Product Description

In this groundbreaking book, two leading authorities in the field review what we really know about how and when the brain learns, and consider the implications of this knowledge for educational policy and practice.

• pioneering book in emerging field from two leading authorities;
  
• reviews in an accessible style what we know about how and when the brain learns;
  
• draws out the implications of this knowledge for educational policy and practice;
  
• covers studies on learning during the whole of development, including adulthood;
  
• looks at what we can learn from brain research about children with learning difficulties, and how this can inform remedial education.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14971 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
"This beautifully written book by two experts is compelling reading for anybody who wants a clear, authoritative account of how our brain learns. It will enthrall the widest possible readership – those people who have no previous knowledge of brain science, and those who have a detailed grasp of how the brain works."
Robert Winston, Imperial College London

"This upbeat, fast paced review of brain research is a must read. It has a large canvass and a big point – when it comes to learning, it’s all about the brain.”
Michael S. Gazzaniga, David T. McLaughlin Distinguished University Professor, Dartmouth College

"This is an exciting, readable and compelling account of how the workings of the brain shape both formal and informal learning."
Kathy Sylva, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Oxford

"Sarah Blakemore and Uta Frith have written a highly accessible survey of the many links between brain science and education. They do a beautiful job of summarizing many recent and exciting discoveries in neuroscience, brain imaging, and psychology, from sleep to dyslexia, autism or attention deficits. Teaching will always be something of an art – but the teachers who read The Learning Brain will know much more about the science behind it. This book should be read by all educators, students and parents who want to understand how the brain changes during learning, and what can be done to ground educational practices on a sound basis in psychology and neuroscience." Stanislas Dehaene, INSERM Cognitive Neuroimaging Research Unit, Paris

“It [The Learning Brain: Lessons for Education] is rich with facts, yet easily accessible to the general reader. While sending a positive and encouraging message about the relevance of neuroscience to the classroom, its tone is responsible and not exaggerated. The book is packed with details of cutting–edge research, presented in a lively manner with care to avoid excessive detail.
Nature Neuroscience, October 2005

"The material is well presented, and much of it is fascinating in its own right. Anyone interested in the workings of the brain can profit from reading this book."
PsycCRITIQUES, October 2005

"The Learning Brain should become compulsory reading for everyone who is involved in educational practice and policy because it by no means raises unrealistic hopes, or – like some other popular books in this field – give more or less trivial advice about ‘brain–appropriate’ learning. It also helps in the understanding of what might have gone wrong in the brains of learners who, for example, have persistent reading difficulties despite schooling, or who fail to grasp advanced mathematical and scientific concepts."
Trends in Cognitive Science, December 2005

"This is a very readable account of the findings of brain research and will appeal to a wide variety of readers . . . Readers, whether they be members of the general public who have an interest in how the brain works, people working within education or new researchers will be amazed by the findings of brain research and will want to find out more."
Education in the North

Michael S. Gazzaniga, David T. McLaughlin, Distinguished University Professors, Dartmouth College
a must read … and a big point – when it comes to learning, it’s all about the brain.

Kathy Sylva, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Oxford
an exciting, readable and compelling account of how the workings of the brain shape both formal and informal learning.

Customer Reviews

How your child's brain learns
Two experts review what scientists have discovered about how the brain learns - in infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The authors discuss the pros and cons of hot-housing, different ways to learn to read and write, and how the brain changes, not just in early childhood but throughout life. The research is explained clearly and succinctly - even a non-expert can understand.

Train the brain
This is the first book I've read that explains how the brain learns. It was clear and understandable even though I am not a scientist. I learned a lot about how to train the adult brain, and there were tips on how to improve your brain. For example, I didn't know that the brain lays down memories when you are asleep - and recent brain research has shown that even an afternoon nap improves memory. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the human brain.

A good overview of various aspects of brain research
I can whole heartedly recommend this book, if you want to get some idea of current (and past) brain research into how we learn. It also covers topics such as how the brain develops, and refers to a large number of studies to support the conclusions it comes to.

Indeed, one of the strengths of this book is that it unashamedly states where no conclusion can be drawn. Some of the drawings may seem banal, and the thought that the brain is like a gardener a bit simple, but once you have read the book you can see why that image is used. Also, the images, many of which are technical in nature, add value to the text.

So was there anything that I didn't like? Well yes, actually. Firstly, it is not 'math', it is never 'math', for goodness sake. It seems that the authors have handed over their text to a US publisher who thinks grey is spelt wrong, is brain dead when it comes to 'do the math' (ugh! It is *always* maths, *always -- are you listening Mr muppet publisher?), but it made me laugh when their spell check system didn't pick up 'dustbin', which is used in the text, to replace it with 'trash can'.

This is a very good book, only spoilt by the ignorant misspellings that, unfortunately are everywhere (unless you are American, and then you wont see it as misspelt).