The document discusses how the brain learns and retains new information over the course of a learning episode. It shows that retention is highest at the beginning (prime-time-1) and end (prime-time-2) of the learning period, but lowest in the middle. An activity demonstrates this primacy-recency effect, where participants recall the first and last items best but struggle with middle items. The implications are that new material should be introduced at the start of class, practice and review occur during the middle downtime, and lessons conclude by consolidating learning. Strategies help maximize retention by accounting for how attention and memory function over time.

1. How the Brain Learns
From “How the Brain Learns” by David A Sousa
Adapted from presentation by Jeff Hruby
Power Point by Laura Westermeier

2. This presentation will show
you how to make use of
how the brain learns
to increase
your students’ retention
of new material.

3. Graph of when new material is
introduced in your classroom
1. Use a marker to show over time how
much new information is presented over
time in a typical class period
Class time in minutes
Amountofnew
informationpresented
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Little
Lots

4. On the same graph:
1. Use a different color marker to show over
time how much new information the brain
remembers over time in a class period
Class time in minutes
Amountofnew
informationpresented
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Little
Lots
DegreeofRetention

5. Levels of Retention:
• Most information retained in first 5-12 minutes
• Low levels of retention for new materials
during middle of class
• Increase in retention last 5 minutes of class
Class time in minutes
Amountofnew
informationpresented
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Little
Lots
DegreeofRetention

6. Example
• Think of a time when you met a lot of people
• Which names do you remember?
• Usually the first few and last few, but often not
the ones in the middle
Class time in minutes
Amountofnew
information
presented
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Little
Lots
DegreeofRetention

7. Retention During a Learning Episode
Class time in minutes
Amountofnewinformation
presented
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Little
Lots
DegreeofRetention
Down-time
Prime-time-1
Prime-time-2

8. The degree of retention varies
during a learning episode.
•We remember best that which
comes first (prime-time-1)
and last (prime-time-2)
•We remember least that which
comes just past the middle

9. Activity - Retention During a
Learning Episode
1. Number your paper 1-10.
2. You will see a list of 10 “words” for 12
seconds.
3. After the “words” are removed you will
write as many words as you can
remember. Be sure to write the word
next to the corresponding number.

10. 1. _____
2. _____
3. _____
4. _____
5. _____
6. _____
7. _____
8. _____
9. _____
10._____
Number
your
paper
like this
Click when you
are ready to
start the 12
seconds!
The next slide will
automatically change
after 12 seconds.

11. 1. KEF
2. LAK
3. MIL
4. NIR
5. VEK
6. LUN
7. NEM
8. BEB
9. SAR
10.FIF

12. 1. _____
2. _____
3. _____
4. _____
5. _____
6. _____
7. _____
8. _____
9. _____
10._____
Now write as
many “words”
as you can
remember

13. 1. KEF
2. LAK
3. MIL
4. NIR
5. VEK
6. LUN
7. NEM
8. BEB
9. SAR
10.FIF
Circle the “words” you
had correct
•They must be
spelled correctly
•They must be in
the proper number
on the list

14. How did you do?
• Chances are you remembered the
first 3-5 words and the last 1-2 words.
• You probably had difficulty with the
middle words (line 6-8)
• Your pattern in remembering is a
common phenomenon called the
primacy-recency effect

15. Primacy-Recency Effect
• We tend to remember best that which
comes first
• Second best that which comes last
• Least that which comes in the middle
• This is not new – first studies on this done in
1880’s

16. Retention During a Learning Episode
Class time in minutes
Amountofnewinformation
presented
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Little
Lots
DegreeofRetention
Down-time
Prime-time-1
Prime-time-2

17. Implications for Teaching
• New information or new skills should
be taught during prime-time-1 because
it will most likely be remembered
• Only correct information should be
discussed during prime-time-1
• This is not the time to solicit what
students know since if it is wrong
information students will remember the
incorrect information

18. Implications for Teaching
Practice and review during the down-time
Practice helps the learner organize information for further processing
Class time in minutes
Amountofnewinformation
presented
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Little
Lots
DegreeofRetention
Down-time
Prime-time-1
Prime-time-2

19. Implications for Teaching
• Prime-time 2 is the second most
powerful learning time
• Opportunity for learner to determine
sense and meaning

20. Possible Classroom Strategies
Delivering New
Information (Minutes 3-5)
Processing
Information (Minutes 15-35)
Consolidating New
Information (Minutes 35-45)

21. Possible Classroom Strategies
Delivering New
Information (Minutes 3-5)
Processing
Information (Minutes 15-35)
Consolidating New
Information (Minutes 35-45)
• Asking essential questions
• Academic vocabulary
• Task specific vocabulary
• Power points
• Making connections
• Cornell notes
• Summarizing
• Pair/Share
• Guided questions
• Jigsaw
• Socratic Seminars
• Group work
• Making connections to prior
knowledge
• Relating to misconceptions
• Teacher asking “What did you learn
in this lesson?”
•Summary on Cornell notes
•Consolidating question of the day
•Note cards
• Relate to visual images

22. What about longer class periods?
• Plan four 20-minute learning segments
instead of one long episode
• If using direct instruction do it during the
first segment
• Go off task between segments
– Stretch
– Tell a joke or story
– Share a cartoon

23. To Increase Retention During a
Learning Episode

24. To Increase Retention During a
Learning Episode
• Teach the new material first
• Avoid asking students what they know at
the beginning of a lesson so you don’t
reinforce wrong information
• Use down-time portion to have students
practice new learning
• Do closure during prime-time-2 so
learner’s can attach sense and meaning
to the new learning

25. How the Brain Learns
How does this
information affect how
you will increase student
engagement this year?

26. If you would like to learn more about
“How the Brain Learns”
• By David A. Sousa
• 2006
• Corwin Press
• ISBN 1-4129-3661-6