Physical activity provides cognitive and emotional benefits in children
By James Schmidt
K-State Research and Extension
With all of the technology used for entertainment in today’s society, it can prove troublesome getting your child up from the couch and out onto the playground. But the trouble is worth it. Studies continually show physically active children outshine their peers in the classroom.
The classroom is just the beginning of the benefits of a physically active child, according to Bradford Wiles, assistant professor in Kansas State University’s School of Family Studies and Human Services, who said physical activity helps build connections between the body and brain.
“Kids who are physically active are much better at getting along with peers and adults,” Wiles said. “They also do better on standardized tests; the impact of physical activity cannot be underestimated.”
Wiles, an early child development specialist for K-State Research and Extension, said that in fact, physical activity could positively affect both the cognitive and emotional development of children.
“Physical activity as a pursuit doesn’t necessarily need to be in a team environment, but it often is,” Wiles said. “So they’re learning cognitive development skills, how to work with one another and how to handle winning and losing.”
It’s important to realize that the cognitive and emotional development children experience by participating in physical activity can’t happen if they are playing alone, he added. Being involved as a parent is essential for developing a well-rounded child.
“Physical activity with an adult, preferably a parent, is so much more beneficial not only for the child, but for the parent as well,” Wiles said. “We have an obesity issue with young children and adults. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do to be physically active; what matters is that you’re doing it consistently.”
Consistently kicking the soccer ball around or playing catch will not only improve the physical abilities of both the parent and the child, but this also works to improve the relationship between the two, he said. Being flexible and open to opportunities to new and unique kinds of physical activity is also important. There are multiple ways to perform any type of activity, and adults need to remember to be patient.
“While we may think the right way to play soccer is to kick the ball back and forth to one another, if a child decides they want to kick the ball all around the yard and then finally kick it to you, that’s ok,” Wiles said.
At times, it can be a struggle to get children physically active. One of the best ways to get a child out and about is to model it, the specialist advises. If a child sees his or her parent being physically active, that child is much more likely to follow suit.
What is not advisable, said Wiles, is using video games as a reward for being physically active.
“You’re teaching them that being sedentary is a reward,” he said, adding that a better approach would be to make being active just part of their everyday schedule.
Kids should be moving, no matter how young they are. For kids younger than age 3, Wiles advises that they should be active for half of the time that they’re awake. Whether that be crawling or walking—whatever they are capable of—it’s important for their cognitive development that they be active early in life.
“There’s a time to sit and relax, but that time is not early or middle childhood,” Wiles said. “That’s where we grow; play and physical activity are the work of early childhood.
“As kids get into elementary school, the recommendation is physical activity for an hour a day,” he continued. “I would echo that. I think even more importantly, physical activity with an adult is much more beneficial.”
Physical activity is even beneficial in keeping consistent sleeping schedules. Wiles said kids are much more ready for bed, when it’s bedtime, if they’ve been outside playing.
Wiles recommends looking toward the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and your local Extension office for more information on the benefits of physical activity for children.
Once your student understands counting with manipulatives and identifies where whole numbers fall on a number line, you can add using both of this visuals. Start with adding 1+1, put out two beans and push the one and one together. The student should come up with 2. Have the child count the one and one and then count it again as 2. Show the numbers with dots on a paper. One dot plus one dot equals two dots. Now add 2+1 and move through the same process.
1+1, 2+1. 3+1, 4+1, 5+1, 6+1…
Then add 1+2 and look at 2+1 again to show student that 1+2 and 2+1 gives you the same number of beans or dots. This is COMMUTATIVE PROPERTY. Shows that you can add in either direction and get the same thing.
Move to the number line now. Put your finger or a pencil on the number 1. Adding one means moving right by one number. This will also show that 1+1=2. Show it with beans, dots and number line for several examples.
Go back and ask if 4+5 = 5+4 to revisit commutative property.
Continue to practice single digit addition until student feels confident.
Lake Havasu City is in need of one Administrator at District Office Level, 25 Certified, 21 Classified and 2 Substitutes. Jobs are currently open for applying. Jobs begin on January 1, 2017. Looking for a change? Take a look! ~Sandy
Welcome to the Lake Havasu Unified School District Personnel Department home page. Lake Havasu City, home to the world famous London Bridge, is a growing desert community located in the foothills of the Mohave Mountains in western Arizona on the beautiful Colorado River. We are a community inspired by possibility and rich with promise. Our young city responds to a common purpose: To build a future dependent on our single most precious resource, our youth.
Our school district consists of 6 elementary schools (pre K-6), 1 middle school (7-8), and 1 high school (9-12). Total student enrollment is over 5500 students. We have about 650 staff members with 300 certified positions.
Our mission here in the personnel department is threefold.
7 Things You Don’t Know About ADD That Can Hurt You
Posted: October 18, 2016 7:56 am
ADD is the most common learning and behavior problem in children. But the issue doesn’t end there: It is also one of the most common problems in adults, and has been associated with serious problems in school, relationships, work, and families. Despite its prevalence, many myths and misconceptions about ADD abound in our society. Here are just a few of them:
MYTH: ADD is a flavor-of-the-month illness, a fad diagnosis. It’s just an excuse for bad behavior.
FACT: ADD has been described in the medical literature for about one hundred years. In 1902, pediatrician George Still described a group of children who were hyperactive, impulsive, and inattentive. Unfortunately, he didn’t understand that ADD is a medical disorder and labeled these children as “morally defective.”
MYTH #2: ADD is overdiagnosed. Every child who acts up a bit, or adult who is lazy, gets placed on Ritalin or Adderall.
FACT: Less than half of those with ADD are being treated.
MYTH#3: ADD is only a disorder of hyperactive boys.
FACT: Many people with ADD are never hyperactive. The non- hyperactive or “inattentive” ADD folks are often ignored because they do not bring enough negative attention to themselves. Many of these children, teenagers, or adults earn the unjust labels “willful,” “lazy,” “unmotivated,” or “not that smart.” Females, in our experience, tend to have inattentive ADD, and it often devastates their lives.
MYTH #4: ADD is only a minor problem. People make too much of a fuss over it.
FACT:Left untreated or ineffectively treated, ADD is a very serious societal problem! Although previous research has demonstrated that ADD is associated with problems like job failures, relationship breakups, drug abuse, and obesity, recently published research in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatryconducted a systematic review of all the available evidence and confirmed the link between ADD and a wide range of health and psychosocial problems. The study demonstrates the importance of properly treating ADD early in life in order to potentially prevent these future adverse outcomes.
MYTH #5: ADD is an American invention, made up by a society seeking simple solutions to complex social problems.
FACT: ADD is found in every country where it has been studied. I once had a patient from Ethiopia who had been expelled from his tribe for being so easily distracted and impulsive.
MYTH #6: People with ADD should just try harder.
FACT: Often the harder people with ADD try, the worse things get for them. Brain-imaging studies show that when people with ADD try to concentrate, the parts of their brains involved with concentration, focus, and follow-through (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum) actually shuts down—just when they need them to turn on.
MYTH #7: Everyone who has ADD will get better if they just take stimulant medication.
FACT: ADD, like many other conditions, is not just a single and simple disorder; therefore, treatment is not a one-size-fits-all solution. With more than 120,000 brain scans in our database, we have identified 7 types of ADD. And each type requires a different treatment plan because of the diverse brain systems involved.
Amen Clinics has helped tens of thousands of people with ADD from all over the world and can help you, too. To learn more or schedule a comprehensive evaluation, contact the Amen Clinics Care Center today at 855-698-5108 orhttps://www.amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.
25 Activities to Keep Kids’ Brains Active in Summer
As students set out on summer adventures, send their parents a much-needed “life preserver” — a list of 25 activities to share and enjoy with their children. These fun activities cover all subjects and grades; there truly is something for everyone. And, if you have your own summer adventurers at home, this list can rescue your kids from the boredom and blahs of rainy summer days. This year, do more than amuse and entertain your kids and hope for the best for your students, keep their minds working all summer long!Included: Twenty-five activities to fight summer boredom and build thinking skills.
It’s summer — that time of year when teachers bid farewell to students, hoping their gleefully escaping charges don’t forget everything they’ve learned during the school year. It’s also the time of year when nervous parents take on the challenge of keeping their children physically busy and mentally active during long summer days. To help those efforts, Education World offers 25 ideas that not only reinforce skills taught during the year, but also to entertain students through the summer months. Share these resources with parents to help them and their children make the most of the lazy, hazy days to come!
Many of these activities link to online resources. In most cases, however, the activities can be completed even by those without Internet access. The activities that do require Internet access can be printed and distributed to students before school ends or accessed and printed by parents at most public libraries.
Fill in summer’s special days and events on the Education World Coloring Calendar for June, July, or August. Or help children use pencils, drawing paper, and rulers to create, decorate, and fill in their own summer calendars.
Teach kids to cook with the step-by-step lessons and recipes at Cooking With Kids. The site also includes measurement reminders, safety tips, and suggestions for involving kids in the cooking process. Or check out your local library or book store for one of the recommended Heritage Cooking for Kids: Taste History books and try out recipes from Colonial days, the Civil War, and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Go on a Light Walk, an outing designed to teach kids the properties of light and facts about the sun. Bob Miller of the Exploratorium explains it all. Can’t take an online tour? Do your own image walk by printing the directions and template found at the site.
Create musical instruments from materials found around the house. Need help? Enchanted Learning provides instructions for such Musical Instruments as a rattle, box guitar, maraca, and rain stick.
Cool down by making Ice Cream in a Bag. The simple technique produces delicious ice cream in about 5 minutes. What ice cream varieties will you and your child concoct?
Read aloud a selection from Candlelight Storybooks or your own favorite myths or fairy tales. Discuss the stories with your child. Then invite your child to choose a favorite story, and together make a diorama depicting a pivotal moment in the tale.
Catch a firefly and then go to The Firefly Files online, or read a book, such as Fireflies by Sally M. Walker, to help your child learn more about them. Then invite your child to complete the Education World Firefly Facts work sheet. Firefly Facts Answers:
Fireflies are really beetles because they have four wings; true flies only have two wings.
Most fireflies like warm, humid areas.
In the United States, glowing fireflies are found east of the middle of Kansas.
Firefly larvae feed mostly on earthworms, snails, and slugs.
Scientists believe fireflies use their ability to flash as a warning signal to predators and to attract mates.
Print a grid of dots from Connect the Dots by Math Cats and invite your child to make an original tessellation.
Staple together pieces of plain paper or use a notebook to help your child make a cartoon flip book. Kids draw a sequence of cartoons and simulate motion as they “flip” through the pages. (Note that the first image in the series should be at the bottom of the stack of pages, and the illustrations should progress from bottom to top.) How to Draw Cartoons or The Complete Cartooning Course by Steve Edgell, Brad Brooks, and Tim Pilcher, offer simple instructions for drawing cartoon figures.
Learn about national parks from the comfort of your own home, and encourage your child to complete online activities and become a Web Ranger. Materials are grouped by age and include cool awards and a membership card.
Start a rock collection. Collecting Rocks, a Web site by the U. S. Geological Survey, offers advice to help the novice collector gather, identify, and store neat rock specimens. The Audubon Society Pocket Guide Familiar Rocks and Minerals North America will help children identify and label the rocks and minerals they find.
Plan with your child a family activity day. Decide how much money to spend, and help your child research events and activities in your area and choose an affordable activity the whole family can enjoy. Remind your child to be sure to allow enough time for the activity, and to remember to include food in the day’s plan. (The online Planning a Party guide will help.) Don’t forget to bring a camera and take lots of pictures. Your child can mount and label each photo and create a family scrapbook of your special day. You might provide the questions below to help guide your child’s thoughts as they plan this special day.
Describe the event or activity your family will attend.
Will everyone in the family enjoy this activity? Why do you think so?
What do you need to arrange ahead of time? Will you need to purchase tickets? Pack a lunch? Make reservations?
What supplies or materials will you need?
What costs will be involved?
Take a virtual CampusTour of colleges and universities your high school student might be considering. Tour the schools’ grounds, look at maps, view videos and photos, and request information about those institutions of higher learning. If you don’t have Internet access at home, take your tour at the local library.
Have your child follow instructions to Build the Best Paper Airplane in the World. Then ask your child to design an original paper airplane and diagram the steps for constructing it, so another family member can recreate it!
Start a family or neighborhood book club. Even a parent and child can form a book club, by reading the same book and chatting about it. For larger groups, check out some online hints for starting a book club.
Kids rarely have the opportunity to design their own rooms to best suit their individual needs. Invite your child to devote some thought to ways to improve his or her living space. Explore with your child Kids’ Room Decorating Ideas to find ways your child might individualize his or her room without spending a great deal of money. Then have the child draw the layout of their “new” room. The following questions might guide kids as they consider the possibilities:
Other than sleeping, what do you do most often in your room? Play games? Work on a computer? Listen to music? Do homework? Entertain guests?
What furniture or other items do you use most often? What do you use least often?
What kind of storage do you need? A dresser? A bookcase? A clothes hamper? A desk?
What do you like best about your room? What do you like least?
How do you want to change your room?
Help your child make a set of tangrams with instructions found at the Math Forum’s Constructing Your Own Set of Tangrams. Trace the designs on a piece of paper, mix up the tangram pieces, and use them to create jigsaw puzzles.
Create a thing of beauty from a lump of coal! With a few common ingredients, you and your child can grow a “Magic Crystal Garden” with pieces of coal. Instructions for the crystal garden can be found at Joey Green’s Mad Scientist Experiments.
Soar into space (the space in your bedroom, kitchen, or dining room) by constructing Science Bob’s Balloon Rocket. This simple science experiment using a balloon, string, straw, and tape, illustrates the use of air pressure to produce movement.
Turn plain white carnations or fresh-picked Queen Anne’s Lace into dramatic colored creations by Coloring Flowers. Using just food coloring and water, flowers can be changed from white to any tint, usually in just one day. Colors deepen over time, and kids will enjoy modifying the experiment to see what unique combinations they can make.
Invite your child to play a Math game and record his or her scores on a sheet set up like the illustration below. Choose a probability game, a timed flashcard activity, an online game from a site such as FunBrain, or another favorite math activity. Then have your child graph the results of the Game Challenge chart. Celebrate your child’s effort with a special treat.Game Title: _________________________________
Round
Kind of Game
Level of Difficulty
Score
1
2
3
4
5
Put old wallpaper and magazine scraps to good use by using them to create Recycled Paper Beads. This easy activity requires very few common materials and keeps kids very busy on rainy days. When they’re finished, children can string their beads and give them as gifts or wear them for fun.
Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam
However, when anxiety affects exam performance it has become a problem.
General preparation/building confidence: Review your personal situation and skills
Academic counselors can help you in these areas, or refer to our Guides on the topic:
Managing time
(dealing with procrastination, distractions, laziness)
Organizing material to be studied and learned
Take a step by step approach to build a strategy and not get overwhelmed
Outside pressures
success/failure consequences (grades, graduation), peer pressure, competitiveness, etc.
Reviewing your past performance on tests
to improve and learn from experience
Test preparation to reduce anxiety:
Approach the exam with confidence:
Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: visualization, logic, talking to your self, practice, team work, journaling, etc.
View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you’ve studied and to receive a reward for the studying you’ve done
Be prepared!
Learn your material thoroughly and organize what materials you will need for the test. Use a checklist
Choose a comfortable location for taking the test
with good lighting and minimal distractions
Allow yourself plenty of time,
especially to do things you need to do before the test and still get there a little early
Avoid thinking you need to cram just before
Strive for a relaxed state of concentration
Avoid speaking with any fellow students who have not prepared, who express negativity, who will distract your preparation
A program of exercise
is said to sharpen the mind
Get a good night’s sleep
the night before the exam
Don’t go to the exam with an empty stomach
Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.
Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, chips and similar snack foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices
Take a small snack, or some other nourishment
to help take your mind off of your anxiety.
Avoid high sugar content (candy) which may aggravate your condition
During the test:
Read the directions carefully
Budget your test taking time
Change positions to help you relax
If you go blank, skip the question and go on
If you’re taking an essay test
and you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may trigger the answer in your mind
Don’t panic
when students start handing in their papers. There’s no reward for finishing first
Use relaxation techniques
If you find yourself tensing and getting anxious during the test:
Relax; you are in control.
Take slow, deep breaths
Don’t think about the fear
Pause: think about the next step and keep on task, step by step
Use positive reinforcement for yourself:
Acknowledge that you have done, and are doing, your best
Expect some anxiety
It’s a reminder that you want to do your best and can provide energy
Just keep it manageable
Realize that anxiety can be a “habit”
and that it takes practice to use it as a tool to succeed
After the test, review how you did
List what worked, and hold onto these strategies
It does not matter how small the items are: they are building blocks to success
List what did not work for improvement
Celebrate that you are on the road to overcoming this obstacle
Check out local centers and resources in your school for assistance!
If you are aware that you have a problem with test anxiety,
be sure your teacher or instructor knows before any testing begins
(and not the hour before!).
There may be other options to evaluate your knowledge or performance within the subject matter.
Each day we try to better understand the people and the world around us. Learning about ourselves and others is a normal part of our daily living. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs began as far back as 1943. Today, the needs have changed a bit as the world evolves. Changes have been made accordingly. Understanding basic needs is a great way to simplify how we deal with ourselves and others. Please watch the video. ~Sandy
McLeod, S. A. (2014). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that people possess a set of motivation systems unrelated to rewards or unconscious desires.
Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on.
The earliest and most widespread version of Maslow’s (1943, 1954) hierarchy of needs includes five motivational needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
This five stage model can be divided into basic (or deficiency) needs (e.g. physiological, safety, love, and esteem) and growth needs (self-actualization).
The deficiency, or basic needs are said to motivate people when they are unmet. Also, the need to fulfil such needs will become stronger the longer the duration they are denied. For example, the longer a person goes without food the more hungry they will become.
One must satisfy lower level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization.
Every person is capable and has the desire to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. Unfortunately, progress is often disrupted by failure to meet lower level needs. Life experiences, including divorce and loss of job may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy.
Maslow noted only one in a hundred people become fully self-actualized because our society rewards motivation primarily based on esteem, love and other social needs.
The original hierarchy of needs five-stage model includes:
5. Self-Actualization needs – realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
Maslow posited that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy:
‘It is quite true that man lives by bread alone — when there is no bread. But what happens to man’s desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is chronically filled?
At once other (and “higher”) needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new (and still “higher”) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean by saying that the basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy of relative prepotency’ (Maslow, 1943, p. 375).
The expanded hierarchy of needs:
It is important to note that Maslow’s (1943, 1954) five stage model has been expanded to include cognitive and aesthetic needs (Maslow, 1970a) and later transcendence needs (Maslow, 1970b).
Changes to the original five-stage model are highlighted and include a seven-stage model and a eight-stage model, both developed during the 1960’s and 1970s.
1. Biological and Physiological needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs – protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, etc.
3. Love and belongingness needs – friendship, intimacy, affection and love, – from work group, family, friends, romantic relationships.
6. Aesthetic needs – appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.
7. Self-Actualization needs – realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
8. Transcendence needs – helping others to achieve self actualization.
Self-actualization
Instead of focusing on psychopathology and what goes wrong with people, Maslow (1943) formulated a more positive account of human behavior which focused on what goes right. He was interested in human potential, and how we fulfill that potential.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1943, 1954) stated that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfillment and change through personal growth. Self-actualized people are those who were fulfilled and doing all they were capable of.
The growth of self-actualization (Maslow, 1962) refers to the need for personal growth and discovery that is present throughout a person’s life. For Maslow, a person is always ‘becoming’ and never remains static in these terms. In self-actualization a person comes to find a meaning to life that is important to them.
As each person is unique the motivation for self-actualization leads people in different directions (Kenrick et al., 2010). For some people self-actualization can be achieved through creating works of art or literature, for others through sport, in the classroom, or within a corporate setting.
Maslow (1962) believed self-actualization could be measured through the concept of peak experiences. This occurs when a person experiences the world totally for what it is, and there are feelings of euphoria, joy and wonder.
It is important to note that self-actualization is a continual process of becoming rather than a perfect state one reaches of a ‘happy ever after’ (Hoffman, 1988).
Maslow offers the following description of self-actualization:
‘It refers to the person’s desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially.
The specific form that these needs will take will of course vary greatly from person to person. In one individual it may take the form of the desire to be an ideal mother, in another it may be expressed athletically, and in still another it may be expressed in painting pictures or in inventions’ (Maslow, 1943, p. 382–383).
Maslow (1968): Some of the characteristics of self-actualized people
Although we are all, theoretically, capable of self-actualizing, most of us will not do so, or only to a limited degree. Maslow (1970) estimated that only two percent of people will reach the state of self actualization. He was particularly interested in the characteristics of people whom he considered to have achieved their potential as persons.
By studying 18 people he considered to be self-actualized (including Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein) Maslow (1970) identified 15 characteristics of a self-actualized person.
Characteristics of self-actualizers:
1. They perceive reality efficiently and can tolerate uncertainty;
2. Accept themselves and others for what they are;
3. Spontaneous in thought and action;
4. Problem-centered (not self-centered);
5. Unusual sense of humor;
6. Able to look at life objectively;
7. Highly creative;
8. Resistant to enculturation, but not purposely unconventional;
9. Concerned for the welfare of humanity;
10. Capable of deep appreciation of basic life-experience;
11. Establish deep satisfying interpersonal relationships with a few people;
12. Peak experiences;
13. Need for privacy;
14. Democratic attitudes;
15. Strong moral/ethical standards.
Behavior leading to self-actualization:
(a) Experiencing life like a child, with full absorption and concentration;
(b) Trying new things instead of sticking to safe paths;
(c) Listening to your own feelings in evaluating experiences instead of the voice of tradition, authority or the majority;
(d) Avoiding pretense (‘game playing’) and being honest;
(e) Being prepared to be unpopular if your views do not coincide with those of the majority;
(f) Taking responsibility and working hard;
(g) Trying to identify your defenses and having the courage to give them up.
The characteristics of self-actualizers and the behaviors leading to self-actualization are shown in the list above. Although people achieve self-actualization in their own unique way, they tend to share certain characteristics. However, self-actualization is a matter of degree, ‘There are no perfect human beings’ (Maslow,1970a, p. 176).
It is not necessary to display all 15 characteristics to become self-actualized, and not only self-actualized people will display them. Maslow did not equate self-actualization with perfection. Self-actualization merely involves achieving ones potential. Thus, someone can be silly, wasteful, vain and impolite, and still self-actualize. Less than two percent of the population achieve self-actualization.
Educational applications
Maslow’s (1968) hierarchy of needs theory has made a major contribution to teaching and classroom management in schools. Rather than reducing behavior to a response in the environment, Maslow (1970a) adopts a holistic approach to education and learning. Maslow looks at the entire physical, emotional, social, and intellectual qualities of an individual and how they impact on learning.
Applications of Maslow’s hierarchy theory to the work of the classroom teacher are obvious. Before a student’s cognitive needs can be met they must first fulfill their basic physiological needs. For example a tired and hungry student will find it difficult to focus on learning. Students need to feel emotionally and physically safe and accepted within the classroom to progress and reach their full potential.
Maslow suggests students must be shown that they are valued and respected in the classroom and the teacher should create a supportive environment. Students with a low self-esteem will not progress academically at an optimum rate until their self-esteem is strengthened.
APA Style References
Hoffman, E. (1988). The right to be human: A biography of Abraham Maslow. Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc.
Kenrick, D. T., Neuberg, S. L., Griskevicius, V., Becker, D. V., & Schaller, M. (2010). Goal-Driven Cognition and Functional Behavior The Fundamental-Motives Framework. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(1), 63-67.
The most significant limitation of Maslow’s theory concerns his methodology. Maslow formulated the characteristics of self-actualized individuals from undertaking a qualitative method called biographical analysis.
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He looked at the biographies and writings of 18 people he identified as being self-actualized. From these sources he developed a list of qualities that seemed characteristic of this specific group of people, as opposed to humanity in general.
From a scientific perspective there are numerous problems with this particular approach. First, it could be argued that biographical analysis as a method is extremely subjective as it is based entirely on the opinion of the researcher. Personal opinion is always prone to bias, which reduces the validity of any data obtained. Therefore Maslow’s operational definition of self-actualization must not be blindly accepted as scientific fact.
Furthermore, Maslow’s biographical analysis focused on a biased sample of self-actualized individuals, prominently limited to highly educated white males (such as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, William James, Aldous Huxley, Gandhi, Beethoven).
Although Maslow (1970) did study self-actualized females, such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Mother Teresa, they comprised a small proportion of his sample. This makes it difficult to generalize his theory to females and individuals from lower social classes or different ethnicity. Thus questioning the population validity of Maslow’s findings.
Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to empirically test Maslow’s concept of self-actualization in a way that causal relationships can be established.
Another criticism concerns Maslow’s assumption that the lower needs must be satisfied before a person can achieve their potential and self-actualize. This is not always the case, and therefore Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in some aspects has been falsified.
Through examining cultures in which large numbers of people live in poverty (such as India) it is clear that people are still capable of higher order needs such as love and belongingness. However, this should not occur, as according to Maslow, people who have difficulty achieving very basic physiological needs (such as food, shelter etc.) are not capable of meeting higher growth needs.
Also, many creative people, such as authors and artists (e.g. Rembrandt and Van Gough) lived in poverty throughout their lifetime, yet it could be argued that they achieved self-actualization.
Contemporary research by Tay & Diener (2011) has tested Maslow’s theory by analyzing the data of 60,865 participants from 123 countries, representing every major region of the world. The survey was conducted from 2005 to 2010.
Respondents answered questions about six needs that closely resemble those in Maslow’s model: basic needs (food, shelter); safety; social needs (love, support); respect; mastery; and autonomy. They also rated their well-being across three discrete measures: life evaluation (a person’s view of his or her life as a whole), positive feelings (day-to-day instances of joy or pleasure), and negative feelings (everyday experiences of sorrow, anger, or stress).
The results of the study support the view that universal human needs appear to exist regardless of cultural differences. However, the ordering of the needs within the hierarchy was not correct.
“Although the most basic needs might get the most attention when you don’t have them,” Diener explains, “you don’t need to fulfill them in order to get benefits [from the others].” Even when we are hungry, for instance, we can be happy with our friends. “They’re like vitamins,” Diener says about how the needs work independently. “We need them all.”
When students come from a home of few rules, it is tough for teachers to get them to follow the rules in a classroom. Work as a team to create a great household and prepare students for functioning well in their educational system. ~Sandy
Kids behave best when they’re certain about the rules. However, many parents aren’t even sure exactly what the rules are in the house.
Their rules may vary slightly, depending on what type of mood they’re in or who is in the home at any given moment. Creating a clear list of household rules can reduce behavior problems and increase discipline consistency.
Reasons for Rules
Establishing a set of household rules helps kids understand which behaviors are acceptable, and which ones are off limits. Rules teach kids how to deal with their emotions and how to treat others with respect.
A list of household rules can also help kids understand how rules differ in different environments. For example, it may be acceptable to yell at the playground but that’s not OK in the library.Establishing written rules helps kids know what is okay in your home.
A written set of rules can also help ensure that all the caregivers are on the same page. Whether you hire a babysitter or Grandma comes over for a visit, everyone will know the kids are expected to put their dishes in the sink when it’s written on a list.
Rules can also be a reminder for adults who are trying to model positive behaviors for the kids. If the rule states that everyone must pick up their dishes, it is important for the adults to do so as well and a written set of rules can help reinforce this.
Written rules also give kids an opportunity to remind one another of the rules. A child might say to a friend who comes over for a play date, “At my house we’re not allowed to jump on the couch.” This is a sign of a parent who has been clear about the expectations.
Create a Written List of Rules
It is important that you write out the list of rules and hang them in a prominent location. Keeping the rules on the refrigerator or displayed somewhere where everyone can see them is a good reminder.
When creating the list of rules, don’t list every single rule imaginable. Make it a simple list, not a policy and procedures manual. Try to limit it to the 10 most important rules.
Word the rules positively. For example instead of saying, “Don’t throw your clothes on the floor,” try using, “Place your dirty clothes in the hamper.” Make a list of what “to do” instead of “what not to do” when possible.
Get the kids involved in making the rules. Ask their opinion about what sorts of things they think are important when creating the rules and try to include some of their ideas. It can help get kids more invested in following the rules.
When kids follow the rules, there should be positive consequences. Praise kids when you catch them following a rule. Also, consider using rewards as an incentive. For example, if your child followed all the rules today, allow him to have all of his privileges.
When kids don’t follow the rules, there needs to be a negative consequence to discourage them from breaking the rule again. Negative consequences may include things such as loss of privileges or a time-out.
I have often been asked what order I was in amongst the children in our family. I get strange responses when I say a middle child. Why? Because I don’t fit the profile. So, today I decided to research more about Birth Order to understand what those knowledgeable on the subject were referring to.
After reading many article, I felt that this chart covered most of the inherent qualities.
How does this chart explain your birth order?
Right on?
So Wrong?
A mixture of other orders as well?
I learned there are many variables that affect birth order. According to Parent Magazine and the subject of birth order, blended families, twins, large gaps between children and adopted children will not fall into these natural tendencies.
What other things influence personalities? Many I presume. Nature and Nurture interacting is a constant topic in our household. Is it in our child’s DNA or influenced by his life experiences and his environment?
What about peers vs. sibblings vs. parents? Some studies show that sibblings play the biggest role. Other experts will say that peers have the most influence, which is the case of an only child. Most all agree that parents play a large role in the child’s personality. The primary caregiver in the first years will be the parent the child is most attached to according to other research.
What about the zodiac signs, how the stars aligned at birth and other variables? All this may play a part in whom a person becomes but I found the birth order and interesting subject to pursue.
ADD is the most common learning and behavior problem in children. But the issue doesn’t end there: It is also one of the most common problems in adults, and has been associated with serious problems in school, relationships, work, and families. Despite its prevalence, many myths and misconceptions about ADD abound in our society. Here are just a few of them:
25 Activities to Keep Kids’ Brains Active in Summer
