Teaching How to Learn

"Pay attention, folks, because our children desperately need to have you understand and apply the information in this book!"—Jane M. Healy, Ph.D.

Can intelligence be developed? Do teacher expectations shape student learning? How can I make learning 'stick' for my students?

In this thought-provoking, informative book, noted education expert Kathleen Ricards Hopkins provides teachers with a hands-on resource based on the latest research on how we learn. Hopkins offers clear, actionable guidelines for teachers to enable all students to gain both the cognitive competence and confidence needed to succeed academically. Using the metaphor of a skylight—a window leading to infinite possibilities—Hopkins provides down-to-earth techniques teachers can use to help students develop their skills as readers, writers, and mathematicians. Hopkins translates the theoretical ideas of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Feuerstein into practical suggestions for teachers to use with their students. Students will benefit from these principles, and teachers may find their cognitive abilities transformed as well.

As inspirational as it is practical, the book offers creative suggestions that help students build perseverance and diligent work habits. Teaching How to Learn in a What-to-Learn Culture is designed to apply to any and all learners, including students with special needs, and is richly illustrated with stories, activities, and useful examples from across the content areas.

Praise for Teaching How to Learn in a What-to-Learn Culture

"Kathy Hopkins has a gift for bringing research to life with practical strategies for parents and teachers. Pay attention, folks, because our children desperately need to have you understand and apply the information in this book!"

— Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., educational psychologist and author, Different Learners and Endangered Minds

"An important book for any educator who seeks both a theoretical understanding of mediated learning and the application of these principles in modern classrooms. Hopkins shares the development of her career as a teacher of teachers and how she goes about teaching students of all ages to think beyond basic memorization—and much, much more."

— Rosa A. Hagin, Ph.D., research professor of psychology, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine

"I purchased this book, thinking I'd read it in August, to refresh my attitude before another school year began--but I read it the last few weeks of this school year. I'm glad I did. This book is an easy read, but gives a lot of information to 'chew on'. I plan to re-read it in August. It has helped me to renew my commitment to teaching, after being close to burning out after 35 years. HIGHLY recommended reading!"

— Bonnie, Educator, Palm Springs, CA

About the author:
Kathleen Hopkins, Ed.D.

Dr. Hopkins has been involved in the field of education for over 40 years. She received her doctorate in education from the College of William and Mary. From 1999 to 2012 Dr. Hopkins was the Executive Director of the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD). Currently, she serves as an educational consultant. She presents workshops around the country as well as internationally on topics related to learning development. Dr. Hopkins is also an instructor for the Feuerstein Program of Instrumental Enrichment and studies in Israel and France to receive this distinction. She is the author ofTeaching How to Learn in a What-to-Learn Culturewhich gives encouragement and tools to classroom teachers.