Start from a problem · Science of Learning Institute

Start from the problem in front of you. Each question below leads to the pages that answer it, from a 60-second card to the full evidence.

My child is in kindergarten. How should reading be taught?

My second grader guesses at words from the pictures.

Second graders still can't sound out words.

What is the science of reading, in plain words?

Is phonics really proven, or is it a fad?

Students can read the words but don't understand what they read.

Our reading scores are fine in 2nd grade and drop in 4th.

What should a daily phonics lesson look like?

How do I help a struggling reader at home?

What should I read aloud to my child, and why does it matter?

How much time should the reading block get?

Should we use leveled readers or decodable books?

Does teaching reading comprehension strategies work?

How do I teach vocabulary so it sticks?

My middle schooler reads slowly and avoids it.

High school students can't handle the textbook.

Which reading curriculum should we buy?

What did Mississippi actually do to raise reading scores?

Should we hold back third graders who can't read?

How do we screen for reading problems early?

What is dyslexia intervention supposed to look like?

Why does background knowledge matter for reading?

Should kindergarten teach science and history?

Students don't know their math facts.

How do I practice math facts with my child without a fight?

When should multiplication facts be automatic?

Are timed math tests bad for kids?

Our math scores dropped in 4th grade.

Students don't get fractions.

Why teach fractions on a number line instead of pizzas?

Students forget how to do a problem type a week after the unit.

How should I arrange homework problems?

What is interleaving, and does it work in real classes?

Students can do the worksheet but fail the test.

Should students discover math methods or be taught them?

How do I use worked examples without students just copying?

Middle schoolers are missing elementary skills.

What does good math intervention look like?

High schoolers fail algebra every year.

We have to choose a new math curriculum.

Does the math textbook even matter?

Our curriculum is weak. Can we fix it without replacing it?

Is 'balanced math' the next balanced literacy?

What should a K–2 math lesson look like?

How do I check math understanding in the middle of a lesson?

What math should my child be able to do by the end of each grade?

My students forget everything by the test.

How should my child study for a test?

Rereading and highlighting aren't working.

What does 'retrieval practice' mean?

How do I start a lesson so students remember last week?

Should quizzes count toward grades?

How often should we review old material?

How do I plan review across a whole unit?

How do flashcards work best?

Does cramming work?

What is working memory and why does it matter?

How much new material can students handle in one lesson?

Is it true we remember 10% of what we read and 90% of what we teach?

Do students learn best in their own learning style?

What is 'cognitive load theory'?

Do brain dumps and self-quizzing work for younger kids?

Why does something feel learned in class and gone the next day?

Students get it in class but can't do it on their own.

What should a lesson look like, start to finish?

What is explicit instruction, and is it just lecturing?

What is 'I do, we do, you do'?

How do I know if every student is following?

Only the same five students answer questions.

How do mini whiteboards work in practice?

Students ignore the feedback we give them.

Can feedback make learning worse?

How do I give feedback to 30 students without marking all night?

When should students work in groups?

Is 'productive failure' real?

Should students do the lab before or after I teach the content?

How do I teach history so students remember it?

How should I use primary sources in history?

What is Direct Instruction with capital letters?

What routines matter most for a new teacher?

What should student teachers learn about how learning works?

I teach high school. Does any of this apply to me?

Where can I watch a teacher actually doing these routines?

What are the biggest myths teachers still believe?

I lose ten minutes of every lesson to disruption.

How many classroom rules should I have?

Who is responsible for behavior, the teacher or the principal?

How do I get instructional time back?

What should happen when a student is removed from class?

Announcements and pull-outs keep interrupting the reading block.

Our classroom walkthroughs aren't changing anything.

What should I look for in a five-minute classroom visit?

How do I give a teacher feedback that actually gets used?

What do we do with our weekly staff meeting?

How do I build a year of staff training around this?

How do I coach one teacher through one change?

Where should a new instructional coach start?

What should the master schedule protect?

Our tutoring isn't moving scores.

How do we set up tutoring that actually works?

Should tutoring be during the school day or after?

How do we know if an intervention is working for a student?

What data should I look at besides state test scores?

I'm the only administrator. What's realistic?

Teachers say 'research shows' and I can't tell who's right.

A vendor says their program is 'evidence-based.' How do I check?

What should we stop paying for?

What's the biggest mistake schools make with the science of learning?

How do I explain this to my school board?

What questions should a board member ask before voting on a curriculum?

What does a three-year district plan look like?

Where do we start if we can only do one thing this year?

How should PD be organized so it changes teaching?

We serve 30 small rural districts. What works at that scale?

How do we train trainers without losing the message?

What would a statewide reading effort look like?

What did England change, and did it work?

How do we review curricula against the evidence?

How do I run a 90-minute training session that isn't a lecture?

How should a state team visit classrooms without it feeling like an inspection?

How do we keep a reform going after the grant ends?

Is there a plain-words glossary for board members?

What should I ask at my child's school about reading?

How can I tell if my child's school teaches reading well?

How do I help with homework without doing it for them?

What can I do in twelve minutes a night?

Is screen time hurting my child's learning?

My teenager says studying doesn't help.

Should I hire a tutor?

My child was told they're a visual learner.

What should I listen to if I want to understand all this?

How do you decide what's proven?

What's a good effect size?

Why don't you cite Hattie?

Where does the evidence run out?

Which of these practices is weakest?

I think one of your grades is wrong.

Who runs this site and who pays for it?

Can I see every study you cite in one place?

Who are the researchers behind this?

Does the science of learning fix poverty, attendance or staffing?