UNDERSTANDING AND TEACHING “ALL KINDS OF MINDS” Roby Marcou, M.D., F.A.A.P.,F.S.D.B.P Developmental Pediatrician, Singapore NESA April 2013
UNDERSTANDING AND TEACHING “ALL KINDS OF MINDS”
Roby Marcou, M.D., F.A.A.P.,F.S.D.B.P Developmental Pediatrician, Singapore NESA April 2013
INSPIRATION
1966 • MISINFORMATION
1986 • DEMYSTIFICATION
1996 • OBFUSCATION
2006 • ILLUMINATION
TODAY • APPLICATION
It’s all about the brain…
The Brain
4
The Brain Function
Neurons Make It Happen 6
4 Year Old Brain
8
9 Year Old Brain
10
11
17-19 year old brain
Developmental Differentiation • The scope and sequence as it relates to the development of the individual student
• Piaget- Cognitive/Constructivist Theory- • Nature and nurture, child and environment equally important
• Child actively engages the environment through observation and action
• Universal sequence of development
14
Neuronal Growth In Early Childhood
15
16
So therefore in early life… • How you learn and what you do impact the underlying architecture of brain function
• Your potential, as dictated by genetics and in utero events, is potentially modified
• Children learn best by immersive, experiential learning with ample opportunity for incidental learning (this is NOT the same as multi-tasking!)
• Children do not have the neuronal architecture in primary school for tasks which are very demanding of independent executive function
Commentary • There are no pictures which show what happens to neuronal architecture if: • 4 year olds spend 2 hours per day with an IPAD • 4 year olds spend 2 less hour per day actively engaged in play both social and non-social in nature
• The brains of autistic children look differently than this. Tangles of neurons. Autistic children are very adept at focusing on IPADs.
One observer:
Dr. Michael Rich: Center of Media and Child Health Harvard Medical School:
“Their brains are rewarded not for staying on task but for jumping to the next thing. The worry is we’re raising a generaHon of kids in front of screens whose brains are going to be wired differently”
All Kinds of Minds: Considerable variability in… • Neurological readiness • Previous educational exposure • Language backgrounds • Intrinsic aptitudes:
• Specific learning differences/disorders • Developmental variations in specific domains of development
• Intellectual potential • Temperament for learning
Most substantiated learning differences are neurobiologically based…ADHD- 5% of children
Dyslexia- 5-10 % of children
These are diagnoses on a continuum…..
• There are specific tests which define the diagnosis, but not a single blood or medical test, for example
• Students can have a wide range of severity, and a wide range of associated strengths and challenges
• *****many students who are NOT diagnosed have variations in their learning that are similar, but not as severe!!
Development and Education
Educational Differentiation: • Accurate recognition of the individual’s developmental and skills differences and their impact at that point • Describe strengths and leverage students to their strengths
• Describe weaknesses and remediate or bypass them humanely and positively
• Demystification • Focusing on evidence based approaches and developing a clear hierarchy of need for the child
Developmental Differentiation • Consider a culminating or capstone experience typical for
your grade group.
• What element of neurological maturation is perhaps being challenged at an outer limit of what is meaningful?
• How are you currently accommodating the most challenging student in your class. What sorts of developmental issues does that student present with?
Neurodevelopmental Constructs
• Attention • Executive F’n • Language • Memory • Spatial Ordering • Sequential/Temporal Ordering
• Neuromotor Functions • Social Cognition • Higher Order Cognition
• Cross-Construct Phenomena: Speed, volume dependence, complexity
Some Common Developmental Differences:
• Attention • Motor • Language
• Working Memory/ Executive Functions
• Strategies which are best practice for children with these variations OFTEN meet the needs of unidentified students as well.
ATTENTION AND INTENTION SKILLS INTAKE OUTPUT MENTAL
ENERGY • MENTAL
ACTIVITY • SATIABILITY • DEPTH OF
FOCUS • DURATION
OF FOCUS • SALIENCY
CONTROL
• PREVIEW • SPEED • REFLECT • INHIBIT • SELF
MONITOR
• ALERTNESS • CONSIST-
ENCY • SLEEP/WAKE • MENTAL
EFFORT
EXAMPLE: attention issues/insatiability
• Age 2 terrible tantrums • Age 6 demanding of teacher attention • Age 9 social issues, wants his own way, class clown!!
• IDENTIFICATION and DEMYSTIFICATION • Age 15 X-games wanna-be • Age 21 starts first business- thrill activities for young-teens
• Age 29 not satisfied with current empire!
A mind at a time: Ali age 12
Key Variations
• Very creative artist- visual and musical
• Passive thinker for less creative domains
• Dislikes writing • Difficulty with group
discussion • Frustrates her teammates • Often ‘on the wrong page’
Key Interventions
• Strengthen strengths and ensure this is seen by peers
• Explicit structures for task completion
• Proximity, positively reinforce gains
• Keep material topically relevant
• Active supervision for homework
LANUAGE FUNCTIONS • SOUNDS • WORDS • SENTENCES • DISCOURSE • PRAGMATICS • EXPRESSIVE AND
RECEPTIVE • ORAL/WRITTEN • 1ST LANGUAGE ISSUE
An example: phonological processing (language, sequencing, speed, working memory, paired recall)
• 4 year old can’t rhyme • 6 year old can’t associate grapheme/phoneme
IDENTIFICATION/REMEDIATION • 10 year old can’t spell, but not a bad reader • 12 year old a pretty good reader, wants to study French
• Taking the French IB higher exam • Prediction??? • Intervention???
A mind at a time: Marty Age 7
Key Variations Key Interventions
• Excellent athlete • Everyone’s best friend • Sharp in math • Excellent builder • Late talker • Poor vocabulary • Grammar, syntax
immature • Poor direction following • Acts up in MT class
• D/C MT • Speech-language therapy • Keep it visual • Pre load with content
vocabulary • Comprehension monitoring • Multisensory learning • Careful monitoring- highly
at risk for ‘SLD’
Motor Function: Fact or Fiction • Eye hand coordination is important for handwriting
• Children with handwriting difficulties do better on a keyboard
• Music training can improve math learning
Societal Significance of Motor Function
• Which Society?? The Australian boy who can’t run well or the Taiwanese girl who can’t write precisely?
• Which Gender?? • Which Season?? • Which Year??
ORAL MOTOR GRAPHOMOT. FINE MOTOR GROSS MOT.
PROPRIOKIN-ISTHETICS
TONGUE POSITION
FINGER POSITION COPYING
PIANO GYMANSTICS
VISUAL SPATIAL
XX COLORING KEYBOARD HITTING A BALL
MOTOR PLANNING
SOUND PRODUCTION
SHOELACES TAE KWON DO
MOTOR MEMORY
SOUND SEQUENCE
LETTER FORMATION
LAY-UP
COORDINAT-ION
CHEW AND SWALLOW
PENCIL GRIP KNITTING BIKE RIDING PRECISION
MONITORING NEATNESS WATCHING BALANCE
TONE CONTROL
DROOLING GRIP UTENSILS POSTURE
Other Motor Patterns to Take Note Of
• Pseudo motor dysfunction: rapid speed and poor legibility- think much faster than they write, impulsivity– not a motor issue
• Functional undermining: load dependent
• Bimanual coordination issues • Perching
A mind at a time: Michael, Age 11
Key Variations Key Interventions
• Bright • Early reader • Creative • Walked at 16 months • Articulation issues- age 3 • Awkward pencil grip • Poor bike rider • Excellent pianist and
keyboardist
• Speech language therapy • Alternative writing
implements • Lined paper • Support areas of motor
efficacy • Protection from
humiliation (posted work) • No cursive!! • Dana/alphasmart
Ages and Challenges
Motor dysfunction
• 5 year old on the playground
• 11 year old during PE • 15 year old taking notes
from the board • 17 year old speaking in
front of the class
Oral language
• ‘use your words’ in preschool
• Bilingual new arrivers • Learning a 3 language • Understanding slang • Writing for an audience • Answering and asking