paying attention - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen...

40
Learning about Learning Workshops: PAYING ATTENTION HELPING STUDENTS MANAGE & STRENGTHEN ATTENTION PARTICIPANT JOURNAL UNDERSTANDING ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Upload: others

Post on 03-Jun-2020

11 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

L e a r n i n g a b o u t L e a r n i n g W o r k s h o p s :

PAYING ATTENTIONHELPING STUDENTS MANAGE &

STRENGTHEN ATTENTION

PA R T I C I PA N T J O U R N A L UNDERSTANDING ALL KINDS OF MINDS ™

Page 2: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

All Kinds of Minds® and Understanding All Kinds of Minds™ are marks of All Kinds of Minds.www.allkindsofminds.org

All Rights ReservedNo part of these materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from All Kinds of Minds.

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS®

Page 3: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

LEARNING ABOUT LEARNING WORKSHOPS

PAYING ATTENTIONPARTICIPANT JOURNAL

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Refl ection ................................................................................................................1

Workshop Goals ......................................................................................................2

Attention Video Viewing Guide: Mental Energy System ...........................................3

Mental Energy System Activity ............................................................................. 4-6

Attention Video Viewing Guide: Processing System ..................................................7

Processing System Activity ................................................................................. 8-10

Attention Video Viewing Guide: Production System ...............................................11

Production System Strategies .................................................................................12

Attention Action Plan ...................................................................................... 13-14

Workshop Refl ections ...................................................................................... 15-16

Resource Section ...................................................................................................17

Adult-Child Reading and Refl ections ................................................................ 18-24

Strategies for Strengthening Attention ............................................................. 24-27

a. Mental Energy System Strategies ...................................................................24

b. Processing System Strategies ................................................................... 25-26

c. Production System Strategies ........................................................................27

Attention Glossary ........................................................................................... 28-32

a. Mental Energy System Defi nitions .................................................................28

b. Processing System Defi nitions ................................................................. 29-30

c. Production System Defi nitions ................................................................. 31-32

Additional Resources ....................................................................................... 33-37

Page 4: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 1

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

REFLECTION

Complete the following sentence:

I have trouble paying attention when…

PAYING ATTENTION WORKSHOP

Page 5: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 2

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

WORKSHOP GOALS

> Appreciate that there are all kinds of minds

> Understand that Attention has many parts to it

> Learn strategies for helping children manage and strengthen the different parts of Attention

PAYING ATTENTION

Page 6: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 3

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Follow along during the video by reading and/or taking notes on this chart. Use the bottom margin to record helpful strategies that appear in the video.

Vocabulary Definition / Notes

3 Attention Systems 1. Mental Energy2. Processing3. Production

Mental Energy Regulates and distributes the fuel or energy supply needed for the brain to take in and interpret information and to regulate behavior

Alertness Regulates the fl ow of energy so a child can concentrate when necessary and keep away mental fatigue

Sleep / Arousal Balance

Affects the brain’s ability to promote a good night’s sleep so a child can stay fully awake during the day

Mental Effort Supplies the energy required for a student to start, work on, and complete a task

Performance Consistency

Works to ensure a steady, reliable fl ow of energy from moment to moment and day to day

Strategies I’d like to remember:

ATTENTION VIDEO VIEWING GUIDE: MENTAL ENERGY

Page 7: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 4

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

DIRECTIONS

In this activity, you and a partner will choose strategies to help Clara, a child who struggles with Mental Energy, strengthen her Attention weakness so she can learn more successfully.

Read about Clara on page 5. Choose up to three strategies to help Clara with her Mental Energy. You may use management strategies from the lists on page 6 and your Video Viewing Guide, or you may come up with your own strategies. Customize the strategies based on what you know about Clara. An example has been provided on the activity sheet.

After you’ve selected the strategies, jot down some notes about why you chose the ones you did.

MENTAL ENERGY SYSTEM ACTIVITY

Page 8: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 5

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

CLARA

Clara is full of surprises. Some days she is on top of everything, right there with the answers, getting her homework and chores done. Other days, it’s like she’s a different person: sluggish, uninterested, yawning. Her mother never knows from one day to the next whether it will be a good one or a bad one. Neither does Clara.

Clara puts things off, especially when it comes to things she doesn’t like to do. For instance, Clara loves to read. In fact, she’s one of the best readers in her class! Therefore, she completes her daily reading assignments the minute she walks in the door. Math is really not fun for Clara, so she does math homework last. By the time she gets to it, she is already tired. Then she really has a hard time with the homework. On those nights, Clara often doesn’t get to bed until midnight. Even then, she has trouble going to sleep because she insists on listening to the radio. She loves all types of music!

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES

Example: MUSIC If Clara agrees to fi nish her math homework fi rst, her mom could allow her to listen to her favorite jazz station while she works.

Strategy #1:

Strategy #2:

Strategy #3:

Why I chose these strategies:

MENTAL ENERGY SYSTEM ACTIVITY

Page 9: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 6

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

STRATEGIES

1. LEVERAGE STRENGTHS & AFFINITIES Take advantage of a child’s strengths and affi nities (things they enjoy). For instance, if a child is an excellent

basketball player, encourage him to choose a book about basketball for his book report. That way, when it is time to start reading, he will be motivated because he enjoys reading about sports. He will be able to put his Mental Energy toward completing the book.

2. EXPERIENCE Reinforce learning through direct experience. Trips, tours, and other active projects are likely to increase levels

of alertness.

3. GETTING STARTED Help your child by getting things organized initially by writing the fi rst line of a report with him or by helping

him develop a plan of action for what he intends to do.

4. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Provide a healthy snack such as carrot sticks, cheese and crackers, or a piece of fruit.

5. SIGNAL Signal your child when something especially important is about to be said. Looking right at your child, you

could say, “Now listen very carefully. I’m about to give you very important instructions.”

6. MOVE Some children benefi t from changing the location of their work site frequently. They may need to spend 10

minutes working at a desk, 10 minutes at the kitchen table, and 10 minutes doing mathematics on the living room fl oor. Each time there is a change of locale the student may experience a burst of energy.

7. MUSIC Some students can improve their alertness by listening to music while they are working. Music should be

instrumental; lyrics might be distracting.

8. FIDGET If your child seems to have “too much energy,” allow him to do something with his hands while seated for

extended periods of time. It may be doodling, handling a piece of clay, or performing some other manual activity that helps keep him alert.

9. BREAK IT DOWN Break large tasks into smaller, shorter, or simpler “mini-tasks.” Allow your child to take a brief break after

completing each mini-task.

MENTAL ENERGY SYSTEM

Page 10: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 7

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Follow along during the video by reading and/or taking notes on this chart. Use the bottom margin to record helpful strategies that appear in the video.

Vocabulary Definition / Notes

Processing System Helps students select, prepare, and start to interpret incoming information

Saliency Determination

Selects important information for use and puts non-important information aside

Depth and Detail of Processing

Controls how deeply students concentrate on details in order to capture the information in the mind

Cognitive Activation Triggers prior knowledge and experience when students are learning new information Active processing: connects new information to what is already in the mindInactive processing: new information doesn’t “ring any bells” in the mindOveractive processing: new information triggers a “mind trip”

Focal Maintenance Allows students to focus for the right amount of time on important information

Satisfaction Level Helps students concentrate on information and experiences that may not be entertaining or stimulating

Strategies I’d like to remember:

ATTENTION VIDEO VIEWING GUIDE: PROCESSING SYSTEM

Page 11: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 8

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

DIRECTIONS

On the next page, you will fi nd a description of Jason, a child who has a strength in the Processing System of Attention but struggles with spelling.

On page 10, you will fi nd a list of Processing System management strategies. Choose one strategy from this list or your Video Viewing Guide, or come up with your own strategy to manage Jason’s weakness by taking advantage of his strength.

After selecting the strategy, jot down some notes about why you chose the one you did.

PROCESSING SYSTEM ACTIVITY

Page 12: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 9

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

JASON

Jason’s father has always been impressed by Jason’s ability to maintain his focus and motivation in the middle of complete chaos. He manages to complete his homework and his list of chores while babysitting his younger brother after school. Sometimes he’ll even have time to work on his model planes until his dad gets home. Jason loves to make model airplanes. He follows the instructions exactly and attends to the tiniest details. For instance, he even paints tail numbers on his WWII fi ghter planes.

Despite his great Processing System, Jason struggles with writing assignments. He has excellent ideas. One idea triggers another idea and so on until he has a very interesting story. In addition, he includes a lot of details to support his ideas. However, Jason’s spelling weaknesses take the fun out of writing. He gets stuck on a word and cannot move forward until his dad can help him. Unfortunately, that means waiting until after dinner. Jason gets frustrated and decides to put off all of his work until later. As a result, he has to miss out on family time.

POSSIBLE STRATEGY

Strategy:

Why I chose this strategy:

PROCESSING SYSTEM ACTIVITY

Page 13: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 10

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

STRATEGIES

1. CHECKLIST Encourage child to follow a writing process. For instance, use the COPS proofreading strategy (Capitalization-Overall appearance-Punctuation-Spelling) to create a checklist. If the child knows he will check for spelling later, he will not feel the need to labor over a word while he’s writing.

2. BRAINSTORM If child has a strength in cognitive activation (ideas trigger other ideas), encourage him to brainstorm a list of

words that relate to the topic and to look up their correct spelling before he begins writing.

3. SPELL LATER Help child prioritize his focus. Ask him to decide how much time to set aside for each part of the writing

process. For instance, he might spend 10 minutes brainstorming, 15 minutes writing, and 10 minutes editing his work.

4. MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Help child make a list of all the materials he needs to gather before starting homework. If he is good at

fi guring out which materials will be most useful for each homework subject, he can collect the materials as he approaches each subject. Either way, he should be encouraged to have a dictionary or spell checker on hand when beginning a writing assignment.

5. WAIT 24 HOURS A child is more likely to catch his mistakes if he waits at least 24 hours before proofreading his work. At that

point, he should use his attention to detail to go back through and pick up on his mistakes.

6. HIGHLIGHT If child is particularly focused at a certain time of day (e.g., an hour after school), encourage him to complete his assignments during that time. If there is no one around to help him during that time, encourage

him to keep track of his questions or concerns. For instance, he might highlight all of the words he has diffi culty spelling.

7. INTERNET SEARCHES Online dictionaries and spelling aids exist. If child is adept at looking up information online without getting

distracted by other interesting information, he might enjoy using this electronic resource.

8. PRIORITIZE Before he begins his homework, encourage child to decide which assignments can be done without assistance

and which require the help of an adult. Child should complete the simpler assignments before he completes the others.

PROCESSING SYSTEM

Page 14: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 11

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Vocabulary Definition / Notes

Production System Controls students’ “output”: their behavior, their academic performance, and their social interactions

Previewing Helps students consider more than one action or response and anticipate the outcome of a choice

Facilitation and Inhibition

Allows students to exercise restraint and not act immediately, to consider various options, and to choose best response or strategy in a situation

Pacing Adjusts the rate at which students complete a task; enables students to produce things at an appropriate rate

Self Monitoring Allows students to evaluate how they are doing while performing and after completing a task

Reinforceability Helps students respond or act based on prior experience

Strategies I’d like to remember:

ATTENTION VIDEO VIEWING GUIDE: PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Page 15: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 12

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

STRATEGIES

1. WHAT IF? Engage your child in “What if . . .” exercises in different situations. For example: “What if I only skim the

chapters when I study for the test; then I . . .”, or “What if I keep interrupting my teacher while she is talking; then she . . .”, or “What if I called my friend (or new kid) a moron....”

2. GOAL SETTING Help your child set long-term goals and then break these long-term goals into easily achievable short-term

goals. For instance, a child’s long-term goal might be to save $150 to buy a guitar. To help the child see his progress and not get discouraged or give up, an adult can help him set six short-term goals of $25 monthly installments.

3. WHAT’S THE “BEST BET”? Many children do not check their fi rst response because they have no strategies to pull from. Provide your child

with checklists, written reminders, a “quick list” of alternative responses to typical problems (e.g., “What are my options if someone bugs me on the playground”), and then have her choose the “best bet.”

4. STOP-THINK-ACT Offer your child this formula to repeat to herself before she makes a decision or acts.

5. PLAN OUT LOUD With your child, say out loud the different steps of a plan while you are doing them. (e.g., “Now we’re going

to check to be sure there is no recyclable glass in the trash bin before we put it out for pick-up.”)

6. MAKE A SCHEDULE Set up a schedule with your child for when tasks are to be started and completed. Detailed plans (e.g., read

chapter 1, read chapter 2) should be written down in a daily planner. Major projects (e.g., book reports) or test dates should be recorded on a large wall calendar where the child will be likely to see it everyday.

7. GUESS THE TIME Help your child estimate how long a task should take, and then time to see how long it really takes. You might

chart how close your child’s estimation comes to the actual time. Help her come up with ways to slow down or move faster to come closer to her initial estimation.

8. MAKE A LIST; CHECK IT TWICE Have your child create a checklist of a task’s components and then check the task completion against the list.

Check off each task as it is completed.

PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Page 16: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 13

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PART 1

Think about what you saw and learned about the different parts of Attention and then answer the following questions about your child. Refer to the descriptions of children with Attention strengths and weakness in the activities you have done. You may also want to consult the defi nitions of the different Attention systems in the Video Viewing Guides, pages 3, 7 and 11, or the Attention Glossary on pages 28-32.

I SEE…Describe one of your child’s learning behaviors that makes you think about a possible strength or weakness in one of the Attention Systems we discussed today.

I THINK…Based on what you see, which system might be a strength or weakness for your child (check one, two, or all three)?

� Mental Energy System � Processing System � Production System

-or � I’m not sure my child has a strength or weakness in Attention

ATTENTION ACTION PLAN

Page 17: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 14

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PART 2

Now, refer to the strategies from the activities, strategies you generated with your teammates, as well as any other ideas you may have, and create an action plan about how you will work with your child to help him/her strengthen or “get around” those parts of Attention that might be getting in the way of learning. Be sure to think about how to leverage any strengths or affi nities.

I WILL DO…Two strategies I will try:

Other ideas for helping my child manage or strengthen his/her Attention:

ATTENTION ACTION PLAN

Page 18: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 15

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Think about what you learned about Attention in today’s workshop and complete the following three sentences:

I was surprised to see…

I was happy to learn…

I think I’ll try…

WORKSHOP REFLECTIONS

Page 19: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 16

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

“Planet earth is inhabited by all kinds of people who have all kinds of minds.

The brain of each of us is unique. Some minds are wired to create symphonies

and sonnets, while others are fitted out to build bridges, highways, and

computers; design airplanes and road systems; drive trucks or taxicabs; or seek

cures for breast cancer and hypertension. The growth of our society and the

progress of the world are dependent on our commitment to fostering in our

children, and among ourselves, the coexistence and mutual respect of these

many different minds. Parents [and caregivers] have a special responsibility

and joy as they get to know well and to cultivate their children’s

individual minds.”

— Dr. Mel Levine, A Mind at a Time

WORKSHOP REFLECTIONS

Page 20: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 17

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

resourcesresourcesP A R T I C I P A N T

Page 21: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 18

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

NOTE TO PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS:

Children need to understand their kind of mind and that everyone has strengths and weaknesses—even adults! It can be very helpful for children to know that the adults in their lives struggle with and celebrate some of the same things that they do. For example, nobody has a perfect mind for Attention; everybody has strengths and weaknesses.

On the pages that follow, you and your child have an opportunity to read an essay that Dr. Levine wrote especially for children about Attention. Then answer some questions together to refl ect on your own strengths and weaknesses in the areas of Attention.

Use this reading and refl ection as an opportunity to form an alliance with your child, to talk about the idea of “all kinds of minds”, and to discuss the ways you can work together to help strengthen his or her parts of Attention that may be getting in the way of successful learning. For strategies on strengthening Attention at home, see the pages that immediately follow Dr. Levine’s essay and visit the All Kinds of Minds Web site, at www.allkindsofminds.org.

ADULT-CHILD READING AND REFLECTIONS

Page 22: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 19

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PAYING ATTENTION*BY DR. MEL LEVINE

THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTENTION

Paying attention is sometimes called concentrating. In this article we will use both terms attention and concentration, since they mean about the same thing. The ability to concentrate or control your attention is needed to do well in school, although just about everybody has some trouble with attention sometimes. Most of us have been warned: “Pay attention,” “Watch what you’re doing,” or “Keep your mind on your work.” Yet, as we will see, concentrating is not always easy. Attention is a complicated function. For some students, concentrating is especially hard because their minds get out of control. They fi nd that they keep “tuning in” and “tuning out” as their minds wander or drift off in the classroom. Students may not listen well or hear what the teacher is saying, and this causes problems for them. To understand attention and problems with it, it is important to understand how attention is controlled by our brains.

HOW ATTENTION IS CONTROLLED

Deciding What To Concentrate OnIn school there is so much to watch, to listen to, and to think about. When you sit in a classroom, you can watch the teacher, the other students, the chalkboard, the bulletin board, or the tree outside the window. You can listen to the teacher, the clock ticking, some noise in the corridor, or the ventilation system. You can be thinking about what your teacher is saying, about what you’re doing after school, about the clothing that the kid next to you is wearing, or about some problems that you’re having with your brother or sister.

Doing well in school is in some ways like watching television. In order to see what you want to on TV, you have to tune in the right channel at the right time. Not only that, you must concentrate on the right channel for the right amount of time if you want to get enough out of the program. In school, attention is your brain’s channel selector when you are trying to decide what to watch, to listen to, to think about, or to ignore.

Filtering Out DistractionsLet’s continue with the comparison of doing well in school and watching TV. To pay attention to TV, you have to keep your eyes on the screen. In school, if your attention is going to work right, it must fi lter out all kinds of noise and distraction. Many machines have fi lters in them. Air conditioners contain fi lters to remove dust from the air. There are fi lters in a car that keep the gasoline and oil clean. Chemists use fi lters to purify chemicals. People use fi lters to make coffee. That way they can drink a pure liquid without having to taste the coffee grounds. You can think about your brain in the same way. You can imagine that your brain also has fi lters to help you clean out distractions. Distractions are sounds, sights, or ideas that are unimportant or have nothing to do with the important thing going on at the moment.

* Adapted from Keeping a Head in School (Education Publishing Services, Cambridge, Mass.) © 1990 Melvin D. Levine, M.D.

ADULT-CHILD READING AND REFLECTIONS

Page 23: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 20

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Here are some of the distractions you have to fi lter out.

1. Unimportant things you can see. There is no use in looking out the window when you’re supposed to be reading.

2. Unimportant sounds you can hear. It’s a waste of time to listen to an air conditioner when a teacher is explaining your homework assignment to you.

3. Your body. You can’t keep thinking about how you look, about how you feel, or about little body sensations such as the itchy feeling of a wool sweater against the back of your neck.

4. Daydreams. You can miss a lot if your imagination carries you away from reality. Somehow, you have to be able to fi lter out your daydreams most of the time in school, even though you think up some good ideas and exciting possibilities while you’re daydreaming.

5. Thoughts about the future. If you should be concentrating on the present, you can’t be thinking about the coming afternoon or night or weekend. To pay attention to the present, you have to fi lter out the future (at least for the moment).

6. Things you want. We all have needs and wants. Some of them have no connection with what we’re doing at the moment. Concentrating too much or too often on such wants makes it hard to focus on anything else. If you keep thinking about chocolate or about a new game or some clothes you’d like to buy, you will fi nd it hard to stay tuned in when there are important ideas to understand in class.

7. Other kids. Fellow students are sometimes the hardest things to fi lter out! In a classroom, they surround you. It’s almost impossible to ignore them completely. But, for at least some of the time, you need to fi lter them out so that you can read a book, listen to the teacher, or think about your work.

You don’t need to fi lter out all of these seven kinds of distractions all of the time. You need to pay some attention at certain times to friends, to the future, to the things you want, to sights, to sounds, to your body, and to your original ideas. There are even times when it’s good to daydream. You can come up with some excellent ideas when you let your mind wander off. There are also times when it’s good to gaze all around you at interesting things. A lot of artists are good at noticing things other people miss. It’s really a matter of how you divide up your attention and when you concentrate on what. When your attention is working properly, your “fi lters” are adjusted just right. They know exactly how much distraction to let in.

So, we have talked about two important controls over attention: choosing the most important thing to concentrate on and fi ltering out the unimportant things. These controls affect information coming into the brain. But there is another kind of concentration that is just as important; it is called refl ecting or planning.

Refl ecting or PlanningWhen you refl ect or plan, you concentrate on things before you ever say or do them. By planning things, your brain predicts what you will do and how it will sound or look. If, during the time you are planning, it looks as if the results will be bad, you can think of some other way to do what you need to do. In fact, you can keep thinking up different ways of doing something until you come up with the best way. Planning takes time. When you’re in a hurry, you can be impulsive.

ADULT-CHILD READING AND REFLECTIONS

Page 24: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 21

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

ADULT-CHILD READING AND REFLECTIONS

An impulse is a feeling that you get that makes you do something very quickly without thinking or planning. You might have the impulse to say something mean or to take something away from someone or to guess at a question on a test. If you are impulsive, you sometimes act too quickly, and often you don’t make the time to notice how things are going. By slowing down and concentrating before doing something, it is possible to control impulses so that you get better results. You can see that control over impulses is needed for good behavior and for good learning.

Concentrating While Doing SomethingIt is also important to be able to concentrate while you are doing something. By concentrating at that point, you can control what’s happening. You are much more likely to get the right answer or do the best job when you’re watching what you’re doing. Unfortunately, concentrating while you’re working also takes time. If you don’t concentrate, you can work much faster. But then the results are often terrible, loaded with careless mistakes. So, you can see that working at the right speed—not too fast and not too slowly—plays a big part in attention. It takes time to concentrate, and it takes concentration do things at the right speed!

Self-monitoringYou even need to go back and concentrate on what you’ve fi nished. This is called self-monitoring, and it can be one of the hardest jobs of all. A monitor is someone who makes sure things are done right and who reports back when something or someone has gone wrong. In the same way, there are “monitors” in your brain that check on what you’ve done so you can make corrections or changes if they are necessary. When you take a spelling test, for example, a monitor inside you might go back over the words to make sure that they look right before you hand them in. When you do a math assignment, your brain acts as a monitor when you check over the problems to make sure they’re accurate. After writing a book report, the monitor helps you look it over to fi nd any mistakes in spelling, punctuation, or capitalization.

So, we can see that you have to have good attention before you start something, while you’re doing it, and even after you’ve fi nished.

Being AlertIn order for your attention to work well, you have to be alert and wide awake. When you’re tired, it’s really hard to concentrate. When you’re sleeping, it’s impossible to concentrate (except on your dreams)! There are parts of your brain that actually control how awake you are. There are bundles of nerves (in the brainstem) which turn down your concentration at night so you can fall asleep and then turn it up in the morning so you can be tuned in and alert all day. If your attention is not completely turned on, you become tired in the classroom. When you’re tired, you become fi dgety, and you’re much more likely to tune out. Alertness is critical for attention.

Imagine a soldier whose job it is to stand guard at night. In order for him to detect an enemy, he must be fully alert and awake throughout the time he’s on guard duty. The more tired he becomes, the less he pays attention and the more chance he has of missing important details, such as the approach of an airplane or ship. In the same way, in a classroom, the more your brain feels tired, the less you can concentrate on important details. Sleeping soundly the night before can help a student be more alert and tuned in during class the next day. When a kid feels too tired in class, she or he must try hard to stay alert. Sometimes writing things down or repeating what the teacher is saying under your breath can help you stay alert.

Page 25: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 22

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

ATTENTION DIFFERENCES

If you borrow money to buy more things than your allowance can pay for, you are said to have a “budget defi cit.” That means that either you need a bigger allowance, or you need to spend less money. In the same way, someone with an attention difference needs to pay more attention than he or she seems able to. Either this person needs to fi nd a way to have better concentration, or he or she needs to think about things that require less attention. Unfortunately, schoolwork requires a lot of attention. So, students who can’t pay enough attention are likely to be thinking about the wrong things during the school day. They have problems with learning and with getting work done in school. Sometimes they also have behavior problems that get them into trouble. Yet, it’s not really their fault. They have trouble with the eight controls we have just listed. Most of the time they would like to do better in school, but when they try to concentrate, it all seems too hard.

Attention differences are very common. They are probably the most common reason that some very good minds do poorly in school. They are also one of the common causes of behavior problems. Of course, as we said earlier, everybody has attention problems sometimes. Everyone’s mind wanders once in a while, and everyone does impulsive things occasionally. The difference between people with attention weaknesses and people without them is that people with them have poor control of their attention too often. This frequent lack of control affects not only their grades in school but also their success in other parts of life. It is important to realize that kids with attention weaknesses are not mentally ill or dumb. They are just a little different, and parts of this difference can be good.

There is a lot that can be done to help a student overcome attentional problems. We probably can’t completely “cure” attention differences, but we should not want to change anybody completely anyway. If we can help a student with attention differences, he or she may have fewer problems in school, at home, and with friends.

ADULT-CHILD READING AND REFLECTIONS

Page 26: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 23

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

REFLECTIONS ON DR. LEVINE’S ESSAY

Dr. Levine describes a lot of different parts of Attention. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses in the different parts of Attention. No one has a perfect mind for Attention. What do you think are your Attention strengths? What parts of your Attention might need some improvement?

Adult Reflections

Strengths:

Areas in Need of Improvement:

Child Reflections

Strengths:

Areas in Need of Improvement:

ADULT-CHILD READING AND REFLECTIONS

Page 27: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 24

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL ENERGY SYSTEM

� Reserve time throughout the day for your child to rest from activity.

� Modify homework schedule so that tasks requiring a great deal of effort are planned for times when your child has high level of alertness.

� Encourage your child to walk around, stretch, or exercise to revitalize herself or to burn off “extra energy.”

� Prepare your child in advance by telling him how much effort or time a task will require.

� If your child has trouble staying alert or shows reduced mental effort, encourage him to take frequent breaks while studying or doing homework (e.g., every 15 minutes). Breaks can be set on a timer.

� Praise your child for paying attention during diffi cult times, such as when a sibling is doing a noisy activity.

� Some children need to participate in physical activity of some kind (e.g., playing outside or exercising) before settling in to do homework.

� Provide your child with bedtime clock/log to help establish consistent bedtime routines.

Other Strategies I Would Like to Try:

For more strategies and other ways to strengthen organizational skills, please visit www.allkindsofminds.org

STRATEGIES FOR STRENGTHENING ATTENTION AT HOME

Page 28: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 25

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

STRENGTHENING THE PROCESSING SYSTEM

� Use verbal cues to signify important information (e.g., “This is very important, so listen carefully to what I say next”).

� Establish eye contact with your child when communicating important information.

� Repeat instructions and important information.

� Ask your child to repeat or paraphrase instructions.

� Play listening games to illustrate the importance of careful listening (e.g., the message game, “Operator”).

� Alert your child to how long she will be required to focus on a task prior to beginning an activity.

� When studying at home, background noise such as white noise (e.g., the whirring of a fan) may help your child fi lter out distractions, allowing him to better concentrate on the specifi c task at hand.

� A consistent period should be set aside each weekday evening for your child’s work. During this time, distractions should be eliminated or minimized as much as possible. Television should be turned off,

telephone calls should be returned later, and other family members should also be doing quiet work that requires concentration.

� A child may read an entire chapter of a book and have no idea what she just read. She should be encouraged to underline, to keep summarizing, to whisper important ideas under their breath, and to have opportunities to stop and talk about what she just read with an adult.

� Search for subject matter that excites a child’s passive mind (affi nity). For example, if he is studying the ocean in school, adults can discuss how what he is learning can make the next trip to the aquarium more interesting.

� Encourage an insatiable child to take turns, share, and delay gratifi cation. Once children understand their problem with insatiability, they can be told when their need for instant gratifi cation is out of control.

� When answering comprehension questions, show your child how to fi nd the important information in the text and answer in his own words rather than reading directly from the text.

STRATEGIES FOR STRENGTHENING ATTENTION AT HOME

Page 29: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 26

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

STRENGTHENING THE PROCESSING SYSTEM

� At times children become too bogged down in details and fail toh see the big picture. Set time limits that require your child to work more quickly or stop him and redirect his attention, even if the child is mid-task.

Other Strategies I Would Like to Try:

For more strategies and other ways to strengthen organizational skills, please visit www.allkindsofminds.org

STRATEGIES FOR STRENGTHENING ATTENTION AT HOME

Page 30: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 27

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

STRENGTHENING THE PRODUCTION SYSTEM

� Encourage your child to delay impulsive responses. For example, if your child has a tendency to immediately raise his hand even if he hasn’t thought of an answer to the question, teach him to count to 3 silently or on his fi ngers before raising his hand. Stress and provide positive reinforcement for inhibiting fi rst responses. For instance, if you see your child counting on his fi ngers or mouthing 1, 2, 3, praise him for waiting.

� Provide direct instruction for self-control, such as STOP-THINK-ACT. To implement this strategy, draw 3 circles (similar to a traffi c light) on a piece of paper. Color the 1st circle red and write STOP in the middle of the circle. Emphasize the importance of stopping or pausing before doing something. Color the 2nd circle yellow and write THINK in the middle. Discuss the importance of slowing down, thinking, and planning what you are going to do and what the consequences might be. Color the 3rd circle green and write ACT in the middle. Point out that now that you’ve stopped and thought about the situation; you are ready to act on it.

To reinforce the strategy, post the picture of the 3 circles throughout the house. Also, take advantage of your time together when riding in the car or walking across the street. If you see a traffi c light, point it out and review the steps!

� Model a “think aloud.” When you are solving a problem, think it through aloud so your child can listen to your process. Next time, encourage the child to think through the problem aloud. As he gets comfortable with this, encourage him to whisper his think aloud. Finally, he should learn to do the think aloud silently.

� Encourage your child to evaluate her own work and self correct during and after tasks or chores. As a guide, provide her with a self-monitoring checklist. For instance, if you ask her to clean her room, provide her with a list of all the tasks involved in cleaning her room; you might even take pictures of a messy room and a clean room so that she can compare her work.

� Ask your child to compare her current performance to a similar performance in the past. “Do you think you set the table better tonight or last night?” “What did you do differently?” “What can you do to make it even better tomorrow?”

Other Strategies I Would Like to Try:

For more strategies and other ways to strengthen organizational skills, please visit www.allkindsofminds.org

STRATEGIES FOR STRENGTHENING ATTENTION AT HOME

Page 31: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 28

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

MENTAL ENERGY SYSTEM:

Regulates and distributes the fuel or energy supply needed for the brain to take in and interpret information and regulate behavior

TERM DESCRIPTIONEXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE

STRENGTHS POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES

ALERTNESS Regulates the fl ow of energy so a child can concentrate when necessary and keep away mental fatigue

At home: Responds to directions; stays focused on homework

At home: Has diffi culty fi nishing homework without exhaustion; can’t sit still on car trips, at church, at the table, etc.

In school: Listens to instructions; is actively engaged in classroom activities

In school: Yawns, fi dgets, contorts the body during class

SLEEP/AROUSALBALANCE

Affects the brain’s ability to promote a good night’s sleep so a child can stay fully awake during the day

At home: Goes to bed at a regular time and sleeps through the night

At home: Resists going to bed; cannot fall asleep at a regular time; has a hard time getting up in the morning

In school: Appears wide awake during class activities; increases level of attention when given a “heads up”

In school: Does not really wake up until late morning; yawns, stretches, appears tired during class

MENTAL EFFORT Supplies the energy required for a student to start, work on, and complete a task

At home: Completes homework without a fuss; studies thoroughly for tests

At home: Requires heavy prodding to do homework or study for tests; have to “light a fi re” under him to do chores

In school: Gets started on tasks right away; stays focused during school work; sees a project through to the end

In school: Lags behind other students when starting an assignment or project; puts off tasks that are particularly hard or unappealing

PERFORMANCE CONSISTENCY

Works to ensure a steady, reliable fl ow of energy from moment to moment and day to day

At home: Gives predictable, steady performances on household chores and homework

At home: Energy level and interest in tasks—even favored task—are unpredictable

In school: Turns in schoolwork that’s dependable in quality and amount

In school: Turns in schoolwork that’s inconsistent in quality and amount

ATTENTION GLOSSARY

Page 32: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 29

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PROCESSING SYSTEM:

Helps a student select, prepare, and start to interpret incoming information

TERM DESCRIPTIONEXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE

STRENGTHS POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES

SALIENCY DETERMINATION

Selects important information for use and puts unimportant information aside

At home: Focuses on the important information when studying for a test or doing homework; focuses on the main goals when given a household task or chore

At home: When given a list of chores, cannot distinguish which are more important than others; may have a hard time making a decision when presented with many options

In school: Focuses well in class despite distractions; identifi es signifi cant information when summarizing or paraphrasing

In school: Distracted by sights, sounds, or events happening close-by; takes detailed notes, not distinguishing between main and less important facts

DEPTH AND DETAIL OF PROCESSING

Controls how deeply students concentrate on details in order to capture the information

At home: Follows directions and explanations without need for repeating

At home: Has to be told directions or information several times before it “sinks in”

In school: Sees the “big picture” when reading without losing the details

In school: Misses critical details, like operational signs in math or punctuation in writing

COGNITIVE ACTIVATION

Triggers prior knowledge and experience when students are learning new information

At home: Engages in dinnertime conversation, relating other stories to his or her own

At home: May either seem unengaged and disconnected (cognitive underactivation) or bounce around seemingly random topics (overactivation)

In school: Key participant in school discussions; forms rich and relevant connections with new learning material

In school: Disengaged from classroom discussions (underactivation) or disrupts discussion with irrelevant ideas and associations (overactivation)

ATTENTION GLOSSARY

Page 33: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 30

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PROCESSING SYSTEM:

Helps a student select, prepare, and start to interpret incoming information

TERM DESCRIPTIONEXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE

STRENGTHS POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES

FOCAL MAINTENANCE

Allows a student to focus for the right amount of time on important information

At home: Watches a video or TV show in its entirety; reads on his own despite other activities in the house

At home: Jumps from activity to activity without fi nishing; may overuse the TV remote

In school: Concentrates on a task through its completion, despite distractions; can move from subject to subject and refocus each time

In school: Stops focusing in the middle of an activity; is not prepared when class begins a new subject

SATISFACTION LEVEL

Controls how deeply students concentrate on details in order to capture the information

At home: Can follow through on chores or other unexciting tasks; does not need parents or siblings to entertain him

At home: Only concentrates on things that interest him; may exhibit an extreme hunger for material possessions (the “latest” thing)

In school: Focuses in class, even on “dull” topics; studies for tests, regardless of his interest in the topic

In school: Disrupts other students when bored; does not focus in class unless the topic is of great interest

ATTENTION GLOSSARY

Page 34: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 31

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PRODUCTION SYSTEM:

Controls students “output,” including behavior, academic performance, and social interactions

TERM DESCRIPTIONEXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE

STRENGTHS POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES

PREVIEWING Helps students consider more than one action or response and anticipate the outcome of a choice

At home: Thinks through or rehearses a conversation with a parent to request something, anticipating parental concerns and coming up with supporting arguments

At home: Has trouble thinking through the possible consequences of her actions, even when prompted by parents

In school: Plans class projects and reports; makes decisions based on imagining the future (e.g., this class will look good on my transcript)

In school: Does not use outlines to plan a paper or project; has a hard time estimating answers to math problems; diffi culty in predicting events in or endings to stories

FACILITATION AND INHIBITION

Allows students to exercise restraint and not act immediately, to consider various options, and to choose best response or strategy in a situation

At home: Talks about possible ways of doing tasks and chooses best option before starting them

At home: Tends to do the fi rst thing that comes to mind without considering possibilities; can’t resist temptation (e.g., sneaking treats before mealtime)

In school: Raises hand to speak in class discussion; does not speak or act at inappropriate times

In school: Blurts out responses in class discussion without being called on; says whatever is on his mind

PACING Adjusts the rate at which students complete a task; enables students to produce things at an appropriate rate

At home: Works effi ciently at chores without rushing through or taking too long to complete them; fi nishes homework in a timely manner

At home: Either rushes through homework or never seems to allot enough time for it

In school: Meets deadlines; takes timed tests well

In school: May do poorly on timed tests, even when she knows the content; is still completing assignments when others are done or fi nishes tasks far too quickly resulting in errors

ATTENTION GLOSSARY

Page 35: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 32

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

PRODUCTION SYSTEM:

Controls students “output,” including behavior, academic performance, and social interactions

TERM DESCRIPTIONEXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE

STRENGTHS POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES

SELF MONITORING Allows students to evaluate how they are doing while performing and after completing a task

At home: Child does a good job of performing and completing chores and tasks as requested, rarely requiring adult supervision

At home: Child does not check his work, leaving chores unfi nished or poorly done

In school: Checks over work by fi nding and correcting mistakes; asks for help when diffi culties arise

In school: Has trouble editing his own work; doesn’t “pick up“ when his behavior is bothering other kids

REINFORCEABILITY Helps students respond or act based on prior experience

At home: Responds to consequences for problematic behavior (“never makes the same mistake twice”) and positive reinforcements for good behavior

At home: Gets into trouble over the same problem despite past interventions or consequences

In school: Uses learning methods that have worked in the past (e.g., effective study techniques for past tests)

In school: Keeps making the same mistakes despite tutoring or re-teaching; is insensitive to punishment and reward

ATTENTION GLOSSARY

Page 36: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 33

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

WEB SITES

All Kinds of Mindshttp://www.allkindsofminds.orgThe All Kinds of Minds Web site provides resources to help parents, educators, and clinicians understand why a child is struggling in school and how to help each child become a more successful learner. The Web site provides a free monthly newsletter, articles by Dr. Mel Levine and others, case studies, discussion groups, a LearningBase of strategies, and much more.

The Hallowell Centerhttp://www.drhallowell.comThis Web site describes the Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health which specializes in the understanding and managing of attention defi cits, worry/anxiety, and child and adult learning diffi culties. The site offers informative articles and materials by Dr. Ned Hallowell.

The Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundationhttp://www.hellofriend.orgThis Web site is dedicated to helping you learn about Ennis William Cosby, about the foundation established in his memory, and about learning and learning differences. The site offers resources and information on how parents and teachers can help individuals with learning differences. Information is also available about the new video “Ennis’ Gift: A fi lm about learning differences.”

Family Educationhttp://www.familyeducation.comParents fi nd practical guidance, grade-specifi c information about their children’s school experience, strategies to get involved with their children’s learning, free email newsletters, and fun and entertaining family activities.

KidsHealthhttp://www.kidshealth.org/parent/Created by The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents—each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources—all original and all developed by experts in the health of children and teens.

Misunderstood Mindshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/index.htmlPBS has created a companion Web site to the Misunderstood Minds special on learning differences. Within the site are stories from the show and information and resources for parents.

PBS Parentshttp://www.pbs.org/parents/The PBS Parents Guides address important aspects of your child’s early years such as school readiness and social and emotional development. You can also fi nd information about your children’s favorite PBS KIDS programs: schedules for your local area, educational activities related to the programs, and explanations of educational goals.

PARENT & CAREGIVER RESOURCES

Page 37: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 34

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

WEB SITES

Schwab Learninghttp://www.schwablearning.orgSchwabLearning.org is a “parent’s guide to helping kids with learning diffi culties” that emphasizes useful information and practical strategies for children in kindergarten through high school. With over 350 research based articles, resources, message boards, email newsletter and more, parents will fi nd the guidance and support they need.

BOOKS

A Mind At A Time Author: Dr. Mel Levine (2003) ISBN: 0743202228This book explains how to identify individual learning patterns in children and maximize their success in life.

All Kinds of Minds-GuidelinesAuthor: Dr. Mel Levine (1993) ISBN: 0838820980The Guidelines explain the purpose and rationale behind the book (see Child Resources), the book’s organization, and a chapter-by-chapter analysis of how to present the content to students in the classroom or at home.

Educational Care Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1994) ISBN: 0838819877This book presents a model, a way of thinking about many of the common forms of learning disorders, their recognition, their implications, and their treatment.

Learning to LearnAuthor: Carolyn Olivier and Rosemary F. Bowler (1996)ISBN: 0684809907This book gives guidelines for creating education programs tailored to individuals’ needs and abilities.

Learning to Learn: Strengthening Study Skills and Brain PowerAuthor: Gloria Fender (1996)ISBN: 0865306079Filled with ideas, practical hints, methods, procedures, and resources that provide hands-on materials for study skills including note-taking, organizational skills, test-taking, memory skills, power reading, problem solving, and time management.

The Myth of Laziness Author: Dr. Mel Levine (2002) ISBN: 074321367XAs it explores the dysfunctions that result in output failure, this book uncovers some of the principal ingredients of successful output.

PARENT & CAREGIVER RESOURCES

Page 38: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 35

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

MULTIMEDIA

Developing Minds Author: Produced by WGBH The Developing Minds multimedia library fosters a thorough understanding of differences in learning and the process for working with each child’s unique learning profi le.

PARENT & CAREGIVER RESOURCES

Page 39: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 36

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

WEB SITES

Aesop’s Fables http://www.aesopfables.com/Online collection of Aesop’s fables includes a total of over 655 fables, indexed in table format, with morals listed.

AOL@SCHOOLhttp://www.aolatschool.com/AOL@SCHOOL is a series of six online learning stations designed for grades K-2, 3-5, middle school, and high school. Each station provides a suite of functional online tools such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, a calculator and many other research tools.

BrainConnection.com – Brain Teasershttp://www.brainconnection.com/teasers/The games here are designed to exercise the processes involved in attending to and remembering information and to exercise the neural pathways involved in distinguishing subtle differences in sound, this group of games works at training the basic fundamentals necessary for language, listening, and reading.

Discovery Channel School http://school.discovery.comDiscoverySchool.com, designed for all ages, is dedicated to making teaching and learning an exciting, rewarding adventure for students, teachers, and parents. The site is constantly reviewed for educational relevance by practicing classroom teachers in elementary school, middle school, and high school and includes learning tools such as online puzzle maker, clip art, and learning adventures that explore everything from Ancient Egypt to the Space Station.

KidsHealthhttp://www.kidshealth.orgCreated by The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents—each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources—all original and all developed by experts in the health of children and teens.

PBS Kidshttp://pbskids.org/Join your kids as they learn and play with all of their favorite characters through games, music, stories and more! For kids up to 8 years old.

PBS Kids Go!http://www.pbskids.org/go/PBS site for older children where they can share their opinions and stories, play games, and solve puzzles. For kids ages 6-12.

SparkTophttp://www.sparktop.org

CHILD RESOURCES

Page 40: PAYING ATTENTION - allkindsofminds.orgpaying attention helping students manage & strengthen attention participant journal understanding all kinds of minds

U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S

PAYING ATTENTION | PARTICIPANT JOURNAL | 37

© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

BOOKS

All Kinds of Minds Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1993) ISBN: 0838820905This book was written to help children in the elementary grades (7-11 years old) understand how they learn and how they may have different strengths and weaknesses in some areas of learning.

Keeping A Head In School Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1994) ISBN: 0838820697This book was written to help older students (from 11 years and up) understand and appreciate their own distinct learning profi les.

MULTIMEDIA

All Kinds of Minds–Cassette RecordingsAuthor: Dr. Mel Levine (1993) This collection of fi ve 90-minute cassettes feature the author, Dr. Mel Levine, reading the text of All Kinds of Minds verbatim.

Keeping A Head in School–Cassette RecordingsAuthor: Dr. Mel Levine (1994) This collection of six 90-minute cassettes feature the author, Dr. Mel Levine, reading the text of Keeping A Head in School verbatim.

CHILD RESOURCES