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Brain-based learning might sound like the educational equivalent of "no duh,” but it’s filled with nuances that you probably wouldn't believe if the science didn’t back it up.
And not that soft, stretchy science either. Several legit, peer-reviewed studies support these brain-based learning strategies (because they actually work).
Your brain is incredibly smart, but it's also incredibly picky.
It has very specific preferences about how it likes to learn, remember, and recall information. But most people have never bothered to ask what those preferences are.
Instead, we force-feed our brains with highlighting, re-reading, and late-night study sessions — strategies that feel productive but work against our natural learning systems.
Meanwhile, the strategies that actually work often seem counterintuitive (or even lazy).
Taking breaks to learn faster? Reviewing material at strange intervals? Making learning intentionally harder to make it stickier? Yeah, these approaches feel wrong, and that’s exactly why most people ignore them.
But you’re not like most people, which is why you’re here in the first place — to learn how to learn the right way.
The 17 brain-based strategies below might surprise you with how well they work (and how different they are from everything you've been taught).
What Is Brain-Based Learning?
Brain-based learning is an educational approach that aligns teaching and study methods with how the brain naturally processes, stores, and retrieves information.
That makes it a bit more than just a fancy term for "good study habits."
Traditional learning assumes your brain works like a computer: input information, store it neatly, retrieve it when needed. But your brain is more like a living ecosystem with complex networks, chemical processes, and biological rhythms that affect everything you learn.
Most people are still using strategies designed for machines. Your brain deserves better.
Here's what makes a strategy brain-based:
- Works with your brain's natural cycles. Your attention, memory consolidation, and creative thinking all happen in predictable patterns. Brain-based strategies time learning activities to match these rhythms.
- Leverages how memories actually form. Real learning happens when your brain builds new neural connections and strengthens existing ones. This requires specific conditions like spacing, difficulty, and emotional engagement (not rote repetition).
- Respects your brain's limitations. Your working memory can only handle 4-7 items at once. Your attention naturally wanes after 20 minutes. Brain-based strategies work around these constraints rather than trying to brute-force through them with willpower.
- Makes a difference. When you align your learning with your brain's preferences, retention improves, studying feels easier, and information sticks for years instead of hours.
17 Brain-Based Learning Strategies That Work
1. Spaced Repetition
Review information at increasing intervals instead of cramming it all at once.
Spaced repetition takes an unorthodox approach. Instead of cramming, you review material right before you forget it: after 1 day, then 3 days, then 1 week, then 2 weeks.
Research by Karpicke and Bauernschmidt found this produces a 200% improvement in retention compared to massive practice sessions. Each successful recall resets your forgetting curve at a higher level, making memories stronger and more lasting.
2. Active Recall
Force your brain to retrieve information from memory instead of just passively reviewing it.
Active recall feels harder than re-reading because it is, and that's the point. When you close your notes and try to remember what you learned, you strengthen neural pathways.
Studies show students who practice active recall outperform those who simply re-read material. The struggle of retrieval (even when you get it dead wrong) builds stronger memories than passive recognition.
3. Interleaving
Mix different types of problems or topics within a single study session.
Interleaving goes against every organizational instinct. Ever.
Instead of mastering one topic and then moving on, you deliberately switch between subjects during the same session. That means you might study a little math here, switch over to some history lessons, and maybe finish up with biology.
This forces your brain to work harder identifying which strategy applies to each problem. Research shows interleaved practice creates stronger, more flexible knowledge that transfers better to new situations.
4. The Testing Effect
Use quizzes and self-testing (or just real tests) to strengthen memories.
The testing effect shows that retrieving information from memory is more powerful than studying it again, and again, and again. When you quiz yourself, you're not just checking what you know — you're actively strengthening the memory.
Research shows that students who take practice tests remember more material long-term than those who just re-study. The act of testing literally changes your brain, making memories more accessible and durable for future recall.
“...Case retrieval practice or taking practice tests results in such strong memory representations that even under high levels of stress, subjects are still able to access their memories.” – Amy Smith, graduate student in psychology at Tufts
5. Elaborative Interrogation
Ask "why" and "how" questions to deepen your understanding.
Sure, you might sound like your annoying 5-year-old nephew…but, hey, if it works, it works.
This questioning (rather than accepting facts at face value) creates networks of associations in your brain. Research shows that students who use elaborative interrogation understand material more deeply and remember it longer. The technique works because explanations create multiple pathways to the same information.
6. Dual Coding
Combine visual and verbal information to create deeper memories.
When you combine both (like creating diagrams while taking notes, or explaining images in words), you build multiple pathways to the same memory.
Studies show this approach improves retention because if one pathway fails, you still have the other. It's giving yourself a backup route to the same destination in your brain.
7. Strategic Breaks
Take intentional breaks to let your brain consolidate information.
Strategic breaks seem counterproductive, but your brain consolidates memories during downtime. That’s why things like the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of focused work followed by 5-minute breaks) work. Because it’s not just about focus and attention in the moment — it’s about giving your brain time to process what you've learned.
Research shows that students who take regular breaks actually learn faster and retain more than those who power through marathon study sessions.
8. Attention Switching
Alternate between focused and scattered modes of thinking.
Your brain has two attention networks:
- Focused (concentrated effort)
- Diffuse (relaxed, wandering thoughts)
Both matter for learning.
Focused attention helps you understand details, while diffuse thinking connects ideas and sparks insights.
Research shows that alternating between these modes (like studying intensely then taking a walk) leads to better problem-solving and creativity.
You need to be intentional, though. Studying math formulas and then jumping on TikTok when your phone buzzes doesn’t really produce the same results.
9. Single-Tasking
Multitasking is a myth.
Your brain doesn't actually do multiple things simultaneously. It actually rapidly switches between tasks, but it loses time and accuracy with every switch.
Research by Stanford University found that people who multitask are less productive, make more errors, and have “reduced memory.” When learning, single-tasking allows your brain to form stronger neural connections and process information more deeply. One super-focused hour beats three widely distracted hours every time.
10. Environmental Design
Your environment influences your cognitive performance.
Cluttered spaces increase cortisol and reduce focus, while organized environments promote clear thinking. But you knew that already, didn’t you? Because it’s to be expected.
Expected or not, though, research backs it up. Studies show that students in well-designed learning spaces perform 16% better than those in chaotic environments. Control lighting, eliminate distractions, and arrange materials within easy reach.
11. Energy Management
Schedule learning during your peak cognitive performance hours.
Your brain's performance changes throughout the day based on circadian rhythms. Most people experience peak cognitive function 2-4 hours after waking, a post-lunch dip, and a smaller evening bump.
Research shows that aligning challenging learning tasks with these natural energy cycles can drastically improve performance. And it makes sense: do hard things when you feel your best rather than when you’re physiologically at your worst.
Track your energy patterns for a week, then start to schedule your most demanding learning during peak hours (and easier review during low-energy periods).
12. Cognitive Load Theory
Manage your brain's limited processing capacity,
Your working memory can only handle 4-7 pieces of information at the same time. When you go over this limit, learning starts to break down. And this is true for pretty much everything in life — more always has a limit. Lifting more weights isn’t going to help you build muscle faster (but it will help you get more sore), and running more doesn’t build your endurance (but it will get you injured).
It’s about learning the limits and (more importantly) your limits.
Cognitive Load Theory teaches you to reduce extraneous mental burden so your brain can focus on the most essential information. Think of your brain's attention like bandwidth — protect it from unnecessary demands to maximize learning.
13. Sleep Learning
Use sleep to consolidate memories and strengthen what you've learned.
Your brain doesn't shut off when you sleep (wouldn't that be nice?) Nope, it gets to work consolidating memories. During deep sleep, your brain transfers information from temporary storage to long-term memory and clears out mental clutter.
Research shows that students who get 7-9 hours of sleep after learning outperform sleep-deprived learners. Review material before bed, then let your brain do the heavy lifting overnight.
Napping after intensive learning sessions can help, too…but, let’s be honest — naps can help with just about anything.
14. Exercise for Memory
Move your body to supercharge your brain's learning capacity.
Exercise literally grows your brain. Physical activity increases production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that builds new neural connections.
Studies show that just a little bit of moderate exercise before studying improves focus and memory formation. Regular aerobic exercise enlarges the hippocampus (your brain's memory) by up to 2%.
You might take a brisk walk before learning sessions, do jumping jacks between study blocks, or bike to your study location.
15. Social Learning
Teach others to strengthen your own understanding and memory.
Teaching forces you to organize thoughts, identify gaps in knowledge, and translate complex ideas into simple language. And research shows that students who teach material to peers comprehend (and remember) information better than those who study alone.
Find a study partner, join a study group, or simply explain concepts out loud to yourself…or your cat.
16. Contextual Variation
Change your study locations to build stronger memories.
Your brain is kind of nosy — it links memories to whatever's happening around you when you learn them. When you always study in the same spot, those memories become glued to that specific location.
But, as you well know: tests don't happen in your bedroom.
Research shows that students who study the same material in different locations perform better than those who never leave their desk.
Study in your room, then a coffee shop, then the library. Heck, review flashcards on the bus while you’re at it. The more places you learn something, the more places your brain can find it later.
17. The Generation Effect
Create information instead of just consuming it.
Your brain is lazy (in a smart way). It remembers stuff you make up way better than stuff you just read.
When you create summaries, invent examples, or design your own weird mnemonics, you're forcing your brain to work harder, and it rewards that effort with stronger memories.
A meta-analysis of 86 studies found that self-generating information provides a major memory advantage over passive reading. Turn concepts into your own words, create mental images that make you laugh, or write practice questions that would stump your professor.
The weirder and more personal you make it, the better. Your brain loves original content.
Give Your Brain What It Wants
Your brain is trying to tell you something. It doesn't want to be force-fed information. It wants to play, rest, create, and connect ideas in ways that feel natural and enjoyable.
Your brain wants spaced repetition because forgetting and remembering strengthens neural pathways. It wants breaks because that's when memories consolidate. It wants you to generate information yourself because creating builds stronger connections than consuming.
- Pick one strategy that surprised you most. Maybe it's taking strategic breaks to learn faster. Maybe it's studying in different locations to build flexible memories.
- Start ridiculously small. Don't try to implement all these brain-based learning strategies tomorrow. Your brain wants consistency, not burnout. Choose one technique and use it for just 10 minutes today. Let your brain taste what it's been missing.
- Trust the process, not the feeling. These strategies often feel counterintuitive because they work with your brain's actual systems instead of what you think should work. Your brain knows what it needs…you just need to listen.
When you align your learning with how your brain actually works, everything becomes easier, more effective, and way more enjoyable.
