GUEST POST: Scaffolding Speech: A Mother’s Journey into Language Development Without a Therapist
When a child's name is called, he should respond with a ‘Yes, Daddy?’ or ‘Yes, Mummy?’ but Charis wouldn't even respond with a ‘Yes?’ It seemed he didn't KNOW the name was his! We demonstrated name calling and response, instructed him, reminded him when he didn't respond but to no avail. When he was 3.5yrs,…
GUEST POST: The Motivation Cheat Code: Sidestep Willpower Using Science
So, how do you build dependable habits?Don’t get me wrong, sometimes life just gets in the way, a deadline creeps up or training gets extended last minute. But, having some sort of structure helps you respond instead of react. When habits are in place, you have a mental anchor, a reliable starting point, even in…
GUEST POST: What 130,000 Student Questions to AI Reveal About Critical Thinking
Our research, detailed in the report Asking to Learn, examined nearly 130,000 anonymized queries from over 8,600 students using an AI study tool embedded within a digital biology textbook often used in introductory biology courses. We focused on the "Explain" feature of the tool, which invites students to ask questions in their own words, providing…
GUEST POST: A Neuroscientific Perspective on Understanding and Managing Stress
References1. Lewis, J. & Stiebahl, S. (2025). Student mental health in England: Statistics, policy, and guidance. Research briefing, House of Commons Library. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8593/CBP-8593.pdf2. McEwen, B. S. (2006). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators: central role of the brain. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(4), 367–381. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/bmcewen3. Schneiderman, N., Ironson, G., & Siegel, S. D. (2005). Stress and…
FEATURED EDUCATOR: Alison Stone
How do use the science of learning in your classroom? Describe one activity in detail so other educators can use it too!Both biology and anatomy and physiology are vocabulary rich courses. Without the foundational vocabulary, it is difficult for students to gain true understand of the big concepts. At the beginning of each unit students…
GUEST POST: Mindfulness Interventions for ADHD
References1. DuPaul, G. J., Eckert, T. L., & Vilardo, B. (2012). The effects of school-based interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analysis 1996-2010. School Psychology Review, 41(4), 387–412.2. van der Oord, S., Bögels, S. M., & Peijnenburg, D. (2012). The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents.…
GUEST POST: Finals Prep: Effective Studying Methods
For long-term exams, it can be beneficial to create a study schedule to help pace yourself and hold yourself accountable. This may look different for every student, but a good basic outline includes starting with content from the beginning of the year and studying recent information closer to the exam. Additionally, students can portion out…
FEATURED EDUCATOR: Amber Haven
I love knowing that the lessons we learn in class stretch beyond our classroom walls! I love receiving emails from students’ parents that say, “Mikayla made me take this picture of the moon and send it to you,” or, “Jack saw all of these spider webs in our grass this morning and made me promise…
Musical Notes for Homeschoolers
Homeschooling expert Carole Dolan Weed discusses the role of online music lessons in supporting children’s education. Whether we are Unschooling or Classical Education enthusiasts, the one thing we homeschoolers all have in common is the desire to cultivate our kids’ abilities and talents. My homeschooled son displayed an interest in learning music from the time…
GUEST POST: Can Gamified Technology Be Used to Enhance Students’ Intrinsic Motivation?
Dr Jamie Murray is an expert in the field of human episodic memory and uses his knowledge to enhance learning in educational settings. Jamie obtained his Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Stirling within the Psychological Imaging Laboratory and subsequently completed two postdoctoral positions focused on understanding how memory precision changes as we…
