🐴 When brain science meets education (#135)

Good morning, open educators!

Love is in the air today, but learning is on the brain as we explore how neuroscience is reshaping education in 2025.

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💡 DEEP DIVE

4 Things Neuroscience Tells Us About How Kids Learn

When Dr. Claire Honeycutt held tenure at Arizona State University, she made a decision that surprised her colleagues: she quit to educate her own kids. As a biomedical engineer specializing in neuroscience, her unique perspective reveals why traditional education often works against natural development patterns, and how a better understanding of the developing brain combined with a customized approach yields better results.

Her credentials were impressive: a joint PhD from Georgia Tech and Emory School of Medicine, groundbreaking work at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and tenure at ASU, where she ranked in the top 5% of faculty. But watching her own children navigate traditional schooling revealed a troubling disconnect.

The pandemic became an unexpected catalyst. "My oldest was really struggling," she recalls. But she didn't understand how much until she started teaching her at home.

“Suddenly, she was just this different child."

Within weeks, the behavioral issues disappeared. Her daughter's natural curiosity re-emerged, replacing the resistance to learning she'd shown in traditional school.

Here are 4 highlights from our recent conversation with Claire on what neuroscience tells us about how kids actually learn:

1. The Writing-Brain Connection 

When you handwrite, you activate multiple brain regions simultaneously in ways typing cannot replicate. "You're dealing with the postural control system, which is a lower part of your brain, while also using the parts that encode for speech," Honeycutt explains. This integration is why people are more creative when writing by hand – and why even college students are returning to handwritten notes.

2. Complex Language and Young Minds 

Honeycutt's eight and ten-year-old children study Shakespeare – not simplified versions, but original texts. "The children just love this language. They don't even fully understand what it means, but it's so beautiful the way it sounds." Shakespeare's carefully created word combinations require specific timing and rhythm, helping develop sophisticated neural pathways in young brains.

3. The Value of "Outdated" Math 

Traditional practices like long division might seem obsolete in the age of calculators. But they train the brain to:

• Break down complex problems

• Recognize patterns

• Develop number sense

• Build mental flexibility

"Is it necessary to memorize a bunch of stuff? No. Does it train the brain in a very specific way? Yes," Honeycutt emphasizes.

4. Creating the Right Environment 

The most effective learning environments focus on connection before content. Rather than forcing her daughter to read when she was resistant, Honeycutt focused on reading aloud engaging stories. "Each chapter was a cliffhanger. She'd say 'keep reading,' and I'd say 'chapter's over, I have to go to bed.' Then she'd grab the book herself."

The key insight? "Kids are beginners, not stupid," Honeycutt notes. "Most parents worry they're not qualified. I had a PhD and still felt that way at first. But remember: Treat them like intelligent beginners in any subject."

Want to dive deeper? Visit ClarifiEd at clarified.life for practical guides and resources designed ‘for parents serious about their kids’ education’ by Dr. Honeycutt.

📊 TRENDS WE’RE FOLLOWING

The Microschool Revolution Continues → Two-day-week programs are transforming education. In Portland, Knowledge Seekers Collective shows how student-shaped learning works in practice.

Classical Education's Comeback → These schools have doubled to nearly 1,000 nationwide in the past decade. The surprise leader? Public charter versions serving 2-3x more students than private counterparts.

Mixed-Age Learning Goes Mainstream → Traditional schools are tearing down age walls after seeing stronger social-emotional development and faster progress for all students.

🛠️ TOOLS & RESOURCES

Student Voice Framework →

Three questions courtesy of Tess Scholl that unlock your child’s greatest potential:

• What do you want to learn?

• How do you learn best?

• What brings you joy?

Great Hearts Online → Classical education meets modern flexibility. Self-paced courses for families wanting independence from standardized testing.

The Balanced Bookshelf → Two opposite but complementary recommendations from Claire Honeycutt:

• The Well-Trained Mind (systematic classical approach)

• Free to Learn (natural learning through play)

Synthesis Teams → SpaceX's mixed-age learning experiment goes global. Kids 8-14 tackle complex challenges together, from designing space colonies to managing ancient Greek city-states. Next cohort starts February 17th ($95/month, 30-day free trial)!

(MEME) OF THE WEEK

Happy Valentine’s Day, Hobbitses.

That’s all for this week!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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