Six Principles of Learning and Their Implications for Teaching

from We’re Born to Learn, Rita Smilkstein

In this convergence of the research, we observe the following principles and implications for how human beings learn:

1. Principle: Learning is physiological. New structures grow in the learner’s brain during learning, and learning is the growing of new brain structures (dendrites and synapses). In other words, learning and growing new brain structures are the same thing.

Implication: Teaching is like gardening: the purpose is helping students grow their own new brain structures.

2. Principle: Brain structures grow specifically for what is practiced. Brain structures that grow for on object of learning are only for that one object.

Implication: Students need practice with the target object of learning so they can grow brain structures for (learn) it.

3. Principle: New brain structures grow with practice and processing over time. Usually new brain structures take time to grow.

Implications: Students need sufficient time for practicing (time on task) and processing to grow their brain structures. The time spent on this authentic work (on growing knowledge structures for the target object of learning) is some of the most well-spent class time.

4. Principle: For each new object of learning, it is necessary, as a first step, to help each student make a personal connection with it. This makes it possible for every student to “catch on” and have a foundation from which to grow higher structures (more knowledge and skill) and start constructing the new networks.

Implication: It is critical to give every student the opportunity and time to make a personal connection with a new and unfamiliar concept, skill, or body of information.

5. Principle: Students need to have a foundation of personal, basic familiarity with a new object of learning before they can do critical or creative thinking about the object of learning. Learners cannot do higher-level thinking abut an object of learning unless and until they first have a foundation of familiarity about it..

Implication: Curricula should give opportunities to student to construct a foundation of new knowledge (new neural structures) through the first stages of eth brain’s natural learning process before assigning activities at the higher, critical or creative thinking stages.

6. Principle: DNA can affect how quickly brain structures grow for different objects of learning, accounting for aptitudes.