The more regions of the brain that store data about a subject, the more interconnection there is, promoting quicker recall and strengthened circuits. The cross-referencing of data strengthens the data into something we've learned rather than just memorized (Willis, 5).
Social Emotional Learning- Aren't you here to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic? What's all this talk about feelings? When students are in stable, supportive social communities, they show an increase in dendrite sprouting and synaptic connections and can increasingly perform more complex tasks, working harder and more positively. By investing in the whole child and our classroom community, the payoffs are not just social/emotional but academic as well (Willis, 5).
Spelling Patterns/Word Study vs. Rote Memory- Can't they just memorize the list of spelling words? Rote memory is of little interest or emotional value to the student. Facts that are memorized by rehearsing over and over often don't have obvious or engaging patterns or connections. With nothing to give them context or relationship to each other or to the students' lives, these facts are stored in remoter areas of the brain, harder to locate later. By teaching spelling patterns, the information is connected to one another and the working memories travel into the brain's long term storage areas. Whenever material is presented in a way that students see relationships, they generate greater brain cell activity (forming new neural connections) (Willis, 15). By doing it through a hands on approach, the dendritic pathways are strengthened and more areas of the brain are involved. Using technology to learn it is a novel approach, bringing their brains to attention and helping them be ready to learn.
Brain Breaks- What's with the singing and dancing? Don't you have serious work to be doing? Brain Breaks are "syn-naps." After repeated release of neurotransmitters from a nerve ending, there needs to be a brain rest when the neurotransmitter can be restored to be available for release when the next message comes traveling along the neuronal circuit (Willis, 26). Brain breaks prevent overloading of the circuits and help with memory, attention and and efficiency.
Technology- Don't our kids get enough screen time without needing it at school? One of the most powerful factors in student learning is feedback, because it reinforces neurons in the brain. Computer programs provide instant feedback. They enhance students' memory connections, pathways for access and retention of the material they learn in the classroom and read in their texts (Willis, 35). It engages students' attention through the instant gratification of sight and sound. It is not a replacement for traditional education but an enhancement.
Independent Reading- How is my child going to be a better reader if they're spending so much time reading storybooks to themselves rather than using a textbook? "No single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students' comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading." (Miller, 51) The amount of time reading is the best predictor of reading achievement, including a child’s growth as a reader from the second to the fifth grade. Students who do a substantial amount of independent reading, not only enjoy reading more but are better readers and show success in school across the board (Cullinan, 2000). The single factor most strongly associated with reading achievement–more than socioeconomic status or any instructional approach–is independent reading (Krashen).
Reading and Writing Workshop Approach- What's this whole "workshop" thing about? A complete guide to the research behind this method is available here. http://www.readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/articles/ResearchBase1.pdf
Student Choice- Why do the kids have so much control over their learning? Student-centered lessons increase student engagement by supporting their intrinsic motivation. When students care about the material and make connections to their own lives, they show the greatest amount of brain activity (Willis, 43).
Project Based Learning- What are they going to learn by doing all these activities and projects? Events with strong sensory input make their way through the neural pathways of the emotionally preactivated limbic system into memory storage. Students "become" the knowledge by interacting with it. It arouses their physical senses and positive emotions and connects new information with their interests (Willis, 14).
Listening to Reading- Isn't it cheating to listen to an audio book instead of read it? https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/08/18/listening-isnt-cheating-how-audio-books-can-help-us-learn/
Alternative Seating- How can they concentrate unless they're sitting in a desk? Research shows that when your body is engaged, your brain is engaged. Mayo Clinic did a study in support of alternative seating. (http://www.mayo.edu/pmts/mc4400-mc4499/mc4409-0906.pdf) Reynolds (Science of fitness, 2015) says that “Globally speaking, kids sit on average 8.5 hours. Movement and activity really drops after age 8. That’s of course, when school, homework and tech devices take over kids’ lives.” This is a great site that has a ton of info and research on flexible seating. https://flexibleseatinginclassrooms.wordpress.com/tag/flexible-seating-research/
Works Cited.
Cullinan, Bernice E. “Independent Reading and School Achievement.” School Library Media Research, vol. 3, Nov. 2000, www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol3/SLMR_IndependentReading_V3.pdf.
Krashen, Stephen D. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
Miller, Donalyn, and Jeff Anderson. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child. Scholastic Inc., 2011.
Willlis, Judy. Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher. Hawker Brownlow Education, 2009.
Novelty- Why are they playing a game instead of doing worksheets? Novel events are unexpected and spark student attention and curiosity. It brings brains to attention and helps the information travel into memory storage along more than one neural pathway. The goal is to provide experiences that enable students to interact with knowledge in ways that arouse their physical senses and positive emotions, or to connect new information with past experiences and interests (Willis, 11).
Different approaches- It seems like every time I turn around, you're teaching them a different way. The more ways something is learned, the more memory pathways are built. The more ways material is introduced and reviewed, the more dendritic pathways of access are created. If students hear and see information, the brain sets up connections with both the occipital and temporal lobes and the duplication results in greater opportunity for future cues to prompt the brain access to this stored information (Willis, 4). I try to offer a kinesthetic, visual and auditory access point in each of my lessons.
Interdisciplinary Studies- Why are you teaching reading during science and social studies during reading? The more regions of the brain that store data about a subject, the more interconnection there is, promoting quicker recall and strengthened circuits. The cross-referencing of data strengthens the data into something we've learned rather than just memorized (Willis, 5).
Social Emotional Learning- Aren't you here to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic? What's all this talk about feelings? When students are in stable, supportive social communities, they show an increase in dendrite sprouting and synaptic connections and can increasingly perform more complex tasks, working harder and more positively. By investing in the whole child and our classroom community, the payoffs are not just social/emotional but academic as well (Willis, 5).
Spelling Patterns/Word Study vs. Rote Memory- Can't they just memorize the list of spelling words? Rote memory is of little interest or emotional value to the student. Facts that are memorized by rehearsing over and over often don't have obvious or engaging patterns or connections. With nothing to give them context or relationship to each other or to the students' lives, these facts are stored in remoter areas of the brain, harder to locate later. By teaching spelling patterns, the information is connected to one another and the working memories travel into the brain's long term storage areas. Whenever material is presented in a way that students see relationships, they generate greater brain cell activity (forming new neural connections) (Willis, 15). By doing it through a hands on approach, the dendritic pathways are strengthened and more areas of the brain are involved. Using technology to learn it is a novel approach, bringing their brains to attention and helping them be ready to learn.
Brain Breaks- What's with the singing and dancing? Don't you have serious work to be doing? Brain Breaks are "syn-naps." After repeated release of neurotransmitters from a nerve ending, there needs to be a brain rest when the neurotransmitter can be restored to be available for release when the next message comes traveling along the neuronal circuit (Willis, 26). Brain breaks prevent overloading of the circuits and help with memory, attention and and efficiency.
Technology- Don't our kids get enough screen time without needing it at school? One of the most powerful factors in student learning is feedback, because it reinforces neurons in the brain. Computer programs provide instant feedback. They enhance students' memory connections, pathways for access and retention of the material they learn in the classroom and read in their texts (Willis, 35). It engages students' attention through the instant gratification of sight and sound. It is not a replacement for traditional education but an enhancement.
Independent Reading- How is my child going to be a better reader if they're spending so much time reading storybooks to themselves rather than using a textbook? "No single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students' comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading." (Miller, 51) The amount of time reading is the best predictor of reading achievement, including a child’s growth as a reader from the second to the fifth grade. Students who do a substantial amount of independent reading, not only enjoy reading more but are better readers and show success in school across the board (Cullinan, 2000). The single factor most strongly associated with reading achievement–more than socioeconomic status or any instructional approach–is independent reading (Krashen).
Reading and Writing Workshop Approach- What's this whole "workshop" thing about? A complete guide to the research behind this method is available here. http://www.readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/articles/ResearchBase1.pdf
Student Choice- Why do the kids have so much control over their learning? Student-centered lessons increase student engagement by supporting their intrinsic motivation. When students care about the material and make connections to their own lives, they show the greatest amount of brain activity (Willis, 43).
Project Based Learning- What are they going to learn by doing all these activities and projects? Events with strong sensory input make their way through the neural pathways of the emotionally preactivated limbic system into memory storage. Students "become" the knowledge by interacting with it. It arouses their physical senses and positive emotions and connects new information with their interests (Willis, 14).
Listening to Reading- Isn't it cheating to listen to an audio book instead of read it? https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/08/18/listening-isnt-cheating-how-audio-books-can-help-us-learn/
Alternative Seating- How can they concentrate unless they're sitting in a desk? Research shows that when your body is engaged, your brain is engaged. Mayo Clinic did a study in support of alternative seating. (http://www.mayo.edu/pmts/mc4400-mc4499/mc4409-0906.pdf) Reynolds (Science of fitness, 2015) says that “Globally speaking, kids sit on average 8.5 hours. Movement and activity really drops after age 8. That’s of course, when school, homework and tech devices take over kids’ lives.” This is a great site that has a ton of info and research on flexible seating. https://flexibleseatinginclassrooms.wordpress.com/tag/flexible-seating-research/
Works Cited.
Cullinan, Bernice E. “Independent Reading and School Achievement.” School Library Media Research, vol. 3, Nov. 2000, www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol3/SLMR_IndependentReading_V3.pdf.
Krashen, Stephen D. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
Miller, Donalyn, and Jeff Anderson. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child. Scholastic Inc., 2011.
Willlis, Judy. Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher. Hawker Brownlow Education, 2009.