What Happens in the Brain

Starting school: how your child learns much better

Motivation and fun aren’t just empty phrases when it comes to education.(Bild: stock.adobe.com - drubig-photo)

Here we go again—a new school year is starting. For many parents, this brings the hope that this year will be better than the last; for many children, the hope is that it will at least go by quickly. This prompts us to ask: What is learning, really? What’s the best way to do it, and what does it take?

We meet Prof. Jürgen Sandkühler at the WAC hockey field in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt district. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the kids are in the middle of a tournament. And then suddenly—yes! Thomas actually scored! A great example of how learning can happen: He did exactly what he’d seen the coach do the day before.