OFF TO SCHOOL

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OFF TO SCHOOL

• Chapter Six

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LECTURE OVERVIEW

• Cognitive Development
• Piagets Theory
• Information-Processing
• Theories of Intelligence
• Ethnicity and Social Class
• Special Children
• Academic Skills
• At School

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INTRODUCTION

• Period of transition
• Increased independence
• Profound changes in childrens thinking
• Increased testing
• to determine I.Q.
• to determine special needs

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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
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PIAGETS THEORY

• Concrete Operational Period (7 to 11 years)
• Previously
• egocentric, confusing appearance with reality,
  unable to reverse thinking
• Egocentrism wanes gradually
• more experience with others and others opinions
• Mental operations can reverse thought
• ex. conservation task

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Cont.

• Formal Operational Period (11 years )
• Thinking hypothetically and reasoning abstractly
• Deductive Reasoning appropriate conclusions from
  facts
• if . then statements
• understand that it does not need to be based on
  reality

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Cont.

• Comments of Piagets Theory
• Formal operations is a capability
• do not always reason at this level
• Formal operations as an end point
• cognitive development is complete by ages 12 or
  13?
• gain more knowledge and experience, but do we
  also think differently with age?

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INFORMATION-PROCESSING

• How permanent memory is stored and retrieved
• Working memory small number of ideas/thoughts
  that are briefly stored
• Long-term memory permanent storehouse of
  knowledge
• Also declarative memory, reference memory,
  episodic memory, autobiographical memory

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Cont.

• Memory Strategies
• Simple strategies rehearsal
• With age can choose from many strategies
• Identify goals of memory and apply appropriate
  strategy

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Cont.
DETERMINE GOAL

• Monitoring
• Evaluating progress toward goal
• If strategy is not working begin again
• Monitoring skills improve with age

SELECT STRATEGY
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APTITUDES FOR SCHOOL
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THEORIES OF INTELLIGENCE

• Psychometrics measuring psychological
  characteristics
• Administer large number of tests and look for
  patterns
• if pattern is similar among tests testing same
  trait

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Cont.

• Hierarchical View of Intelligence
• general and specific components

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Cont.

• Fluid sequential and quantitative reasoning,
  induction
• Crystallized language
• General memory learning memory span,
  associative memory
• Broad visual visualization, spatial relations,
  closure speed

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Cont.

• Broad auditory speech sound discrimination,
  general sound discrimination
• Broad retrieval creativity, ideational fluency,
  naming facility
• Broad cognitive speediness rate of test taking,
  numerical facility, perceptual speed
• Processing speed simple reaction time, choice
  reaction time, semantic processing speed

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Cont. Gardners Theory of Multiple
Intelligences

• Linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Spatial
• Musical
• Bodily-kinesthetic

• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalistic
• Existential

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Cont. Gardners Theory of Multiple
Intelligences

• Linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Spatial

• Psychometric theories
• linguistic develops before others
• each intelligence is regulated to an area of the
  brain

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Cont.

• Other Intelligence Theories
• Social Cognitive Flexibility
• - skill in solving social problems with relevant
  social knowledge
• Sternbergs Triarchic Theory
• componential subtheory
• experiential subtheory
• contextual subtheory

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BINET AND THE I.Q. TEST

• Initial testing to determine what different age
  groups could solve
• Mental Age difficulty of problem that could be
  solved correctly
• bright children higher MA than actual age
• dull children lower MA than actual age

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Cont.

• Standford Binet
• revision of initial tests
• Intelligence Quotient (IQ) performance
• perfectly average 100
• IQ is not longer computed like this, but label
  remains the same

IQ MA/CA x 100
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Cont.

• Weschlers Tests of Intelligence
• most widely used intelligence tests
• norms for different ages
• WISC, WWPSI
• also measure an intelligence quotient
• measures verbal and performance abilities
• total scores and subscores

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DO TESTS WORK?

• Are the tests reliable? YES
• same score over time
• same relative score on different tests
• What do tests mean? VALIDITY
• observe behaviour in natural setting
• predicting success at school and in workplace

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Cont.

• Increasing Validity with Dynamic Testing
• IQ tests do not directly measure future learning
• Dynamic Testing measuring learning potential by
  having person learn something new
• based on Vygotskys zone of proximal development
  and scaffolding

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GENES AND INTELLIGENCE

• MZ twins have more similar scores compared to DZ
  twins
• Biological siblings have more similar scores than
  adoptive siblings
• IQ scores are more like biological parents than
  adoptive parents
• impact of heredity increases during childhood and
  adolescence
• but some effect of environment still exists

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ENVIRONMENT AND IQ

• Historical increase in IQ
• T.V., internet, etc better availability of
  information
• Intervention and enrichment programs
• do increase IQ scores

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ETHNICITY AND SOCIAL CLASS

• Ethnic differences in IQ tests
• Asian, European, Hispanic, and African Americans
• Group differences in SES?
• When of same SES reduced differences
• No evidence for role of genetics
• Tests are culturally biased?
• Culture fair tests reduce differences, but do
  not eliminate

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SPECIAL CHILDREN, SPECIAL NEEDS
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GIFTED CHILDREN

• Broad range of giftedness not just intelligence
  anymore
• Exceptional talent
• love and desire to master subject
• instruction with inspiring teachers at young age
• support of parents
• Talent must be nurtured!

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Cont.

• Creativity
• Convergent thinking using provided information
• Divergent thinking novel thinking or
  CREATIVITY!!
• often measure by asking for many answers to one
  question
• also must be nurtured, curiosity encouraged

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CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

• Mental retardation substantially below-average
  IQ and problems adapting
• Types
• Organic biological or physical problem
• Familial lower end of normal distribution
• Levels
• profound (IQ 10-30) severe (IQ 30-40)
• moderate (IQ 40-60) mild (IQ 60-70)

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LEARNING DISABILITIES

• Learning disability
• has difficulty mastering one or more academic
  subjects
• has normal intelligence
• not suffering from other conditions that could
  poor performance
• language, reading, and arithmetic

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ADHD

• Attention Deficit Hyperacitivity Disorder
• characteristics of ADHD
• Overactivity
• Inattention
• Impulsivity
• Different degrees and variations
• Behaviour and academic problems

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Cont associated characteristics

• Intelligence, learning disabilities, academic
  performance
• Executive Functions
• Social and Conduct Problems
• Accident and Injury
• Adaptive Functioning
• Motivational Aspects

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Cont. Epidemiology Etiology

• 3-5 of school population
• decline with age more often in boys
• pregnancy and birth complications
• diet
• environmental lead
• psychosocial factors

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Cont. Genetic

• commonly has one or both parents with ADHD
• fathers ADHD, alcoholism, antisocial PD
• mothers alcoholism, hysterical personality
• siblings
• first degree relatives conduct disorder,
  depression, tics, language disorders

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Cont...

• with psychiatric controls
• higher risk of ADHD, antisocial PD, mood
  disorders
• higher risk for anxiety and drug dependence
• cannot be accounted for by gender, generation of
  relative, age of proband, social class, or
  intactness of family

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Cont...

• Relatives with ADHD vs. Relatives withoud ADHD
• oppositional defiant disorder
• conduct disorder
• various sexual behaviors
• depression
• alcohol/drug abuse

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Cont. Adoption and Twin Studies

• strong genetic component
• adopted children with a biological parent with
  ADHD
• increase in ADHD, rages, and temper tantrums

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Cont. General Neuroanatomy

• brain damage
• cerebral volume 5 smaller
• Frontal lobes asymmetry, white matter
• Caudate Nucleus, Putamen, Globus Pallidus
• Cerebellum
• Corpus Callosum

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Cont. NTs

• Dopamine Receptors
• impulsivity, compulsion, and addictive behaviours
• Norepinephrine
• metabolism problems, lower NE
• 5-HT
• implicated, but conflicting results SSRIs
• GABA

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Cont. Treatment of ADHD

• Stimulants
• ex. Ritalin (mehtylphenidate)
• Antidepressants
• Anticonvulsants
• Antihypertensives
• Antipsychotics

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Stimulants

• 75 respond to this medication
• do not outgrow ADHD medication
• dopamine norepinephrine
• rapid effects, but wear off quickly
• side effects

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS

• Autism
• Tourettes Syndrome
• Oppositional-Defiant Conduct Disorder

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ACADEMIC SKILLS
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READING

• Word Recognition process of identifying a unique
  pattern of letters
• Comprehension exact meaning of sequence of words

words
letters
sentences
phonological awareness
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Cont.

• Recognizing Words
• blending sounds to produce word
• retrieval from long-term memory
• recognized letters more quickly in words than in
  nonwords
• sentence context for recognition

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Cont.

• Comprehension
• proposition combining words to make sense
• with reading experience
• Increased working memory capacity
• Acquire more general knowledge
• Use more appropriate reading strategies
• Better monitoring of comprehension

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WRITING

• Greater Knowledge
• with age, more to write about
• knowledge telling strategy writing down are
  retrieved from memory
• knowledge transforming strategy deciding what to
  include and how to best organize for clarity

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Cont.

• Spelling, punctuation, and forming letters
• gets easier with experience
• Revising increases with age
• effective revising means being able to detect
  problems and properly correct them

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MATH SKILLS

• Begins with counting
• ex. counting when adding
• Counting then adding mentally
• By ages 8 or 9 learned so that additions are
  memorized
• Canada and USA rate poorly in math skills
• Why? time in school, time with homework, parental
  attitudes and beliefs

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LEARNING IN SCHOOL
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ACCESSING EDUCATION

• 1998 Third International Mathematics and Science
  Study
• How do countries vary in intended learning goals?
• Learning opportunities
• What concepts, processes, and attitudes have
  students learned?

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GRADING U.S. SCHOOLS

• US students do not fare well internationally
• Literacy using printed information to function
  in society, to achieve goals, and to develop
  knowledge and potential
• Literacy rates cultural differences
• Problems with literacy?
• definitions
• increasingly complex world

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GRADING CANADIAN SCHOOLS?

• Comparisons to other G-8 countries
• Math and science abilities higher than
  international average
• No scores lower than international mean
• But not significantly different from many
  countries
• Considerable variability among provinces
• Alberta consistently strongest

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EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS

• Some schools are more effective than others
• Successful schooling
• Goals of academic excellence
• Safe and nurturant school climate
• Involvement of parents
• Progress of students, teachers, and programs are
  monitored

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Cont.

• Successful teachers
• Manage classroom effectively
• Responsible for students learning
• Emphasize mastery of topics
• Teach actively
• Pay careful attention to pacing
• Value tutoring
• Techniques for students to monitor own learning

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CONCLUSION
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CONCLUSION

• Progress to abstract thinking (Piaget)
• Increasing effectiveness of mental strategies for
  learning
• Intelligence can be measured in several ways
• several types of intelligences

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Cont.

• Developmental disorders can affect abilities
• ex. ADHD, Autism, Tourettes Syndrome
• Several skills learned and/or improved at school
• reading, writing, and arithmetic
• Are schools effective teaching tools?