Don M. Winn's Blog, page 13

Screen Time Vs. Creativity: Finding the Balance for Growing Children

It’s hard to believe, but the iPad has only been part of our world for 8 years. And the iPhone has been around just a little longer—a mere 11 years. During that tiny slice of human history, people everywhere have become lit up by glowing screens. I’m no exception, and certainly no Luddite: I have a smartphone and two tablets, and so does my wife. They are great tools and offer multiple conveniences upon which we have come to rely.

But what about the effects of screen time on developing brains? It starts shockingly young; a recent UK study showed that 51% of children between 6-to-11 months old use touch screens daily. (Cheung CHM, Vota W; LSE Department of Media and Communications. What Are the Effects of Touchscreens on Toddler Development? )

The short answer is that we don’t know yet. Since all these new types of electronic stimuli are such recent additions to the human family, the research and observations are only beginning to trickle in. Some experts say the entire discussion centers around the high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech choice. But I think there’s a lot more to it than that. It’s not just the amount of time children spend in front of glowing screens, but also what kids are doing on those screens that counts. And that’s where finding the balance between screen time and helping kids develop creativity enters this discussion.

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In the foreword to Mitchel Resnick’s book, Lifelong Kindergarten, Cultivating Creativity, Dr. Ken Robinson writes: “Why does creativity matter anyway? Because being creative is part of what it means to be human. Creativity is developing original ideas that have value, and it has driven human achievement on every front since the dawn of history. The roots of human creativity lie in our unique powers of imagination, the ability to bring to mind things that are not present to our senses. Creativity is a step beyond imagination: it is putting your imagination to work.” He continues, “Every child is born with immense natural talents. How they develop has much to do with the environment in which they are raised and the opportunities they are given. Education should be among the best of those opportunities. Too often, it isn’t.”

We often look to schools to help our kids develop their skills—including creativity—but part of the change going on with education these days involves feeding kids a steady stream of educational stimuli digitally, with less human interaction than ever before, and that’s turning out to be far from a one-size-fits-all affair, just as other aspects of education have demonstrated. Not all kids learn best in the same ways, at the same pace, or in similar environments. (See a list of my blogs about dyslexia and other ways of learning differently.).

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Here’s the thing about too much screen time: by constantly flooding young, developing minds with a heady stream of intense visual imagery, the neurosynaptic development of the parts of the brain where creativity is supposed to dwell and be nurtured can become stunted. Children can literally be deprived of the opportunity for their inner landscape to develop organically through the interruption of the innate ability to create their own visual imagery. And the lasting consequences of that series of developmental events is staggering to contemplate.

I’m not saying technology is all bad, and neither are the experts (well, most of them, anyway). There are countless apps out there that claim to foster learning, development, reading, and literacy, for example. But early research is pointing to the need for hands-on, real-world play with three-dimensional toys like blocks and Legos as being key aspects of fostering creativity. And as the attached references bear out, children under 5 years of age will almost always learn best from and opt for live, immersive interactions with family members or caregivers involving activities such as talking, being read to, and playing.

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In contrast, fast-paced, highly stimulating, or violent digital content can negatively impact the brain’s executive function, and the effects appear to be cumulative. (Lillard AS, Peterson J. The immediate impact of different types of television on young children’s executive function. Pediatrics 2011;128(4):644–9.)

But what’s a busy, tired, overwhelmed, overworked parent to do? Here are a few things I invite you to consider:

Consider minimizing your own screen time when the kids are around, especially during meals, playtime, or shared activities. Instead, consider prioritizing conversation, teaching moments (brushing teeth, tying shoes, washing hands, polite interaction, to name a few), and consistent daily routines.
Be present and engaged when screens are on, and, whenever possible, co-view with your child.
Pay attention to messages about gender, body image, violence, diversity and social issues when choosing content.
Focus on shared reading and playtime activities that encourage your child’s imagination, and offer words of praise and support for any creative moments, activities, or projects your child generates.
Select quality content purposefully, i.e., let’s watch/play this now, for this reason.

What have you found workable with your family? How are you and your family creating a good balance between hands-on play time and screen life? I look forward to you joining in the discussion.

 

Additional References:

Li H, Boguszewski K, Lillard AS. Can that really happen? Children’s knowledge about the reality status of fantastical events in television. J Exp Child Psychol 2015;139:99–114.
Lerner C, Barr R. Screen Sense: Setting the Record Straight; Research-Based Guidelines for Screen Use for Children Under 3 Years Old. Zero to Three 2014. www.zerotothree.org/resources/series/screen-sense-setting-the-record-straight
Radesky JS, Schumacher J, Zuckerman B. Mobile and interactive media use by young children: The good, the bad, and the unknown. Pediatrics 2015;135(1):1–3.
Marsh J, Plowman L, Ymada-Rice Det al.  Exploring Play and Creativity in Preschoolers’ Use of Apps: A Report for Early Years Practitioners. www.techandplay.org/reports/TAP_Early_Years_Report.pdf (Accessed April 11, 2017).
Courage ML, Howe ML. To watch or not to watch: Infants and toddlers in a brave new electronic world. Dev Rev 2010;30(2):101–15.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Communications and Media. Media and young minds. Pediatrics 2016;138(5):e20162591.
Radesky JS, Kistin C, Eisenberg Set al.  Parent perspectives on their mobile technology use: The excitement and exhaustion of parenting while connected. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2016;37(9):694–701.
Livingstone S, Smith PK. Annual research review: Harms experienced by child users of online and mobile technologies: The nature, prevalence, and management of sexual and aggressive risks in the digital age. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2014;55(6):635–54.

 

 

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that helps reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Expansive Thinking: Creativity in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

What came to your mind as you read the title of this blog? Childhood dreams of being an astronaut? Astronomy? The relative tininess of our planet when compared to the vastness of space? Star Wars?

Thinking about big, distant things piques our curiosity, but more importantly, it shifts our perspective. Psychologists call the phenomenon “expansive thinking.” And it’s just what it sounds like: the expanding of our horizons, the broadening of perspective, a shift in focus. Expansive thinking allows us to consider different points of view, rather than getting locked into a ”contractive” way of thinking, hyper-focusing on the here and now, which can cause immobilization.

What does all this have to do with helping our kids grow into well-rounded, productive, responsible adults? Quite a bit, actually. Let’s consider the long-term results of developing both a contractive and an expansive mindset.

Adults who are by nature contractive thinkers are often:

Pessimistic
Self-focused
Prone to viewing themselves as victims
Prone to feeling jealousy or resentment towards others who seem to have it easier than they do
Poor problem solvers
Poor at long-term planning and impulse control

Whereas adults who are expansive thinkers are usually:

Curious
More patient
Good problem-solvers
Creative
More tenacious when things don’t come easily
More empathetic and less judgmental

But if people are by nature more inclined to be one or the other type of thinker, there’s nothing to be done, right? You might be surprised.

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Enter Professor Nira Liberman of Tel Aviv University of Psychological Studies. Her work, recently published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, has found that children can learn to develop their expansive thinking abilities quite effectively.

Her team worked with 55 children ages 6-9. Half of the children were shown a series of photographs that started with familiar objects in the room with them and gradually progressed farther and farther from their field of view to pictures of our galaxy. The other half of the children were shown the same pictures but in reverse order.

Then they were tested on creativity. They were given an object and asked to name as many uses for the item as they could think of. Points were awarded based both on the number of answers and on the creativity of the use. Hands down, the kids who were shown pictures in an expansive order rather than a contractive order scored higher in creativity.

What does this show? First, the smaller our (or our child’s) worldview, the less creativity there’s likely to be. And secondly, while some people are more creative than others, creativity is a skill that can be developed. Priming the mind by thinking outside the box, about bigger things than ourselves and our immediate environment is training for an expansive, creative point of view.

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“Creativity is basically about the flexibility of thought of your mental system,” explains Professor Liberman. Like the physical stretching that makes your body more flexible, mental exercises such as problem-solving can train the mind to improve its creative thinking.

“The flexibility of your mental operations is important because it underlies many human qualities, such as empathy, self-regulation, problem-solving, and the ability to make new discoveries,” she adds.

The takeaway for parents: look for moments in daily life that are expansive teaching opportunities. Some examples include

If you see someone littering, talk to your child about what their home would look like if every piece of trash from daily life ended up on the floor: soon the house would be filled and there’d be nowhere to live. The earth is our larger home. Environmental sensitivity involves a long-term view of the consequences of our actions, not just impulsively doing the most convenient thing.
If someone has an emotional moment, ask your child to think about what that person may have been thinking or feeling that caused them to become upset.
Take a walk together, and then use a calculator and a map to figure out how long the two of you would have to walk to cross your county or your state. Give them a feeling for how big the world is based on their own stride.
Look at the stars together. Telescopes are ideal, but there are also a number of phone apps that will help the two of you discover what a huge place our galaxy is, and how much there is that is unknown and unexplored by humans. Here are some suggestions.

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that helps reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Space Cop Zack: The Adventure Continues

Albert Einstein once said that play is the highest form of research and imagination is more important than knowledge. When I released my first Space Cop Zack picture book in August 2013, I also published a series of blogs about the power of imagination, covering everything from how imagination empowers humans to learn how to think symbolically, its role in problem-solving, and its psychosocial and psychological benefits. At that time, I also mentioned that Space Cop Zack is about the “beta version” of imagination—childhood imaginings that help us develop our imaginations into powerful tools that can serve us well throughout our lives.

[image error]Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy and the second book in the series, Space Cop Zack, GARG’s Secret Mission, was well received, the first book winning a Readers’ Favorite Book Award and a Gold Medal in the UK Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and the second book winning a Silver Medal in the UK Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

So what new adventure is Zack up to in book three, The Lost Treasure of Zandor? Zack and his trusty robot companion, GARG, are racing the nefarious Captain Menace to find a lost treasure buried deep in the caverns of Zandor. Along the way, Captain Menace sends his three trustiest minions to try and stop Zack and GARG. Will they beat the evil captain to the lost treasure? That will all depend on your imagination!

The Lost Treasure of Zandor has received enthusiastic pre-release thumbs up from the UK Wishing Shelf Book Review. The verdict? “A fantastically fun space adventure packed full of SoloCopter Lifts, Noot the Tall and Terrible, and a big robot called Cantobor.”—A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

Space Cop Zack: The Lost Treasure of Zandor is now available to order from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, and other online booksellers.

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Read the Full Review:

I must begin by saying that, nowadays, I spend a lot of my time enjoying modern thrillers; and even the odd YA novel full of weeping teenagers finding love and then discovering it wasn’t. But I don’t spend so much time curled up with a

comic-style space opera for 7–11-year-olds. Well, no longer. I’m now a big fan!

Space Cop Zack: The Lost Treasure of Zandor follows Zack and his robot, GARG, as they attempt to stop Menace and his evil pals from nabbing a lost treasure. This is very pacey stuff. Every page is filled with a new challenge for the hero to overcome, whether it be Jeweled Cave Clingers that bite or a molten mudslide. Now, I’m no longer a ten-year-old boy, but I still remember what I enjoyed back then. And, trust me, I would have enjoyed this. It reminded me of the old 1960s space comics: Buck Rogers and Lost in Space, with a strong hero to rally behind and a host of evil monsters that were, simply put, evil—in every way. No greys. Just good and bad. And kids love it when they know who to cheer for and who to boo. Well, there’s plenty to cheer for in this visually stunning, battle-filled adventure.

Just a note on the drawings: WOW! They are soooooo cool! I loved them. All of them. The story’s good but the pics blew me away.

To sum up, this is a fun adventure that 99.9% of 7–11-year-old boys are going to love. Not only is it superbly illustrated, but the plot is so fast-paced, I almost needed a sleep after reading it. I can just see a bunch of boys enjoying this and then discussing at length who’d win in a fight between Jeweled Cave Clinger and sleeping Ultracompact Land Fish.

Wonderful stuff!

A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that helps reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Back to School: The Right Teacher Can Make a HUGE Difference

Boy, did the summer of 2018 fly by! It’s already time to think about getting the kids back to school. For some children, the beginning of the school year is a highly anticipated time full of new possibilities, but for other children, just the thought of going back to school causes anxiety.

Sadly, I fell into the second group as a kid; my anticipation of a new school year caused massive anxiety. I did not enjoy school because I felt inadequate compared to my peers. I was a dyslexic student at a time when dyslexia was not understood and often not even recognized. This made it hard for me, and most of my school memories are an unhappy blur. However, there were two teachers early in my life that I remember very clearly and they both taught first grade.

Mrs. Carson (upper left corner of the photo below) was my first-grade teacher and I have to say that she was probably my favorite teacher. I liked her so much, I took her class twice! Not really, I had to repeat the first grade because I was held back, and Mrs. Carson was my teacher both times. The good news is that I really did like Mrs. Carson. She reminded me of my grandmother. She was very kind and patient with me and never made me feel like I was stupid—and that was good because I did a fine job of that all on my own. And that’s where Mrs. Davis came into the picture.

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Mrs. Davis was a special education teacher and out of concern, Mrs. Carson had consulted with her about my difficulties. It was my understanding that Mrs. Davis had been taking some extension courses about dyslexia and recognized my symptoms. That’s when I was officially diagnosed as dyslexic. From that point forward I was excused from Mrs. Carson’s class for one hour each day and Mrs. Davis worked with me one-on-one and helped me with my reading—and that was a huge turning point in my education.

Even after all of these years I still remember my one-on-one sessions with Mrs. Davis quite vividly. I remember Mrs. Davis opening a book that I liked (mainly because it had lots of pictures) and the first thing she did was to cover the pictures, which startled me because I had always gravitated to just using the pictures to interpret a story. Once the pictures were covered, she would take a card and place it under a sentence so I could better focus on each word. Then she would step me through each word, identifying the syllables and helping me to sound them out.

Today we have a much better understanding of dyslexia: it impacts much more than just reading, and it doesn’t go away, but ALL kids, dyslexic or not, can learn to read well and succeed in school with the right kind of help.  (See Literacy and Dyslexia: The Problem and Real Solution) And although dyslexia was not well understood at the time, the kindness, patience and one-on-one attention that I received from Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Davis helped me tremendously. I will always appreciate their efforts and help. They planted the idea that it was possible for me to learn to cope with my dyslexia. When that idea finally took root and bore fruit, it was a crucial revelation in my life.

Who was your favorite teacher and why? I would love to hear from you about the teacher (or teachers) you are grateful for and how they made a real difference in your life.

If going back to school makes your child anxious, what can you do to help?

Take little field trips to school over the summer: walk through the halls, find the cafeteria, the restrooms, etc., so your child will know the lay of the land and not feel lost.
Talk to the guidance counselor before school starts: let them know your concerns, express observations of the ways your child may be struggling to read or learn and ask for a meeting to help place the child with a teacher who will be a good match for your child’s needs.
Have conversations with your child regularly about how they feel. When you notice subtle changes in facial expression, changes in behavior, outbursts, trouble sleeping, eating too much or too little, these can be signs of anxiety. The scariest thing in the world for a child is to be experiencing strong, troubling feelings and have no one with whom to talk them through.
Structure is key for kids who struggle with anxiety around school. Regular mealtimes, regular bedtimes, support during homework periods, and involvement with more creative activities like art, music, or band can go a long way towards giving your child more emotional bandwidth.
Teach your children about courage. Courage isn’t the absence of fear or uncertainty, it’s when both things coexist—when your children are able to keep moving forward with an activity in spite of being anxious. The more anxious or overwhelmed your children feel, the more courage they’re demonstrating as they show up for challenging situations.
Take advantage of Dyslexia Resources I’ve shared on my blog.

This jaunt down memory lane got me thinking that it only takes one (or two!) special teachers to make a difference in a child’s life. Clearly, this memory has stayed with me through the years, because two of my picture books feature caring teachers that make a significant difference in a student’s life. I have been thrilled with the positive feedback that I’ve received from both parents and teachers on how these books have benefited their kids.

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In The Incredible Martin O’Shea is about Martin, an energetic boy with a big imagination who has trouble paying attention in school. A visiting professor helps Martin to understand how learning by paying attention in school combined with using his very active and incredible imagination can help him to enjoy many real-life adventures.

 

[image error]The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon is the story of a carrier pigeon named Hank who has a poor sense of direction due to dyslexia. Hank’s caring teacher patiently helps him learn to compensate for his learning difference and this has a tremendous impact on his life.

 

Protect Your Child From Identity Theft

Just typing that title, I am shaking my head at what people in this world are becoming. After several recent brushes with the theft of my own identity, and taking the actions necessary to recover from them, a whole new form of this predatory behavior came to my attention: people are stealing the identities of our kids!

A 2018 study by Javelin Strategy and Research points to shocking statistics:

Over 1 million kids had their identity stolen in 2017, two-thirds of whom were under the age of eight.

This fraud cost a total of 2.6 billion dollars and cost families of the victims over 540 million dollars out of their own pockets.

Minors who are bullied online are nine times more likely to have their identity stolen.

NBC News interviewed Al Pascual, Javelin’s Senior Vice President of Research, who stated, “This is just the tip of the iceberg; odds are there were far more than a million victims last year.” He continues, “Children are more likely to become fraud victims after a breach because their core identity elements, like Social Security numbers, are more valuable for criminals. Criminals can have a field day with a child’s identity information because it’s never been used before. When a bank or other company pulls a credit report, they’re not going to find anything, and so the criminal has a clean pallet to work on.”

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What can parents do?

Watch the mail: is your child receiving pre-approved credit card offers, medical bills, credit card bills, jury summons, and driver’s license renewals? These are red flags.
TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax are credit reporting agencies that allow a parent to place a security freeze on their child’s credit. At this time, only 29 states allow this action, but it’s worth checking to see if the action is available in your state.
Once a year, check your child’s credit report on annualcreditreport.com. And if your child is younger than 13, special instructions are found here.
If you suspect or discover nefarious activity, the Identify Theft Resource Center can help you discover your next steps.  Additional helpful can be found from the Identity Theft Council.

If you or your children have been a victim of identity theft please leave a comment about your experience.

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If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that helps reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

43 Minutes Can Change a Life

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My readers are well-familiar with my passion for education, especially as it pertains to dyslexia and other reading challenges. But other aspects of education are important as well, and that will be our focus today. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, aka STEM, are facets of education that can prove challenging in their own right; these fields seem quite intimidating and outside the comfort zones of a sizeable portion of kids, especially girls. I say that because when I went to school and later college, these areas were considered complex, challenging fields, and a male domain by society in general, therefore there were very few females enrolled in such majors. Thankfully, that tide is starting to turn, and now more kids—including girls—are showing an interest in these important, fulfilling fields of study.

[image error]This past July 4, my wife and I spent a lovely day at the Bullock Museum in Austin. We saw the IMAX production: “Dream Big: Engineering Our World,” a special feature produced by the Bechtel Corporation. This film is remarkable for so many reasons.

It celebrates the engineering wonders of the world, ancient and modern.
It informs the public about the important work engineers do.
It encourages a change in perceptions about the profession.
It aims to inspire young people to embrace STEM educational opportunities.
It shows engaged participation in engineering experiments and projects by the youth of all genders and walks of life.

From the Great Wall of China, Egypt’s Pyramids, designing the world’s tallest buildings to withstand high winds, engineering better building methods to survive earthquakes, devising innovative ways to create potable water, to alternative energy and self-driving cars, this documentary has something to engage every young person. And no matter what you envision for our future, engineering, math, science, and technology will play key roles.

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One aspect I especially appreciated was the way the film works to reverse the fear of failure. No one hits on the solution to every problem the first time, every time.  The Educator Guide states:

“For most students, failure is perceived as a direct reflection of their intellectual abilities, rather than a stepping stone to success and a natural part of the learning and creating process. Apprehension, frustration, disappointment, and a sense of defeat are all natural responses to failure. Harnessing these emotions to drive grit and perseverance is critical to the success of these activities and is a valuable life skill reaching far beyond a student’s academic career. Parents and educators can expunge the stigma students associate with failure by modeling positive responses to it—by perceiving failures as opportunities to explore new ideas and try alternative methods while practicing the art of persistence.

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“Overcoming a fear of failure is particularly important in encouraging girls and minorities to pursue careers in engineering. According to US News and World Report, girls and boys with similar interests, test scores, and confidence levels in 10th grade have drastically different views of physics in 12th grade. Boys are more likely to pursue a class that interests them, no matter how well they tested in math, while girls who are interested in physics may shy away if they feel that their math test scores aren’t high enough, even if their test scores are on par with boys’.

“Engineers see failure very differently. They intentionally look for the failure points of their design and use them as points to strengthen and improve their solutions.

[image error]Ivanpah Solar Electric Generator

“To develop a culture of inquiry and resilience, both of which are characteristics of every engineer, consider the following tips:

Acknowledge mistakes with a smile. Inquire about what can be done differently to produce the desired result.
Implement a system that encourages students to share ideas for improvement.
Empower students to make decisions, and reward creativity regardless of how extravagant the idea.
Explore every suggestion even if success has already been achieved.
Educate students on how to use new tools, and encourage them to use these tools during their investigations.”

[image error]Twisting Shanghai Tower

Why not plan a trip to an IMAX theater during your summer travels with your family? This film is not to be missed! Truly, a 43-minute documentary can change a life, perhaps even the life of your own child! And keep the momentum going with the plethora of free downloads, age-rated activities, and other resources from the website below.

Link to website:  http://www.dreambigfilm.com/

Lesson plans: http://www.dreambigfilm.com/education/

Other free downloads:  http://www.discovere.org/resources-downloads

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that helps reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Distraction vs. Happiness

How skilled are you at multitasking? Many of us think we’re pretty good at it, but truth be told, the human mind is not wired to multitask. What we call multitasking is actually a shifting of our focus from one task to another, like channel surfing on your TV. It’s simply not possible to receive two different broadcasts at once. (Remember the “picture-in-picture” feature on TVs? Not a great success.) This ability to shift our focus can vary significantly from person to person, or even upon how rested we are, how well nourished, or how upset or unsettled we feel at any moment.

It’s not just adults that are expected to multitask in today’s fast-paced world. From an early age, more and more children are expected to multitask. And modern culture encourages having lots of stimuli going all at once: eating a snack, listening to music, TV on in the background, all while surfing (with multiple tabs open in our browser) or gaming, with plenty of text messages coming in. Is this a good thing or are there downsides?

Interestingly, according to an article​ I’ve shared in a past blog,​ published by Harvard University psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert back in 2011, multitasking can be a significant source of unhappiness.

The broad conclusion of this study is that the more absorbed we are able to become in whatever our current activity might be, the happier we are. ​This is the very antithesis of multitasking! ​When our mind and thereby our attention wanders away from whatever we are doing, we become unhappy.​ To put it another way, distraction contributes to unhappiness.

In contrast, do you remember the last time you were lost in the moment? Getting lost in the moment can be described as being so immersed in something, usually something enjoyable, that you completely lose track of all time. Distractions ebb away, as do all other concerns. Everything else in your life is put tacitly on hold. If you’re an adult, especially a middle-aged-or-more adult, chances are those lost-in-time moments are few and far between. I have to admit that most of my memories of being lost in the moment are from childhood. What I remember most from those years is how much I loved art. I remember the total happy absorption I would feel as I immersed myself in my crayon drawings, completely unaware of the passage of time. Life was good.

But as we grow up, we have more and more on our mind. It gets much harder to be able to step away from worries, concerns, and frustrations, and once again address a current activity with total, undivided focus. Losing ourselves in the moment may even begin to feel like a selfish indulgence since we have so many responsibilities.

Killingsworth is quoted as saying, “Mind-wandering is an excellent predictor of people’s happiness. In fact, how often our minds leave the present and where they tend to go is a better predictor of our happiness than the activities in which we are engaged.”

FOMO, Fear of Missing Out, is a big player in our distracted society. We’re so afraid we’re going to miss something, whether it’s the best deal on sneakers, someone’s vacation pics on Instagram, or the latest kooky video on Snapchat, that we scurry around on our devices failing to see what’s right in front of us in the real world. FOMO makes us miss out, in real life, from the beauty of a sunset, the feel of the breeze on our skin, the music of birdsong or the patter of raindrops, the joy and satisfaction of finishing projects, and most importantly, human connection.

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Children have an amazing ability to lose themselves in the present moment, to give their entire attention to whatever they are doing without worrying or thinking about other aspects of their life, and as adults, we could benefit from their example. I’m not saying that all children do this all the time, but they certainly have the ability to do it.

You’ve likely seen your son or daughter caught up in building something or drawing something or inventing something. Maybe their brow is furrowed with concentration. Perhaps they are holding their mouth in that certain way they do, the tip of their tongue peeking out. Or they are in the yard, running joyfully after a firefly or a butterfly, shrieking with delight.

If you have kids, take advantage of their example in this regard. Take some time to get down on the floor and play with them, read with them, talk with them, lose yourself in the moment with them…even if it’s just for a moment. Of course, your kids will enjoy it too!

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If you find yourself feeling unsettled or dissatisfied with life, take a moment and get out of your head, and into your body. What’s going on around you right this minute? Can you feel a breeze, even if it’s from air conditioning? What sounds do you hear? Notice how your body feels sitting in your chair. Focus on your breath: the tide of your breath goes in and out, just like ocean waves. Breath has a sound, and by closing your eyes and focusing on the sound of your inhale, and then the exhale, the peacefulness of that tidal effect becomes palpable. Do you have a hobby? Carve out some time to immerse yourself in tasks that are enjoyable and engaging.

Interestingly, the aforementioned study found that one of the activities that make people happiest is having conversations. We can all learn to make more of an effort when we are around people we care about: put away the phone/tablet, and share experiences together. It matters.

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

Failing Students or Failing Schools? Interview with Literacy Expert Faith Borkowsky

[image error]Does your child struggle to read? Does that struggle cause your child anxiety or embarrassment? Are you confused by the mixed messages you get from teachers and other professionals? If so, you are not alone. Like many parents, you may have thought your child would learn to read in school. Some children do, but so many of them don’t. Why is that the case?

I’m proud to announce the release of an invaluable book by literacy expert Faith Borkowsky, Failing Students or Failing Schools? A Parent’s Guide to Reading Instruction and Intervention from Cardboard Box Adventures Publishing

This parent-friendly book will help you understand the various causes of reading difficulties and how you can support your child. With over thirty years of experience as a teacher, reading specialist, regional literacy coach, and administrator, Faith Borkowsky explains why so many children struggle to read and what you need to know to help your child.

This book includes special sections on:

The best, proven way to teach children to read
Factors that can influence reading comprehension difficulties
What you need to know if your child is receiving reading intervention
What you can do at home to supplement your child’s intervention
How to help with homework
And much more!

For this blog, I’ll be interviewing Faith Borkowsky, a Certified Wilson and IDA Dyslexia Practitioner about her book, Failing Students or Failing Schools? A Parent’s Guide to Reading Instruction and Intervention.

Don: You start your book by describing your process of working with your student Robert. As a struggling reader myself, I was touched by your specific attempts to build trust with this struggling reader and to help him relax so as not have such a stressful response and defeatist attitude. What can you tell us about your interventions with Robert, and why were these actions so important?

Faith: We cannot separate the mind from the body. By putting children at ease and into a positive state of mind, it opens the learning channels. Robert and I began with movement exercises that crossed the midline of the body, such as bringing his left elbow to his right knee when the leg is lifted and then repeating with the opposite elbow and knee. Then, I taught him how to focus on his breath to clear his mind. We spent a few minutes “warming up” to build a mindset for learning. I told Robert that he can be in control of his learning when he has control over his mind and body. Slowly, he began to trust me, and more importantly, he began to believe in himself.

Don: What butterfly effect (a small action that has a far-reaching effect) has decimated American literacy?

Faith: Beginning in the 1930s, reading programs began to focus on comprehension and the memorization of whole words instead of using a phonics-based approach. Phonics took a back seat and was only supposed to be used as a last resort. Prior to this, reading was taught through spelling books that were sequential, and the alphabetic code was learned through letter patterns that were explicitly taught. As a matter of fact, reading, spelling, handwriting, and grammar were all taught directly. Children were not left to “discover” how to read words. In the 1950s, Rudolf Flesch wrote a book called Why Johnny Can’t Read, advocating for phonics to be brought back as the primary instructional method because so many children were not learning by using this whole word memorization approach. He was not very effective in changing minds. In the 1970s, the Whole Language approach was being taught at teaching universities, and it became the dominant teaching method. When I started teaching in the mid 80s, anything that included phonics was removed from schools. Open Court, a basal reading program that used a phonics approach, was abandoned. Teachers were not supposed to emphasize phonics. Spelling was not taught by letter patterns anymore. Words were given to the class weekly that reflected misspellings noticed in the children’s writing or which were based on holiday words and themes.

Children do not always make the connection between sounds and letters if phonemic awareness and phonics are taught separately.

Don: In your book, you describe the gap between assessments of struggling readers and actually using that data to improve instructional choices. How can parents be more proactive in this area so their child doesn’t fall through the cracks?

Faith: Since 2002, as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act, lots of testing and progress monitoring took over the schools. This was supposed to keep teachers and administrators accountable for helping students make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). But testing alone will not change the outcome if the instruction does not change. Parents need to ask questions and find out what the school is doing instructionally to change the trajectory. Usually, children are just given more of the same methods that did not work for them. Assessing children without analyzing and responding appropriately to the results is a waste of time. If a child can’t decode, using an instructional approach that does not teach phonics explicitly will not work for that child.

Don: In the section about visual discrimination you state that “there is no substitute for the personal connection of someone with a true interest in your well-being making simple, everyday activities meaningful and educational.” What sorts of activities can you share with us that you benefited from as a child?

Faith: I mentioned in the book that basic family chores can be a learning experience. My father and I used to sort his socks by color and pattern. My mother and I would take public buses, and I was the one responsible for paying the fare. I learned the difference between nickels, dimes, and quarters by using them, not by a picture in a book. We also rolled coins to bring to the bank to exchange for dollar bills. I was fortunate that I had many hands-on experiences, and my parents were very much hands-on with my learning. Today, children are handed phones and iPads with very little interaction between parents and children. I see a difference in children who are in front of screens too early and too often.

Don: You talk about how using sight words encourages kids to develop guessing habits when reading. I appreciated your statement that sight words don’t teach kids how words work. Why is learning how words work so crucial?

Faith: When children understand the alphabetic principle, they can apply phonics skills to read any word, short or long. If they only learn to memorize words, they might learn just those words but will not see connections to unknown words. For example, a child might memorize the word stop, but that same child will not be able to read slop, prop, or crop if they have not seen those words before.

Children should not be left to “discover” how words work.

Don: You have some excellent exercises in your book for parents to use to determine if or how well their child can read, and if they may have a visual tracking problem. Would you please share those with our listeners?

Faith: Inefficient instructional methods can cause tracking problems. If a child is searching for meaning and not reading left to right and all through the word, his eyes may be bouncing all over the place to search for cues that can help. However, if a child can decode isolated words but cannot read those same words embedded in the text, there might be a true tracking issue. Parents should watch while their child is reading. Are just their eyes moving or is the head moving as well? Do they notice head tilting? Body posture can be very telling.

Don: Reading comprehension is a big topic with multiple aspects, but in your book, you stress the role of parents play in helping their children progress towards this goal. You specifically mention continuing to read to children even after they have learned to read, even more so if they have learning challenges. Why is this so important?

Faith: Content knowledge and vocabulary both directly affect reading comprehension. Children who know a lot about the world and have a large bank of words are better able to understand what they read. This is especially important for children with decoding issues. If reading is difficult, they will not be able to read books with more complexity and sophisticated language. Until their decoding skills are strengthened, children benefit greatly from hearing books that they cannot read on their own.

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Don: These days, there’s an app for everything, and it may seem more expedient, even more effective, for a parent to turn their child over to something designed by a professional. Why are computer-assisted instructional programs not as effective as a real teacher for the remediation of reading difficulties?

Faith: I believe that children thrive when adults are giving them attention. There is no substitute for the human voice or physical closeness. Computer programs can be helpful for repetitive practice, but I don’t think that putting children on the computer is an effective use of time. Children become passive learners on these programs and the novelty wears off quickly.

Don: You discuss the importance of attitude in reading success. You specifically mention a distressed mindset and a defeatist attitude. How can parents help their child move to a more positive, hopeful point of view?

Faith: Modeling positivity and becoming a role model for having an optimistic outlook are the best ways to build the right attitude for learning. Parents should reinforce the message that their own brains have plasticity and can change at any time. There is always the opportunity to learn something new. As mentioned earlier, mindfulness strategies can be learned and are effective in building focus. I have learned many techniques and have studied the benefits of using a combination of movement and mindfulness to help children concentrate.

Don: Your encouragement to parents to optimize the time spent together as a family at the dinner table by not having devices present struck a chord. Why does having electronic devices present during mealtimes pose such a problem?

Faith: Language is the foundation for literacy, and listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension. Learning to follow and engage in a conversation are fundamental skills that underscore reading and writing success. What better place for this than at the dinner table? Plus, it is just rude!

Don: Faith, thank you so much for taking time from your schedule to share a wealth of information with us! Our readers are sure to benefit!

As you can see from this brief interview, there is abundant targeted information to be found in Faith Borkowsky’s book, Failing Students or Failing Schools? A Parent’s Guide to Reading Instruction and Intervention. Don’t miss this opportunity as a parent or educator to make a meaningful difference in the life of a struggling reader.

Click here to purchase Faith Borkowsky’s book on Amazon.  Amazon Kindle.  Barnes & Noble.  Barnes & Noble Nook.  Amazon UK.  Amazon Canada.

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

About Faith Borkowsky

[image error]Faith Borkowsky is the founder of High Five Literacy and Academic Coaching. With thirty years’ experience as a classroom teacher, reading and learning specialist, regional literacy coach, administrator, and private tutor, she has seen first-hand what truly works.

Ms. Borkowsky is a Certified Wilson and IDA Dyslexia Practitioner, is Orton-Gillingham trained, and has extensive training and experience in a number of other research-based, peer-reviewed programs that have produced positive gains for students with Dyslexia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ADD/ADHD, and a host of other learning difficulties.

New York State-certified in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Reading, Ms. Borkowsky stays current, is always learning, and continually attends professional development in brain-based, holistic disciplines. Honing her skills over years and redefining strategies through trial and error, she has been a trainer in school districts across Long Island and has presented at literacy workshops and conferences for federal and state-funded initiatives. Her philosophy and practice include educating and empowering her students to be self-sufficient learners.

Ms. Borkowsky works with all ages, preschoolers through adulthood, utilizing meta-cognitive strategies and multisensory instruction in a collaborative, non-threatening style, where parents are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the learning process.

Looking for Free Summer Activities? Here are Some Can’t-Miss Opportunities!

If your kids are like most, they love gadgets and tech. And those passions have many upsides, including offering your child a gateway into future skill sets they will need when they enter the job market. What could be better than combining the techie fun kids love with the opportunity to learn this summer? Imaginations, start your engines!

If your child is at least 6 years old, and you live near an urban area, they have a wonderful opportunity this summer: Microsoft Stores are offering a plethora of free workshops and children’s camps at their nationwide store locations, which will run from May 2018 through the end of August 2018.

Classes and camps are divided by age, but cover all ages between 6 and teens. Want to offer your 6-to-8-year-old the chance to learn about computers, including learning basic coding skills? Done!

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Would your 8+-year-old love to learn how to make movies, even in 3D? They’ll learn storyboarding, editing, and developing skills on Microsoft’s latest 3-D animation and movie-making software. There will even be a movie premier for parents to attend at the end of the camp!

Is your 8+-year old a fan of robotics? Look no further: one camp offers the opportunity to program an OH-bot http://www.ohbot.co.uk/, bringing it to life with facial expressions and speech!

Minecraft fans will get to learn the fundamentals of coding for this popular video game!

The “Create a Difference In Your World” workshop will take your child through researching a local issue they care about, and show them how to use technology to create action plans to fundraise, volunteer, or get the word out about their chosen cause.

STEM Saturdays (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) offers kids between the ages of 11 and 14 (or younger kids with parental support) the chance to dive deep into these four topics, the foundations of which are each so pivotal to future educational goals.

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There are even classes for recent grads. The courses “Tackle Your Future” and “Land Your Dream Job” offer help with sharpening resumes, getting professional headshots for LinkedIn, and networking and refining technical skills for the job hunt. Microsoft’s own executives will be on hand to support your grad!

If you live in an urban area or will be visiting one this summer, don’t miss these opportunities for your kids! See the official site for more information and locations. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/locations/events-for-students?icid=StudentsAndEducators_cat_feature3_events-for-students_442018

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help engage reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

 

Compounding (dis)Interest: Don’t Let the Summer Reading Slide Torpedo Your Child’s Literacy

I couldn’t wait for summer vacation when I was a young lad. As a dyslexic student, school was my greatest stressor, and that fact only made my longing for summer break more intense. During my carefree summer months, I rode my bike, climbed trees, went swimming, played ball with friends, went exploring constantly, fished, caught frogs, and went on a family vacation. I felt like a normal kid. The last thing on my mind was reading books; neither I nor my parents thought about school, reading, or the need to maintain what I’d struggled so hard to learn during the school season.

The truth is, all children, dyslexic or not, face an unintended consequence of the summer break from school: a “summer slide,” or learning loss. A 2011 RAND study revealed that students lose an average of 1–2 months of learning progress every summer, and the effects are cumulative. That’s right, without a plan for intervention, educational losses compound summer after summer. According to the study, 20% of third-graders couldn’t read at grade level, and by the eighth grade, the number of students reading below grade level had increased to 33%. The accumulation of several summer’s worth of reading loss is a big factor.

If your child reads at least five books this summer, he or she can prevent the loss of hard-won reading skills.

But here’s the thing: even small efforts to counteract the summer reading slide bring big returns. The threshold seems to be at least five books. In other words, if your child reads at least five books this summer, he or she can prevent the loss of hard-won reading skills.

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What could a plan for your child this summer look like?

Encourage an interest in reading. Talk with your child and discover what their current interests are. Ask a lot of “why” questions, and then find the answer together through reading. Using online resources counts too: it’s still reading.
Use online tools like http://pbskids.org/games/reading/, http://www.read.gov/kids/, https://www.tweentribune.com/, https://bookopolis.com/#/, https://www.biblionasium.com/#tab/content-spring-selections, and for older kids, https://www.goodreads.com/ and https://litpick.com/. These interactive platforms allow your child to read, comment on, and rate the books on their reading list while interacting with friends.
Check your local library for summer reading programs and activities. Some even have author visits!
If your child is a struggling reader, ask about free audiobooks at your local library, or use https://www.bookshare.org/cms/ to give them free access to audiobooks. And don’t miss the Sir Kaye series on audiobook—they’re fan favorites!






Make it fun and foster a sense of achievement by using gold stars, colored stickers, or other marks of completion that they can keep on the fridge, hang in their room, or post online.
Read books together. You might be thinking: my kid is in school now, so they should be practicing their own reading skills, not having me do the reading. But according to reading expert Faith Borkowsky, nothing could be farther from the truth. In her blog, she lists 5 reasons why parents should continue to read with their children as long as possible. Not reading to your child can send the wrong message, as if you are saying, “You are in school, not me. If you HAVE TO READ, then go and read. That’s behind me now.” Reading shouldn’t be seen by kids as a dreaded household chore like cleaning their room, and when kids see you enjoying reading personally and sharing that enjoyment with them, they get the message that it’s an enjoyable priority, not something odious.

Let’s make this a great summer for reading! I look forward to hearing about books your kids have enjoyed. If you want to help them email me, I’ll be happy to respond! don.winn@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help engage reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.