158 Pages
by
Psychology Press
158 Pages
by
Psychology Press
Also available as eBook on:
This book is about human abilities and the ways in which people acquire and extend them. It contains many useful facts about people's learning and the mental processes that make it possible. Chapter one looks at the kinds of events that create learning, and identifies some important general principles of human learning. Chapter two examines the capabilities that children gain in their early years.... Read more
1. Gaining Human Abilities. Where Do Abilities Come From? Learning and What it Achieves. How This Book is Arranged. Principles of Learning: 1. Active Mental Processing. Principles of Learning: 2. Making Meaningful Connections. Principles of Learning: 3. Repetition. Summary. 2. How Children Gain Basic Capabilities. The Beginnings of Learning. Language. Reading. The Beginnings of Numeracy. Physical Skills. Advantages and Disadvantages of Accelerated Early Learning. Compensating for Early Deprivation. Getting Prepared for School. Summary: How Children Gain Basic Capabilities. 3. People's Abilities: What Are They? What is an Ability? Are Abilities Fixed or Fluid? To What Extent are a Person's Different Abilities Independent of One Another? Do Abilities Transfer? Do Specific Abilities Depend on General Intelligence? Are Some Abilities Unchangeable? Summary. 4. The Role of Motivation. Indirect Influences on Learning: Attention, Motivation, and Study Habits. Attending. Varieties of Motivation. Good Learning and Study Habits. Summary. 5. Towards More Advanced Abilities. Applying Learning Principles: 1 & 2, Active Mental Processing and Forming Meaningful Connections. The Idea of Expertise. Gaining Exceptional Abilities. Innate Gifts and Talents. Prodigies. What is a Genius? Creativity. Summary. 6. Becoming a More Successful Learner. Being More Effective. The Value of Organising One's Time and Activities. Reading to Learn. Writing. Studying for Examinations. Summary. Glossary.
Biography
Michael J.A. Howe
'Professor Howe does not attempt to review each area in depth. Rather, he takes key examples of research and uses them to illustrate the points that he wishes to make. As such, the book makes an excellent starting point for discussing many of the key issues that it addresses. I can imagine it engaging the interest of many newcomers to psychology by its direct discussion of issues that will seem relevant to those readers Principles of Abilities and Human Learning provides an excellent, easy read, companion to fuller introductory texts. It is not a substitute for such texts but it could engage many students where such texts might fail.' - Peter Morris, Department of Psychology Lancaster University in the British Journal of Educational Psychology 1999 No 69.
