When I talk to parents, they ask the same questions I was asking about my own son five or six years ago: How do I make sure my child thrives in school? How do I help him overcome learning-related frustrations? How do we handle those tense moments before tests? What should I do when learning is boring for him?
From the moment a child starts school and their teacher assigns homework, parents and children alike are expected to suddenly know how to learn. Sometimes, we intuitively know how to help our child learn, or we help them the way we were taught twenty or thirty years ago. However, most of the time, we just don’t know the best way to approach a learning-related task or problem.
How did it all begin
Obviously, as a consultant for corporate clients in the field of learning design, I learned a lot about how to help my clients learn efficiently, effectively and enjoyably, but how can the same help be given to a six-year-old who is struggling at school or with homework?
So, when my son was five, we started with the basics of how people learn. Then, we played a lot, using neuro-pathways charts to train him to have a growth mindset. Today, my son and I can easily work with concepts like organising his learning for better thinking and fighting the urge to procrastinate.
What will you find in the book
Without being overly academic, this book, draws on insights and ideas from the field of brain science. How People Learn is written in a way that will engage and interest children between the ages of six and twelve years, taking them on a fascinating journey into their own learning process. Through fifteen science stories, the book unravels how the human brain learns and how to use this to help your child become a smarter, better and happier learner. Each scientific story has been paired with a practical “try this” section, including a wide range of learning-busting activities that you can do together or your child can do independently. The book also includes a bonus section. It’s a daily brain-teaser for children, but I won’t say more, I’ll just let you enjoy it.
Why did I write the book this way
Upon opening the book, you’ll immediately see that Irina Neacsu, the illustrator, did a wonderful job of transforming my words into images. The choice of colour palette is very important when it comes to learning. Traffic lights, warning signs, and rainbows have certain effects on the human brain. Colour plays a key role in creating an environment that supports learning. It has been proven to affect neurological pathways in the brain—so yes, the colour choices in the book have been selected with these helpful effects in mind. The same goes for the fonts. We’ve opted to use a dynamic font. You’ll see, for example, that the letter W is not the same on every page.
Who is this book for
Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, teacher, therapist, or other significant caregiver, I’ve written this book for you and the children you care for. My goal is to help children understand how they learn, enabling them—and you—to view learning and studying in a whole new way. After reading this book together, both you and your child will have the confidence and information required to discuss topics like: What happens when you learn? Why does your brain ignore boring things? How can we organise learning for better thinking? How can we stop the process of forgetting? Many of the concerns related to a child’s academic results, cognitive skills, and wellbeing in school will fade away once these complex brain processes are better understood and managed.
Children have the tools to learn anything—even things that don’t seem to come naturally to them at first. The secret to unlocking this unlimited potential is understanding how the brain works so they it can be used to their advantage.
Enjoy and impact beyond the book!
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