Did you know that drawing can be a learning superpower—even for students who claim they’re not good at it? 

When kids attentively sketch something they’re learning about, they tap into the visual, kinesthetic, and linguistic parts of the brain, research shows. This generates abundant connections across the brain’s neural network and encodes learning even more deeply than more passive learning tasks, like reading or listening to a lecture. 

In this episode of School of Practice, high school biology and chemistry teacher Selim Tlili delves into how drawing to learn works across grade levels and subjects, as well as how he sets up and grades the practice in his classroom. Plus, he’s got special tips for engaging even the most reluctant sketch artists.

Related resources:

• How Sketching Supports Learning in Science


• Using Drawing as a Powerful Learning Tool


• The Science of Drawing and Memory


• Research: The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory


• 5 Popular Education Beliefs That Aren’t Backed by Research


• Sketching for Science