Multiple Intelligences - Learning Styles

The theory of Multiple Intelligence was proposed by Dr. Howard Gardner and is now being implemented into teaching and learning practices across the continents. All of us have different learning styles and we learn at different paces. Some of us can put in a minimal effort and receive a high grade, meanwhile others have to work very hard to achieve an average grade. We can modify the learning activities and we can modify the methods we use to learn. If we maximize our opportunities for our personal learning needs to be met, we can enhance and ensure that we are more comfortable in our learning environment. One method of doing so is applying the theories of Multiple Intelligence to our learning styles. The suggestions below demonstrate how we can incorporate the concept of multiple intelligences into the subject or integrated subjects that we are being taught or are trying to learn. Knowing which intelligence you possess enables you to select learning styles that work for you. •We can work in small groups (interpersonal) to do a variety of tasks such as gather information, organize what we already know, and brainstorm etc (verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical) •We can research additional information using the internet, the library, books, multi-media centre and resources (verbal, linguistic) •We can classify, sort and organize the information according to a variety of attributes (logical, mathematical) •We can use software simulations and manipulatives and communicate our learning in written form (visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic) •We can work in groups to communicate the steps and processes involved to solve problems (verbal/linguistic, interpersonal) •We can create a musical selections and jingles to memorize key points and facts (musical/rhythmic,body/kinaesthetic) •We can reflect about learning tasks and think about the process involved (intrapersonal) Some of us display strengths in more than one or two areas of multiple intelligences and it is sometimes difficult to determine which intelligence is a real strength. However, by using a variety of methods when learning, your learning needs are more likely to be met. Although not all of us will learn everything, we can all learn something! Using a variety of methods and strategies to learn, we ensure that learning will occur!

Chess: A Great Way to Improve Your Child's Analytical and Problem Solving Skills.

Chess is a fun way for your child to exercise their brain, interact with other children, and improve their critical thinking and strategy skills. Some games don't develop specific knowledge so much as they develop basic thinking skills. Chess is one of those games. It's for people of all ages and it's never too early to start. What's more, age doesn't really matter when your matching up opponents. Some youngsters are masters of the game, while many grown-ups simply don't get it. There are lots of great reasons to play Chess, apart from the sheer enjoyment of the game. It's a great way to strengthen a young mind and exercise thinking skills so important in a child's education. Memory Chess develops memory and concentration. Different rules govern each piece, so players need to be aware of what their pieces are capable of, how to use them, and when. A player needs to be able to plan several moves ahead and adjust for unexpected changes on the board. Some players use patterns to get started. Memorizing these patterns can help you know what your opponent is up to and can help you win the game. Logic Logical thinking is crucial in the game of Chess. You need to understand, in advance, the consequences of your actions. Any move you make will have a major, lasting effect on the rest of the game. What you do with your knight can put other pieces in danger, or prevent catastrophe. Also, it will evoke a range of predictable responses from your opponent. Imagination Creativity is very important in Chess. The game is not limited to patterns and you can construct different sequences of moves in every game, and in every phase of each game. There are so many combinations that you'll probably never run out of ideas. And each combination will have its own effect on the game play, so even more imagination is required down the road. Chess has been called 'an art appearing in the form of a game.' It encourages you to paint pictures in your mind of ideal arrangement of your pieces. Cause and Effect Each player has the chance to make choices for himself and live with the consequences (good or bad!). Nothing happens by chance in the game of Chess and its' never the same game twice. It's all a result of the choices you make. Mistakes are inevitable (another great lesson the game teaches!) and recovering from them requires an understanding of what went wrong and what is likely to occur as a result. Chess can be a real exercise in independent action and taking responsibility. It's a safe place to take 'life threatening' chances! Math and Science As with science, Chess requires the player to consider numerous possibilities, explore new ideas, experiment with new moves and try to predict and interpret their outcomes. It requires the player to formulate a hypothesis and test it. And the math is everywhere on a Chessboard. You have to line up your moves and follow the grid to execute them. Bishops, for example, can only move in an unbroken diagonal line. Knights can only move in an L shape. And you need to be able to calculate the 'casualties,' that is, estimate and keep track of how many pieces you and your opponent will have left, which pieces and where on the board they will be after you execute a plan. Some experts date the invention of Chess back to the 6th century A.D. There's a reason for such longevity. Chess teaches and requires skills and modes of thinking common to every race, culture and time. A game of Chess puts the mind through a rigorous work out that can improve logic, critical thinking, imagination and the ability to form and respond to strategy. Chess fosters the foundational mental capacities that underlie learning and creativity. It's a great way to break from the facts and figures without leaving education behind.

You Can Motivate Children to Learn

We have many motivation studies to guide us as to why some children strive for academic success in a school setting while others do not. We know far less however about motivation to learn in non school settings. When participation is voluntary and children are not motivated, they simply vote with their feet. The case for self motivation Program practitioners have tested a variety of strategies to increase motivation. Those who believe children are best motivated extrinsically, reward with prizes, adult approval, or by the withholding of punishment. However, over time, these children are not motivated to do better but motivated to do more. They choose low degree of effort activities to reap the maximum award with the least effort. Extrinsic awards also may run counter to cultures that value team work rather than winner take all achievement. Conversely, children who are motivated intrinsically: that is, they are self motivated and participate for the sheer enjoyment or feeling of accomplishment, use increasingly more complex problem solving strategies and make more effort as well. Seven strategies to promote self-motivation Of course there is no magic formula for motivating children to learn, especially since a lack of motivation may have multiple causes. There are, however, some strategies that have been shown to be effective. Non-school settings are ideally suited for exploration and making choices about what to learn. Encourage children to plan their own projects. This ownership excites learners and often increases the effort they are willing to put forth. When children have a voice in how and what they learn, they build intrinsic motivation to problem solve. . When leading activities, try to capitalize on “teachable moments” such as a problem posed by one or more children, or even a failed activity. Take your cues from the children by listening and observing. You will then know when to encourage risk taking and when not to interfere. Always try to act as a facilitator, resource person, problem poser or guide rather than as an expert. . Expect the children to learn. Be enthusiastic, warm, and accepting while maintaining high expectations. Give genuine, specific feedback about a child’s work letting them know you have expectations. Focus your encouragement on that child who gets easily discouraged. Activities should not be driven by the clock. Allow enough time for the children to explore in-depth so that they can build skills that are personally challenging. Offer opportunities for long term, open ended projects. Provide a positive physical environment. Have ample supplies to carry out the projects. Designate special places where being messy is okay. and where unfinished projects don’t have to be put away. Encourage cooperative work. Recognize the work of the group. When children complete individual projects, encourage them to help one another and to give positive feedback to each other. Foster family participation. Encourage families to capitalize on their strengths by sharing customs, rituals, and learning with their children. Additional strategies for the unmotivated Unmotivated children who fear failure and need to protect their self- worth may need special strategies to help them learn. They may procrastinate or refuse to join in activities. Use a variety of strategies to diminish a child’s fear of failure or belief that she/he lacks the ability to do well. Help them to recognize the relationship between effort and success. Concentrate on the positive in the learning experience Identify mistakes and allow them to correct them. Foster team work to counteract personal failure Summary Children are natural learners. Motivating them to be learners is best accomplished by fostering a supportive climate in which you serve as coach/facilitator and children have the opportunity to choose learning activities. This helps connect learning with their own experiences and makes learning more relevant and more enjoyable. Additional strategies may be needed to help unmotivated children overcome their fear of failure. Reference Stipek, Deborah J. (2002).Motivation To Learn: Integrating Theory and Practice.Boston, Mass.: Allyn and Bacon.

Early Childhood Motivation

Motivating Learning in Young Children Young children learn from everything they do. They are naturally curious; they want to explore and discover. If their explorations bring pleasure or success, they will want to learn more. During these early years, children form attitudes about learning that will last a lifetime. Children who receive the right sort of support and encouragement during these years will be creative, adventurous learners throughout their lives. Children who do not receive this sort of support and interaction are likely to have a much different attitude about learning later in life. Characteristics of Motivation in Young Children Children do many things simply because they want to do them. Selecting a toy or a shirt to wear is the result of "intrinsic motivation." The child makes her own choice and achieves satisfaction from both the act of choosing and from the opportunity to play with the toy or wear the shirt. Since the activity is generating the motivation, it is mostly self-sustaining for as long as the child wants to continue the activity. Children also engage in some activities because adults tell them to, or in an effort to please another party. These activities are "extrinsically motivated." When a child is extrinsically motivated, the reward comes from outside the child-it has to be provided by someone else, and has to be continually given for the child to remain motivated enough to continue the activity. It is more difficult for a child to sustain extrinsically motivated activity because of this reliance upon some outside force. Since intrinsically motivated activity is more rewarding in and of itself, children learn more from this sort of activity, and they retain that learning better. Intrinsically motivated children are more involved in their own learning and development. In other words, a child is more likely to learn and retain information when he is intrinsically motivated - when he believes he is pleasing himself. Parents can build on this sense of confidence by guiding their child's play and activities while still giving the child a range of options. This unstructured play is an essential element of the child's motivation, learning, and development. A number of behavioral characteristics are indicators of high motivation. Here are some of the important factors and some ways to help your child develop these characteristics. Persistence is the ability to stay with a task for a reasonably long period of time. While very young children cannot concentrate on one activity for an hour, there are still measurable differences in the length of time that young children will engage in an activity. A highly motivated child will stay involved for a long period of time, whereas an unmotivated child will give up very easily when not instantly successful. Children learn persistence when they are successful at a challenging task. The art in building persistence is in offering a task that is just challenging enough, but not overwhelming. Choice of challenge is another characteristic of motivation. Children who experience success in meeting one challenge will become motivated, welcoming another. These motivated learners will choose an activity that is slightly difficult for them, but provides an appropriate challenge. When they successfully complete such a task, children gain a high level of satisfaction. Unmotivated children (those who have not experienced early success) will pick something that is very easy and ensures an instant success. With such easy success, children feel only a very low level of satisfaction, because they know that the task offered little challenge. The challenge for parents is helping their child find an appropriate challenge while still allowing the choice to be the child's. The amount of dependency on adults is another indicator of motivation. Children with strong intrinsic motivation do not need an adult constantly watching and helping with activities. Children who have a lower level of motivation or are extrinsically motivated need constant attention from adults and cannot function independently. Since independence is an important aspect of quality learning, this dependence on adults will greatly limit children's ability to succeed in school. Parents can increase the likelihood of their child's building independent motivation by providing toys and activities that play to the child's natural creativity and curiosity. Often, these are the simplest, most basic playthings: blocks, little plastic "people," a toy car or two, and crayons and paper. These things encourage children to invent their own worlds rather than depending on an adult to entertain them. The last indicator of motivational level is emotion. Children who are clearly motivated will have a positive display of emotion. They are satisfied with their work and show more enjoyment in the activity. Children without appropriate motivation will appear quiet, sullen and bored. They will not take any apparent pleasure in their activity and will often complain. As a parent, you are probably the best judge of your child's moods. That cranky, whiny voice is usually a good indicator that a child doesn't feel very good about herself and needs a new adventure of some sort. Developing Motivation Newborn infants are born with a tremendous amount of intrinsic motivation. This motivation is aimed toward having some visible effect on the environment. When infants can actually see the results of their actions as a reward, they are motivated to continue those actions. These attempts toward control are limited within the young child, and include crying, vocalizations, facial expressions and small body movements. Toys that change or make sound as the child moves them are therefore strong motivators. As infants grow and continue to mature (9-24 months), more voluntary, purposeful movements are possible. This gives them more control of their environment. This wider range of control allows children to feel that they are successful. Success leads to higher self-esteem and feelings of self-worth, which leads to strengthened motivation. As children continue to develop during this time period, they are better able to make decisions and plan what to do to gain control of things around them. They are beginning to set their own goals for activities. This success is not based upon adult standards, but totally upon the child's ability to accomplish the goals that he has set out for himself. By two years of age, children are developing the ability to execute a sequence of events in order to achieve a goal. They also have an appreciation for standards and begin to evaluate their efforts. By three years of age, children become interested in doing things well, as opposed to just doing them. They have an idea of various levels of competency in performance and judge their success by their own internal standards. Therefore they have much less need for adult feedback about the quality of their efforts. Preschoolers (age 3-5 years) are beginning to be more involved with verbal problem solving skills. They direct their own learning through speech and use vocal communication to direct their own behavior to solve problems. Young children are often heard talking themselves through a series of actions that lead to the solution of a problem. As children get older, this "talking out loud" will become an internal monologue. This newly developing ability to problem solve is the basis for motivation at this stage. Having the self confidence to know that one can solve a problem motivates the learner to accept other new and challenging situations, which in turn lead to greater learning. Enhancing Motivation For parents of young children, the goal should be to appropriately support the development of motivation so that there is a proper foundation for optimal educational growth. Parents should be very cautions about the use of many extrinsic rewards, as this can severely interfere with the child's motivational development. Praise for an accomplishment is appropriate, but be sure that your child is doing a task because she is interested, not because she thinks it will bring praise from you. Difficulties arise when adults or others within the child's environment enforce external standards and replace the internal reward system with one that depends upon outside forces to supply all of the rewards (candy, money, excessive praise). Children then begin to feel successful only if someone else rewards them for accomplishments. They lose their intrinsic motivation and may only feel success when someone else judges them as successful. In such situations, children may not develop feelings of self-worth, and will judge their own value by someone else's standards. Your child should never need to ask, "Did I do well?" She should know and be confident in her own successes. There are several strategies parents can use to help children remain more fully intrinsically motivated. •Provide an environment (through age appropriate toys, activities, etc.) that allows children to freely explore and to see the effect of their actions (i.e., toys that have visible or tangible changes when moved). •Allow children ample time when working to allow for persistence. When children are deeply involved with an activity, make sure that they can finish without interruption. Resist the natural urge to "help," and let the child know if, for example, we have to go to the grocery store in a few minutes. •Respond to children's needs in a consistent, predictable manner, but allow them to be as independent as possible. This does NOT mean ceding all control to your child. All children need clearly defined limits. Playtime, however, need not be structured and organized. Let your kid be a kid! •Provide many opportunities for children and adults to explore together and interact directly. It is important for both children and adults to be working together on an activity. This lets you observe, model, and encourage your child. •Provide situations that give children an acceptable challenge. Activities that are slightly difficult for the child will be more motivating and provide for stronger feelings of success when accomplished. This may take some trial and error at first. •Give children opportunities to evaluate their own accomplishments. Rather than stating that you think they have done a good job, ask them what they think of their work. You'll never go wrong by asking the question, "What do YOU think?" •Do not use excessive rewards. They tend to undermine children's ability to value themselves. Praise and rewards should be based upon children's effort and persistence, rather than on the actual accomplishment. The world through a child's eyes is an awesome place. Allow children to explore and discover their world. Around every corner is an experience just waiting to surprise and excite young growing minds; all they need is a small amount of direction and a large amount of freedom. It is not necessary to praise and reward children for their own actions as they attempt to control their environment. The feelings of accomplishment they gain from results of those actions will be reward enough. Providing excessive praise and rewards is unnecessary and can actually be harmful to children's motivation and desire to learn. Remember, the habits and attitudes toward learning that are formed in these early years set the mood for all future learning.

"How to Find the Best Method for Teaching Your Child to Learn to Read"

How to Find the Best Method for Teaching Your Child to Learn to Read According to some reading experts there are four methods proven effective in teaching reading. These methods are phonics, look and say, the language experience approach, and the context support method. However, a newer method, syllabics, might be gaining ground as a viable, even preferred, method for teaching children to learn to read. Each method warrants a closer look. Teaching Reading with Phonics The use of phonics to teach reading is perhaps the most widely used and most easily recognized method in play today. Teaching children to read using the phonics method begins with teaching the alphabet and the sound associated with each letter. Reading begins with short, two-letter, words and blends which are easy for the child to "sound out". After mastering two-letter words, children move on to three-letter words, then four-letter words, and more. The main criticism of teaching reading using phonics is that the method gives children the introduction they need to letter sounds so that they can manage words that can be read phonetically, but does little to prepare them for words that are not phonetically regular (such as vowels). This method also requires that children be provided with sufficient phonetic reading material. Creative teaching formats also have to be used to keep children from getting bored with the method. Look and Say Reading The look and say reading method is also known as look-see or the whole-language approach. With look and say reading, a child learns the whole word at once rather than as a series of letters or sounds. To teach whole words, the teacher often uses flashcards and/or pictures to represent the word. The teacher might sound out the word for the child and ask the child to repeat the word rather than sound it out for himself/herself. Look and say reading has been criticized as not giving children the tools they need to sound out words for themselves. In essence, the child is required to memorize words as opposed to really learning how the letters and sounds work together to form words. Some educators believe, however, that combining phonics with look and say reading can help children tackle more difficult words, compared to the first two methods. The Language Experience Approach to Reading The language experience approach to reading uses the child's own life experiences to teach words and reading. For instance, if a child draws a picture of his or her family, a teacher might ask the child who each person is in the drawing. As the child says such words as "mom", "dad", "my brother Rob", the teacher writes those words under each person in the picture. If a child draws a picture of a cat in a tree, the teacher writes the words "a cat in a tree" under the drawing. As the child gains a better understanding of words, teachers can talk about and write more complicated sentences such as "This is my family. I have a mother, a father, and a brother named Rob". Some educators like to make a sort of book out of the child's drawings. This personalized book would then obviously be filled with pages that the child can automatically "read" since that child is the author of the book. Teachers can also encourage students to trace over the words they've written to begin early writing experiences. Many educators use this method as a way to introduce children to reading even before they begin teaching reading using phonics, the look and say, or any other reading method. It's a great way to help children understand the connection between the pictures and words that appear on the pages of a book and to help them begin simple word recognition. Unfortunately, the method seems to be limited to teaching children only how to read concrete nouns—those that represent physical objects that can be drawn or photographed. Verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions and nouns that have no common physical representation can't be accommodated by the language experience approach for learning to read. The Context Support Method Much like the language experience approach to reading, the context support method uses the connection between pictures and words to attract and hold the attention of the reader. Some educators believe that holding a child's attention might be the single most important factor in learning to read. This makes sense because a disinterested child is less likely to pay attention long enough to learn the material. Obviously, an interested child is likely to be more interested in learning. Many parents complain that, especially once their male children move past the early reading stage, there is little material available for them to read. Toddler boys and girls are often presented with reading material geared toward their particular interests, such as boats and balls for boys and dolls for girls. However, some educators insist that the relative disinterest that boys eventually develop in reading might be due to the lack of sufficient reading material that interests them. Therefore, after the initial boost that boys get in the early reading stages, there might not be nearly enough context support for them to continue to read for pleasure. Using Syllabics to Teach Vowel Sounds One of the major criticisms of using phonetics to teach reading is that the method addresses consonant sounds far better than it does vowel sounds. For instance, the letter "b" makes the same sound regardless of whether the word it is used in is "bite" or "bit". However, using those same two words, the letter "i" can be either "long" or "short". This discrepancy in sound "rules" can make it difficult for early readers to understand how vowels are to be addressed. Syllabics teaches both consonant sounds and vowel sounds so that children can master them both properly. Syllabics teaches children the consonant sounds and the main consonant blends, and then teaches children how to tackle the sounds made by vowels. Syllabics uses what it calls "letter codes" to teach children how to read just about any word except those that do not follow general word pronunciation rules and foreign words. The bottom line on reading methods is that, in general, no one method is yet viewed as being the cure-all, end-all for teaching reading to all children. Most educators currently use a combination of methods geared toward the specific needs of the child. Choosing the program that is best for each child requires an understanding of the strength and weaknesses of the methods available as well as an appreciation of what works best for the child.

Helping children learn about reading

Why read a book to an infant who does not yet know the meaning of a word -- or of words at all? Why sing to a toddler who cannot understand your song? Both of these activities help children make connections between words and meaning. They also help to create a warm, safe environment for children and lead to a lifetime love of reading and learning. Some parents assume that learning to read starts with memorizing the alphabet and sounding out words, but actually the fundamentals of reading begin much earlier. Adults lay the foundation for reading every day, when they point out objects and describe what they are doing while dressing an infant, grocery shopping with a toddler, or cooking with a preschooler. The most important thing is that teaching children about reading becomes an activity that brings children closer to the caring adults in their lives. Here are some tips for families who want to help their children make connections between meaning and words. Infants Talk or sing to your baby when you change his diaper, give him a bath, feed him lunch or join him in play. Introduce cardboard or cloth books with brightly colored pictures. Be aware that at this point, your baby might enjoy looking at, tossing, or chewing the books more than being read to! Help increase your baby's vocabulary by playing "What's that?" or "Where's the teddy bear?" when enjoying books together. Point out words on signs at the park, at the zoo, or when walking or driving. As children begin to notice letters on blocks or other toys, name the letters for them. Read words aloud and explain what they mean. Toddlers Reading stories before bed makes a good transition between active play and restful time. Toddlers may ask you to read their favorites repeatedly. They may begin to connect pictures with words, or fill in missing words if you hesitate. Let toddlers "write" shopping lists with you. They may want to watch you sort coupons and engage in other grocery store activities. Take short trips to new places and talk about what is happening around you. If possible, read together about similar events beforehand and again afterwards. Give children magnetic letters for the refrigerator, and begin spelling out words and names as toddlers are introduced to them. Preschoolers Encourage preschool children to carry out the steps to written recipes, or read printed labels at the store. At four or five, children may begin to ask questions about the print they see in books. Books with labeled pictures help children to connect words and objects more easily. Play picture-card games with your child -- but remember, they may not always play by the rules at this age! Provide a variety of materials to encourage children to "play" at writing and reading—checks or traffic tickets, menus or greeting cards. Primary grade children Continue to read with your child, especially at bedtime, even if she has already learned to read. Visit the library on a regular basis to make books a regular part of children's lives. Show children that you read books and magazines for information and enjoyment. Listen to the stories children write, as well as their jokes or riddles. Encourage them to write down their ideas. Play word games such as Boggle or Scrabble with your child. Additional Resources Schickedanz, J.A. 1994. Helping children learn about reading. Washington, DC: NAEYC. #520/50¢ each or 100 for $10. National Black Child Development Institute. 1995. Young children and African American literature. Washington, DC: NAEYC. #568/50¢ each or 100 for $10.

Education for Children

The Chinese Government always gives pride of place to children's education in the promotion of education in general. Thanks to the mutual efforts made by the government and society, children's education in China has seen great progress in the past few years, with many indexes higher than those of other developing countries and some indexes close to those of developed countries. Vigorously Increase Input in Education In recent years, China has established an educational fund-raising system, whereby financial allocations are the predominant source, with funds collected through other channels as a supplement. It is stipulated that the increase of allocations for education by the central and local governments should be higher than the increase of regular revenue, thus ensuring a year-by-year increase of average educational appropriations for every student. According to statistics, in 1994 China spent 59.4 billion yuan on primary education, with operating expenses for public use averaging 89.47 yuan per student; 43.5 billion yuan was spent on ordinary middle schools, with operating expenses for public use averaging 239.89 yuan per student. The Chinese Government pays great attention to educational development in remote and poor areas, as well as areas inhabited by national minorities. Since the 1980s, the state has appropriated school aid for the popularization of primary education, and subsidies for developing vocational education, normal education and education for national minorities. The State Education Commission and the Ministry of Finance have decided that in 1995-2000, the special funds allocated by the central government for the popularization of compulsory education, plus the supporting money provided by the local governments, should be used to implement the National Compulsory Education Project in Poor Areas. It is estimated that over 10 billion yuan will be put into the project. The money will be used mainly to improve conditions in primary schools and junior middle schools in poor areas. China has been making great efforts in raising educational funds through various channels. According to incomplete statistics, during 1991-94, it collected a total of 33.8 billion yuan for primary and middle schools to buy more and better quality teaching aids, books and reference materials, sports requisites and campus facilities. Develop Preschool Education Mobilizing the whole society to develop preschool education in vari"ious forms and channels and encouraging not only government institutions and enterprises but also mass organizations and individuals to open kindergartens in light of relevant regulations--this is one of the principles adopted by China in developing preschool education. In recent years, due to the vigorous support and active participation of governments at all levels and society at large, China's preschool education has been developing steadily. A new era has dawned in which kindergartens are run by the state, the collectives and the individuals together. By 1995 China had 180,000 kindergartens, with an enrollment of 27.1123 million children. In all, 42.2 percent of children aged 3-5 years old go to kindergartens. In urban areas, full-time kindergarten is the dominant form of preschool education, with the boarding system and preschool classes as a supplement; in rural areas where the local economy is better-developed, central kindergartens can be found in every township and preschool classes in every village. In backward countryside, mountain and pastoral areas, which are remote and sparsely populated, while endeavoring to create conditions for running preschool classes, people are opening children's activities stations, games groups, mobile groups giving children guidance, and other nonregular forms of preschool education. Higher Enrollment Ratio for Children of School Age Popularization of compulsory nine-year schooling is the key goal of China's elementary education program. Thanks to the government's effort and powerful support from society, in 1995 the number of children attending primary school reached 131.95 million, with an enrollment rate of 98.5 percent for children of school age. In addition, only 1.49 percent of the students discontinued their studies and 90.8 percent of the primary school graduates entered a higher school. According to China's present standard on popularization of compulsory primary schooling, elementary education has been basically popularized in areas covering 91 percent of the country's population. UNESCO statistics show that the enrollment ratio of school-age children in China is much higher than in other countries of the same economic development level. Education for girls is a key problem which faces developing countries in the field of children's education. When New China was firstly founded, the country's enrollment rate of girls was only 15 percent. The Chinese Government later took many measures so that great progress was made in education for girls and the gap between enrollment rates of boys and girls was reduced year by year. China therefore has solved a problem which remains unsolved in many other developing countries. According to statistics, in 1995 the enrollment ratio of school-age girls in primary schools was 98.2 percent, only 0.7 percentage point lower than that of boys; girl students accounted for 47.3 percent of total primary school enrollment. Help for Children Unable to Go to School In China's poor areas there are children unable to go on to school because of poverty. Governments at all levels have incorporated help for children from poor families to enter school in their help-the-poor programs and, at the same time, have taken various measures to help them return to school. In the mean time, thanks to the concern of and vigorous promotion by the government, people from all walks of life have been helping these children, enabling them to enjoy the fundamental right to education. In October 1989, the China Youth Development Foundation initiated the Hope Project in Beijing. It provides grants-in-aid as long-term financial assistance to children in poor areas who dropped out of school because of straitened family circumstances, thus enabling them to return to school. In some poor rural areas, it also helps build or repair schoolhouses and buy teaching aids, stationery and books. It has sponsored the ``One Million People's Love Movement'' and the ``1 (family) + 1 (dropout) Help Movement,'' mobilizing the entire society to help dropouts return to school. By the end of 1995, the Hope Project had raised 690 million yuan, given financial assistance to 1.25 million children for continuing primary education and subsidized construction of over 2,000 Hope Project primary schools. The China Children's Foundation began to carry out the Spring Buds Program in 1989. It established a special fund to help girls enter school, enabling girls in poor areas to receive charge-free compulsory primary education. In total, the Spring Buds Program helped 100,000 girls return to school in 1994 and 1995.

How to Improve Your Memory

Wouldn’t it be nice to just look at a page and never forget what was on there? What if you could never again forget a friend’s birthday? The bad news is, not everyone has a photographic memory, otherwise known as eidetic memory. Only a few actually have it, the rest rely on mnemonic devices. The good news, however, is that everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. 1.Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements -- it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress. 2.Exercise your brain. Regularly “exercising" the brain keeps it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning. Try some puzzle exercises everyday such as word cross, sudoku and some other games as easy to put into your mobile phone and practice it maybe once for 30 minutes per day. 3.Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures." 4.Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. After prolonged stress the brain will be damaged. Stressful situations are recognized by the hypothalamus, which in turn signals the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secreted adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)which influences the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline and later cortisol(corticosteroids). The corticosteroids can weaken the blood-brain barrier and damage the hippocampus(the memory center). Ironically, the hippocampus controls the secretion of the hormone released by the hypothalamus through a process of negative feedback. After chronic stress it will be damaged and it will not be as efficient in regulating the degenerative corticosteroids and memory will be harmed. Neurogenesis (formation of new neurons) indeed exists in the hippocampus but stress inhibits it. To recapitulate and synthesis, chronic stress will affect your health and your memory, it will damage the brain so the best option is to learn to control stress. Stress will never be eliminated, but it definitely can be controlled. [http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Stress-Effects-Neurotransmitters&id=19510]Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress as soon as possible. 5.Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain. 6.Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos. 7.Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes. 8.Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong. 9.Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you’ll remember it, right? It’s a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker’s name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it. The key lies in "Spaced Repetition" learning. I'm sure everyone is familiar with flash cards. They're usually used when you want to revise for an exam. It's essentialy a card with a question on one side and the answer on the other. In the course of learning a topic you would have a stack of cards and would go through them testing yourself. Those that you got right you would put to one side and review a few days later. The more difficult ones might take several days to fix in the brain. However, when is the ideal time to review the cards that you have temporarily remembered. Leave it too long and, like all memories, it may have faded and we forget the answer. If we review it too soon then we waste time looking at it. We need some system to know exactly when to review each card. Here enters the exciting world of "Spaced Repetition Software". This software automatically works out the most efficient time to test you on each card for optimum memory retention. There are a number of free bits of software out there for you to use. 10.Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four. 11.Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore). 12.Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice "mindfulness" meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory. 13.Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School. 14.Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory. 15.Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.

The MAT method

MAT METHOD stands for “model, action and talk,”a method that enables children to use both sides of the brain at the same time. The method was developed as a teaching strategy by Ritsuko Nakata, an expert on teaching English to younger learners, who has focused on how children can get the most out of English lessons with their limited sessions. According to Nakata, the teacher needs to model the lesson in such a way that the children can understand it. The teacher introduces an action to stimulate the right side of the brain. When you stimulate the right side of the brain, it increases their learning ability. And then we have them talk at the same time. You’re stimulating the left side [of the brain]. Nakata founded the Institute for the International Education of Children in 1987 in Tokyo, is also the author of the Let’s Go series , Oxford University Press’ best selling children’s course, first published in 1989 catered to Japanese kids. Among the 3 key elements, the MAT method especially focuses on the “talk” part. Students are given at least 80 per cent of the speaking time in class, and to facilitate this, many exercises are given in a rapid fashion during classes. For eg., the teacher may introduce some sentences from the Level 1 book–”Stand up.” Sit down,” “Make a circle” and “Make a line.” The audience may be allowed to say “Stand up” once while performing the action, but soon will be encouraged to say the phrase three times quickly each time they stand up. Then the audience may form pairs, with each party giving a command from the four phrases, and the other partner repeating it three tiems while performing the action. This approach–encouraging instant responses from students is also applied to new vocabulary and going on to sentence and question forms. The method focuses on the step-by-step approach and emphasizes the need for speed in the repetition practice exercises. The teacher may shuffle the word/phrase cards very quickly while holding them over her head. Audience members will find themselves saying the same words and phrases man times in a short period. Source: MAT method gets kids talking Tuesday, February 21, 2006 Daily Yomiuri See also the IIEEC.com website Notes: The MAT method is said to be a unique technique developed in Japan by Ritsuko Nakata, so it may be assumed that the MAT method has no relation to the similar sounding method called 4MAT…see the Aboutlearning.com website for more info. 4MAT is another theory on what constitutes effective learning is the 4MAT System. This theory attempts to describe the processes and whole range of the learning experience. The 4MAT theory offers a cyclical model of teaching that reflects the differences in the ways people learn. It explores the process of learning itself – how we encounter, perceive and absorb information; how radically different our methods can be; and how those differences affect the ways we deal with one another.It postulates that all learners engage in one or more of 4 types of learning, most: Imaginative Learning (Feeling and watching, seeking connections, meaning)/Analytic Learning (seeking facts, thinking through ideas, formulating ideas)/ Common Sense Learning (Thinking and doing, experimenting, building, tinkering, applying ideas)/ Dynamic Learning (doing and feeling, seeking hidden possibilities, exploring, learning by trial and error, self-discovery, creating original adaptations.) The 4MAT model entails the use of right and left-brain strategies within four distinct phases of the learning cycle. The theory has had an impact on education, management, problem solving and communication.

Bill Gates Is Spending Millions To Influence The Nation's Education Policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The real secretary of education, the joke goes, is Bill Gates. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been the biggest player by far in the school reform movement, spending around $200 million a year on grants to elementary and secondary education. Now the foundation is taking unprecedented steps to influence education policy, spending millions to influence how the federal government distributes $5 billion in grants to overhaul public schools. The federal dollars are unprecedented, too. President Barack Obama persuaded Congress to give him the money as part of the economic stimulus so he could try new ideas to fix an education system that most agree is failing. The foundation is offering $250,000 apiece to help states apply, so long as they agree with the foundation's approach. Obama and the Gates Foundation share some goals that not everyone embraces: paying teachers based on student test scores, among other measures of achievement; charter schools that operate independently of local school boards; and a set of common academic standards adopted by every state. Some argue that a private foundation like Gates shouldn't partner with the government. "When you team up with the government, you compromise your ability to be critical of the government, and sometimes you compromise your ability to do controversial and maybe unpopular things with your money," said Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education think tank. The institute, is among the many that have received money from the Gates Foundation. Another concern is that as a private foundation, Gates doesn't have to disclose the details of its spending like the government does. The big teachers' unions dispute some of the goals shared by Obama and the foundation. They say student achievement is much more than a score on a standardized test and that it's a mistake to rely so heavily on charter schools. "Despite growing evidence to the contrary, it appears the administration has decided that charter schools are the only answer to what ails America's public schools," the National Education Association, the largest teachers' union, said in comments about the grant competition submitted to the Education Department. The NEA added: "We should not continue the unhealthy focus on standardized tests as the primary evidence of student success." The American Federation of Teachers submitted similar comments. Together the unions have 4.6 million members. Education Secretary Arne Duncan welcomes the foundation's involvement. "The more all of us are in the game of reform, the more all of us are pushing for dramatic improvement, the better," Duncan said in an interview with The Associated Press. Duncan's inner circle includes two former Gates employees. His chief of staff is Margot Rogers, who was special assistant to Gates' education director. James Shelton, assistant deputy secretary, was a program director for Gates' education division. Rogers said she joined the administration because she was inspired by the its goals for helping kids graduate from high school and finish college. The administration has waived ethics rules to allow Rogers and Shelton to deal more freely with the foundation, but Rogers said she talks infrequently with her former colleagues. Bill Gates said his foundation is not the government's partner in the new grant program, which the government has called the "Race to the Top." "It's no secret the U.S. education system is failing," Gates said. "We're doing all kinds of experiments that are different. The Race To The Top is going to do many different ones. There's no group-think." Gates stepped away last year from his daily role at Microsoft, the software company he co-founded, to focus on the work of his foundation. Vicki Phillips, the Gates Foundation's director of education, said it originally offered help to states and school districts that it was working with and that that are in agreement with many of the foundation's goals. She said the foundation shares Obama's priorities and sees itself as part of a larger reform effort. The foundation's rising profile comes as the recession has gutted state and local budgets, which spend more money on education — roughly 35 percent — than anything else. Many states and districts can't keep all their teachers on the payroll, let alone spend money on a high-stakes application for federal money that includes some 44 pages of rules. In Minnesota, more than a dozen education department staffers are working with consultants from the McKinsey & Co. global consulting firm to prepare the state's application, using about $250,000 in Gates Foundation money, spokesman Bill Walsh said. When the foundation offered to help states apply for the grant money, it initially offered the $250,000 to only 15 states. Officials in other states complained when they learned of the plan. The governors and chief school officers groups pressed the foundation to expand its offer, and it has now agreed to help any state that meets eight criteria, including a commitment to the common standards effort and the ability to link student data to teachers. The foundation also is helping some districts that are eligible for a share of the money if they are working in partnership with nonprofits such as the Gates Foundation. Not all the states are willing to discuss the help from Gates or their applications for the federal grants. In more than half a dozen states, education officials did not return phone calls seeking interviews about the applications. Those who receive money from the Gates Foundation often are reluctant to talk about their work for fear of upsetting their benefactor.