Research -- StepUp to Learn

Visualization: How Kids 'See' the Story Beyond the Pictures

Visualization: How Kids 'See' the Story Beyond the Pictures

Visualization is essential to reading comprehension. Researchers discover a simple way to boost it at home.

Teaching Spatial Thinking Boosts Verbal Reasoning

Teaching Spatial Thinking Boosts Verbal Reasoning

New findings could not only upend how educators craft curricula, but reveals a hidden link in the human mind. 

How Consistent Practice Improves Learning

How Consistent Practice Improves Learning

Researchers discover how the brain changes with consistent practice, and what could be the first step toward new strategies to improve and speed up learning.

Learning to Enjoy Cognitive Effort

Learning to Enjoy Cognitive Effort

Researchers challenge a common assumption and find that challenging cognitive activities can be experienced as rewarding and valuable.

Slow Learner? It Could Be From Long-Term Stress

Slow Learner? It Could Be From Long-Term Stress

Long-term stress -- to which children are increasingly exposed -- can potentially cause serious damage to the brain, according to a new study.

From Hopscotch to Handwriting: Trial and Error is our Best Teacher

From Hopscotch to Handwriting: Trial and Error is our Best Teacher

Although we often think that we don’t want to make mistakes, this new model of learning reminds us that trying new things and making mistakes are our best teachers.

How Kids Problem Solve in New, Creative Ways (And Why You Should Encourage It)

How Kids Problem Solve in New, Creative Ways (And Why You Should Encourage It)

A new study shows that kids broader attentional focus can also prove to be an advantage to finding new, creative ways of problem solving.

How Does the Brain Process and Store Movement?

How Does the Brain Process and Store Movement?

What researchers discovered about how the brain processes movement changes not only to our understanding of how the brain works, but provides a better understanding of conditions ranging from Parkinson’s disease to autism.

How to Unlock Your Child's STEM Potential

How to Unlock Your Child's STEM Potential

Teaching this set of skills – particularly with the use of physical manipulatives  – is highly effective at improving mathematics performance and makes learning more engaging, accessible, and equitable.

A Faster Way to Learn to Read

A Faster Way to Learn to Read

This method is more effective and quicker at teaching reading skills compared to typing and watching videos.

How to Boost Children's Letter Sound Recognition

How to Boost Children's Letter Sound Recognition

Children who did this became twice as proficient at difficult letter sounds compared to those who received traditional instruction.

Just Being Around New Things Makes Us ‘Ready to Learn’

Just Being Around New Things Makes Us ‘Ready to Learn’

Educators have long recognized the value of “background information” in the learning process. Exposure to new information at the background level can help us be ready to learn in formal classroom instruction.