by Laura Maniglia | Sep 27, 2024 | active learning, attention & focus, cognitive skills, creativity, learning, study skills, whole brain learning
The body/brain connection has been a frequent topic of these blogs. Overstimulating the brain can lead to loss of attention, so inserting “brain breaks” during studying or creative thinking can help the individual to process information. A recent article about Steve...
by Laura Maniglia | Sep 19, 2024 | brain development, cognitive skills, instruction, intelligence, intrinsic motivation, learning, non-cognitive skills
A recent study has emphasized the importance of non-cognitive skills in academic success. “The results showed that the association between non-cognitive skills and academic achievement increased across development.” This finding validates earlier research by Angela...
by Laura Maniglia | Aug 20, 2024 | creativity, differentiation, language
Question: Why does the apostrophe cause so much confusion? What is it about this little punctuation point that bemuses so many? Here’s a case in point: People have difficulty differentiating between it’s and its. (The former ALWAYS means it is, while the latter...
by Laura Maniglia | Aug 12, 2024 | active learning, attention & focus, cognitive skills, learning, note-taking, parents, reading, study skills, writing
The benefit of taking notes by hand has been the topic of several of these blogs, but it’s certainly worth revisiting. While note-taking on a laptop may be faster, that speed may actually hinder comprehension and memory. Data from research studies at Princeton and...
by Laura Maniglia | Jul 20, 2024 | academic standing, brain development, cognitive skills, instruction, learning, reading, teachers, testing
The human brain is naturally adapted for spoken language. However,”reading and writing are acquired skills for which the human brain is not yet fully evolved.” For nearly 400 years, phonics has been the prevailing method of reading instruction. “However, in the mid...
by Laura Maniglia | Jul 2, 2024 | brain development, Child development, cognitive skills, differentiation, instruction, learning, parents, public schools, student engagement, students
The vast majority of US schools arrange students by chronological age: children usually start kindergarten by age 5 or 6 and remain with their age-mates until grade 12. “Most schools use age-based grade levels because of historical legacy. In the mid-1800s (before we...
by Laura Maniglia | Jun 18, 2024 | academic standing, active learning, attention & focus, brain development, cognitive skills, exercise, instruction, kindergarten, learning, parents, public schools, recess, student engagement, students, teachers
A positive correlation exists between physical activity and cognitive development. Government health guidelines recommend sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Yet most children do not meet that guideline. “Recess, a regularly...
by Laura Maniglia | Jun 4, 2024 | active learning, attention & focus, brain development, cognitive skills, exercise, intelligence, learning, memory, retrieval practice
More than eighty years ago, psychologist Robert Cattell partitioned intelligence into two parts: fluid and crystallized. Fluid Intelligence refers to a person’s current ability and involves openness to learning new things, while crystallized intelligence refers...
by Laura Maniglia | May 14, 2024 | brain development, cognitive skills, learning, memory, metacognition, note-taking, writing
“Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning” This recent headline from NPR’s health news reinforces previous research about the importance of handwriting. For children, “Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the...
by Laura Maniglia | May 2, 2024 | active learning, brain development, cognitive skills, instruction, language, learning, public schools, reading, student engagement, whole brain learning, writing
Incorporating and emphasizing cognitive skills into the classroom are major elements to support learning. Scientific research utilizes fMRI studies that pinpoint the locus of rational thinking in the prefrontal cortex . However, recent neuro- scientific studies have...
