Making Schools Work

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff is the Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Education at the University of Delaware. Kimberly Nesbitt is an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of New Hampshire. Carol Lautenbach is assistant superintendent for teaching and learning design in the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools (Wyoming, MI). Elias Blinkoff is a graduate student in developmental psychology at Temple University. Ginger Fifer is a past teacher and school administrator at Friends' Central School (Wynnewood, PA).

• ContentsForeword  xiiiAcknowledgments  xvii1.  Why Now?  1Looking Ahead  52.  The Science of Success  7At a Glance  7Introduction  7The How of Learning  11What Children Learn: A Breadth-of-Skills Approach Through the 6 Cs  24Where the How Meets the What of Learning  313.  Case Study 1: The 6 Cs Go to an Independent School in Pennsylvania  34At a Glance  34Introduction  34A Theme-Based Approach as One Embodiment of the 6 Cs System  38Themes, the 6 Cs, and the Principles of Playful Learning  484.  Case Study 2: Designing for Equity in a Michigan School District  49At a Glance  49Introduction  50Using Human-Centered Design After Exploring the Underlying Barriers  52Results: The System Shifts Toward Success for All  67Next Steps to Intensify Learning  68Slow Down to Speed Up  695.  Case Study 3: Statewide Scale-Up of Playful Learning in New Hampshire Kindergarten Classrooms  71At a Glance  71Introduction  71Motivation for Change  73Evidence-Based Approach for Change  74Impacts and Outcomes  80Guided Play in COVID-19 Classrooms  83Further Investment in Guided Play and Coaching  83Conclusion  85Chapter 5 Supplemental Resources  866.  Bringing It Home: Adapting the Model for Your School  97Step 1: Get Buy-In  101Step 2: Educate  101Step 3: Co-Design  102Step 4: Try It Out  103Step 5: Broaden Your Scope  103Step 6: Assess How It Is Going  104Step 7: Home and School  105Step 8: Have a School- or Grade-Wide Conclusion  1057.  Authentic Assessment to Support the Science of Learning  106At a Glance  106Introduction  106Motivation: Why Engage in Assessment?  107Measurement of the Knowledge and Skills That Matter  108Developmentally Appropriate Assessment  109Summative and Formative Assessment  110There Is More Than One Type of Authentic Assessment  115Clantete: Using Authentic Assessment to Support the 6 Cs  122Radnor Middle School: Authentic Assessment to Support Student Learning  123Conclusion  1248.  Jumping Over School Walls: The 6 Cs and Learning Principles Are Everywhere  125At a Glance  125Introduction  125Enter Playful Learning Landscapes: Informal Learning at Its Best  126Media: The Learning Principles and the 6 Cs Work Here, Too  129Conclusion  1349.  Re-Imagining Education at Your School  135Introduction  136The 6 Cs Prepare Students for Success  136How Can We Help Children Remember What They Learn So That It Is Sticky?  138How Do We Teach in a Way That Supports Transfer?  139How Do We Move From the "Memorize and Spit-It-Out-on-the-Test" Model to One in Which Students Are More Engaged in Their Learning?  139Appendix A: Visual Chapter Synopses  145Appendix B: Recommendations for Further Study  159References  163Index  179About the Authors  185