Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Asking students to explain how they arrived at an answer is a powerful strategy for making a concept more memorable.
At Sugarloaf Elementary School in Frederick, MD, kindergarten teacher Heather Van Eck does something intentional with her students to help make learning stick better during their math lesson on groups on of 10—as she roams the room, instead of showing them what they did wrong or providing them the correct answer, she approaches their work with curiosity, prompting them with simple questions tailored to get them to explain their thinking—and often, arrive at a new understanding on their own.
Our How Learning Happens video series explores teaching practices grounded in the science of learning. To see more, visit edutopia.org/package/how-learning-happens-instructional-shifts
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© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
Asking students to explain how they arrived at an answer is a powerful strategy for making a concept more memorable.
At Sugarloaf Elementary School in Frederick, MD, kindergarten teacher Heather Van Eck does something intentional with her students to help make learning stick better during their math lesson on groups on of 10—as she roams the room, instead of showing them what they did wrong or providing them the correct answer, she approaches their work with curiosity, prompting them with simple questions tailored to get them to explain their thinking—and often, arrive at a new understanding on their own.
Our How Learning Happens video series explores teaching practices grounded in the science of learning. To see more, visit edutopia.org/package/how-learning-happens-instructional-shifts
Join the Edutopia community today to get articles, videos, and more delivered via email every Wednesday—all tailored to you and your unique role: edut.to/3wEVHUh
*Follow us here:*
Official Website: https://edutopia.org
YouTube: youtube.com/c/edutopia
Facebook: facebook.com/edutopia
Instagram: instagram.com/edutopia
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/edutopia.org
#brainbasedlearning #criticalthinking #teachingstrategies #research
© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
