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5 Great Books for Educational Psychologists

  • Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
  • Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners
  • The Growth Mindset
  • How the Brain Learns
  • Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning

Educational psychologists know better than anyone else that no matter how seasoned we are in our careers, we never stop learning. The most successful educational psychologist are those who continue to educate themselves far beyond university. An enjoyable way to remain current in the field is by curling up with a fascinating yet intellectually stimulating book. Here are five great reads for educational psychologists.

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

Ron Ritchhart, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison are passionate about spreading the word that

Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger, and Mark A. McDaniel set out to create a novel way of learning and applying new knowledge. They found common themes among the role of memory, the value in challenge, and the misleading nature of intuition. Make it Stick: the Science of Successful Learning is the culmination of their findings and suggestions. This is one piece of literature that educational psychologists can use to inform their clients as well as their own lives.

Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners

Ron Ritchhart, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison are passionate about spreading the word that the environments in which people learn influence the quality of learning. In Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners, they describe Thinking Routines, or structures that support learning. These structures allow learners to experience what they are learning, facilitating critical and creative thought. Thinking Routines help educators tailor learning environment to each individual learner’s age, intellect, and learning style.

The Growth Mindset

Annie Brock has created an entire literary universe around the idea of the growth mindset. As opposed to a fixed mindset, the growth mindset encourages learners to embrace challenges, think out side the box, and value failures as opportunities to grow and change. Annie Brock has written several Growth Mindset books to promote this theory that educators and educational psychologists alike will enjoy reading and applying to their work with students and clients. Forbes offers an excellent breakdown of the the theory behind these books.

How the Brain Learns

Educational psychologists who are fascinated by the physiological processes of learning will enjoy How the Brain Learns by David A. Sousa. This book offers the neuropsychological perspective on memory and how it is influenced by factors such as art and technology. David A. Sousa is a published member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, making this book an excellent choice for those conducting literature reviews and researching for tough cases.

Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning

In Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning, Peter H. Johnston dives into the connection between language and learning. Specifically, he highlights the language of those doing the teaching, and its direct influence on the success of child learners. This is a great book for educational psychologists working with parents and teachers of children who are struggling to learn to their fullest ability.

These great books challenge educational psychologists to consider new findings and perceptions. They are also relatable enough for to recommend for clients, teachers, and parents. While supremely informative and intellectual, these books also pack entertainment value.

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