The journal
Notes on how children learn.
January 29, 2026 · 4 min read
One Flashcard at a Time
One of the most powerful ways to learn is by creating and using flashcards. Take a topic, dissect it into its most atomic parts, and write a question on one side and the answer on…
December 12, 2025 · 4 min read
Whatever Happened to the "Almost" Smartphone?
In middle school my parents bought me the LG enV3 – A small, practical, almost smartphone. I could call my parents, text my friends and listen to downloaded music. Fifteen years…
March 30, 2025 · 3 min read
Free Learning
Think back to a moment when you learned something new purely out of interest. Perhaps it was to learn how to play an instrument, exploring a scientific concept, or mastering a new…
March 21, 2025 · 1 min read
Learn Drive Engagement Matrix
A four-quadrant look at how children engage with learning — and what drives real, lasting understanding.
Learn Drive · March 19, 2025 · 1 min read
Active Absorption
Why being fascinated by a great documentary is not the same as learning from it.
Learn Drive · March 13, 2025 · 2 min read
Passive Disengagement
Many children don’t enjoy going to school and yet we convince them that they should. The struggle starts early on in childhood development where schools fail to prepare young…
March 7, 2025 · 4 min read
Productive Struggle: Why Challenge Is Essential to Learning
Parents often see their child struggle with subjects and want to help by lessening the burden, hiring a tutor, watching Khan Academy videos, or sitting with them to figure out how…
SMART Worksheets · December 15, 2024 · 2 min read
Spaced Repetition
Throughout elementary school and beyond, students often find themselves trapped in a cycle of repetitive instruction that fails to build true mastery or confidence. While some…
SMART Worksheets · December 2, 2024 · 1 min read
Confidence-Competence Matrix
When your child works on their SMART Worksheets, we use the Confidence-Competence Matrix to understand two key indicators of their learning: their ability to solve problems…