Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-125) and index.

The new winds of change. Background and theory update on brain research, the state and direction of research today. Tools for learning about the brain. How to interpret the new brain research -- The learning brain. Brain basics; the size, content, lobes, and basic operations. Key vocabulary. What is built in and what's not? How we actually learn and remember -- Getting ready to learn. The developing brain. Getting students ready for school. Emotional readiness. Motor skill readiness. The role of threat, sleep, and nutrition. How we can influence parents -- Enriched environments and the brain. How enrichment affects the brain. Two conditions for enrichment : challenge and feedback. The role of language, motor activity, music, and the arts. What really builds better brains -- Getting the brain's attention. The biology of attention. Getting attention but not keeping it. The brain's high and low attention cycles. An ADD/ADHD update. Implications for classroom discipline -- How stress and threat affect learning. What is stressful to the brain? How does stress affect students? How threats affect learning. What is learned helplessness? Reducing the impact of stress and threat -- Motivation and Rewards. What's the new research on motivation? What causes temporary demotivation? What does brain research tell us about rewards? How can we boost intrinsic motivation -- Emotions and Learning. The role of emotions in the thinking and learning process. Why use the more emotionally laced learning. Emotions vs. feelings differences. Specific strategies for emotional engagement -- Movement and Learning. The mind-body link. What does research say about the links between movement and cognition? Physical states; how does our body actually learn? The specific roles for movement, arts, and P.E. Why movement makes sense -- The Brain as a Meaning-Maker. The natural mechanisms of making meaning. Three ingredients for optimal learning. How to encourage these ingredients -- Memory and Recall. Why don't students remember more? Exploding the memory myths. How to use the brain's best systems for retrieval. Making learning last.