Blogs

Why Does My Child Understand It but Struggle to Show It?

You know your child understands. You can see it when you talk with them at home. They can explain the idea to you. They may even tell you exactly what they learned in class. Then the worksheet comes home. Suddenly, things look very different. They struggle to get started. They cannot seem to put their… Continue reading Why Does My Child Understand It but Struggle to Show It?

Schools Teach the Curriculum—But Report Cards Reveal What Learning Really Requires

We’re Grading Students on Skills We Don’t Explicitly Teach. Report card day is rarely just about grades.

Transforming Learning from the Inside Out

Instead of asking only, “What can we put around this child to help them succeed?” we can also ask: “What can we strengthen within this child so they are increasingly able to succeed on their own?”

Is It Really ADHD…or Something Else?

It isn’t ADHD or something else. It’s ADHD and a unique pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses that determine how they learn. If we want to help children succeed, we have to understand both.

What the Cell Phone Debate Reveals About Learning

The most important educational question raised by the phone debate may not be about phones at all. It may be whether schools are helping students build the cognitive capacity and self-awareness needed to learn, think, focus, and function effectively in a world where technology will always be present.

The Problem Isn’t Technology. It’s What We’re Training Children’s Brains to Do

Every environment trains the brain for something. The issue is not whether children use technology. The issue is whether that technology strengthens the capacities human beings most need in order to learn, adapt, create, and thrive.

From Content to Capacity: Rethinking Education for the Brain Economy

Preparing students for the future is not about predicting what they will need to know. It is about ensuring they have the capacity, both cognitively and emotionally, to learn whatever they will need to know.

The Special Education Surge: What the Numbers Are Really Telling Us

The current surge in special education enrollment may be more than a warning sign. It may be an invitation to rethink how education supports the developing brain.

From Values to Capacity: The Cognitive Foundations of Ethical Competence

In education, the workplace, and society at large, there is growing recognition that success today depends on more than academic skills—and, indeed, more than so-called “21st century skills.” International frameworks—from the OECD’s work on global competence and its broader focus on education for human flourishing[1], to emerging models such as the NextSkills Future Skills Finder[2]—are… Continue reading From Values to Capacity: The Cognitive Foundations of Ethical Competence

When It Comes to AI, Educators Matter, But Cognitive Skills Matter At Least As Much

When information is instant and ubiquitous, what matters most is not access to tools — it’s the learner’s capacity to think, adapt, and learn continuously.

A Tribute to a Pioneer: Dr. Patricia Wolfe

Dr. Patricia (Pat) Wolfe, a pioneering educator whose work helped bridge the worlds of neuroscience and classroom practice, passed away on December 19, 2025.

Can We Improve Working Memory—or Just Support It?

If the goal is long-term change—greater independence, stronger learning skills, and reduced reliance on workarounds—then the focus must shift from supporting performance to building the brain’s capacity to learn.

Thinking Matters: Avoiding the Trap of Cognitive Offloading with AI

To harness AI’s potential responsibly and to prepare students to survive and thrive in a world with AI, three changes are essential and urgent.

Every Child Learns Differently — What Does an “Adequate Education” Really Mean?

In a recent article, Chalkbeat reported on what it called a bold proposal: that the U.S. should create a federal guarantee of an adequate education for every student—not just those covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Let’s Teach the Science of Learning (Instead of Chasing Neuromyths)

In a 2025 survey of teachers in 11 countries, more than half of the respondents endorsed 8 of 21 common neuromyths in a list of 30 statements about neuroscience and learning. Neuromyths are statements about the brain that are not supported by research.   Statement Percent who said the statement is correct 1 The dominant… Continue reading Let’s Teach the Science of Learning (Instead of Chasing Neuromyths)

What Is the Difference between Executive Functions and Executive Functioning?

Executive Functions are the three cognitive processes our brains use to direct or coordinate the activities that our brains are performing.  There are three Executive Functions: Working Memory: working memory is the ability to hold information in mind while we work with it. Inhibitory Control: the ability to not do something we otherwise would do,… Continue reading What Is the Difference between Executive Functions and Executive Functioning?

Reframing Special Education: An Interview with Dr. Phyllis Wolfram

An interview with Dr. Phyllis Wolfram, Executive Director of the Council of Administrators of Special Education, with Roger Stark, CEO of BrainWare Learning Company Roger Stark: Phyllis, given your background as both a parent and a leader in special education, what struck you the most after reading Your Child Learns Differently, Now What? Phyllis Wolfram:… Continue reading Reframing Special Education: An Interview with Dr. Phyllis Wolfram

A Legacy of Learning: How One Family Transformed Two Generations with Comprehensive Integrated Cognitive Training

Betsy Hill interviews Leonard Carter, whose son and grandson experienced the life-changing impact of BrainWare SAFARI Comprehensive Integrated Cognitive Training (CICT).

“I Feel More Confident Now”

When students strengthen their cognitive skills, they don’t just perform better academically—they feel better about learning. Here’s the data.

Why Most Students Now Need Tier 2 Support—and Why Comprehensive Integrated Cognitive Training Is the Core

If we apply the definition of Tier 2 supports—targeted, research-based interventions delivered in small groups with progress monitoring—then Comprehensive Integrated Cognitive Training (CICT) is not just a fit. It’s essential.

Gamification in Education: Growth Mindset Games

This article has been published on the Learning Counsel … When the term “gamification” comes up in the context of education, it is usually introduced as a way to improve student engagement and motivation. Given the dismal state of student engagement in schoolwork, maybe that by itself would be enough. But research has documented a… Continue reading Gamification in Education: Growth Mindset Games

The Role of Cognitive Skills in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The concept that brains work differently, and that they learn differently, is fundamental to addressing DEI in education. And yet, few teachers, parents or students have information on how their students actually learn.

Should we “teach about” executive functions or “teach” executive functions?

We need to teach (help students develop) executive functions AND other cognitive skills, and it should be an intentional and indispensable element of the curriculum.

If You’ve Read One IEP, Have You Read Them All?

“If you’ve read one IEP, you’ve read them all.” It may not be literally true, but there is a strong feeling among many parents and teachers that the “individualized” part of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is not accomplishing what it could.

Have an A-maze-ing Holiday 2023

This unusual snowman brings holiday greetings and three mazes to enjoy.  Download and print them out for some holiday fun.

The Benefits of a Thankful Mindset

Research suggests that expressing gratitude and cultivating a thankful mindset can have positive effects on the brain and overall well-being.

No More Letter Grades for Schools?

Some state departments of education and moving to remove the grading systems for schools that they established starting in the No Child Left Behind era.

Is Your Brain Like a Computer?

An article published by Aeon, entitled The Empty Brain by Robert Epstein, has generated a fair amount of controversy.  Right beneath the title are these two sentences:
Your brain does not process information, retrieve knowledge or store memories. In short: your brain is not a computer.

The Science of Reading and the Science of Learning

As educators living in a day when neuroscience is increasingly guiding our understanding of how learning happens in our students’ brains, let us embrace the science of reading and let us get busy extending that to the science of learning.

Does Your Child Struggle with Reading Comprehension?

Reading puts demands on many cognitive skills and there are some that are especially important for comprehension.

Cognitive Approach to Addressing the Impact of Covid-19 on Students

Schools are using cognitive assessment and cognitive training to address the impact Covid-19 continues to have on students.

Taking and Giving Feedback with a Growth Mindset

Feedback is an essential part of learning and improvement.  We can’t get better at what we do without feedback. A growth mindset is about learning and growing and recognizing that feedback is essential.

Solving the Teacher Shortage Can’t (by Itself) Solve the Learning Shortage

Until each teacher understands how each of their students learns and can facilitate learning experiences designed to optimize learning, and until students get the appropriate comprehensive integrated cognitive training to build their learning capacity, learning outcomes are unlikely to improve in any meaningful way.

Better Classroom Behavior, Better Learning, More Confident Students

After working in BrainWare SAFARI, student behavior improved. Students were spending more time in class and walked differently in the hallways. Amy Clifton, Behavior Coach, at Sankofa School

Peter Kline, Mr. Inspiration

Peter Kline was a man who lived what he believed.  He was true to his spirit, true to his soul, true to his intellect, and true to his presence. Roger Stark remembers his friend and mentor.

Peter Kline on Education in the Cognitive Age

In this brief article, published posthumously, Peter Kline explains the importance of the Cognitive Age and how to prepare for it.

Remembering 2020

There’s a lot that happened in 2020.  What will you remember?  You can use this form to capture some of your memories.  Share with friends and family to collect their memories as well.  Put them away for a few years and pull them out sometime in the future. 

Adult Learning: Brutal or Breezy?

While learning is harder as an adult (in general, and particularly for new languages), it is misleading to say that the adult brain is not wired for learning.  Even with language, some aspects of learning are pretty tough but others are much easier.

What Teachers Need to Know About the Brain

What Teachers Need to Know about the Brain A recently published research study on teachers’ understanding of the brain and neuroscience research has been getting a lot of attention. The findings, based on surveys of teachers in the U.K., Greece, Turkey, Holland, and China, showed that teachers had many misconceptions about the brain. The findings… Continue reading What Teachers Need to Know About the Brain

The Power of Neuroplasticity

While there has been strong scientific consensus for some time about neuroplasticity, the extent to which our brains can change, at any stage of life, is only starting to become clear.

3 Keys to Building Individual Learning Capacity

What is the difference between learning ability and learning capacity?  While everyone has the ability to learn, capacity is developed.

Does Brain Size Matter?

To our knowledge, the difference in brain size within a species is not correlated with intelligence, but it is suggested that the number and strength of connections among neurons is related to cognitive function.

What Do You Mean by “Cognitive Capacity?”

We started to make the distinction between “cognitive ability” and “cognitive capacity” a few years ago. The distinction is important. Every individual is born with the ability to develop their cognitive skills. Cognitive capacity is different; it refers to how well those cognitive skills have actually been developed.

Sleep and Cognitive Functioning

Some recent research about sleep and cognition suggests it’s time to update what we wrote a couple of years ago and the new information makes it even more clear how important sleep is to learning and memory, brain health, alertness and much more.

Dinner-Table Conversation Starters

Here are some ways to get different kinds of conversations going … around the dinner table, or anywhere you choose, or, if you prefer, “food for thought.”

Learning to Be Smart

These are remarkable stories of individuals improving their cognitive skills and intelligence when they are in their teens and twenties.

A Baby Shower in this Strange New World

An online baby shower was a reminder that social distancing, while necessary, doesn’t have to get in the way of expressing our care and love for each other.

What Is Cognitive Literacy?

Cognitive literacy means that students can learn and have the skills in attention, memory, perceptual processing, core and higher-order executive functions that prepare them for careers we can’t yet envision.

Please Take My Crutches

A 17-year-old high-school student recently walked into a high-stakes test without the accommodations that he had received for years. This was not an arbitrary administrative decision; it was his choice.

Learn to Ask for Help

One very important thing a student can learn is how to ask for help. Those who know how to do this effectively usually rise to the top of the class.

Some Thoughts on Learner Variability

Uneven learning skills can make learning experiences unpredictable and very stressful for students. This blog explores how to empower students with an understanding of their own learning strengths and weaknesses so tht learning situations become less unpredictable.

CEC Report on The State of the Special Education Profession

A new report out from the Council for Exceptional Children, “The State of the Special Education Profession Survey Report: is more a report about how special education teachers feel about the state of Special Education than a real characterization of how the profession is actually performing, but it does reveal some interesting patterns.

Do Resource Teachers Have the Right Resources?

The system that is supposed to help students get supports often doesn’t work because the goal changes from having a real impact to checking off boxes and focusing on compliance. What is your experience with resource teachers having the right resources?

Do Too Many or Too Few Students from Poverty Get a Special Ed Label?

Do you have evidence for or believe that students living in poverty (with cognitive impact) are identified as needing specialized instruction and supports – therefore special education services? Or do you believe that these students are over-identified as needing special education services and do not require them and unnecessarily receive an educational label.

Will ESSA Fail to Close the Achievement Gaps?

Achievement gaps persist for economically disadvantaged students, English Language Learners and students with disabilities. Will ESSA fail to close them?

Is Your Child’s IEP Really Making a Difference?

Unfortunately, far too often, parents find that their child’s IEP is neither all that individualized nor helping their child make substantial gains. This blog examines three concerns often expressed about IEPs.

The Role of Cognitive Remediation in Special Education

Current approaches to special education generally seek bypass the cognitive processes that are weak in order to minimize the impact of processing deficits. Remediation of cognitive processes needs to be a fourth pillar in our approach to support students in special education.

Mind the Gap (the Cognitive Gap)!

The phrase “Mind the Gap“ refers to the gap between the train door and the station platform, particularly on the London underground system. It reminds passengers to be careful when entering and leaving the train. The warning is necessary because there is nothing to fill the gap and an unwary passenger could fall into it.… Continue reading Mind the Gap (the Cognitive Gap)!

Helping Children Take Responsibility for Their Own Learning

I knew it was important to get at the root of the issues and provide the supports that Charlie needs. When we started, he and I didn’t have a way to talk about the struggles. Kids don’t know why they struggle or why something is hard for them. They just struggle. Conversations about school work just seemed to make him more anxious. It was time for a different approach.

It’s Not a Quiz! It’s Retrieval Practice!

Few words stimulate greater anxiety in students than “We’re going to have a quiz today.” Most of us can remember that feeling of being unprepared when a pop quiz was announced. What most of us don’t realize, including many teachers, is how important a role quizzes can play in the learning process.

Closing the Achievement Gap by Closing the Cognitive Gap: A Matter of Equity

As educators and education policymakers seek to understand and remedy the achievement gaps, much attention is paid to the concept of equity. A variety of inequities have been identified as impediments to students having the opportunity to achieve their potential. Disparities in per-pupil spending, teacher experience, and technology and other resources are well-documented and top of mind. A less visible disparity, and one that connects directly to student learning is highlighted by contemporary neuroscience research – cognitive development.

Cognitive Training: Questions Frequently Asked by Skeptics

There continues to be controversy regarding cognitive training (sometimes called brain training) programs, and there continue to be many skeptics. As the developer of the most researched, comprehensive, integrated cognitive training program available today, we encourage skepticism. Skepticism is healthy and it also means that the skeptic is open to a variety of possibilities. Here are some comments and questions we often hear from cognitive training skeptics and the way we answer them for BrainWare SAFARI

Brain Games and Brain Training Are Different

In the last week, we came across another study that says that neuroscientists have debunked the claims that a brain game results in a brain gain. No kidding!

Research scientists seem to be in love with the idea of contradicting the market hype about the value of brain games. And that’s a good thing. There is far too much hype. And too little understanding of the difference between a brain game and serious cognitive training (also called brain-training). Saying that a typical “brain game” can yield measurable cognitive benefit that translates into real-world improvements is like saying that exercising the biceps of your left arm will lead to overall physical fitness.

Time for Some Summer Webinar Binge Watching?

Time for Some Summer Webinar Binge Watching? Summer is a great time to catch up on webinars that you might have missed (and get some professional development credit along the way). Here are some of our most popular webinars. Neuroscience & Learning STEM & SEL: A Perfect Match Facts and Myths About the Brain: Can… Continue reading Time for Some Summer Webinar Binge Watching?

Helping Schools Meet the Goals of State ESSA Plans

Helping Schools Meet the Goals of State ESSA Plans Over the last few years since the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) became law, state departments of education have developed plans to implement the provisions of the legislation. While each state plan has its own characters and its own priorities, they all address the key provisions… Continue reading Helping Schools Meet the Goals of State ESSA Plans

Teaching as a STEM Career

Teaching as a STEM Career In the work that I’ve been doing on the connection between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning), I was looking for examples of STEM and non-STEM careers. In the course of doing that, it became apparent to me that many careers that weren’t STEM… Continue reading Teaching as a STEM Career

Am I Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

A reading coach and mentor describes her experience using BrainWare SAFARI with her students, more than doubling their growth in reading levels and dramatically improving their intellective capacity She explains that, in working through BrainWare, her students had not only pushed past their own problem-solving ability through trying, and trying again and not giving up, but they had also pushed past her own ability.

Practical Ideas for Ending Summer Brain Drain

Practical Ideas for Ending Summer Brain Drain Numerous research studies support the evidence that many students lose a good portion of their learning over the summer. Estimates are that the loss is around 2 to 2.6 months of learning and affects both math and reading levels. Unfortunately, most students end up the year significantly behind… Continue reading Practical Ideas for Ending Summer Brain Drain

Cognitive Skills and MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support)

Cognitive Skills and MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) Education is grappling with a relatively new acronym: MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support). MTSS is currently conceptualized as an integration of two other acronyms: RtI (Response to Intervention) and PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) (McIntosh, 2016). Simply stated, MTSS seeks to meld the systems of interventions… Continue reading Cognitive Skills and MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support)

A New Framework for Social and Emotional Learning Based on Cognitive Skills

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is an active topic of discussion in schools (and outside of schools, for that matter) these days. The interest in SEL is likely being driven by a variety of factors, including federal policy (the Every Student Succeeds Act) which adds social, emotional and behavioral factors to academic measures. Another factor… Continue reading A New Framework for Social and Emotional Learning Based on Cognitive Skills

The Fine Art of Complaining

Negativity rewires our brain to be more prone to negativity and practicing gratitude is more healthy. However, complaining has its place and there is an art to it.

Digital Assistants that Seem Too Human May Not Work Best

The more human digital assistants seem, the more we experience them as human and the more we may try to interact with them as if they were human. Or the more we may avoid interacting with them …

ESE Student Success with BrainWare SAFARI

ESE students with learning disabilities or traumatic brain injury improve in reading, math and performance on the Florida State Assessment following their use of BrainWare SAFARI cognitive training software.

Benefits of Cognitive Training (Brain Training) Apps in Schools

This blog discussed some of the reasons schools use brain-training apps and the benefits they see, including better academic performance, better motivation, better behavior and a stronger growth mindset.

Using Cognitive Assessments and Cognitive Training Software with Autism

Will this help my child? That is the question we always hear from parents with children with an Autism Spectrum Diagnosis (ASD) when they come across our cognitive training and assessment programs. We’ll start with the short answer and then we’ll dig in a little deeper.

New Research on Memory Training

Recently published research from Johns Hopkins University pitted two types of working memory training against each other, but it didn’t translate into general intelligence. Here’s why not.

Top 7 Train Your Brain Questions

There are so many options – from clinical therapy to apps for your smartphone… from single-skill memory training to reading software for learning disabilities… and from crossword puzzles to neurofeedback. It’s confusing, to say the least. So here are 7 questions you can ask when you’re considering any kind of brain training program or tool. Happy National Train Your Brain Day!

Are You Ready for the First Report Cards of the Year?

The goal of cognitive training is to enable a student to become a capable, independent learner. While tutoring can be helpful, it typically will not address underlying learning issues. Particularly when students continue to be tutored year after year, just to get through school, that is not enabling them to learn independently.

Talk Like a Pirate Today and Make it Serious Language Play

Playing with language is a cognitive milestone and language play can be a wonderful form of cognitive exercise. Learn how to speak Piratese in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Cognitive Skills are Major Factors in Reading Ability

While many educators still see reading as a matter of decoding and fluency practice, the reading process is far more complex. A new report from Digital Promise report cites cognitive skills, social-emotional learning, and student background information, in addition to traditional language and literacy skills, as essential for reading.

Is Cognitive Capacity the Civil Rights Issue of Today?

Unless all students are able to develop the cognitive foundation for learning, then only some will have what it takes to fully access and derive value from their education. This is an issue of access much like other access issues in our society. It may be that the cognitive capacity gap is the civil rights issue of our day.

Toward a New Understanding of Intelligence

It’s time to throw out our old mental models of intelligence and start to embrace what David Shenk in his popular book of the same title, the genius in all of us.

What a Difference Three Weeks Make!

We spend a lot of time in our conversations with schools, clinicians, and parents talking about “following the protocol.” Why? Because the protocol identifies he frequency and duration of usage that consistently leads to the kinds of improvements in cognitive skills we see in the research on the program.

What Neuroscience Does and Doesn’t Contribute to Teaching and Learning

It has become popular lately for neuroscience experts to disparage the efforts of educators to understand and apply brain research, as a recent article published by PBS does. Sometimes they even seem to wonder why we would be interested. Here’s why.

Every Day is Election Day – Even in Your Classroom

Every day, the people around us decide whether to listen to us, to follow us, to imitate us, or to ignore us. They decide whether to step up and join us in championing what we want to accomplish, or they join the opposition, or they just decide to”sit this one out.” Does this apply in a classroom? Are students voters? You bet!

When Brain Training Works – Points of Controversy

Pre-publication publicity for a new book on the value of brain training claims that there are 5 conditions that make it effective. While this discussion surfaces some important considerations, it is likely to disappoint anyone who adheres strictly to the five conditions. Here’s where the advice falls short.

Cognitive Skills Development as a Supplement to Vision Therapy

I am a graduate of vision therapy myself. And I will never forget the moment when my vision, which had been blurry my entire life, suddenly became clear, following many months of hard work with a vision therapist. At the time, I thought it was a miracle.

The Mystery of Reading Comprehension

Many students can read a passage, but afterwards are unable to tell you what they read. Or perhaps they can answer simple factual questions (regurgitate), but it really has no meaning for them and will be forgotten the next day.

Brainy Reading Suggestions

There are so many books about the brain … from simple books for children to dense academic works intended for researchers. Here are some of our favorites – for adults, for teachers specifically, and for kids.

What Great Teachers and Great Salespeople Have in Common

For some, this comparison will seem obvious. For some, it will seem curious, at first blush. For some, it will seem preposterous, or even insulting. I hope that, like most good analogies, the aptness of the comparison ultimately enlightens.

Reconciling the Neurosophists and the Neurosnobs

A recent article in Brain in the News, a publication of the Dana Foundation lamented the increase in the impressive sounding but empty use of references to the brain in education. Educators have too often embraced neuromyths and neurofads without a deep enough understanding. But that is changing.

A True Growth Mindset Requires a One-Two Punch

People who have a growth mindset believe they can develop their intelligence and their abilities and that’s what enables them to become much more effective learners, according to the groundbreaking work of Dr. Carol Dweck. That’s the first punch. What’s the second punch?

Five Tips for a Better Brain

Just about every adult I meet wants to know how to strengthen their perception, thinking, and acuity. I believe in practicing what I preach, so here five things I practice on a daily basis. Our brains become what brains do …

Poverty and Schools – A Missing Piece in the Discussion

Poverty and Schools – A Missing Piece in the Discussion A week-long series created by WBEZ Radio and the Daily Herald in Chicago has been focusing on the persistent connection between students in poverty and low academic performance. What is missing in this discussion is connecting it to the neuroscience of poverty. Recent research was… Continue reading Poverty and Schools – A Missing Piece in the Discussion

Are These Children from Lake Wobegon?

Are These Children from Lake Wobegon? A little over a week ago, I was in Canada – Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. to be exact. It was excruciatingly cold, of course, but that’s not why I was thinking of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon. The reason I was thinking of Lake Wobegon is that I was remembering… Continue reading Are These Children from Lake Wobegon?

Neuroscience and the U.S. Education System

Neuroscience and the U.S. Education System   “We stand on the threshold of important new advances in neuroscience that will yield increased understanding of brain functioning and the way we learn. How we use this new information to teach our children may well be the most important question of our lifetime.” Dr. Pat Wolfe, Author… Continue reading Neuroscience and the U.S. Education System

Brain Training Programs: Neither Silver Bullet nor Scam

Brain Training Programs: Neither Silver Bullet nor Scam A recent article asked the question: Are Brain Training Programs a Scam? Like many articles on the subject these days, the analysis was right in some respects, but missed several key points. The numbered statements below in italics are from the article. The comments following each point… Continue reading Brain Training Programs: Neither Silver Bullet nor Scam

Curing Educational Indigestion – Three Solutions to Overly Full Plates

Curing Educational Indigestion – Three Solutions to Overly Full Plates “Our district is currently doing a lot of work to implement STEM (Common Core, new technology, etc.), and our teachers feel like they are constantly having things added to their plates while nothing is removed.” If I have heard that comment once in the past… Continue reading Curing Educational Indigestion – Three Solutions to Overly Full Plates

Giving Every Student the Equivalent of a Time Turner

In The Prisoner of Azkaban, the third book in the Harry Potter series, Hermione Granger manages to attend extra classes with the help of a Time Turner. The Time Turner allows her to go back in time so that she can, in effect, take two classes at once.

Funding Professional Development for Teachers

Almost two years ago, I blogged about the stunning research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on the connection between student scores on the PISA tests and economic well-being.The bottom line was that if the U.S. could raise every childs PISA score to the minimum level of proficiency on the PISA (the international… Continue reading Funding Professional Development for Teachers

Rethinking Remediation in Higher Education

Rethinking Remediation in Higher Education The remediation statistics are sobering. Over half of students who enroll in 2-year colleges take remedial courses in English and/or math. Almost 20% of those enrolling in 4-year colleges do so. The rates for low-income students are even higher 68% and 39% respectively. Of even greater concern is that higher… Continue reading Rethinking Remediation in Higher Education

Deal with the Big Rocks First Prioritizing

Have you ever noticed that some people just drift through life dealing with each problem as it comes along and then wonder where all the time has gone, and why they haven’t accomplished more? Other people seem to live lives that are very well organized and are able to accomplish a great deal. You can… Continue reading Deal with the Big Rocks First Prioritizing

Cognitive Skills Development in an Accelerated Curriculum

Much of our work has dealt with helping struggling students  those who are behind or have identified cognitive deficits but it is important to remember that very bright students can also benefit from developing their cognitive skills and executive functions. Heres a story that explains what this can look like: Dr. Sara Fraser, a clinical… Continue reading Cognitive Skills Development in an Accelerated Curriculum

Closing the Achievement Gaps: The Need for a Cognitive Intervention

The remediation statistics are sobering. Over half of students who enroll in 2-year colleges take remedial courses in English and/or math. Almost 20% of those enrolling in 4-year colleges do so. The rates for low-income students are even higher 68% and 39% respectively. Of even greater concern is that higher educations remediation efforts dont seem… Continue reading Closing the Achievement Gaps: The Need for a Cognitive Intervention

Emphasize the Learning in Extended Learning Time

Emphasize the Learning in Extended Learning Time There seem to be a lot of people talking about extending the school day lately. On the pro side of the argument are those who believe that our students ability to compete in a global economy requires more time devoted to academics. In some cases, the champions of… Continue reading Emphasize the Learning in Extended Learning Time

Executive Functions and Reading Comprehension

Executive Functions and Reading Comprehension There are varied opinions among education and neuroscience researchers regarding how many executive functions are involved in human cognitive processing, but the role that executive functions play in reading comprehension has become much clearer in recent years.This is important to recognize for a number of reasons. First, students with less… Continue reading Executive Functions and Reading Comprehension

Reality Show Test Anxiety

Reality Show Test Anxiety I was watching one of my favorite shows  Restaurant Impossible  when I saw a textbook case reminder of one of the consequences of high-stakes testing. First, let me say that I very much admire Robert Irvine, the star of the show and a very accomplished chef and restaurateur. In the shows,… Continue reading Reality Show Test Anxiety

What are Cognitive Skills?

What Are Cognitive Skills? We hear the term cognitive skills more frequently these days as we all become more aware that our brains perform a variety of functions critical to helping us navigate school, work, personal relationships  in fact, everything we do. How can we start to understand what these skills are and how they… Continue reading What are Cognitive Skills?

Questions to Ask Your Chronically Stressed Students

Questions to Ask Your Chronically Stressed Students by Dr. Lori Desautels   This morning I sat in two middle-school inner-city classrooms in Indianapolis, as I do most weeks. But today, something struck me deep in the center of my chest as I was observing the boredom and apathy on those detached, sleepy and seemingly sad… Continue reading Questions to Ask Your Chronically Stressed Students

Are You Left-Brained or Right-Brained? It’s the Wrong Question

Are You Left-Brained or Right-Brained? You’re Asking the Wrong Question! I came across a posting on a Linked-In Group I belong to that caught my attention, as the nerdy brain-fascinated person that I am.  It contained an explanation of the ways that our brains apportion the work we ask them to do between the right… Continue reading Are You Left-Brained or Right-Brained? It’s the Wrong Question

Does Physical Exercise Trump Mental Exercise?

Does Physical Exercise Trump Mental Exercise? by Dr. Sara Sawtelle   A recent article in Time Health and Family, Exercise Trumps Brain Games in Keeping our Minds Intact, reports on the findings from a study in Scotland. The study compared MRIs of adults to see how much brain shrinkage occurred over a three-year period, from… Continue reading Does Physical Exercise Trump Mental Exercise?

Scientists Can’t Find Specific Genes for IQ

Scientists Can’t Find Specific Genes for IQ   Recent research has shown that, while intelligence is believed to be partly genetic, the specific genes that were thought to be linked to intelligence are not. And, in fact, of all the genes that were examined, only one was actually associated with intelligence and the effect was… Continue reading Scientists Can’t Find Specific Genes for IQ

Working Memory Training That Lasts

Working Memory Training that Lasts Recently the journal Developmental Psychology published a meta-analysis of research on the value of Working Memory Training. A meta-analysis is not original research but combines multiple studies and uses statistical adjustments to try to draw an overall conclusion from disparate studies. In this case, the authors concluded that there is… Continue reading Working Memory Training That Lasts

Helping Homework-Trapped Students

Helping Homework-Trapped Students   An article in the Washington Post newspaper caught my attention recently. It talked about homework-trapped students. In the article, Dr. Kenneth Goldberg, a clinical psychologist and author, describes students who struggle to get homework done but whose efforts fall short. The problem, as he explains it is not motivation (these students… Continue reading Helping Homework-Trapped Students

What Blogging Can Do for the Blogger

What Blogging Can Do for the Blogger   Blogging is proving itself to be more than a fad that will disappear the way of a Betamax video cassette. If you’re younger than about 40, you probably don’t even know what Betamax is, but that’s the point. Blogs seem to be here to stay and serve… Continue reading What Blogging Can Do for the Blogger

Facebook and Students’ Brains

Facebook and Students’ Brains by Dr. Sara Sawtelle   I don’t know very many people who don’t have a Facebook account. And everyone who does have one seems to be using it more and more. That is, all but educators, since Facebook is blocked in many schools, as are other social networking sites. But that… Continue reading Facebook and Students’ Brains

Better Grades: Four Myths and the Reality

Better Grades: Four Myths and the Reality   Brain research is showing us ways to improve student learning and help them succeed on tests and in school. But there are also a lot of myths around that deserve to be busted. Here are four myths and the reality, based on solid research, that can help… Continue reading Better Grades: Four Myths and the Reality

Timely Resources for Educators Changing the Game

As educational leaders navigate difficult financial times, with increased emphasis on accountability and teacher proficiency, and the Common Core Standards, there are some key resources that all should be aware of.

That Was Easy!

That Was Easy! On Super Bowl Sunday, my 8-year-old nephew graciously tolerated the adults in our house (most of whom are still 8 years old at heart, if truth be told). He held his own in a game of guessing what the next commercial would be on television (cars? beer? fast food? insurance?), as well… Continue reading That Was Easy!

Working Memory Limits Affect College Students’ Reading

Working Memory Limits Affect College Students’ Reading   A researcher from the University of Alberta describes the problem this way, The students invest most of their time on reading and they forget the meaning. They read and they decode the whole passage. So, by the time they get to the end, they forget what the… Continue reading Working Memory Limits Affect College Students’ Reading

Teaching Teachers about the Brain

Teaching Teachers about the Brain   Not everyone in education makes the connection between brain science and teaching/learning. This is something we have observed personally and now it has been underscored by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in a report entitled The Road Less Traveled. In the report, the expert panel… Continue reading Teaching Teachers about the Brain

A Glimmer of Understanding: New Concept Formation

A Glimmer of Understanding When I was in college, I was fascinated with how humans learn and use language. I took every course I could find related to language The Philosophy of Language, The Psychology of Language, and Linguistics, in addition to double-majoring in French and Russian. The explanations suggested by the different disciplines were… Continue reading A Glimmer of Understanding: New Concept Formation

The Economic Value of Cognitive Skills Development

The Economic Value of Cognitive Skills Development   The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published a report on the economic value of improved educational outcomes, entitled The High Cost of Low Educational Performance, which describe its conclusion as follows: The report uses recent economic modeling to relate cognitive skills as measured by… Continue reading The Economic Value of Cognitive Skills Development

New Research on Multitasking

New Research on Multitasking Holidays seem to be times when multi-tasking is the order of the day  preparing holiday meals while keeping a mental list of what I need to get at the store later, trying to listen to my daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law-to-be’s conversation and track my son’s exchanges on the meaning of life in… Continue reading New Research on Multitasking

Spider Webs: A Halloween Reminder of How Our Brains Work

Spider Webs: A Halloween Reminder of How Our Brains Work by Dr. Sara Sawtelle   It is that time of year, the time when you see spider webs everywhere you look  real ones and fake ones. And they all make me smile. Why? Because spider webs are a model for how our brains work and… Continue reading Spider Webs: A Halloween Reminder of How Our Brains Work

Teacher Effectiveness and Student Ability

An op-ed in this morning’s Chicago Tribune holds that the way student learning is measured is flawed because it assumes that all students come with the same cognitive ability to learn.

Title I: Closing the Achievement Gap by Closing the Capacity Gap

Since it was first introduced in 1965, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education has sought to even the playing field by providing supplemental funding for schools with populations of students with low socio-economic status (SES).

When Charter School Students Don’t Succeed

When Charter School Students Don’t Succeed According to a report on NPR (WBEZ) two days ago, the reason that test scores in many Chicago charter schools are higher than their traditional CPS (Chicago Public School) counterparts is that they systematically push low-performing students out. The euphoria of being admitted to one of the city’s sought-after… Continue reading When Charter School Students Don’t Succeed

Your Child Has an IEP, but Is the Gap Closing?

Your Child has an IEP, but is the Gap Closing? Statistics and charts are standard fare at an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting. The teachers and professionals are likely to show you where your child is performing relative to the standard for his/her grade and relative to where he/she used to be. Parents are usually… Continue reading Your Child Has an IEP, but Is the Gap Closing?

Easing the Way for English Language Learners

Today, more school districts than ever are challenged with providing an education to children who speak little or no English, often referred to as English Language Learners (ELL).

Cognitive Skills Training that Sticks

Brain Training that Sticks One of the questions we get asked most often when folks look at the dramatic growth BrainWare SAFARI users experience is their cognitive skills is What happens later? In other words, do cognitive skills stick around once we stop using the program or are they there months after we finish the… Continue reading Cognitive Skills Training that Sticks

Cognitive Training is for the Gifted Too

Cognitive Training is for the Gifted Too   Sometimes when I talk to an educator or a parent about BrainWare SAFARI and cognitive skills, he or she will assume that the program is only for struggling learners or to remediate a deficit of some kind. But the truth of the matter is that we all… Continue reading Cognitive Training is for the Gifted Too

Video Games and Attention Problems: Cause or Cure

Video Games and Attention Problems: Cause or Cure? A study recently published in the journal Pediatrics is getting a lot of attention (pun intended) from parents. It concludes that more than two hours per day of video-game playing increased the odds of kids having attention problems by 67%. While the study doesn’t prove that video-game… Continue reading Video Games and Attention Problems: Cause or Cure

The Case of the Accidental Control Group

If you Google Accidental Control Group or look it up in Wikipedia, you will not find a definition. But the Accidental Control Group exists. And it can actually be very useful.

Tips for Getting the Most from Your Childs IEP Meeting

You’ve pressed your child’s school for testing and some learning issues have been uncovered. Your child’s school has put a plan, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), in place and you’re going to the IEP meeting. What should you expect?

Your Child May Need an IEP

Your Child May Need an IEP   How did your child do this year in school? Were you disappointed when you saw the grades on that final report card? It can be a letdown from that feeling most of us have in the fall when the school year is just beginning and your child is… Continue reading Your Child May Need an IEP

Should We Match Teaching Styles to Learning Styles?

There has been much discussion over the years of multiple intelligences, and learning styles, and being right or left-brained. Often the identification of a particular style

Boys and Girls: How Different Are Their Brains?

Boys and Girls: How Different Are Their Brains?   Boys are good at math and science  they are not very good at attention and emotions. Girls are good at language and reading they are not so good at visual processing and being aggressive. Have you ever been in a conversation that starts out that way?… Continue reading Boys and Girls: How Different Are Their Brains?