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Pay Attention, Children!

7/8/2016

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Just How Long Do We Expect a "Passive Learner" to Focus Attention on Another Individual?  

Are our expectations Realistic?
According to the evidence, the answers are, "Not Very Long" and "No, They Aren't".

Let's look at this photo of Circle Time in an early childhood classroom.  The Teacher is demonstrating or instructing, One Child is responding or interacting, Four Children are paying attention, or passively learning, and Two Children (that we can see) are inattentive or are not learning.  And we can't be sure how many more are on the rug and have possibly left the lesson mentally, but at least two out of seven aren't learning.  That's almost 30% of the group!

What's wrong with this picture?  Well, we see this virtually every time we form a group and provide learning in this manner.  Show-and-Tell goes this way, Circle Time, Morning Meeting, and any Large Group Instruction or Small Group Instruction that is Teacher-Centered or focused on one individual.

Why aren't we changing this?  Can you see the learning happening?  Not for everyone!  And Everyone Has the Right to Learn, During Every Lesson, Every Day!  So, we need to work on this issue and engage more students until we have all of them!  That's what's wrong.  Take notice of what you aren't doing for the child who is distracted, rather than noticing which child has checked out.  Don't decide that these children don't have a long enough attention span to learn this information; it's not the case.

Working toward a solution, let's start with the math.  The research tells us to take the child's age and add two minutes to that number to determine the total number of minutes that you can expect that individual to remain attentive to one individual speaking or demonstrating.  That means that a 3-year old will give you five minutes of her time, and a 6-year old will give you eight minutes of his time. However, there is another factor to put into the equation.  For a child who has distraction issues, which can vary across a wide range (sensory concerns, possible ADHD, a tooth ache or a cold, hungry or feeling too warm, didn't get enough sleep or even simply missing mom today), the new equation becomes one of subtraction.  Take the child's age, minus two minutes!  Now you have a 3-year old who may willingly give you one minute of full attention, or a 5-year old who can offer you three minutes to get your message across.  This is the formula we are working with in these circumstances.  We need to know it well and set expectations accordingly.  But wait...
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Now look at Sam; look at her build in the blocks center!  She has been there working hard on her town and her tower for about 20 minutes.  Where did that attention span come from?  She's only four years old.  She should be able to sit there and build for about six minutes!  Didn't I just provide a research-based formula to follow?  
Sam is an Active Learner in the blocks center.  Sam is Actively Engaged!  She is applying her own thoughts and ideas, and possibly even using strategies presented to her in a previous 5-minute, teacher-centered demonstration.  Sam is experimenting, designing, solving problems, and using many other brain functions as she plays and learns with the blocks.  The blocks center is a developmentally appropriate learning tool for 4-year old Sam.  Sitting on the rug watching and listening for more than just a few short minutes, is not.

I recently made this connection in my own kindergarten classroom.  I realized that the children who checked out on the rug did so, not because of a lack of developmental readiness, but because of a lack of engagement. Engaging students is my responsibility, not theirs.  We no longer have any passive learners on the rug.  Every individual is very busy working on a task at the same time as the student who is our message reader works on the teacher's message.  The activity on the rug is integrated with the message reader's job, and is a developmentally appropriate activity with room for more or less depth, depending upon the child.    

The Results...
​Engagement:  100% !!!  A Rug Full of Actively Engaged Learners!  We Can See the Learning Happening, For Everyone.  And we don't see any passive learners or disengaged students.  Time for attention to task on the rug has extended dramatically for us, expanding the breadth and depth of the learning!

Keep in mind, also, that there are many factors that play into the limited attention span of a child. Children with sleep issues are often misdiagnosed with ADHD, as are children whose self-regulation skills have not developed at the same pace as peers.  The overstimulation of excess screen time can also lead to inattentive behavior.  Before making judgments about ADHD or development, revisit your strategies for engaging a group of individuals who may be as unique in their attention spans as they are in individual strengths and talents.  Employ strategies that enable success for everyone!
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Technology Use and Young Children

6/29/2016

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Before Working on Limiting Your Children, Look in the Mirror and Question Yourself...Are You Overdoing it?

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While reading a few good books on technology use and young children, something stood out to me like a brightly shining star yesterday.  Contemplate not what you are doing, but what you are not doing when using electronics.  We tend to get sucked into electronics, ignoring the world around us and allowing the clock to speed ahead in its circular path, robbing us of valuable time...time with people and nature and getting things done.  This, of course, happens because of the effects the electronics have on our brains.  What a great way to check oneself!  Rather than asking, "What am I doing?" which allows for a plethora of justifications of the time loss, we can ask, "What am I not doing?"  This question leads to answers such as, "I am not taking the dog for that walk I was looking forward to today."   "I am not playing with my children right now, and they are not happy about that."  "I am not cooking dinner at the time that is best for my family."  "I am not listening to what my spouse is saying; I'm just nodding while working."  "I am not..."  What are you not doing when the screen grabs your cranium, and you find yourself endlessly navigating the sticky strings of the World Wide Web, much like a fly caught in the silk of a crafty arachnid?  What could you be doing instead?  Clear out the cobwebs! I'm shutting down my computer now and going outside, because I am NOT enjoying this beautiful morning in my new garden.  See ya!  

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What are You NOT Doing Right Now?  

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Dropping the Preposition...Sound Illiterate or Sound Sweet?

6/5/2016

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I struggle with this Modern, Techno-Driven Phenomenon every time I correct a student who drops a preposition, and I subsequently hear a parent or teacher do the same.  HELP!

 "I'm done my work!"  (with???)

​ "Are you finished your project?"   (with???)


"He walked out the classroom."  (of???)

The concept is very confusing to me, and I cannot find any solid resources on the internet regarding the subject, simply blogs with opinions and often foul language.  So,  I  am posting my observations and thoughts here, hoping for some intellectual and creative input.  I am wide open thoughts and suggestions. (for???)

There is a part of me that wants to jump the band wagon (on???) as I would have, quite quickly no doubt, when I was an ever-s0-"with it" teenager who loved new language fads.  However, my adult good sense and teaching commitment tell me that communicating this way in both speech and writing (be it text, email, blog, tweet, or publication manuscript) may lead to speaking and writing in this manner in situations where sounding as though I did make it through 7th grade English class may be important.   

Now, now, mind you, I intend to insult no one here.  I am a Native New Yawka, and there was a time where I played bawl and drank wata and soder.  After spending a few years in a professional business position in California, where every letter sound is articulated quite clearly and some exaggerated to prove you live in the Valley, I learned to hear the illiterate sound of New Yawk Tawk.  Needless to say, due to communication difficulties in business in different parts of the country, my accent has faded.  I find the prep drop to ring as illiterate to the ear as the New York accent does outside of the five boroughs and surrounding burbs.

However, when I analyze the use, I first (in all fairness) note that I have always dropped "of" when walking out the door or climbing out the window.  Walking out of the door? Climbing out of the window?  They surely sound awkward to me.  So then I comment to self, " Self,  you do this, too.  There is just more of it, and it is popping up in places you never imagined it could fit."  My research has also led me to the completely unimaginable Because Preposition.  

"What is the Because Preposition?"  you ask.  Well, maybe it's an attempt to add a new one, making up for all of those dropped prepositions that are no longer in use.  Apparently it is another new phenomenon in technology talk that has permeated our spoken language.  I get that we take shortcuts and use faddish, ever-so-cool lingo in WiFi situations, but this groovy new shortcut utilizes the ellipsis without the three dots to indicate that the pause and thought are there.  Hence, the pause is eliminated.  Basically, we are just dropping words deemed by the speaker/writer to be an unnecessary waste of his or her time in order to have the receiving party understand the thought being expressed. Because catchy.  It's advertising in speech: because billboard.  This phenomenon is a sad one in my mind, because the ellipsis and the pause in both spoken and written language add so much to the context in which we are expressing ourselves.  I suppose I could say, " This phenomenon is a sad one in my mind, because expression. " I am a HUGE fan of the ellipsis, and I know it must be used correctly to be effective.  It is a component of the art of language use; pauses are dramatic and ear-catching, even deeply engaging!  The ellipsis is a privilege, not trash to throw out!

Are we compromising the art of language for teen fads?  I am shocked every time I hear an adult drop with or for in a spoken sentence.  Will they soon utilize the because preposition, because sweet?  Are they trying to be cool for their children and students?  Have they fallen victim to the permeation of shortcut, technology language in our culture? Are they from a part of the country where their accent causes them to sound illiterate by dropping prepositions, similar to my NYC dropped R's and inserted R's making me sound illiterate?  


Again, I plead...HELP!!!  
Fight it or Get with it?



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Experiencing Self-Regulation in the Role of the Child

5/15/2016

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New PD Session: Teaching Self-Regulation Skills to Children

  • Did you know that Self-Regulation Skills develop naturally for some children, while others need to learn and practice those skills?
  • Did you know that Self-Regulation occurs with the development of Executive Function Skills in the brain?
  • Did you know that there are three components involved in the development of Self-Regulation?
  • Did you know that children in our technological society have much less opportunity to develop self-regulation skills based on the type of play today's children typically engage in?
  • Did you know that it is never too late to develop Self-Regulation Skills, although the optimal timing for the greatest results is during the early childhood years?
  • Did you know that you may be inhibiting the development of Self-Regulation Skills by regulating your students' behavior and by not offering learning and play activities that foster those skills?
  • Did you know you that you can contact us to come out for a play and learn session with your staff to enable them to teach Self-Regulation Skills to children? 
  • Colleen@BeyondTheStandards.com
  • 267-362-9095
  • Summer and Fall Dates are Available - PAKeys Credit/Act 48 Credit
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Teaching with Intentionality: Fun and Successful! 

12/23/2015

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This is a great example of the concept communicated via a recent Buzz Word in Education: "Intentionality".  Although the word itself has been around longer than you can imagine, it has, in the last decade, become a term to reckon with in the classroom.  More on the concept, after we see just how fun it can be in early childhood!
The children were "Intentionally" taught some basic cookie decorating skills to ensure they could: produce beautiful cookie gifts; keep the mess to a minimum; plan and execute a project; and exercise some fine motor coordination techniques.   A lesson taught with Intentionality, which, in turn, taught the children to approach the project with Intentionality.  They were required to think ahead about colors and design, and we used demonstration and hand-over-hand practice to understand the skills...the technique and the outcome of using the techniques.  There were No Mounds of Icing, there were No Big Spills, there were No Sprinkle-Doused Cookies!  There were a lot of little fingers working hard for the correct positioning, there were many thoughtful pauses prior to taking the next step, and there were happy, proud faces enjoying the holiday music and their own Edible Christmas Masterpieces!
Be enlightened!  Click HERE for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's definition and explanation of "Intentionality".    And make it FUN!! :)
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Keys to Motivation: The Feeling of Belonging

11/29/2015

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Psychological Membership: the feeling of belonging

Psychological Membership is foundational to the success of students in the school environment.  In order to develop the feeling of belonging that every child needs to succeed, teachers need to be intentional in their efforts to build a classroom community.  Every individual must be - and feel - respected and valued within the community.  Teachers can build the classroom community as is typical with morning meetings and greetings and getting-to-know-you activities, but also, teachers must be insightfully focused on individual strengths and needs, in order to ensure that every child feels like a valued member of the community.  Some simple strategies include:

1. Having Class Experts based on strengths, but with young children, we must have expert areas that everyone can fit into, so everyone can be an expert at something.
  • Shoe Tying Experts
  • Buttoning Experts
  • Zipping Experts
  • Insect Experts
  • Animal Experts
  • Block-Building Experts
  • Letter-Writing Experts
  • Letter Sound Experts
2. Positive teacher responses to students' wrong answers:
  • Oh Jesse!  I love the way you are thinking!  The lower case "p" and the lower case "q" both have a circle on the line and a line that goes down into the basement.  You are really getting to know how to write those letters and to identify which letters look similar.  This is great thinking!  The letter we are looking at is actually a lower case "q" not a "p", (go over the way it is written),  but I am so proud of you, Jesse, for knowing so much about these letters already! So many preschool children confuse the "p" and the "q", so we will all continue to work on getting to know "p" and "q".
  • Jimmy, you are actually pointing to your elbows, not your wrists, but I want to thank you for doing that! (Give Jimmy a BIG smile.)  In preschool and even in kindergarten there are some body parts that children continue to forget or confuse, and guess what...the wrist is one of those body parts!  Jimmy, please point here on your body (point to your own wrist), and show the class where they can find their wrists, too.  Everyone find your wrist, please.  Now Jimmy, can you show everyone where their elbows are, please?  Great!  Now the wrists? Let's do it fast!  Jimmy, do you want to lead?  Okay, Wrists-Elbows-Wrists-Elbows-Wrists-Elbows!  Awesome!  Thanks for helping us with that Jimmy.  I hope all of my preschool friends will remember wrists and elbows very soon.
3. Respond to Behavior Issues WITHOUT Embarrassing Children
  • Every Error in Behavior Choice is a Learning Experience for the Child.
  • Trash the Clip Chart and the PBIS Flip Chart!  How Humiliating is that?  As indicated in my original post on motivation, would your  name clipped to this chart in the teacher's lounge motivate you?
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Feeling?
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Humiliated!
  • Public Humiliation DOES NOT WORK, and it is often the cause of the problem worsening.  
  • Many children are Much More Sensitive than we realize about the peer perception and public reprimand.  No matter how kindly you ask a child to "flip their card" or "clip down", they are still experiencing negative feelings inside, and it is embarrassing...even to those who the teacher may have developed judgmental beliefs about their comfort level with undesirable behaviors at school.  Experience and research prove it again and again, so consider revisiting your strategies.
4. Allow Children to Share Their Excitement and Experiences
Make it known in your classroom that this child participates in this activity and that child enjoys doing that, so that the pride of interest and progress are shared with peers.  "Joey, how was that soccer game this weekend?"  "Oh, Jane, you play soccer, too?  Did you have a game this weekend?"  Spare some time in your meeting, at the snack or lunch table or the last 5 minutes before going home to check in with children on their personal interests and activities.  Be sure that everyone has their fair number of opportunities to share throughout the year.  Other ideas...
  • Show and Tell
  • A News Board 
  • Person of the Day/Week Posters or Sharing Time
  • Pet Day
  • Assignments and Activities that give Free Choice of Topics to children and are shared with classmates, even displayed after sharing (easy options: journaling, building, painting, etc.)

What strategies do you employ to ensure that each child feels like a valued member of your classroom community?

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Thinking about Thinking...

11/25/2015

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Keys to Motivation: Ownership

11/25/2015

 
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Teach the children the framework within which they can "own" the classroom.  My kindergarten children run our entire morning and afternoon meetings by the beginning of November.  They know their jobs and they know the routine.  I sit back and watch, enjoying the new ways they learn by working with each other and not depending on me to guide every detail, answer every question or solve every problem.  Independence, critical thinking, coooperation and collaboration, excitement!  LEARNING!!!  My morning students asked me this week for the keys to the building and offered for me to sleep in while they run the class!  I'm considering it. LOL - JK

Along the same empowering lines of thinking, let them "own" the work.  Teach the concept, not the details.  Demonstrate and explain when it is absolutely necessary to stay within the lines, but let them "color outside the lines" or "think out of the box" on their own, putting their own spin on the work, based on their own prior knowledge or curiosity.  It's never wrong if they are learning something...even when it's not what we expected them to be learning.  The thinking is what really matters!  Provoke the inquisitive nature and the desire to create that children are blessed with!  They naturally come equipped to learn...let them go for it.  Don't get hung up on "doing it right" and stop giving them the answers!  Let them read their writing to you, let them explain their process to you...allow them to share what is going on in their minds as they explore, and allow them to change it to fit how they perceive it should be - you may learn something new!
​                                                                  It's their process and their outcome...Let Them Feel It!

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation - What Educators MUST Know

11/9/2015

 

Be A Responsible Educator:  Know the Difference and Choose the One that is In The Best Interest of Your Students, Long-Term

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Still using:
  • Marble Jars?
  • Prize Words?
  • Traffic Light Charts?
  • Clip Charts?
It's Time To Throw Them in the Trash!
(IF you are serious about supporting
positive changes for your students.)

What is an Extrinsic Motivator?

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If Jimmy gets a good report card, Dad gives Jimmy $20.
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When Kevin has a great week at school, as indicated by more than three stickers on his good behavior chart, Mom takes him out for ice cream.
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Anyone who stays on green every day this week gets a ticket to go to the teacher's prize box on Friday.

Yes, Even the Grade is an Extrinsic Motivator!

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Suzie is working hard to get an A+ on her book report.
What does all of this mean?  Well, we have been using extrinsic motivators in the classroom (and at work and at home) for many, many years...ever since behavior theories in education were based on animal behaviors in the lab - without the more current knowledge of human behavior and neurological functions.   This is the motivation that we are used to and have been comfortable with..."dangle the carrot;" "offer a reward;" "give a bonus;" "incent them"...
This is also the behavior that creates the response, "What will you give me if I get an A on my report card?"

It starts at a very young age, when, like a puppy in the house-training stage, we incentivize our children with a reward for all of those kind person/good citizen behaviors we expect them to strive for.  "Sit puppy!  Good girl, have a dog biscuit!"  Similar to:  "Your teacher told me that you are so polite in school and that your behavior clip never moves down.  Let's go out for pizza and celebrate!"

What is an Intrinsic Motivator?

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Jenny can't wait to practice riding without her training wheels.
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Shawn reads the pictures in the giraffe book with great enthusiasm.
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Leslie was beaming with pride after shopping with Mom and using the shopping list she wrote all by herself.
Intrinsic Motivation is the simple one!  What is it?  
  • Curiosity
  • Interest
  • Desire
  • Passion
  • Achievement
  • Fulfillment
  • Pride
Intrinsic Motivation is the motivator that comes from within.  It's the "feel good about myself" motivator.  Remember the song, "It's the Climb"?  Intrinsic motivation involves enjoying the process, the experience, and not waiting for an outcome in order to be happy about what we are doing.  This is performing acts of kindness, this is doing a job or a school assignment because you are interested in it and excited to be participating in it; this is finding something that captures you about a content area you aren't generally interested in and embracing the work for the enjoyment of pursuing that  interest.

The Rub:  Extrinsic Motivators Extinguish Intrinsic Motivation
​

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Like using a Fire Extinguisher to Put It Out
or ​Being Squished by an Elephant!

Providing external motivators stops the internal motivation.  The sticker given to a child for a kind act teaches the child to use the positive behavior as a means to get a reward.  The good feeling the child experiences comes from someone else recognizing the act and providing proof of such with a prize.  The child is not aware of feeling good inside for being a good friend or a good citizen... or for learning! 

Doing the work for the purpose of getting the A takes all of the excitement out of the learning it takes to get to the A and creates a mindset of pushing through the work to get to the desired outcome.  It's about the A, not about the learning  that could be happening.  I wonder how many different ways students may find to get to the A if they are  not embracing the learning process?  ...food for thought.

​The positive emotions that we experience, which build self-esteem and confidence, are not recognized with extrinsic motivators.  A pat on the back and a comment such as, "Wow!  You must feel so good about yourself having done something so nice for a friend!  I'll bet you are really proud of yourself," is the best choice for encouraging positive behaviors and building a solid foundation of confidence.    This encourages the child to recognize the intrinsic motivator; the response directs them to recognize the feeling within and eventually eliminates the need to find the reward on the outside.  Self-Regulation in the Works.

And if you are reluctant to give up the reward system, couple the sticker or prize with a comment such as the Wow statement above.  Provide the child with guidance to find and recognize the internal feelings while recognizing the child with a reward.  This is not optimal, but full resistance to the concept is more harmful.

What about the Publicly Shared Behavior Chart?

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How damaging to a child's self-esteem do you think it could be to have her name clipped to this public announcement that she engaged in a behavior at school that warrants a discussion with her parents to remedy?  


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Would you want your name clipped to a sign in the Faculty Room that indicates you  will need additional training for an expectation that you are struggling to meet?  Hmmm...

How Do We Make The Change to Motivate Appropriately?

Check in periodically for evidence-based Keys to Motivation!
Comments on this posting are encouraged in the interim. :)

Embrace It...Love It...Live It!!  Bottom Line: TEACH IT! :)

10/30/2015

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Critical Thinking Defined:

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Defining Critical Thinking. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from The Critical Thinking Community
  website: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766
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The Benefits of Sign Language for Speaking/Hearing Children

2/23/2015

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Sign Language Serves Several Purposes in the Classroom...

  1. Sign Language increases vocabulary and communication, and it relieves frustration due to communication issues.
  2. Sign Language activates additional parts of the brain during learning, and the rule of thumb is that the more parts of the brain we engage during learning, the deeper the learning goes! 
  3. Sign Language provides similar benefits to a child's developing brain as when learning other foreign languages.
  4. Sign Language exposes children to the world of the deaf and hard of hearing, contributing to their cultural competence and understanding of disabilities.

Give American Sign Language a Try in Your Classroom

You can simply begin with Obie Leff's video of The Sounds of the Alphabet, which we use daily in our classroom!  If you would like more information on Sign Language in the Classroom or Classroom Tools for incorporating signing into your lessons, contact us!  We will be happy to assist you and your staff!   Colleen@BeyondTheStandards.com 
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Sign Language Research at Sign2Me
Colleen Mantell is a Certified Sign2Me Instructor
Visit the Sign2Me site for Sign Language Research Articles and
 Contact Colleen at www.BeyondTheStandards.com for Sign2Me Workshops and Materials!
We will have Sign2Me Products Available at our Exhibit Space during the DVAEYC Conference in March!
DVAEYC Registration

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Educators MUST Understand Brain Development 

2/10/2015

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In response to this post on the PennAEYC Face Book page...
"Study: High-quality early education could reduce costs"

PictureClick Photo to go to PennAEYC on Face Book



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Click Photo to go to Washington Post Directly to Read Article
My initial reaction was of high interest in knowing more about what funding issue is being discussed, and even more so,  learning which learning disabilities are being reduced and how.  

The article was interesting and informative, and I have decided to follow the author; however, what intrigued me more was a lengthy comment left by a gentleman who does not identify his role in education.  He is so exact on with this issue, that he put me right up on one of my largest soap boxes!

Educators have a responsibility to have an insightful understanding of how learning happens.  

This means that we must understand a little bit of neurology, like it or not.  I share this type of information in my professional development sessions, and I am thanked time and time again for the deeper understanding of learning and development in children.

 It ALL happens in the brain. 

So why aren't we all striving for proficiency in understanding the most modern information on child development?  It seems that the classic theories remain at the forefront with those who work face-to-face and hand-in-hand with children on a daily basis.  Step into the 21st Century with new scientific understandings of child development.  It's absolutely fascinating!  And you will find your practice and results with children of all ages will change dramatically.

Here is a link to a great article explaining the basics that any one of us should know:
(Click on Photo to read article)

Neural Pathway Development
"Neural Pathway Development" by Dr. Gene Van Tassell
The Duke University Study is no doubt correct.  There are so many developmental issues that we identify in early childhood settings and work on diligently, effecting change.  Are you seeing it?  Share your comments with us. 
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    Colleen T. Mantell, M.S., Ed.
    Founder, President

    Beyond The Standards Inc.
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