How Students Really Learn: Instructional Strategies That Work

Recent studies show that the average student retention rate is 15 percent and that America spends over $14 billion dollars annually to reteach these students. To remedy this alarming trend, Dr. Linda Wilson provides instructional strategies to help students not only learn better but also retain the information they are taught. When teachers incorporate the learning styles in planning and implementation, students will achieve real learning and never be bored again. How Students Really Learn includes kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learning opportunities for students in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as steps to create assessment strategies and tips on how to implement them. For parents, school administrators, pre-service and inservice teachers, and community members, the book offers tried and true student learning opportunities.

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction 2 How we Learn 3 When do we Learn? 4 Differences in Gender and Learning 5 How can we Improve Learning? INCREASE OXYGEN 6 How can we Improve Learning? INCREASE WATER INTAKE 7 How can we Improve Learning? IMPROVE NUTRITION 8 How can we Improve Learning? INCREASE EXERCISE and MOVEMENT 9 How can We Improve Learning? USE COLOR 10 How can We Improve Learning? USE MUSIC 11 How can We Improve Learning? The Learning Environment 12 Managing/Leading the Learning Environment 13 Communication Skills for an Enriched Learning Environment 14 Before Connecting the Dots: Setting Objectives-Designing a Plan 15 Connecting the Dots: Learning with the Learning Styles-Language Arts 16 Connecting the Dots: Learning with the Learning Styles-Math 17 Connecting the Dots: Learning with the Learning Styles-Science and Social Studies 18 Assessment and Evaluation: Did they learn?

About the Author :
Dr. Linda Henshall Wilson is a professor of curriculum and instruction in the elementary education department at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She has taught in K-12 classrooms as well as at the university level. Wilson, an educator since 1975, is also the author of Teaching 201: Traveling Beyond the Basics (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2003).

Review :
Dr. Wilson captures her audience with a wealth of information with such a personal touch in how her creative activities compliment the research and give teachers and parents invaluable tools for learning. This book is like having a series of in-depth conversations with an educational expert. How Students Really Learn provides priceless information, tips and ideas for the alternative certification teacher…who missed out on the invaluable classes standard classroom teachers take in college. I recommend all alternative certification teachers to add this book to their personal library and reread it often for inspiration and motivation! How Students Really Learn has renewed my excitement for teaching! Packed with tips and a wide variety of teaching strategies, this book is a must-read for anyone in education. The staggering statistics from how children learn to differences in gender are mind blowing. Dr. Wilson has compiled an astounding amount of everyday household items that can be used in the classroom as tools for teaching and, most importantly, learning. Dr. Wilson does all the 'thinking out of the box' for you in this book. The book explains how every child's needs can easily be met. It gives an overabundant amount of ways to use everyday items as a manipulative for each subject. This easy-to-read book is tightly packed with useful information and suggestions that every teacher should know. How Students Really Learn will make every teacher take a step back, evaluate their teaching methods and ask themselves, 'Am I reaching every child's need?'