I (Yvette) must confess. I have been a huge fan of Patrice Bain since the publication of her first book with Pooja K. Agarwal, Powerful Teaching (for teachers). It gave me hope. Hope that Andrew and I were doing something right. The book gave a fantastic insight into the world of education and cognitive science, explaining and validating the use of practices such as retrieval and metacognition. I felt like screaming, "YES", from the rooftops. Everything that Andrew and I were teaching in our learning techniques workshops was correct.
I was excited to learn that Patrice had written a new book. The same concept of Powerful Teaching, but this time for parents. Speaking as both a parent and teacher, this is certainly the "must-have" book for parents, who are interested in helping their children learn.
Patrice starts with a gentle introduction to the science of learning, providing enough information without alienating the reader. Then she picks up the pace, with three power tools that all students should be using. Her explanations of these tools are clear with amusing anecdotal stories and easy to follow practical examples that one can start using at home immediately. There is also a useful summary at the end of each chapter listing the main points. The final chapters of the book give more advice about the science of learning, including everyday tips that we knew worked, but never knew why.
This is such a marvellous book. Highly recommend for all parents, carers, teachers and educators alike.
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