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The Zone'in Child Development Series

Newsletter for Teachers, Parents and Therapists

April

2008

The Zone'in Child Development Series Newsletter is designed to assist

teachers, parents and therapists in understanding how to help children who

experience learning difficulties.

To Drug or Unplug -

The Lure of the Elusive Quick Fix

In the 21st century 21% of elementary children have a mental health

diagnosis, with 15% on psychiatric medication ( and Crowley 2002).

While there are many problems associated with medicating children, the most

worrisome fact is that there are no psychiatric medications available that

have been tested on children, only medications that have been tested on

adults (Fisher and Fisher 1996, Antonuccio et al 2002).

Read more...

Cris Rowan in the Vancouver Sun

Re: What's best for baby? Feb. 23, 2008

Technology is destroying our children.

A Review of Handwriting Research:

Progress and Prospects from 1980 to 1994

This study documents that in 1993, 70% of teachers indicated that

handwriting was " not as good as it should be " , and expressed concern

regarding the " downward plunge in the standards of handwriting legibility

required of elementary school children " . Authors also state that students

who have difficulty with automaticity of writing, thus achieving poor

quality and quantity of written output, results in avoidance and

minimization of the writing process. Authors state that for beginning

writers, both visual and verbal modeling appears to be the most effective

means of introducing a letter prior to practice (i.e. the teacher

demonstrates how a letter is made while describing how it is formed).

Want to learn more? Sign up for the Foundation Series Back to Basics

Workshop.

Writing Instruction in Kindergarten

This review examines the literature on how to teach kindergarten children

with reading and writing difficulties how to write, and reports that text

production is critical in writing development. Text production instruction

should include modeling newly introduced letters with numbered arrow cues,

practising letters from memory, and asking children to circle letters that

represent their best work. also points out that handwriting is not

just a motor process, but rather draws on the importance of letter

recognition (a visual memory skill), which is a skill that can be enhanced

by repeated practice with letter production. also highlights the

importance of explicit spelling instruction for kindergarten children.