Make Learning Stick: Concrete Examples in Homeschool

In this episodwe explore Concrete Examples (a research‑backed teaching strategy that helps children understand abstract ideas by connecting them to specific, everyday experiences.)

You’ll learn:

• What concrete examples are and how they differ from abstract explanations.

• Why research shows concrete examples improve understanding and memory.

• A step‑by‑step script you can use one‑on‑one with your child in math, reading, science, history, and life skills.

• How to adapt this strategy across subjects and ages in your homeschool.

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Key Takeaways

• Concrete examples “anchor” abstract ideas (like fractions, empathy, democracy, or evaporation) in real, tangible situations your child can see, touch, or act out.

• Research shows that when students connect new concepts to vivid, relatable examples, they understand and remember them better.

• Cycling the same concept through different concrete examples over time helps your child generalize the idea to new situations.

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Resources & Links

Here are a few places you can explore more about concrete examples and related teaching strategies:

• The Learning Scientists – Concrete Examples
  A clear, parent‑friendly explanation of the concrete examples strategy and how to use it in studying and teaching.
  https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/8/25-1

• BookWidgets – “Help students learn better by using concrete examples”
  A practical blog post that shows how concrete examples help students grasp abstract ideas through real‑life hooks.
  https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2020/10/help-students-learn-better-by-using-concrete-examples-in-your-lessons

• “Understanding by Design” – Wiggins & McTighe (book)
  A foundational book on instructional design that emphasizes using concrete examples and real‑world contexts to help students “see” big ideas.

• “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning” – Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel (book)
  Explores concrete examples alongside retrieval practice, spaced repetition, and other high‑impact learning strategies, with quotes about how vivid, relatable examples are more likely to be remembered.