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What other issues can you think of?
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• Hunger
• Poor nutrition
• Abuse
• Neglect
• Learning differences
• Lack of sleep
• Fighting among family members
• Homelessness
• Sibling troubles/new baby
• Death in the family
• Parental employment
• Poverty
• Handedness
• Vision trouble
• Allergies
• Health problems
• ADHD
• Language
• Dislike of teacher
• Age starting school
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Prenatal Exposure
• Postnatal Environment
• Addiction in the family
• Distance Learning • Lack of stable/consistent internet
access
• No quiet space for “class”
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• Children living in poverty often fall behind in school – this is the “achievement gap” • Children who are read to at home are often more prepared for reading instruction
at school
• Children whose grown-ups talk with them (as opposed to “at them”) are much more likely to have a broader vocabulary when they start school
• If children live in poor quality housing, they are more likely to experience health issues (asthma from nearby traffic pollution, lead exposure from old, chipped paint, etc.)
• Children living in poverty often have a harder time accessing quality medical care, which may result in chronic illnesses/conditions being left untreated (allergies, asthma, vision problems, hearing problems, etc.)
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• Richard Rothstein, author of the “Class and the Classroom” article in our Reader starts out stating that the achievement gap is a race issue. Later in the article he shifts to stating that it is more an issue of socioeconomic status (SES).
• More recent research, as referenced in the “Class Differences in Child-Rearing Are on the Rise” article, shows that the issue of the achievement gap has more to do with one’s SES than race.
• SES is not just how much money someone makes. It is a combination of multiple factors, including: income, education, occupation, and worth
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• Read to children on a daily basis • The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children be read to for at
least 20 minutes a day. As teachers, we should make sure children get this while in our care.
• Have conversations with children • Ask open-ended questions that get children thinking • Let children know that you value their opinion and want to hear what they have to say • If English is not a child’s first language, encourage families to use their home language
(or multiple home languages in some families)
• Provide nutritious meals and snacks
• Encourage children’s long-term goals (even if they seem unrealistic) • If a child says she wants to be a “space veterinarian”, respond with something like, “I bet
you’ll be the most amazing space veterinarian ever! Tell me more about what you’ll do when that’s your job.”
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• Just because someone is “poor”, it does not mean they are also “poor in spirit”
• There are so many opportunities for enrichment that do not cost much, or are free
• As teachers, we can tell the families we work with about the various opportunities for Cheap Thrills throughout the Bay Area
• For Extra Credit: • Make a list of at least five “cheap thrills” (free or cheap activities)
available to families in the Bay Area
• There is no due date for this extra credit (submit on Canvas)
Do you know anyone with ADHD?
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• Attention challenges used to be classified in two ways: • ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder: This was the diagnosis for someone with
attention challenges, but no hyperactivity
• ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: This was the diagnosis for someone with attention challenges AND hyperactivity
• ADD is no longer used. Instead, everyone with an attention deficit diagnosis is identified as ADHD. For those without the hyperactivity component, it is called “ADHD inattentive”.
• The reason for this switch is that even those without the hyperactivity component describe their minds as being hyperactive at all times – their hyperactivity is internal only. Those with classic ADHD exhibit hyperactivity both internally (in their mind) and externally (where everyone else can see it).
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• There is a strong genetic link with ADHD
• Boys are much more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls, though girls can certainly have it • Girls more often have the inattentive type, so it isn’t necessarily as noticeable
• In order to manage ADHD, some people use medication, some use diet change or exercise, and some use a combination
• Although ADHD can be diagnosed as early as age 3, my personal opinion is that a child should not be labeled before age 6 • A preschooler who is “hyperactive” might simply be an active preschooler, it does
not mean ADHD – lots of highly active preschoolers are very quiet and calm by the time they’re 6 or 7
• Remember, only qualified professionals can evaluate for, and diagnose, ADHD (not teachers!)
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The following two slides are notes from an ADHD workshop I attended in
January 2020.
The workshop was presented by ADHD expert and author, Ned Hallowell, and sponsored by CHC
(Children’s Health Council).
Dr. Hallowell’s website is linked in the Resource section of the Module 3 Summary.
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• ADHD should be renamed, as it is not a deficit of attention; there is an abundance of attention – the challenge is controlling it
• Should be called VAST – Variable Attention Stimulus Trait
• Many people with ADHD have turned it into an asset – it is not a disorder
• It’s like having a Ferrari engine for a brain with bicycle brakes
• If not dealt with properly, ADHD can knock 15 years off one’s life
• For people with ADHD, boredom is an emergency! They’re always looking for stimulus
• People with ADHD are 10x more likely to develop addiction • 80% of addiction for people with ADHD begins between 18-23 years
• The best way to combat addiction is to be on medically prescribed stimulant medication
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• Those with ADHD hyper-focus when interested, but their mind goes elsewhere (not blank) when uninterested
• Time is fundamentally different: there’s NOW, and NOT NOW • In a panic, at the last minute, the task gets done
• Adrenaline mimics ADHD medication
• Arguing is very engaging, and is very common for those with ADHD
• Medication works like eyeglasses • Doesn’t fix ADHD, but treats it
• Works 80% of the time
• Should not be controversial
• ADHD is a tremendous competitive edge, but it does need management
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• A child with ADHD might seem: • Disorganized and Scattered
• Can’t keep track of personal belongings
• Doesn’t stay on task / leaves projects unfinished
• Can’t easily refocus to a new task (very common when the child is hyper-focused on an activity of interest)
• Seems to be having multiple conversations all at once, which might not have any connection to each other
• Clumsy • Doesn’t seem to notice where his body is in space
• Bumps into people or objects
• Often drops items or knocks things over
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• Keep instructions simple and direct
• Maintain an organized, low-distraction work space
• Provide a visual schedule
• Give verbal reminders when an activity is coming to an end
• Allow for projects to be set aside and worked on later
• Incorporate physical activity as often as possible
• Be patient!
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• We’ll continue our discussion of Issues in ECE, specifically: • Handedness
• Divorce
• Prenatal Environment
• Postnatal Environment
• How Boys and Girls Learn Differently
• Age Starting Kindergarten