Middle School Archives

Every Child Can Win The Memory Game

May 1, 2014 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

By Dominic O’Brien
Original Source: Edutopia
Originally posted May 20, 2014

As a student, I had great difficulty concentrating during lessons, and consequently didn’t retain much knowledge. I was diagnosed with dyslexia and had the symptoms of attention deficit disorder. Academic information just didn’t get through to me.

Here are samples of reports that my teachers sent home when I was ten:

“He tends to dream in the middle of a calculation which leads him to lose track of the thought.”
“Terribly slow. Often cannot repeat the question. Must concentrate.”
“Unless Dominic really shakes himself up and gets down to work, he is not going to achieve any success . . . he is painfully slow.”

The comments contained no evidence that I would one day become an eight-time World Memory Champion and author of over a dozen books and courses on memory training. So what happened?

In 1987, I watched a man on television memorize a shuffled deck of playing cards in just under three minutes. As corny as it may sound, that moment changed my life.

I taught myself to memorize playing cards and realized that the strategy I was developing could be used to remember anything. Today, when I appear on TV and radio shows, one question is always asked: “Why don’t they teach this stuff in schools?” Had I acquired those skills when I was a student, I could have achieved exam success, gone onto higher education, and actually enjoyed the learning process. Instead, I suffered low self-esteem and dropped out of school when I was 16.

Teaching Basic Memory Skills

Here are five strategies that will help students remember academic information:

1. The Story Method

To remember a set of information, create a story that links all the elements together. In chemistry, for example, the noble gases are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon. Imagine taking off in a helium balloon lit up with a neon light. An argon welder turns into Superman, who takes you to the planet Krypton, and so on.

2. Numeral Shapes

To remember numerical information, give each numeral a picture code. For example, 2 is shaped like a swan, and 9 resembles a balloon and string. To remember that Queen Victoria had nine children, imagine her holding a balloon and string.

3. The Link Method

To remember foreign vocabulary, find a link between the sound of a foreign word and its meaning. For example, the German word for “bone” is knochen, so imagine the pain involved in “knocking” a bone in your leg. You can remember the Spanish word for “boat” – barco — by imagining that a boat has a large “barcode” on its side, or picture a dog “barking” on a boat.

4. The Journey Method

To remember a list, choose a familiar journey, maybe around your house, and picture each item on the list at specific locations. Test your class with a random list of 20 objects, then get them to imagine each item along a 20-stage route around their house. The same method can then be applied to remembering practical information such as the Periodic Table of Elements or the U.S. presidents.

5. The Rule of Five

To avoid having information gradually fade from your memory banks, it’s important to know when to review information. Apply the Rule of Five:

First review: immediately
Second review: 24 hours later
Third review: one week later
Fourth review: one month later
Fifth review: three months

Tapping Potential

To date, I have taught over 10,000 schoolchildren basic memory skills. Typically, I get a volunteer to write down and call out a random 60-digit number, which I then repeat forwards and backwards having heard the number just once.

The faces register amazement. However, the real payoff is when I ask, “Would you like to be able to do that, too?”

“Yeeeeeeeees!”

Next, we discuss how easy and fun learning could be if they knew the secret. After all, if a dyslexic kid can go on to become a World Memory Champion, then all children are potential memory champions.

Teacher Conferences: A Guide for Parents

April 3, 2014 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

A school psychologist offers advice on nurturing this critical relationship.

By Andrea Canter, PhD, NCSP
Original Source: Child Mind Institute
Originally posted October 8, 2014

Here’s some required reading for all parents who are heading into the school conference season. It’s brought to you from our friends at the National Association of School Psychologists and was originally published on their website, NASPonline.org. Our thanks to NASP for sharing it with us.

Home and school—everyone shares the goal of helping children learn and feel successful. Research has proven that when parents and teachers work together, everyone benefits: students tend to earn higher grades, perform better on tests, attend school more regularly, have better behavior, and show more positive attitudes toward themselves and toward school. School programs that include strong parent involvement are more effective. Yet, a collaboration between parents and teachers is not always a smooth process.

Establishing an effective home-school partnership requires efforts from both teachers and parents to create a trusting, equitable relationship. Sometimes parents must first deal with their own discomfort with schools and teachers. If parents have experienced difficulty in school, then they may have to overcome negative feelings that carry over from their own childhood. If parents are new to the community, come from another culture, or do not speak fluent English, then they may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of attending a conference with their child’s teacher or participating in a Family Night or School Open House.

Try not to worry or be afraid of a conference with your child’s teacher. Even if you have talked frequently with school personnel about your child’s failing grades or misbehavior, a conference may be an opportunity to start a cooperative partnership with teachers.

Preparing for the Parent-Teacher Conference

At least once per year, and frequently each semester (or more often), you will receive a notice of a parent-teacher conference. Perhaps you have requested the conference yourself. There are many steps you can take to assure that the conference is productive and positive:

Assemble relevant materials

Gather appropriate materials to help prepare for the conference. This can include records from previous schools and school years, such as report cards, test scores, immunization and other health records, and past and current correspondence between home and school.

Review these materials

Make sure you have gathered all the material you need. If anything important is missing, such as a report from your family physician, try to locate it and add to your file. As a tip, once you have started a collection of your child’s records, it is easy to add new material each year. At conference time, if you or the teacher has specific concerns, you can then find whatever might be important to share with the teacher.

Talk with your child before the conference

Children should understand why the conference is taking place (is it due to a problem or is it a routine meeting held for all parents) and be assured that parents are seeking ways to help and learn about what their children are doing in school. Find out if your child has any specific concerns about schoolwork or relationships with classmates.

Acquire the handbook for students

If your district, school, or classroom has a handbook for students, be sure to obtain a copy well ahead of the conference and review it. In particular look for listings of expectations for behavior and attendance so that you might anticipate what questions the teacher may ask of you. Also, try to assemble a list of questions you may want to ask the teacher if you are unsure of material in the handbook.

Be familiar with your child’s homework assignments

If your child has homework be familiar with the assignments and how your child has been performing. Is the homework getting done? Does your child seem to understand the assignments? Does the work seem too easy or too difficult?

Prepare a list of questions you want to ask your child’s teacher

Is my child meeting expectations for learning and behavior? How has my child performed on daily class assignments, on tests, on homework assignments? How does my child compare to others in basic skills? Does my child follow school rules or does my child exhibit any behavior problems? If my child is struggling in any area, what has been tried to improve performance? Does my child pay attention in class? What else can be done at home or at school? What are my child’s strengths? Are there any concerns about my child’s health, or adjustment? Are there materials or resources that you would recommend? How does my child get along with other students?

Referral to special education

If you or the teacher have concerns about the referral to special education, find out about your rights ahead of time. State and community agencies and advocate organizations can provide this information, and all schools should also have a printed copy of parents’ rights under state and federal law.

Be ready to collaborate

Generally, teachers will give parents bad news because they want to help the child do better and not to place blame on the parent or child. But sometimes the message does not come across that way, and parents naturally become defensive and protective, maybe even angry. Assume the teacher has your child’s best interests in mind, and respond calmly and tactfully. Indicate that you are most concerned with solving the problem and helping your child succeed. Offer to meet further to discuss the problem and to work out a solution. Remember that teachers are often as afraid to deliver bad news as parents are to hear it.

During the Conference

Listen carefully

It is perfectly acceptable to take notes. This is particularly helpful if one parent or other involved relative cannot attend. It can also help you remember details so that you can ask questions later.

Offer your perspective

Many times teachers will ask you about your child’s activities at home and your views of your child’s strengths and areas where help might be needed. Even if the teacher does not ask, speak up and provide your observations and any concerns.

You want to hear good news about your child

If the teacher does not offer any positive comments, ask directly, “What does my child do well?” And remember that teachers often hear only negative comments, too. Be sure to try to offer a compliment, a thank you to let the teacher know you appreciate what they are trying to do to help your child-even when what the teacher is trying to do may not be working.

Do not be afraid to ask questions

If you do not understand something or feel your concerns are not being addressed, then ask the teacher. Teachers and other educators easily slip into jargon and forget that many parents are not familiar with the terms they use every day. Ask what test scores mean and what the results mean for your child. Stop and ask for explanation of unfamiliar terms or programs. Not understanding can quickly lead to misunderstanding.

Introverts in an Extroverted World

April 2, 2014 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Understanding introversion vs. extroversion

I once told a friend, to his surprise, that I am an introvert. He wasn’t surprised that I identified with this personality type, but rather that I would freely admit it! He considers himself an introvert, too, but always thought of it as a weakness–and something potentially embarrassing.

Introversion is often misunderstood as shyness, social awkwardness, or fear of other people

But it is none of these things. Introverts are not shy, though they are more easily overstimulated by large crowds. They are not necessarily socially awkward, though they generally prefer deeper conversations with close friends over small talk with acquaintances. And they are not afraid of other people, though they need regular time alone in order to recharge. (To be sure, one can be both introverted and shy, socially awkward, and/or afraid of other people–but these traits are not mutually inclusive.)

My friend’s reluctance to publicly label himself an introvert is something I have come across with many of my friends and acquaintances. We live in what Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, calls

the Extrovert Ideal–the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight,” while introversion is “a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology.

Yet one-third to one-half of the population is introverted! Moreover, contemporary research in social and organizational psychology is pointing to the many benefits of introversion (see Quiet for a thorough review of this research).

Although introverts and extroverts have different strengths, neither is discretely superior to the other. In fact, both types are critical to a balanced society. We must learn to celebrate and develop our personal strengths while appreciating those of the other type.

Which am I?

How can I tell if I am (or if my child is) an introvert or an extrovert? Susan Cain has published her quiz, “Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert?”, on her website, “The Power of Introverts.” The quiz can be taken here.

How to help your introverted child thrive

If you, or your child, falls somewhere on the introverted side of the introvert-extrovert spectrum (and it is a wide spectrum!), there is both good and bad news. The bad news is that we live in a world that privileges “the Extrovert Ideal,” and almost everything in our social lives, from classrooms with grouped desks to open-air cubicle farms, is designed with this ideal in mind. The good news is that introversion boasts its own list of strengths: a highly nuanced ability to listen to others, a greater ability to concentrate for extended periods of time, and even better grades in post-secondary education. (Some introverts of note include Albert Einstein, Frédéric Chopin, Mahatma Gandhi, Sir Isaac Newton, Larry Page – cofounder of Google, Steve Wozniak – cofounder of Apple, Steven Spielberg, Audrey Hepburn, Warren Buffet, and J.K. Rowling.)

If your child is an introvert, here are some ways you can help him/her thrive

Give her time to reflect, don’t force her to talk, and when she is talking, don’t interrupt her. Introverts need time to organize and compose their thoughts before sharing them. If they are forced to talk, they will often become anxious. Conversely, when an introvert wants to share her thoughts, she has likely put some thought into what she is going to say. If she is interrupted, she will feel like her thoughts and feelings aren’t being heard.
Support him in developing his strengths and interests. Remind him that he makes a great contribution to group projects in school, social gatherings, etc., by being himself and offering his natural gifts. For example, if your child is a strong writer (a common strength of introverts), note-taker, or drawer, encourage him to take on that role in his group.
Rehearse any foreseen public speaking roles with your child. For example, if your child has an upcoming presentation in school, have her present to the family first. Introverts especially benefit from preparation as they are slower than extroverts to think on their feet in public settings.
Remind him that he does not have to go to every social function that he is invited to, and that spending time alone working on his own projects of interest is a good thing, too. Let him decide when he’s reached his threshold of social stimulation for the day (or week).

The Power of Determination

March 25, 2014 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

The book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman argues how, in the long run, determination and hard work matter more than intelligence when it comes to success. Goleman’s initial experiment was simple and familiar: he put a marshmallow on every student’s desk in a first grade classroom, and told the kids that if they waited an hour without eating the marshmallow, they would receive three more marshmallows as a reward. Several of the students couldn’t last the hour, and their marshmallows disappeared. The students whose marshmallows remained got their reward. Goleman later assessed the IQs of each student and tracked them throughout their high school, college, and professional careers. He found–unanimously–that the subjects who had waited for the extra marshmallows as first graders were more successful in their academic and personal lives, regardless of IQ.

Having been an educator for many years, I have seen countless examples that prove Goleman’s research findings time and again. My most successful students–whether they attend medical school, become West Point graduates, or PhD candidates–were the ones who consistently worked hard and focused on their work. In my experience, intelligence is of course useful, but it’s often not as important a factor in measuring future success as many people think it is.

How can parents and educators help students apply themselves effectively?

I have found that the answer lies in consistency and hard work. Reading twenty minutes a day is more useful than reading the whole book the night before the test. Working on a long-term homework assignment every day instead of just before the deadline will give a student time to edit and revise.

The process of learning how to focus and apply oneself is gradual, but the habits young people pick up will influence the rest of their lives. One of the best habits to develop early is self-discipline (not necessarily a natural trait). It’s important that children have good role models and positive reinforcement for their efforts as they learn how to apply themselves to their work.

I praise students I tutor for completing assignments on time, but I try to praise them even more when they finish the assignment a day early. It’s gratifying to hear that a student I work with takes an hour each day to complete their homework: grades are important, but the process of spending time on their homework will serve them more. There are many smart kids who have difficulty focusing and following through with assignments and schoolwork.

Start small, start early, and build a little bit every day.

The results can be astounding.

By Grant Bergland, Private Tutor

Tips to Stop Procrastination

February 26, 2014 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Are you studying? You have a paper to write, a lot of homework to complete, and you are just not in the mood to do it? You definitely have to read this post: even though it can add to your procrastination, it will help in the end!

Procrastination often occurs when we are faced with a big project, a long paper, or an important test to study for: we usually procrastinate with activities that require a lot of concentration and time. Procrastination: leaving all the work we have to do for later. For example, when we have to study for an important test, sometimes we suddenly really “need” to clean our room… it is not a bad thing to clean the room, but is not the right time to do it if the priority is to study for your test.

We all procrastinate, but here are some tips to learn to be more efficient and stop procrastinating:

Begin the work: If you think about all the work you have to do, you will never achieve anything. Just sit down and begin. Fight the urge to keep looking at the clock, especially on a deadline. Postponing work just ensures that we will have less time to do it before it needs to get done.
Split the bigger homework tasks into smaller ones: One of the reasons we postpone homework is because it can sometimes seem to be too much to complete. To make it easier, divide each task into smaller parts. Starting the homework practically and simply makes sure that the tasks will be completed quickly and efficiently.
Make a plan or a To-Do list: When we split up our work, it is important to schedule everything in order to have enough time to do it. Make a To-Do list and prioritize each task, including deadlines for each. Remember that everything that is written in the schedule must be completed.
Look for a suitable place to study: If we are tired of being in the same chair, looking at the same things in our study spot, it is time to go out and look for a different place to work. Even if we move to another room in the house, a change of scenery can motivate and inspire.
Have a partner: There are times that we will feel the need to work with someone or just have somebody around as company when we’re studying or working. It is not necessary that a study partner does the same work that we are doing, but any person with whom we feel comfortable can make things easier.
Face your fears: Sometimes procrastination is also a fear of success. Postponement sometimes means that we are scared of achieving our goals. Don’t be scared of achievement. If we are happy with what we are doing, we will automatically succeed.
Eliminate distractions: Sometimes it doesn’t matter how focused we are, sometimes we get distracted. If we are conscious of our actions, and take care not to get distracted by our email, Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses: It is very useful to know our strengths, because it helps us be more efficient and effective with our time. Knowing our weaknesses will help us overcome them.
Avoid stress: When we are stressed out, we aren’t able to focus while we work or study. Sleeping enough, eating healthy, practicing a sport or exercising, and using our time wisely are healthy practices that will make our work more enjoyable and easier.
Finish the work: Not completing the homework only makes things more difficult later on. It’s important not to skip the work as it is planned: if it’s left incomplete, it can be difficult to go back to where we left off.

Written by: Editorial Team, My Learning Springboard, Inc.