What have we learnt about learning?

Mike Hughes,Closing the Learning Gap

What have we learnt about learning?

The maximum concentration time for children is approximately 2 minutes more than their chronological age.

Adults cannot concentrate for longer than 20-25 minutes

SO ...

What have we learnt about learning?

50-minute lessons demand at least 3 activities. Build in styles for different learners

Have a 2-minute break.

Get pupils to stand up and move around.

What have we learnt about learning?

People learn more at the beginning and end of a learning experience than they do in the middle

SO ...

What have we learnt about learning?

The beginning of lessons is often wasted. Make the opening

dramatic and engage interest in the first minute.

What have we learnt about learning?

Introduce the key learning point at the beginning of a learning period, ideally in the

first 60 seconds, even before you say ‘good morning’.

What have we learnt about learning?

If you start with an intro and a recap of last lesson, you risk introducing the key point 25-40 minutes into the lesson.

Aim to create lots of new beginnings.

What have we learnt about learning?

Collect or give out homework in the

middle of the lesson rather than at the

beginning.

What have we learnt about learning?

People learn in different ways. Some prefer to:

See information (visual

learners). They say “That looks good to me”. They look upwards. They speak rapidly. They like to visualise, draw, write

What have we learnt about learning?

Some people prefer to:

Hear information (auditory learners). They say “That rings a bell”. They have level eye movement. They like to hear someone explain something.

What have we learnt about learning?

Some people prefer to:

•Do something (kinaesthetic learners). They say “I don’t follow”. They tend to look down. They fidget and need regular breaks. They like to make things. They walk around when they read.

SO ...

What have we learnt about learning?

Each class will probably

have a third of each type of learners. Kinaesthetic learners find it especially difficult to learn in other styles.

What have we learnt about learning?

The brain needs fuel – oxygen, water, protein and rest – otherwise it won’t function efficiently

SO ...

What have we learnt about learning?

Get pupils moving (oxygen). Get them to come and collect books. Move them into groups, or get them to stand up. Tell them about the need to feed and water their brains. Encourage them to drink water.

What have we learnt about learning?

50% of communication is non-verbal. Be more conscious of the messages you send out. Start with a smile.

What have we learnt about learning?

The left side

processes information

logically and

sequentially.

What have we learnt about learning?

The right prefers to see things as a whole and is comfortable working randomly and intuitively.

What have we learnt about learning?

Classrooms have tended to emphasise left-brain learning.

What have we learnt about learning?

Learning is hugely enhanced when the whole

brain is engaged.

What have we learnt about learning?

… and how

does it affect your

teaching?

What have we learnt about learning?

Mike Hughes,Closing the Learning Gap