Includes bibliographical references and index.

Basic brain facts -- How the brain processes information -- Memory, retention, and learning -- The power of transfer -- Brain organization and learning -- The brain and the arts -- Thinking skills and learning -- Putting it all together.

Introduction : Looking inside the brain ; Implications for teaching ; Why this book can help improve teaching and learning; Whats coming up -- 1. Basic brain facts : Some exterior parts of the brain ; Some interior parts of the brain ; Neuron development in children ; The brain as a novelty seeker; Whats coming up -- 2. How the brain processes information : The information processing model -- 3. Memory, retention, and learning : How memory forms ; Stages and types of memory ; Learning and retention ; Factors affecting retention of learning ; Learning motor skills ; Daily biological rhythms affect teaching and learning ; Intelligence and retrieval; Whats coming up -- 4. The power of transfer : What is transfer? ; Teaching for transfer; Additional thoughts about transfer; Whats coming up -- 5. Brain organization and learning : Brain lateralization ; Spoken language specialization ; Learning to read; Learning mathematics; Difficulties in learning mathematics; Mathematics for English language learners; Whats coming up -- 6. The brain and the arts : The arts are basic to the human experience ; Why teach the arts? ; Impact of the arts on student learning and behavior ; Music ; The visual arts ; Movement; Whats coming up -- 7. Thinking skills and learning : Characteristics of human thinking ; The dimensions of human thinking ; Revisiting Bloom's taxonomy of the cognitive domain ; Other thinking skills programs; Whats coming up -- 8. Putting it all together : Students should know how their brains learn; What about the flipped classroom; Daily planning ; Unit planning ; Maintaining skills for the future; Conclusion.

The fifth edition includes new information on memory systems, especially working memory capacity; updated research on how the explosion of technology is affecting the brain; current finding on brain organization and learning, and revised sections on hemispheric specialization; new evidence on how learning the arts enhances cognitive processing and creativity. Includes an expanded resources section and more than 150 new or updated references.