Research from the learning sciences (how people learn) can help educators and parents work more effectively with disengaged students and reluctant learners. In this article, the author reviews the knowledge base of the learning sciences and examines what researchers and teachers have learned in the past 30 years regarding how and why people learn can support effective elementary and middle school-level instruction. An instructional guide is presented for educators and parents using the learning sciences as the basis for the design of learning environments to support disengaged students. (Contains 1 table.)