Newsletter May 2009
May 14, 2009
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We strive to bring you the most helpful and up to date information every month, and the April 2009 newsletter is no exception.
You can scroll down through the articles below, or you can click on a headline you like to go directly to that article.

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This Month's Headlines:

Brain Research Shows Different Forms of Intelligence
9 Tips to Help Stop Bullying at School
Dyscalculia - Understanding a New Learning Disability

Brain Research Shows Different Forms of Intelligence

A good teacher realizes each of his or her students have different strengths. The boy who is a great writer has difficulty speaking in front of the class. The girl who is an exceptional artist can’t retain the fundamental concepts of algebra. It’s no secret that we are all different, and each person relates to different subjects and tasks in different ways.

But new brain research shows that these differences in personalities are also reflected physically in the brain. In each child, the parts of the brain that are used for personal relationships, math, music, writing are different—some smaller or bigger, some more or less active. Howard Gardner presented a similar theory when he proposed the concept of multiple intelligences, or the idea that children are smart in different areas. Some are naturally successful with verbal-linguistic relationships and ideas; others flourish with 3-dimensional concepts. These new findings don’t necessarily prove or disprove his thesis, as the idea of intelligences is subjective to begin with. But the research does show that our brains are capable of a very wide range of abilities, and trouble with one section doesn’t automatically mean trouble in another. Most interestingly, scientists also have found that certain activities and skills can cause change in the corresponding areas of the brain. In other words, practice can help the brain become more well-rounded.

Bruce McCandliss, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, says, “People have this intuition that if you’re bad at one thing, then you’re going to be bad at other things. But here’s a really strong case that shows these things are dissociated from each other and we should think of all children as a mosaic of things that they’re exceptional at and things they might struggle with.”

By performing imaging studies of the brain, scientists have discovered differences in brain ‘architecture’ corresponding to different activities: social interactions, math, music, sports, reading. If you consider each of these to be multiple layers of “intelligence”, it reasons to say there is not one central part of the brain that is responsible for intelligence. Different skills require different parts that must work together like networks for a successful outcome, and strengths in one area like reading doesn’t directly affect success in other areas like short-term memory.

Many scientists and educators point to these studies as confirmation that there will be brain differences in two people who learn differently. What is encouraging about this notion is that it suggests intelligence and knowledge are an ever-shaping thing. They are not fixed and unchangeable, or something we are born with. That said, people are more naturally drawn to certain ideas and ways of thinking, but it’s possible through training the different brain networks that the brain processes themselves may become more efficient.

Sally Shaywitz, Audrey G. Ratner Professor of Learning Development at Yale University and co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, has found that teaching can alter the brains of readers with disabilities. She and colleagues spent a year helping children build phonological skills. After, the children’s abilities improved and fMRI pictures showed jumps in brain activity in the parts necessary for reading.

While some caution that this does not imply a right or wrong way to teach, it does suggest that research can change our understanding of the way we learn. By teaching children with lessons that access multiple methods of thinking, the children have a wider chance of success. Also, it may be helpful for teachers (when possible) and tutors to tailor their teaching on the individual level. By working with a child’s strengths and interests, the child can then become engaged and lead into other projects that challenge his or her weaker skill sets. For example, Shaywitz recommends that teachers have struggling readers use dictation or videos and pictorial storyboards to tell stories, as she has found that kids with reading challenges are often visual and creative thinkers.

What all of this suggests is just expounding upon what we already know. Every child is different and learns differently. It’s important to be involved in your child’s school life to recognize areas where they excel and where you should encourage them, and areas where they could benefit from some extra practice or tutoring.

Source: Rubenstein, Grace. “Brain Imagery Supports the Idea of Diverse Intelligences.” edutopia.org.

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9 Tips to Help Stop Bullying at School

Sometimes the biggest factor keeping a student from focusing in school isn’t a lack of interest or understanding, but other social problems like bullying. Bullying is an age-old issue that can affect all students, regardless of gender, race, or economic background. Now with Internet chat rooms, MySpace, FaceBook and other virtual social forums, bullying can also happen outside of school and face-to-face interactions. Recent research reports that more than half of all children have been involved in bullying—whether as victim, perpetrator or both.

It is important as parents to talk to your child about bullying and offer them support, or discipline if they are the ones doing the bullying.

Education.com provides some tips to help you talk with your child and stop bullying.

1. Communicate with your children every day. Most of the time, the parents are the last to know their child is being bullied (or being the bully) at school. Work toward creating an open communication, where you know things about your child’s friends, who he or she interacts with at school, lunch and recess, and any problems they have. When children are used to talking to parents about aspects of their social lives, the parents are much more likely to be aware of problems.

2. Set a good example. If you respond aggressively to others, your child is more likely to think of this behavior as being acceptable. There are many opportunities to demonstrate peaceful communication in public—whether with a slow waiter, bad driver or unhelpful customer service representative. By keeping your cool, you set an example for your child to follow when he or she is in a tough spot socially.

3. Be aware of non-verbal signs of bullying. Some children may be embarrassed to admit to their parents that he or she is the target of school bullying. After all, most bullying leads to lower self-esteem and fear of being yourself, so it makes sense a child wouldn’t exactly be proud to report the problem. However, you can often see signs of bullying if you pay attention. Constantly missing personal items, being reluctant to go to school, or avoiding lunch or recess are just a few signs. Talk to your child to try to get to the root of the problem. If you still feel concerned or uninformed, you can also talk to the teacher to see if she or he has noticed anything in the classroom or hallways.

4. Start educating early. It’s never too early to teach your child good habits when it comes to social interactions. The sooner they know it’s not okay to physically or emotionally hurt someone, the less likely they are to do so as they grow up. Young children should be told both what not to do—push, steal from, make fun of—and what to do—play fair, include everybody, be kind. On the flip side, children also need to know how to react to bullying. They should walk away, ignore the bully, tell the bully to stop, or get an adult if necessary. Going through these scenarios with your child makes them better prepared in the event they actually happen.
5. Get involved. If you feel bullying is a major problem at your child’s school, speak to administrators or the principal about the ways they address bullying. Schools that approach the problem with ongoing educational programs about respect, diversity and treating everyone with kindness are usually more successful than zero tolerance or punishment-driven policies.
6. Set rules and boundaries. Set rules about bullying in your house to reinforce lessons and boundaries. Let children know it is not okay to bully, and that if they are being bullied, they can come to you for help. Some children don’t fully understand when they are being bullies and need to develop a better understanding of how to assert themselves while still being respectful to others.

7. Teach your child to intervene. Research suggests that children who witness bullying often feel too helpless to do anything. But, someone outside the confrontation can often have a powerful effect on the scenario. While no child should put him or herself in danger, they can prevent bullying by not participating, and by calling the bully out on his or her actions. Children can also help support the person being bullied or tell an adult.

8. Understand cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a relatively new concept to many of us, but it certainly is a large area where bullying takes place. Again, children need to understand that they are still responsible for their actions, whether in person or anonymously when behind a computer screen. You can also try limited their online time as research shows that more online exposure a child has, the more likely they are to be bullied.

9. Change the status quo. Some adults don’t respond seriously to bullying; they think of it as a natural part of childhood and growing up, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The effects of bullying can last into adulthood and can alter the way a person develops relationships at work and with friends and partners. Talk to parents of other children at the school and create an open dialogue about the topic. Small things can make a difference with a big problem like bullying.

Source: “Ten Actions ALL Parents Can Take to Help Eliminate Bullying,” education.com.

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Dyscalculia - Understanding a New Learning Disability

It’s true that math is a subject that gives many students difficulty. Most of the students who struggle with math can overcome this with a little help and a little extra time spent reviewing material. But for a small percentage of students, a learning disability may be what’s at the root of the problem. Called dyscalculia, this learning disability affects one’s ability to think in numbers and mathematical concepts.

Math problems access multiple types of thinking. To execute a math problem there are multiple layers that need to be considered. What is the problem asking? What operations are necessary to determine the answer. If the student has problems along the way—whether in understanding language and concepts, or remembering sequences—those issues can interrupt the continuity and success of the thought process.

While learning disabilities when it comes to math are often harder to pinpoint because they can’t be narrowed to a single disability, there are ways you can detect if your child’s problems in math are more serious than a simple distaste for the subject. Dr. Anna J. Wilson, a University of Auckland Honorary Research Fellow, says that signs may be present in children as young as preschool age.

Here are some symptoms she lists that may point to forms of dyscalculia:

• Difficulty counting, both in verbal sequencing and groups of numbers
• Difficulty calculating the number of objects, even in small amounts
• Difficulty determining which one-digit number is larger than the other

Children who are older may have difficulty:

• Remembering math concepts
• Telling time
• Performing calculations
• Keeping score in games
• Recalling, reading and counting numbers in a sequence

The National Center for Learning Disabilities notes some symptoms teenagers may experience:

• Trouble going beyond basic math concepts
• Difficulty balancing a checkbook
• Difficulty estimating costs or understanding and estimating concepts of time

Wilson says that by the time parents or teachers realize there is a problem, children are often already a few years behind in math from other students their age. That’s why it’s important to diagnose dyscalculia early on. When students miss out on the first and most basic concepts of mathematics, they have trouble as the subject expands upon previous lessons year after year.

Understanding the problem early on is key because the brain is more adaptable the younger the child. With specialized help, whether through teachers at school or private tutoring sessions at home, children can make some advances. Wilson says the child isn’t likely to become a math whiz, but will be able to perform better once these weaknesses are realized.

Wilson suggests parents find ways they can help children at home, from asking questions about quantities to drawing comparisons and counting objects. Board or internet games involving numbers can also help teach in a more interactive way.

Lastly, it’s also healthier for the student to understand why he or she is struggling with certain subjects and ideas. Once he or she realizes the problem is not a measure of his or her intelligence, he or she can find ways to adapt or approach the subject matter differently. Many successful pioneers, entrepreneurs, politicians and others have proven that people with learning disabilities can still be extremely successful.

Sources: Zakeer, Fehmida. “Does Your Child Hate Math? Maybe They’re Dyscalculic,” education.com, and the National Center for Learning Disabilities “Dyscalculia: A Quick Look.”