Effects of Parents’ Math Anxiety on Children’s Math Achievement

Previous research has established that when teachers are anxious about math, their students learn less math during the school year. The current study is the first to establish a link between parents’ and children’s math anxiety. These findings suggest that adults’ attitudes toward math can play an important role in children’s math achievement.

“We often don’t think about how important parents’ own attitudes are in determining their children’s academic achievement. But our work suggests that if a parent is walking around saying ‘Oh, I don’t like math’ or ‘This stuff makes me nervous,’ kids pick up on this messaging and it affects their success,” explained Beilock, professor in psychology.  “Math-anxious parents may be less effective in explaining math concepts to children, and may not respond well when children make a mistake or solve a problem in a novel way,” added Levine, the Rebecca Anne Boylan Professor of Education and Society in Psychology.

Four hundred and thirty-eight (n=438) first- and second-grade students and their primary caregivers participated in the study. Children were assessed in math achievement and math anxiety at both the beginning and end of the school year. As a control, the team also assessed reading achievement, which they found was not related to parents’ math anxiety.

Parents completed a questionnaire about their own nervousness and anxiety around math and how often they helped their children with math homework.  The researchers believe the link between parents’ math anxiety and children’s math performance stems more from math attitudes than genetics.

“Although it is possible that there is a genetic component to math anxiety,” the researchers wrote, “the fact that parents’ math anxiety negatively affected children only when they frequently helped them with math homework points to the need for interventions focused on both decreasing parents’ math anxiety and scaffolding their skills in homework help.”

Maloney said the study suggests that parent preparation is essential to effective math homework help. “We can’t just tell parents — especially those who are anxious about math — ‘Get involved,'” Maloney explained. “We need to develop better tools to teach parents how to most effectively help their children with math.”

A. Maloney, G. Ramirez, E. A. Gunderson, S. C. Levine, S. L. Beilock. Intergenerational Effects of Parents’ Math Anxiety on Children’s Math Achievement and Anxiety.Psychological Science, 2015

Dyslexia is NOT an Eye Disorder

Eye training or other vision therapies will not treat dyslexia in children, say researchers who found normal vision among most children with the learning disability.   The findings confirm what eye doctors have known for a long time, said Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.   “Dyslexia is a brain dysfunction, not an eye disorder,” said Fromer, who was not involved in the study. “There are no studies that clearly identify that visual training can be helpful for the dyslexic patient.”

Depending on the definition used, as many as one in five school-aged children in the United States may have dyslexia, the researchers said. If severe reading difficulties associated with dyslexia aren’t addressed, they can affect adult employment and even health, they added.

The new findings, published online May 25, will appear in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics. The researchers tested over 5,800 children, aged 7 to 9, for a variety of vision problems, including lazy eye, nearsightedness, farsightedness, seeing double and focusing difficulties.    The 3 percent (n=174 children) of children with dyslexia who had severe difficulty reading showed little differences in their vision than children without dyslexia. And 80 percent of children with dyslexia had fully normal vision and eye function in all the tests, the findings showed.    A slightly higher proportion of those with dyslexia had problems with depth perception or seeing double, but there was no evidence that this was related to their reading disability. After making adjustments for other contributing factors, this finding seemed due to chance.

“It does make sense to think something is wrong with your eye if you’re not reading well, but there really is no connection between any ophthalmological disorder and dyslexia,” said  Fromer.    Though the study findings aren’t new, this review is much larger than previous ones, he added.     “The biggest issue here is that parents of dyslexic children should not waste a lot of money on vision training for their children with dyslexia,” Fromer said. “It won’t work.”

That research showed that the cause of the disability has to do with how someone processes letters and sounds, not with how they perceive letters and words in the first place, said Fierson. He is co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement on learning disabilities, including dyslexia.  An initial eye evaluation to find out if eye problems are present is important, he said. But this is only to rule out problems or treat specific conditions — prescribing glasses or contacts for nearsightedness or farsightedness, for instance.

“To date, the best techniques for the remediation of dyslexia involve intensive one-on-one — or at least small group — teaching by phonetic methods by experienced teachers,” Fierson said.  “At least as important, however, is an initial evaluation by a neuropsychologist or educational psychologist to determine the specific problem areas present in the poor reader,” Fierson added.  “Parents should avoid unproven quick fixes and go for intensive phonics,” Fierson said. “As is usually the case, things that seem too good to be true usually are. This includes vision treatments for dyslexia.”

SOURCES: Walter Fierson, M.D., pediatric ophthalmologist, Arcadia, Calif., former chairman, ophthalmology section, American Academy of Pediatrics, and co-author, AAP Policy Statement and Technical Report on Learning Disabilities; Mark Fromer, M.D., ophthalmologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City, and director of eye surgery, N.Y. Rangers; Cathy Williams, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., senior lecturer, child visual development, University of Bristol, England; June 2015, Pediatrics

Children with Visual or Hearing Disabilities Can Now Access TV Programming

The U S Department of Education yesterday announced that thousands of children with visual or hearing disabilities may now access free on-demand children’s television programming.

Dozens of children’s and family TV episodes may now be viewed online featuring closed captioning and descriptions through our Accessible Television Portal project. Among the shows: “Ocean Mysteries,” “Magic School Bus,” “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Expedition Wild” and “Peg + Cat.”

TO VIEW THE CONTENT:  teachers and school personnel, parents, and other professionals working with qualified students can visit www.dcmp.org  and apply for access to the portal.  The portal is part of the Department-funded Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP). It includes video-on-demand content provided at no cost

Once approved, accessible content can be used with, and by, students in the classroom and at home via the Web, mobile phones and tablets, mobile apps, and set-top boxes. The portal itself is fully accessible to those with sensory impairments. Children with disabilities can locate any featured program without difficulty.

ADHD is an Executive Function Deficit Disorder

Executive Function refers to the cognitive or mental abilities that people need to actively pursue goals. In other words, it’s about how we behave toward our future goals and what mental abilities we need to accomplish them.

The term is very closely related to self-regulation — executive functions are things you do to yourself, in order to change your behavior. By employing your executive functions effectively, you’re hoping to change your future for the better.

Dr. Russell Barkley on what parents need to know about the executive function challenges that can start as early as age 2 — and serve as early warning signs of ADHD in children. Essentially, ADHD is an executive function deficit disorder (EFDD). The umbrella term “ADHD” is simply another way of referring to these issues.

Executive function is judged by the strength of these seven skills:

1. Self-awareness: Simply put, this is self-directed attention.
2. Inhibition: Also known as self-restraint.
3. Non-Verbal Working Memory: The ability to hold things in your mind. Essentially, visual imagery — how well you can picture things mentally.
4. Verbal Working Memory: Self-speech, or internal speech. Most people think of this as their “inner monologue.”
5. Emotional Self-Regulation: The ability to take the previous four executive functions and use them to manipulate your own emotional state. This means learning to use words, images, and your own self-awareness to process and alter how we feel about things.
6. Self-motivation: How well you can motivate yourself to complete a task when there is no immediate external consequence.
7. Planning and Problem Solving: Experts sometimes like to think of this as “self-play” — how we play with information in our minds to come up with new ways of doing something. By taking things apart and recombining them in different ways, we’re planning solutions to our problems.

These seven executive functions develop over time, in generally chronological order. Self-awareness starts to develop around age 2, and by age 30, planning and problem solving should be fully developed in a neurotypical person.

ADHDers are generally about 30 to 40 percent behind their peers in transitioning from one executive function to the next. Therefore, it makes sense for ADHDers to have trouble dealing with age-appropriate situations — they’re thinking and acting in ways that are like much younger people.

Necessary Skills for the 21st Century Student

Here is  a set of some important universal skills for learners in the 21st Century.  You could also consider them as competencies that lead up to the development of the required skills. But regardless of the theoretical stance underlying your view, these competencies/skills are the key drivers of learning in a multimodal and multimedia environment.

How to be a self-directed learner – finding and using resources (both face-to-face and online) to learn and improve personal interests

Self-directed Learning

How to do effective online searches

Google Lesson Plan – Search Education

How to develop one’s own Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Helping Students Develop Personal Learning Networks

How to post on social media while managing one’s digital footprint

Teaching Kids to Be Smart About Social Media – KidsHealth

How to evaluate websites and online tools for credibility

Evaluating Internet Resources

How to orally communicate with others both face-to-face and online (e.g., facetime, Skype, Google Handouts)

They Can Text & Tweet. Can They Speak?

How to Enjoy and Engage in the Arts

10 Salient Studies on the Arts in Education

How to Identify and Solve Problems (Including Math)

Problem-solving in the 21st Century

How to take professional looking photos; make professional looking videos

Digital Wish Lesson Plans

How to learn and use emerging technologies

Building on Technology’s Promise

How to ask questions

Learners Should Be Developing Their Own Essential Questions

How to make and invent stuff

DIY for Kids

How to code

Code.org: Anybody can learn

How to work in mixed-age groups

Enhancing Learning Through Multiage Grouping

How to effectively ask for what one wants or needs

MOODJUICE – Being Assertive – Self-help Guide

How to write effectively

National Writing Project – Teaching Writing

How to set and achieve goals

Making Kids Work on Goals (And Not Just In Soccer)

How to manage one’s own time

Time Management Tips for Students

How to be healthy – physically and emotionally

TeensHealth and KidsHealth

How to care for others

Empathy and Global Stewardship: The Other 21st Century Skill

ADHD Accommodations That May Help Your Child at School

Manage Impulsivity in the Classroom
For a child who speaks out of turn:
> Seat him front and center, near the teacher, and away from distractions
> Discuss the behavior in private rather than calling him out in front of the class
> Have him sit next to a well-behaved role model
> Increase the distance between desks, if possible
> For younger students, mark an area with tape around his desk in which he can move freely

Help for Half-Done or Incomplete Assignments
> Allow extra time to complete assigned work
> Break long assignments into smaller segments, each with a deadline
> Shorten assignments or work periods
> Pair written instructions with oral instructions
> Set a timer for 10-minute intervals and have the student get up and show the teacher her work

Help Classroom Focus
If your child doesn’t participate, drifts off when taking notes, or turns in work with mistakes:
> Have a peer assist him in note taking
> Have the teacher ask questions to encourage participation
> Enlist him to help present the lesson
> Cue him to stay on task with a private signal—a gentle tap on the shoulder
> Schedule a five-minute period for him to check over work before turning in assignments

To End Disruptive Classroom Behavior
> Have the teacher ignore minor inappropriate behavior
> Allow the student to play with paper clips or doodle
> Designate a place in advance where to let off steam
> Adjust assignments so that they are not too long or too hard
> Develop a behavior contract with the student and parents (share info about what works at home or vice versa)

For the Daydreamer in Class:
> Have the teacher use clear verbal signals, such as “Freeze,” “This is important,” or “One, two, three…eyes on me”
> Allow the student to earn the right to daydream for 5-10 minutes by completing her assignment
> Use a flashlight or a laser pointer to illuminate objects or words to pay attention to
> Illustrate vocabulary words and science concepts with small drawings or stick figures

Settle Fidgety, Restless Behaviors
If your child taps his foot or pencil nervously in class or gets up out of his seat a lot:
> Allow him to run errands, to hand out papers to students, clean off bookshelves, or to stand at times while working
> Give him a fidget toy in class to increase concentration
> Slot in short exercise breaks between assignments
> Give him a standing desk or an air-filled rubber disk to sit on so he can wiggle around

Keep Track of Homework and Books
If your child forgets to bring home homework assignments or books, return papers to school, or to put his name on his paper:
> Use an assignment notebook/student planner
> Allow students to dictate assignments into a Memo Minder, a small three-minute tape recorder
> Staple the teacher’s weekly lesson plan in the student’s planner
> Reduce the number of papers that are sent home to be signed
> Appoint monitors to make sure that students write down homework assignments
> Allow student to keep a second set of books at home

Put Time on His Side
If your child has trouble with due dates and deadlines:
> Give advanced notice about upcoming projects and reports
> Stand next to the student to make sure that the assigned task is begun quickly
> Present all assignments and due dates verbally and visually
> Use timers to mark transitions—putting materials away before starting a new subject or project

Expand Her Social Network
If your child is clueless about social cues, doesn’t work well with others, or isn’t respected by peers:
> Set up social-behavior goals with her and implement a reward program
> Request that the school establish a social skills group
> Encourage cooperative learning tasks
> Assign her special responsibilities or a leadership role
> Compliment positive behavior and work
> Acknowledge appropriate behavior and good work frequently

Take the Fear Out of Writing
If your child is challenged by written assignments:
> Allow more time for written assignments and essay questions
> Shorten reports or assignments
> Allow students to print; don’t require cursive writing
> Allow the option of a recorded or oral report in lieu of writing
> Encourage students to use a computer for written work
> Allow the use of spell check and grammar check software

Reduce Math Anxiety
If your child does not finish math tests, is slow to finish homework, or has problems with multi-step problems:
> Photocopy pages for students so they do not have to rewrite math problems
> Keep sample math problems on the board
> Allow use of a calculator for class- and homework
> Give review summaries for math exams
> Give extended time on tests

Where Did Special Education Come From?

Three federal laws establish and undergird the rights of children and adults with LD. They ensure that all citizens receive needed and appropriate special education services, as well as fair treatment in public schools, postsecondary education settings and the workplace.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides special education and related services to children and youth with disabilities who are 3–21 years old. Passed in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, this law guarantees each child a free appropriate public education tailored to his or her individual needs and delivered in the least restrictive environment appropriate to the individual’s needs. It also guarantees the right of children and their parents or guardians to timely evaluation, access to all meetings and paperwork and transition planning. IDEA specifies that children with any of 13 possible educationally handicapping conditions (including specific learning disabilities) are eligible for these services. IDEA also provides federal funds to states and local school districts to help support the additional costs of special education. The law provides several ways to address disputes between schools and parents, including mediation, due process hearings and written complaints to the state.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in federally funded programs and activities. While this civil rights law doesn’t fund programs, it does permit the withdrawal of funds from programs that fail to comply with the law. Persons with a physical or mental impairment that substantially restricts one or more major life activities are eligible for services under Section 504. Some schools use Section 504 to support students with LD needing only reasonable accommodations or modifications. Children and youth with ADHD who don’t need more comprehensive special education support also are frequently served under this law. Section 504 provides for both complaints to the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education and due process hearings. (An important note: All students eligible for special education services under IDEA are also eligible under Section 504, while the reverse is not true.)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is another civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination in schools, the workplace and other environments. The ADA protects people who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially restricts one or more major life activities. Since “learning” is considered such an activity under the ADA, students served under IDEA are also covered by this law. In addition, people with disabilities are protected from discrimination in employment settings by the ADA. The law prohibits employers from using unnecessary qualification standards to weed out applicants with disabilities, while not requiring employers to hire unqualified applicants with disabilities. Employers are prohibited from making reference to inaccurate job descriptions to determine that an employee with a disability can no longer perform his or her job. Employers are also prohibited from failing to provide reasonable accommodations that do not cause undue hardship to them. Like Section 504, the ADA provides no federal funds. It was amended in 2008 in order to clarify how its definition of disability should be interpreted in light of several court decisions. As a result, more people (including those with learning disabilities) are now able to satisfy the definition of disability, to gain access to reasonable accommodations and to be protected from discrimination. Issues of noncompliance are handled through complaints to federal agencies and the courts.

Learning Disability Checklist

Learning Disability Checklist

The following checklist is designed as a helpful guide and NOT as a tool to pinpoint specific learning disabilities. The more characteristics you check, the more likely that the individual described is at risk for (or shows signs of) learning disabilities. When filling out this form, think about the person’s behavior over at least the past six months. And when you’re done, don’t wait to seek assistance from school personnel or other professionals.

Most people have problems with learning and behavior from time to time. During the school years, parents and educators should be on the alert for consistent (and persistent) patterns of difficulty that children and adolescents may experience over time as they may signal an underlying learning disability (LD). While variations in the course of development are to be expected, unevenness or lags in the mastery of skills and behaviors, even with children as young as 4 or 5, should not be ignored. And because LD can co-occur with other disorders, it’s important to keep careful and complete records of observations and impressions so they can be shared among parents, educators and related service providers when making important decisions about needed services and supports.

Keep in mind that LD is a term that describes a heterogeneous (“mixed bag”) group of disorders that impact listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, math, and social skills. And remember: learning disabilities do not go away! A learning disability is not something that can be outgrown or that is “cured” by medication, therapy, or expert tutoring. So, early recognition of warning signs, well-targeted screening and assessment, effective intervention, and ongoing monitoring of progress are critical to helping individuals with LD to succeed in school, in the workplace, and in life.

Intellectual Giftedness

Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average.

Giftedness is a trait that starts at birth and continues throughout the life-span.

Giftedness is not a marker of success, but rather of aptitude or the inherent ability to learn.

Gifted children often develop asynchronously; their minds are often ahead of their physical growth, and specific cognitive and emotional functions are often at different stages of development.

Gifted individuals also experience the world differently, resulting in unique social and emotional issues.

Some research suggests that gifted children have greater psychomotor, sensual, imaginative, intellectual, and emotional “overexcitabilities“.

Many schools use a variety of measures of students’ capability and potential when identifying gifted children.   These may include portfolios of student work, classroom observations, achievement measures, and intelligence scores.

Most educational professionals accept that no single measure can be used in isolation to accurately identify a gifted child.

Most IQ tests do not have the capacity to discriminate accurately at higher IQ levels, and are perhaps only effective at determining whether a student is gifted rather than distinguishing among levels of giftedness.  For example,  although the Wechsler tests (WISC-IV) have a ceiling of about 160, their creator has admitted that they are intended to be used within the average range (between 70 and 130), and are not intended for use at the extreme ends of the population.