How do kids learn best?

There's a common misconception that kids learn best by discovering things on their own, but hear what learning expert Annie Murphy Paul says really works.
by:
YouTube video

Annie Murphy Paul is an expert on the science of learning.

Video transcript

“One common belief about learning that I run into a lot and that I once held myself was that it’s always best for children to discover information and knowledge on their own. It’s a very appealing way of thinking about learning. And certainly there are a lot of situations in which we do want children to discover principles or information on their own, but that can often lead to what scientists call cognitive load. There’s just too much going on. And the kid walks away from that really cool hands on learning opportunity not having learned anything. So you know, humans are really wired to learn from other people. And there is so much to be said for a good teacher who can sometimes very directly tell children what’s going on and what they should be attending to, or to really carefully scaffold and structure a learning opportunity so that students are guided through the process of discovery. But just kind of throwing kids into a situation with a bunch of cool looking stuff is not necessarily going to produce the kind of learning that we would hope for.”

Check out Paul’s other insights and tips!

Also … learn about containing your math anxiety!

About the author

GreatSchools.org is a national nonprofit with a mission to help every child obtain a high-quality education that values their unique abilities, identities, and aspirations. We believe in the power of research-backed, actionable information to empower parents, family members, and educators to help make this happen. For 25 years, the GreatSchools Editorial Team has been working to make the latest, most important, and most actionable research in education, learning, and child development accessible and actionable for parents through articles, videos, podcasts, hands-on learning resources, email and text messaging programs, and more. Our team consists of journalists, researchers, academics, former teachers and education leaders — most of whom are also dedicated parents and family members — who not only research, fact check, and write or produce this information, but who use it in our daily lives as well. We welcome your feedback at editorial@greatschools.org.