The author of this article is a researcher in cognitive psychology specializing in education. He wrote a pop-sci book detailing how cognitive science explains what's wrong with school, and it's very much worth a read if you're at all interested in the topic. Link is https://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Students-Like-School/dp/0470....

This is off-topic, but perhaps interesting to some, and might add some weight to the opinions expressed in the article.

The author of this article is Daniel T. Willingham. He is a psychologist at the University of Virginia and author of some very good books on learning, schools and education.

He is a good, careful and informed thinker on the subject of learning and children.

I recommend his book "Why Don't Students Like School?" [0] for an insightful look at one of the pieces of the puzzle that is Education.

[0] "Why Don't Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom" https://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Students-Like-School/dp/0470...

As mentioned in the article:

> surprisingly few studies of this format have produced supporting evidence for learning styles; far more evidence (such as this study) runs counter to the myth.

There's been a number of meta-analysis done (e.g. [1]), and they overwhelmingly conclude that there's just no support for learning styles. So, it's a myth until proven otherwise. See also Willingham's book based on his research [2], and his FAQ here which links to more research [3].

[1]: https://www.indwes.edu/cli/research/meta-analysis-summary---...

[2]: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Students-Like-School/dp/04705...

[3]: http://www.danielwillingham.com/learning-styles-faq.html

In the book Why Don't Students Like School ( http://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Students-Like-School/dp/04705...) Daniel Willingham argues that people need to have a good vocabulary of mechanics, basic concepts, and skills in order to be able to move on to higher order knowledge. Children should learn how to calculate not necessarily to do calculations instead of a computer, but to help their brains develop.

Besides, until kids hit puberty, their brains aren't ready for higher orders of thinking. What they are good at is memorization and mechanics. The more mechanics they learn and the more they memorize as little kids, the better equipped they will be for higher order thinking as teens and adults.

I'd suggest the book Why Don't Students Like School? (http://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Students-Like-School/dp/04702...) to those interested in applying the findings of cognitive science to their own learning. I'm finding it very useful in that regard.