Early Reader/Late Reader Does it Matter

Nothing seems to give parents and educators more anxiety than a child who isnt reading at grade level. Just a generation ago, public schools in the U.S. didnt begin formal reading instruction until first grade. Today, a child who enters kindergarten without knowing all the sounds of the alphabet or who isnt reading simple books by the beginning of first grade is likely to be targeted for remedial instruction as soon as they walk in the classroom door. On the other extreme, some parents whose children who start to read at age three or four take it as a sign their child is more intelligent than their peers. They may push to get their offspring into gifted programs and assume their early lead with print gives their kids an advantage that will carry them into college. But are these assumptions valid? At What Age Should Children Begin Reading? The fact is, many educators believe that the range of whats normal for beginning readers is actually much broader than public schools acknowledge. In 2010, Boston College professor Peter Gray wrote in Psychology Today about a study at the Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts, where a philosophy of child-led learning meant that the age at which students began reading ranged from four to 14. And the age a child starts reading doesnt necessarily predict how they will do later on. Studies have found that theres no long-lasting advantage for students who learn to read early. In other words, children who learn to read later than others usually catch up so quickly once they start that within a few years theres no discernible difference in ability between them and early readers. A Range of Reading Among homeschooling kids, its common to find youngsters who dont learn to read until age seven, eight or even later. Ive seen this in my own family. My older son began reading on his own at around age four. Within a few months, he was capable of reading chapter books like Danny and the Dinosaur all on his own. By age seven, he was up to Harry Potter and the Sorcerors Stone, often reading ahead on his own after our bedtime readaloud of the series was over for the night. His younger brother, on the other hand, let it be known that he was not interested in reading at age four, or five, or six. Attempts to sit down and learn letter combinations with a popular series like the Bob Books produced only anger and frustration. After all, he was listening to Harry Potter every night. What was this cat sat on a mat stuff I was trying to foist off on him? If I left him alone, he insisted, hed learn to read when he was seven. In the meantime, he had someone at hand to read whatever was required, in the form of his cooperative older brother. But one morning, I walked into their shared bedroom to find my younger son alone in his bed with his favorite Calvin and Hobbes collection, and his older brother in the upper bunk reading his own book. Sure enough, his older brother had gotten tired of answering his beck and call and told him to read his book himself. So he did. From that moment on, he was a fluent reader, capable of reading the daily newspaper as well as his favorite comic strips. Older But Not Reading -- Should You Worry? Did this three-year difference in reading affect them later in life? Not at all. Both boys went on to earn As in college English classes as high schoolers. The late reader even beat his brother on the reading and writing portions of the SATs, scoring in the 700s on each. Keep them challenged by adding non-text-based sources of information, such as videos and podcasts, to your stock of interesting reading material. Of course, some reading delays do signal a learning disability, vision problem, or other situation that should be looked at more closely. But if you have older non-readers who are otherwise learning and progressing, just relax, keep sharing books and text with them, and let them learn at their own pace. Updated by Kris Bales

Age Related Declines Are Not Constant Across Brain Regions

Age-related declines are not constant across brain regions. Moreover, patterns of brain aging differs among individuals. Post mortem (PM) studies cannot help in assessment of brain tissue and its components. Moreover, PM cannot provide information on dynamic process of adult brain development, and its connection with brain structure and function. MRI helps in in-vivo measurements of the brain. It was realized that there is cortical thinning as age progresses. . Some studies of cortical thickness failed to replicate stability of the primary sensory regions (e.g., calcarine cortex) (Fjell et al., 2009; Salat et al., 2004) while others found that cortical thinning in frontal and parietal lobes exceed that of the temporal and occipital regions (Thambisetty et al., 2010). It is suggested that myelin is related to shrinkage in cerebral cortex or responsible for loss of cortical volume. MRI has helped evaluate leukoaraiosis which is a change in white matter integrity that is displayed on a T2-weighted MR image as a high signal intensity area. This area is defined as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) which depicts pathological processes such as ischemic lesions, gliosis, axonal degeneration, loss of myelin, microinfarcts, and expansion of perivascular spaces (de Leeuw et al., 2001; Pantoni, 1998). WHM is observed around the borders of the ventricles and deep in the subcortical WM regions. WHM is not present in health adults until the age of 50-55 (Hopkins et al., 2006). Further,Show MoreRelatedRelationship Between Age And Cognitive Functions1522 Words   |  7 Pagesintrigued in better understanding the higher levels of functions in cognition in adults and later in life for a certain reasons (Salthouse, 2012). Salthouse (2012), mentions in his article a brief review on studies focused on the relationship between age and cognitive functions. It is stated in the article that with higher levels of cognition the better an individual will function on the job, for examp le, training and achievements in job performance. Additionally, as an individual grows older they beginRead MoreBilingualism Has On The Mind Essay1810 Words   |  8 PagesFrom a young age I could remember my grandmother scolding my mother for not teaching me to speak Spanish fluently. I always questioned the importance of being bilingual, like how would this every help me in a world where English is becoming the native tongue. Before I stumbled across the research done on bilingualism I had very little to none background knowledge on bilingualism. I thought the only outcome of being bilingual or multilingual is you get to socialize with other people from other backgroundsRead MoreThe Effects Of Music Education On Children s Brain Development, Intelligence Quotient, Social Development And Overall Success3469 Words   |  14 Pages History Sings Good News for Musicians Historically, there has been a debate among educators and researchers whether music education plays a significant role in a child’s brain development, intelligence quotient, social development and overall success in life. Many believe the data has been unreliable because there is little to prove with absolute certainty that those who participate in music education were not just born smarter. On the other hand, substantial data has been collected in recent yearsRead MoreEffects of Lack of Sleep to Students of Philippine State College5455 Words   |  22 Pagesâ€Å"Effects of Lack Sleep to the Students of Philippine State College of Aeronautics† Name (Optional):_____________________ Age: __________ Gender: __M __F Civil Status: ____________ Check for the desired answer. | Yes | No | 1. Do you usually sleep late? | | | 2. Do you find it hard to sleep early? | | | 3. Do you feel lazy if you experience lack of sleep? | | | 4. Do you feel short tempered when you experience lack of sleep? | | | 5. Does your lack of sleep affect your study? | |Read Moreworking memory18399 Words   |  74 Pages3.4. Are There Really Two Distinct Storage Systems? 4. How Working Memory Works 4.1. Mechanisms of Active Maintenance DEBATE BOX: How Are Working Memory Functions Organized in the Brain? 4.2. The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Storage and Control A CLOSE R LOOK: Mechanisms of Working Memory Storage in the Monkey Brain 5. Current Directions 5.1. The Episodic Buffer 5.2. Person-to-Person Variation 5.3. The Role of Dopamine Revisit and Reflect Y ou’re in the middle of a lively conversation aboutRead MoreVitamin C And Its Effect On Human Body9946 Words   |  40 Pagesliver, asparagus, brown rice and potatoes. Most of the enzymes involved in cellular processes are dependent on thiamine for energy thus decreased in the intake of vitamin B1 affect the function of all cellular systems. As the nervous system and brain function is highly dependent on the oxidative metabolism, hence the nervous system gets highly affected by deficiency in thiamine level. It specifically causes deterioration of peripheral nervous system, cerebellum and thalamus. Usually startingRead More7 Megatrends 203026297 Words   |  106 PagesTECHNOLOGY INNOVATION T6 GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY T7 SHARING GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY START INDEX TRENDS CONTACT 5 SUBTRENDS GROWING WORLD POPULATION AGING SOCIETIES INCREASING URBANIZATION 8.3   billion   people    will   live   on   earth Median   age   will    increase   by   5    years   to   34   years 59%   of   the   world s    population   will   live    in   cities A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Seven   global   megatrends   shape   the   face   of   the   world   in   2030 T1 CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS T2 GLOBALIZATIONRead MoreMotor Learning Essay23209 Words   |  93 Pagesfollowing measures is a response outcome measure? premotor time | | According to your text book which of the following brain scanning techniques was first used? | Positron emission topography (PET) | The component of fractionated reaction time that measures the cognitive processes associated with a movement is called premotor time | | If I had a large constant error and a small variable error, how would you describe my performance I was consistently inaccurate Using hip and knee angleRead MoreSocm Study Guide Essay30404 Words   |  122 Pagestissues Gross Anatomy – considers features visible with the unaided eye. Surface Anatomy – refers to the study of general form and superficial markings. Regional anatomy – considers all of the superficial and internal features in a specific region of the body. Systemic Anatomy – considers structures of the major organ systems. Human Physiology – study of functions of human body Cell Physiology – study of functions of living cells Special Physiology – study of the physiology of specificRead MoreThe Social Impact of Drug Abuse24406 Words   |  98 Pagessuggest how problems of drug abuse prevention and control can be addressed in a constructive, coordinated manner. The paper concerns primarily narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances but also includes, where appropriate, information on problems related to the abuse of other addictive substances such as alcohol and tobacco. It is divided into four main sections. Part one describes the nature of the drug problem, in particular the chain of drug production, distribution and consumption. It also provides

Diary of an Eating Disorder Free Essays

The Book of Chelsea Browning Smith entitled â€Å"Diary of an Eating Disorder†. A mother and daughter share their healing journey greatly helped my outlook on eating disorders. This book also contains some compiled diaries of her in adolescent stage of her life. We will write a custom essay sample on Diary of an Eating Disorder or any similar topic only for you Order Now All along I thought that these were all just ordinary diseases that most women undergoes but as I read through the book, it exposes that it is more than having a problem with regards to foods but it is more on the emotional aspect. Everyday of every year many women becomes victims of these diseases due to emotional instability. Emotional instability may be cause by some aspects that most women sees everyday, may it be in terms of physical attributes they see perceive that are more acceptable towards the society, their families and most of all their loved ones. We can really never judge someone who is undergoing these disorders, namely anorexia and bulimia. She was very much open to everything that her openness helped the readers realized the goodness of God. I really appreciated her transparency with regards to this matter. It is a fact that many of the women nowadays are fighting this dilemma and as humans we need someone to hold on to, to regain our confidence and strength. Every word in the book just depicts what exactly a normal human being feels. We all know that anorexia and bulimia nervosa has received a great deal of attention in the popular media in recent years. This disorder is listed under the category of disorders of childhood or adolescence in DSM-III. Anorexia consists of extreme weight loss due to a reduction in eating. It occurs most frequently in female adolescents; only about 1 in 10 people with anorexia are male. The disorder is believed to be rate, but one study found an incidence of 1 case out of 200 adolescent girls. The person often has major problems in self-esteem and concerns about physical appearance. Weight reduction may be one way for the person to feel in control of her or his behavior, and to improve self-esteem. However, for anorexics, dieting gets out of hand. They develop an unreasonable fear of eating, and often suppress hunger by engaging in repetitive activity such as frequent exercising. When anorexics must eat because others (e. g. , parent) demand it, they often will induce vomiting after meals to get rid of the food ingested. At the other end of the spectrum from obesity is anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder associated with self-imposed starvation. The already underweight person continues to restrict food intake, often to the point where death is a genuine concern. One of the most distinguishing traits of people who have anorexia nervosa is that they do not see themselves as thin. When they look in a mirror, they actually perceive themselves to be overweight or gaining weight. In the latter case they may go out and jog 5 miles or stay up all night jumping jacks. The resulting weight loss and attendant physical stress often lead to an absence of menstruation among females, and the person may look pallid and gaunt. Having this overview in mind, I really can relate towards her feelings. It was not easy to experience the disorder but she managed to overcome and succeed her weakness. The book just touches the very heart and soul of the readers, especially those that are experiencing the same disorder. This book somehow gives them hope that as long as they have God and they have the will to overcome it, and then truly they will succeed. The book will really make you cry knowing how she struggled so much and knowing this, those who are also suffering these disorders will be strengthened in such a way that they know that they are not alone, that they are not the only one who is experiencing such troubled times. The author also believes that faith is a very important ingredient especially when are in tough times. It is through faith that we can be able to surpass all the waves that are before us. As adolescents, Chelsea emphasizes the importance of having a relationship with the Almighty. Through that relationship we have in Him, we would not feel any pressures and insecurities at all because we see ourselves as precious creatures and beloved masterpieces of God, knowing these in mind we would do our best to take care of ourselves. The author’s choices of words acts as a medicine or a healing ointment that helps those who in bondage will be freed and will no longer be enslaved by self inflicted hurts and hatred. She was so brave; I salute her for her courage. It is not that easy to tell the struggles, troubles and hurts one has experienced but Smith stood up. Through her braveness many people were blessed and also encouraged. Smith and Runyon have done a wonderful deed when this book was published. The book is very point blank. Each detail that Smith exposes when she suffered anorexia and bulimia for two years was so vivid that all readers could clearly feel the intense emotions behind it. It is somewhat a living testimony that because of what Smith has undergone she has become a dignified and composed woman that she is right now. The book also shows how successful and happy Chelsea was but no one knew what was really happening within her, all her hatred, struggles and frustrations that eventually lead to her eating disorders that eventually she was able to recover. Her recovery also gave the readers joy as she survive the travails, the readers will really be able to relate with the whole book. Smith tells in her book everything that she felt at the different episodes of her struggle with the eating disorder. She shared in this book the treatments she had and how she felt with the process. Chelsea’s perseverance was so great that anyone who reads the book will really be blessed and encouraged by this life changing material. Reference: 1. Smith, Chelsea Runyon, Beverly. (1998). Diary of an Eating Disorder: A Mother and Daughter Share Their Healing Journey. Taylor Publishing, New York. How to cite Diary of an Eating Disorder, Papers