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What does executive function look like?

When I taught English to middle school students, I learned what executive function looked like firsthand.

Sasha was the model student. She followed instructions after hearing them once. She concentrated on her work without being distracted by the girls giggling next to her or the occasional chatter leaking in from the hall. I could always count on her to remember every step of a class activity or homework assignment. When chaos reigned in the classroom and I, a young teacher, questioned my own abilities, Sasha was my rock.

Brendan, on the other hand—well, he was what you might call easily distracted. Somehow, he didn’t get started on a class assignment until 5 minutes after everyone else was settled in, and then he would lean over to a neighbor to ask what to do. In group discussions, he would steer the conversion off-topic or be unable to help himself from pulling up a funny video on his phone. He made teaching eventful, to say the least.

If you are a teacher, I’m sure you’ve also had versions of Sasha and Brendan in your classes. These aren’t their real names, of course, but their behavioral differences are plenty real—and common. It’s not that Sasha was inherently a good student, and Brendan was a bad one. They just had different levels of executive function.

There’s a lot at stake when it comes to executive function skills. Executive function determines a student’s academic achievement throughout their time in school, and it even affects success in the workplace and life more generally. But some students, like Brendan, need extra support to reach their full executive function potential.

Fortunately, executive function is a skill set that can be developed, and educators can do a lot to help students along the way! Keep reading to learn more about executive function and how to help students strengthen their capacity for it at every grade level and age.

What is executive function?

Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child defines executive function and self-regulation skills as

“the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. Just as an air traffic control system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of many aircraft on multiple runways, the brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses.”

(Source)

We know now that development of these skills is not guaranteed and that children with executive function problems do not necessarily outgrow them. Children who struggle to plan and organize their work in early elementary may become adolescents who fall behind in homework, have difficulty completing projects, and struggle to progress academically.

In particular, youth from economically disadvantaged groups tend to suffer from under-development of these skills, which puts them behind even before entering elementary school. Severe under-development may also lead to behavioral problems and, in some cases, failure in school, as many teachers are not trained to recognize or treat these problems effectively. These unfortunate facts reinforce the achievement gap that already exists for at-risk groups in underserved communities, since those with behavioral challenges are often kept out of classroom work and, in turn, may have trouble paying attention when in class.

How to build executive function

What can educators do? Here are some classroom strategies to help students develop executive function so that they can succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Elementary School Grades K-5 (Ages 5-11)

• Play Guessing Games
  • Guessing games require players to exercise their working memory and flexible thinking as they hold an increasing number of details in mind. Popular guessing games include 20 Questions and Guess My Rule, which can be played with blocks or other items of different colors, sizes, and shapes so that children guess which attribute, or set of attributes, defines the rule for the set. (Source)

• Play Games that Require Fast Responses
  • Children develop attentional skills and inhibition when they play games requiring fast responses and monitoring. For example, flash cards can be used in a version of Snap or Slapjack. (Source) Technology can offer even more effective games that elicit rapid responses, such as Fast ForWord, which gamifies learning with exercises that simultaneously develop reading and cognitive skills.

• Repeat Instructions in a Variety of Ways
  • Help students remember instructions by make them simple and by sharing them in multiple modalities: orally, visually, and even with gestures. You can also pair students with each other and have them repeat the directions to each other. Then have a volunteer repeat the directions for the whole class. (Source)

Middle School Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-14)

• Offer Active Listening Practice
  • Use audio files to give students opportunities to develop attentional and active listening skills. Podcasts on various of topics or NPR programming are excellent examples of free resources. Prepared worksheet questions can effectively direct students’ attention, especially for longer audio pieces.

• Write Checklists
  • Help students develop planning and goal-setting skills by having them write checklists. Checklists can be helpful for a lesson, a week, or a long-term project. This checklist also trains students to learn to prioritize in a way that makes sense to them. Some students might prefer to order tasks by difficulty or by independent/group responsibilities. (Source)

High School Grades 9-12 (Ages 14-18)

• Map Out Large Projects
  • Teach students how to map out large-scale projects by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable pieces and using a calendar to determine benchmark deadlines for each component. (Source)

• Sharpen a Sense of Time
  • Help students sharpen their sense of time so they can improve their ability to plan and juggle multiple tasks.
    • Exercise 1: Keep a log of how much time typical activities take over a designated period (e.g., one day, one week). By monitoring the frequency and length of time devoted to homework, browsing social media, watching a TV show, or other activities, students can notice when time flies and when it drags.
    • Exercise 2: Practice estimating how long a task takes to complete. Compare this estimate to the actual amount of time the activity required. Do this periodically throughout the year, and help students recognize their improved sense of time.
    • Exercise 3: Use a reflection worksheet after a project or activity to think about current time management strategies, including successful examples and areas for improvement. (Source)

The post How to Foster Executive Function in Every Grade appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

1. Trauma-Informed Education

The effects of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on classroom behavior have been studied for years, but only recently have we seen notable momentum in the form of school policies. This development will certainly continue in 2020.

Educators are increasingly innovating trauma-sensitive responses to student behavior that take the approach of asking “what happened to you?” rather than “what’s wrong with you?” From cool-down corners that encourage students’ emotional management to the “two by ten” rule for building meaningful relationships with students, trauma-informed education takes many shapes and will continue to evolve. Increasing interest in the topic is evident in this year’s third annual National Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference.

At the federal level, this trend has taken the form of the Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion (RISE) from Trauma Act, which would expand trauma-informed care in schools. Taken up in 2019 by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the bill has enough bipartisan support to possibly be passed in 2020.

2. Executive Function

Research shows that executive functioning skills, including impulse control, decision-making, and focused attention, are crucial components of learning. In fact, research shows that working memory is a better predictor of academic success than I.Q. Dedicated educators, who do everything they can to help their students succeed, have begun to offer more than just compelling classroom content; they are increasingly f­ostering executive functions in their students.

The part of the brain that primarily houses these skills is the prefrontal cortex, which develops through adolescence and into one’s 20s. Recent neuroscience research has unlocked further insight into the teenage brain that underscores how crucial adolescence is as a period of rapid development in the prefrontal cortex, and further research and best classroom practices are sure to follow this year.

3. Personalized learning

What does personalized learning look like in the classroom? It is the difference between the classic classroom setup of front-facing rows to clustered groups that foster collaboration. It is replacing a one-size-fits-all curriculum with differentiated content that acknowledges students’ strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Personalized learning is aided by technological tools that cater to individual needs. It is student-centered and student-empowering, and it has transformed the national educational landscape.

But personalized learning is not without its critics who warn against the scant research that support its efficacy and who declare the hype to be over. But research takes time to conduct, and RAND’s studies of personalized learning for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are currently underway. Let’s see how this trend continues to take shape this year by education researchers and practitioners.

4. Artificial intelligence in education

In a world of Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, artificial intelligence (A.I.) has permeated our lives more than ever. Education is no exception. In fact, 2019 saw a breakthrough in A.I. technology, with a Seattle lab producing a system that passed an 8th Grade science test.

Although A.I. technology in the classroom is not as sophisticated yet (thank goodness!), many educators save time and labor by using A.I. and machine learning tools that simplify tasks like assessing homework and grading tests (including essays). Some tools hyper-personalize learning, and schools are even preparing students to help further develop an A.I.-pervaded society by offering A.I. curricula.

The increased use of A.I. raises ethical concerns, and student data privacy is among the top. California’s 2019 privacy law, which went into effect this year, is perhaps a sign of things to come in the realm of protecting young people’s privacy.

While it’s too early to predict everything about the future of A.I. in the classroom, this topic is trending hot and will only heat up more in 2020.

5. Social-Emotional Learning

A 2019 Rand Corporation research brief found that support for social and emotional learning is widespread, with 99% of principals and 94% of teachers agreeing that interventions supporting students’ social and emotional learning have the potential to improve student behavior. In other words, educator buy-in of the value of social-emotional learning seems to have reached nearly complete consensus. Now the focus is on questions about how to define, implement, and measure social-emotional learning. Further conversations and research about social-emotional learning are sure to crop up this year.

When every day is full of surprises in the life of a teacher, whether scrapping a lesson plan or responding to an astute observation from a student, it’s hard to accurately predict what an entire year will bring. But these education trends are sure to turn up fascinating developments, so keep your finger on the pulse with these topics. We wish you a productive and wonderful 2020!

The post 2020 Education Trends appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

A few months ago, a Facebook post by an Oklahoma middle school teacher went viral. It was a simple photo of a plastic bag full of crumpled paper, but its accompanying caption moved hundreds of thousands of strangers. Karen Loewe described an “emotional baggage” activity, in which students wrote down sources of their pain that they literally left at the door in a bag. “I have never been so moved to tears as what these kids opened up about and shared with the class,” Ms. Loewe wrote.

While this story surprised and delighted the public, educators across the country already knew that such classroom practices that foster social-emotional learning (SEL) have become increasingly common in K-12 schools.

In fact, NewSchools goes so far to say, “Enthusiasm for social emotional learning has reached a fever pitch” in their 2019 report on SEL. The widespread acceptance of SEL is also indicated by the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act’s (ESSA) federal funding provision for schools’ SEL programs. The RAND Corporation, one of the foremost nonprofit research organizations, even published a 2019 research brief on the state of SEL in schools.

As this new dimension of learning continues to be shaped and defined by educators and education researchers alike, one important component of SEL is too often overlooked: cognitive skills. The invisible third prong of SEL, cognitive skill development should take on a bigger role in SEL models in schools. Here is what educators should know about why and how to target cognitive skills in their SEL practices.

What is SEL, really?

If someone asked you what SEL was, you would likely describe social and emotional learning—they’re right there in the name, after all. You might give classroom examples like the emotional baggage activity from the viral Facebook post. Or you might describe schoolwide initiatives like a one-on-one mentoring program that matches teachers with students or a restorative justice practice that asks students to engage emotionally and interpersonally to resolve conflicts as an alternative to traditional disciplinary measures like suspension.

A comprehensive approach to education, SEL is the newest branch of the whole child approach. It is built on a growing body of evidence that says non-academic skills are decisive for students’ academic success.

But to be clear, non-academic is not the same thing as non-cognitive. While SEL may be non-academic, meaning it is not a mode of learning limited to academic content like math or language arts, it is a grave mistake to call SEL a set of “non-cognitive” skills, though many do.

This misnomer is harmful because cognitive skills are in fact an integral component of social-emotional learning. Although it didn’t make the cut when the SEL movement was named, cognitive skills are the third domain of SEL that is no less crucial than its social and emotional counterparts. This three-domain framework of SEL is supported by prominent experts.

The Leading SEL Framework(s)

Granted, there is no authoritative definition of SEL that everyone agrees on. One commonly used framework developed by CASEL, the leading organization that spearheads research and policy on SEL, identifies five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

While this has been a productive way of thinking about SEL, CASEL’s framework does not explicitly discuss cognitive skills (though they are implicitly embedded). To expand our understanding of SEL, a 3-part definition is emerging as the leading model. The RAND Corporation defines these 3 domains of SEL in their research brief, in which they adopt this framework from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:

COGNITIVE SKILLS include such executive functions as working memory, attention control and flexibility, inhibition, and planning, as well as beliefs and attitudes that guide one’s sense of self and approaches to learning and growth.

EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES enable one to cope with frustration, recognize and manage emotions, and understand others’ emotions and perspectives.

SOCIAL AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS enable one to read social cues, navigate social situations, resolve interpersonal conflicts, cooperate with others and work effectively in a team, and demonstrate compassion and empathy toward others.

An iteration of this 3-domain model is also what developmental psychologist Stephanie Jones at the Harvard Graduate School of Education identifies based on a comprehensive literature review of current research.

3 Strategies for Educators to Foster Cognitive Skills in SEL Practices

What does it mean for educators that cognitive skills are a component of social-emotional learning? For a well-rounded SEL approach to teaching, here are 3 strategies for educators to foster cognitive skills in their students.

1. Explicitly teach students how the brain learns.

Just as some SEL approaches train students to be attuned to their emotional states and their behavioral reactions, teachers can raise students’ awareness about their own cognitive processes. With cognitive and emotional processing working together as students make decisions, self-monitor, and perform other executive functions, teachers need to help students build their knowledge of both their cognitive and emotional wiring.

This could mean explaining what a growth mindset is and how to develop it. This article explains this influential concept, as popularized by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck, and offers 10 ways teachers can foster a growth mindset in students, including avoiding certain types of praise and saying “yet” more often.

It could also mean teaching your students about how their brains build neural pathways when they learn new information. This teacher explains how dendrites in the brain work to solidify knowledge and has students write summaries on new information in learning journals called dend-writes.

2. Bring canine reading buddies to the classroom.

It might sound a bit whimsical, but research shows that therapy dogs in the classroom actually improve SEL in all 3 of its domains—social, emotional, and cognitive skills. A study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the presence of a dog in the classroom lowers stress hormones like cortisol, having an anti-stress effect on kids, which helps them focus on learning.

Specifically regarding cognitive skills, WeAreTeachers reports that “interacting with therapy dogs improves students’ reading skills, stimulates memory and problem-solving skills, and even optimizes executive-functioning skills.” Educators might want to consider implementing this fun and learning-friendly practice at their schools.

3. Lead activities that develop executive functions.

To develop the executive function skill of working memory, have students play the card game Concentration and other memory games. Although it may be more engaging for students to play games like Concentration in groups of 4 or 5, students won’t get much memory practice if they have to wait a while for a short, single turn. A solo or one-on-one game would offer more memory training.

To develop the executive function skill of paying attention, plan timed activities—the more gamified, the better! For example, you could play “Beat the Clock,” which entails giving students a task they need to complete before a timer goes off.

Is it possible to simultaneously develop working memory, attention, processing speed, sequencing, and other cognitive skills? Such efficiency is indeed possible, but only with the help of technology.

Fast ForWord is a 2-in-1 reading and brain training program that has been proven effective by decades of evidence in developing both reading and executive function skills. Recently named a Top 10 brain fitness and executive function program by nonprofit BrainFutures in their 2019 report, Fast ForWord is the only one in the report that also ranks among the top English language and literacy interventions evaluated by What Works Clearinghouse.

Conclusion

Cognitive skills are an important, though often overlooked, component of SEL. Of course, social and emotional skills help children and adolescents be better learners, readers, and students, but SEL efforts should not neglect cognitive skill development. Try implementing some of the suggestions above and watch your students grow. And the next time someone asks you what SEL is, be sure to explain all three of its domains!

The post The Overlooked Third Domain of Social-Emotional Learning: Cognitive Skills appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

“What’s going on?” I’d wonder, give feedback, and move on. While puzzled, I figured there wasn’t much more for me to do than help them improve one paper at a time.

What I wish I knew then was that these students might have had dyslexia. And if you’re a teacher, you’ve had students with dyslexia too. No, really, you probably have—even if you didn’t know it.

One out of five people have dyslexia, and many go undiagnosed until adulthood, if ever. Out of students with learning disabilities, 80-90% of them have dyslexia, making it the most common learning disability that often accompanies other conditions like ADHD and apraxia.

Some of your students or children might already be diagnosed and have IEPs to accommodate their learning differences. But many others with dyslexia might be hiding in plain sight.

I spoke to Marlene M. Lewis, M.A., a registered speech-language pathologist, who works with children with dyslexia, among other learning disorders. She shared what she wishes everyone—educators, parents, and students—knew about dyslexia. These are the 4 things she said.

1. “Do not wait till grades 2 or 3 or later to see how a student progresses. Dyslexia should be treated as soon as a teacher or parent sees a student not picking up phonological awareness skills, which is typically noticed already in early grade 1.”

Waiting to offer targeted support to learners until they begin failing at reading in 2nd or 3rd grade is called the “wait-to-fail” approach, and research has found that this common practice is detrimental to students. Learn more here. 

2. “Dyslexia and struggling reading, in the absence of other known factors that would account for it, are the same thing. A diagnosis of dyslexia isn't necessarily needed to start treating struggling reading.”

In the ongoing “dyslexia debate,” sparked by the 2014 book The Dyslexia Debate, experts have argued why dyslexia should or should not be differentiated from general reading impairment. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how the diagnosis is worded: struggling readers should not be left to struggle alone. And we should give them the benefit of the doubt that their challenges may be neurological, like dyslexia is, rather than a lack of motivation or effort.

3. “Dyslexia isn't specifically about reversing letters or numbers.”

A common myth is that dyslexia is a vision problem that prevents readers from seeing text correctly on the page. The scientific consensus is that it is primarily an auditory disorder that involves difficulty in processing rapid sounds. Read more here.

4. “Dyslexia doesn't need to be a life-long condition. It can be ended early for many more students than is currently happening—we have the neuroscience and the technology to do that.”

Although dyslexia is incurable, its symptoms can be dramatically remediated with the use of reading interventions and special instructional support that are based on the best neuroscience research. Fast ForWord is a neuroscience-based reading and language software program that has been proven effective at helping learners with dyslexia achieve their full potential. Learn how here.

Conclusion

Now that you know what I wish I had known as a teacher, what changes will you make at your school, home, or clinic? Will you begin treating dyslexia-like symptoms earlier than 2nd or 3rd grade? If you work with older students, will you treat any struggling reading as if it could be neurologically based like dyslexia, rather than behaviorally based, even if the student has not been diagnosed?

While teachers and parents should rely on trained professionals to diagnose dyslexia, it is important to know what dyslexia is and isn’t for when we work with any struggling reader. Most importantly, let’s remember that no matter the age, it’s not too late for anyone to overcome dyslexia symptoms. With the right tools, every learner can be a strong reader.

Thank you to Marlene M. Lewis, M.A., for her contributions to this blog post. Marlene is a certified provider of Fast ForWord at ACCESS Speech-Language Services in Victoria, BC, Canada. Visit her resource-rich website at https://www.end-dyslexia.com.

The post What I Wish I Knew about Dyslexia as a Teacher appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

This week, to honor Dyslexia Awareness Month, neuroscientist and Northwestern University professor Dr. Martha Burns presented our 5th annual webinar on updates to dyslexia research. Here are highlights from just two of the 2019 articles that Dr. Burns covered.

1. Interventions are typically not early enough.

Too many schools employ the “wait-to-fail” approach to dyslexia diagnosis, meaning they wait until children fail to learn how to read before providing them with targeted support. Sound familiar? This approach causes long-term damage to students’ education, mental health, and future economic success. 

Led by Harvard researcher Dr. Nadine Gaab, Sanfilippo et al. (2019) argue for earlier dyslexia interventions. They state, “Currently, children are typically diagnosed at the end of second or beginning of third grade (and many much later), after they have already failed to learn to read over a long period of time and have fallen behind their peers academically” (p. 8).

Rather than wait until age eight or nine to diagnose and treat dyslexia, parents, teachers, and clinicians can recognize “key linguistic and pre-literacy measures…in children as young as four years old” (p. 7). The following are predictors of dyslexia to look for in young children:

• struggles in letter-sound correspondence
• struggles in pseudoword repetition (the ability to pronounce spoken nonsense words)
• struggles in identifying rhyming sounds
• struggles in rapid automatized naming (the ability to automatically retrieve the names of objects, letters, or colors)
• deficits in oral language comprehension
• deficits in receptive and expressive vocabulary (p. 7).

As she summarized these findings in the webinar, Dr. Burns claimed, “If we can get to them as 3- and 4- and 5-year-olds, and we can build up their cognitive skills—working memory and attention, build up their auditory processing skills, build up the brain’s capacity through multiple repetitions to become more plastic to sensory stimuli, then we probably could prevent a lot of the reading failures we have in schools.”

The takeaway:

Parents, teachers, and clinicians should look for predictors of dyslexia in children as early as preschool. Remediation should begin as early as possible rather than waiting for them to fail at reading.

Read the full article here. 

2. Weak Auditory Relay Exists in the Dyslexic Brain.

While there is broad consensus that dyslexia is primarily an auditory disorder, rather than a visual one, its precise neural mechanisms are still unclear. Debunking the widely accepted assumption that dyslexia is caused by an atypical structure in the cerebal cortex, an international research team recently discovered a precortical processing weakness in the dyslexic brain.

In their article in the Journal of Neuroscience, Tschenstscher et al. (2019) report that, compared to neurotypical brains, dyslexic brains have underdeveloped white matter in the fiber tract that connects the left auditory thalamus (medial geniculate body, or MGB) to the auditory cortex (motion-sensitive planum temporale, or mPT).

In other words, the connective bridge between the thalamus and cortex is weak in a dyslexic brain. The thalamus is a gateway for sound to be distributed throughout the brain. Dr. Burns explained, “When you hear anything, the gateway to every part of your cortex—your sensory cortex—is the thalamus. So, the thalamus distributes the signal.”

This weakly developed structure causes difficulty in perceiving and processing rapidly changing auditory information.

The takeaways:

First, dyslexia is neurological—it is a condition that stems from underlying differences in the brain, which is not the child's fault. That means that the most effective dyslexia interventions will strengthen these specific underdeveloped areas of the brain.

Second, dyslexia is a problem of auditory processing. Successful interventions will train the brain to improve auditory processing speed that will in turn improve reading skills.

Read the full article here.
Read a summary of the article here.

We invite you to continue learning about and raising awareness of the most common learning disability with us this Dyslexia Awareness Month. Here are some suggestions:

• Watch the full webinar on-demand, “Read Their Minds: An Update on Dyslexia Research and Brain-Based Remediation” with Dr. Martha S. Burns, and share your new insights with friends and colleagues. 
• Like and share this blog post.
• Subscribe to this blog for more on dyslexia and other topics.
• And most importantly, do what you can to give learners with dyslexia the encouragement, support, and resources they need!
   

Sources:

Sanfilippo, J., Ness, M., Petscher, Y., Rappaport, L., Zuckerman, B., & Gaab, N. (2019, September 20). Reintroducing Dyslexia: Early Identification and Implications for Pediatric Practice. PSF Preprints. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/z4ryh

Tschentscher, N., Ruisinger, A., Blank, H., Diaz, B., & von Kriegstein, K. (2019). Reduced structural connectivity between left auditory thalamus and the motion-sensitive planum temporale in developmental dyslexia. The Journal of Neuroscience, 39(9), 1720-1732.

TU Dresden (2019, February 26). Neural mechanism of developmental dyslexia discovered. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved from http://neurosciencenews.com/developmental-dyslexia-mechanism-10817/.

The post 2019 Update on Dyslexia Research appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools need to be more transparent than ever about how they use government funds. With higher accountability, administrators and school boards, especially at Title 1 schools, who want to make the most out of their funding should consider what neuroscience research can contribute to their programs.

“Wait a minute!,” you say. “What does neuroscience have to do with Title 1?” Below are the top 3 reasons why neuroscience should be part of the Title 1 conversation, along with corresponding action items for educators.

What is Title 1?

Title 1 (officially Title I) is a federal program that provides funding to K-12 schools with children from vulnerable populations, including those impacted by poverty or homelessness. To close the achievement gap, Title 1 funding can be used for supplementary reading or math instruction and for after-school or summer programs, among other resources.

High-poverty schools with 40% or more of the student population receiving reduced or free lunches are designated Title 1 schools and use their funding for school-wide programs. Other qualifying schools support specific students with targeted-assistance programs. Title 1 is the nation’s oldest and largest federally funded program and distributes over $15 billion annually to schools across the country.

Why should neuroscience be part of the Title 1 conversation?

When we discuss the urgent needs of children from low-socioeconomic (SES) families, we focus on state test scores, social-emotional learning (SEL), and adverse traumatic experiences (ACEs).

What we need to talk about more is neuroscience. Scientific research on the brain offers insight into effective strategies for educators teaching vulnerable students. Here are 3 reasons why neuroscience should be at the center of the Title 1 conversation.

1. The most important learning tool is the brain.

All learning happens in the brain. So, a better understanding of it allows educators to maximize learning for Title 1 students who need the most support.

In recent years an emergent field has combined the fields of education and neuroscience to make neuroeducation. Popularly referred to as brain-based learning, this area of study bases best teaching practices on scientifically validated principles.

There’s no room for error with Title 1 students. When they’re behind to begin with, they can’t afford anything less than the most effective, scientifically proven instructional models.

2. “Bad behavior” is the wrong diagnosis.

Imagine "Sammy" is walking down the hall at school when a kid taps him on the shoulder. Sammy swings around and hits the other student. Is Sammy a violent child?

It depends. Sammy has grown up with chronic stress because of ongoing maltreatment and household dysfunction, ACEs that are the most prevalent in low-SES homes. Based on this background, Dr. Martha Burns, a neuroscientist and leading expert on how children learn, makes the case that Sammy’s behavior is not inherent “badness,” but rather something similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.

In a recent webinar titled "Breaking Bad: Tackling Behavior Problems at the Core," Dr. Burns explains that poverty breeds toxic stress, which then overloads the brain’s stress response system with cortisol. That means Sammy is chemically on high alert and will respond more sensitively to events that might not be stressful to others. 

To adequately address behavior issues, we need to understand what’s happening beneath the surface with our Title 1 students. Research about poverty’s effects on the brain opens a window into students' needs.

3. Cognitive skills are the most foundational learning skills.

You can’t read a book before learning your ABCs. And at the most foundational level, what all students need in order to learn anything are cognitive skills like memory, attention, processing, and sequencing. In fact, researchers found in one study that working memory is the greatest predictor of academic success—even more than IQ.

Unfortunately, neuroscientists have found that cognitive skills and associated executive functions, such as self-regulation and goal-setting, are disproportionately weak among low-SES students relative to their more affluent peers.

The good news is that research also shows that students can develop cognitive skills and executive functions. The brain is plastic: it can be trained with targeted cognitive exercises. With the right brain fitness program, Title 1 students are not destined to lag behind their classmates forever.

What can educators do?

Don’t worry—you don’t have to be a scientist to apply neuroscience research to the day-to-day needs of a school! Here are 3 brain-based strategies for educators at Title 1 schools to support their students.

1. Learn about neuroeducation and brain-based learning.

Here are some resources for teachers and school leaders to learn more about the latest neuroeducation research and classroom applications that will help Title 1 students.

• Edutopia’s Brain-Based Learning Series
• TeachThought articles on neuroscience and brain-based learning
• Scientific Learning’s Brain-Based Learning Webinar Series (The next webinar is October 8, 2019, with Dr. Burns on the topic of dyslexia. Register today!)
• Continue reading The Science of Learning Blog (Don't forget to subscribe below!)

2. Treat students as their best potential selves.

Rather than viewing students through a deficit model, educators should foster a growth mindset—both in themselves and in their students.

Educators should also counterbalance chronically stressed students’ heightened fight-or-flight state by providing support, resources, and stability—not punishment.

Rather than simply disciplining students like Sammy, educators can recognize that these kids have been conditioned to act out by toxic stress. Mentoring these students and helping them see their own potential can lead to better academic performance and behavior.

3. Invest funds in skills that will go a long way.

Educators can invest Title 1 and ESSA funds on technology that provides the most efficient way for students to strengthen the cognitive skills and executive functions that are the bedrock of all learning.

But not all brain training programs are equal. To help educators choose the best brain fitness program, the nonprofit BrainFutures released a report that includes guidelines and the top 10 brain fitness and executive function programs that meet their rigorous criteria.

Fast ForWord, one of the programs that appears in the report, is a reading and language program designed by neuroscientists to simultaneously strengthen cognitive skills and reading skills. Title 1 schools in Louisiana, Missouri, and across the country have seen fast and enduring gains with Fast ForWord.

Cognitive training tools directly counter the neurological effects that are disproportionately experienced by children from low-SES homes, and they will equip students with lifelong skills.

***

There are inspirational educators at Title 1 schools across the country impacting children’s lives every day. Including neuroscience more in our Title 1 programs will can elevate that crucial work even more.

The post 3 Reasons Why Neuroscience Should Be Important to Title 1 Educators appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

A little girl wearing too-small sandals and no coat on a freezing January morning. A boy sick from eating nothing but potato chips and Kool-Aid. An eight-year-old raising himself and sleeping at night with 3 younger siblings.

These are children of vulnerable populations that Linda Ann H. McCall recalls teaching at a Title 1 school, or federally assisted low-income school, in urban America. In her 2018 article in National Youth-At-Risk Journal, McCall recounts what teachers across the country witness every day: the challenges that students from low-socioeconomic (SES) families bring with them to school.

Dr. McCall reflects, “I was reminded over and over of Abraham Maslow’s classic Hierarchy of Needs when I asked myself ‘how could I expect a child to focus on the concepts of long division and sentence structure, for example, if he or she was being abused and/or feeling hungry, afraid, and/or unloved?’ (p. 41-42).

What worked?

What worked in Dr. McCall’s classroom, and what many other educators at Title 1 schools are increasingly implementing, is brain-based teaching and learning. Dr. McCall argues that brain-based learning is especially important for teaching children impacted by poverty.

What do Title 1 educators need to know about the impact of poverty on the brain? More importantly, how should school leaders apply brain-based learning to teaching? Keep reading to learn 4 little-known facts about poverty and the brain.

What is brain-based learning?

All learning happens in the brain, so isn’t all learning “brain-based learning”? In a way, yes. But “brain-based learning” means the application of brain science to teaching—what happens when neuroscience meets education.

As Great Schools Partnership defines brain-based learning, the practice builds on “scientific research about how the brain learns, including… how students learn differently as they age, grow, and mature.”

Brain-based learning is crucial for children from low-SES households. The latest scientific research shows that students impacted by poverty are cognitively and developmentally behind their more affluent peers. That means students at Title 1 schools need extra brain training to catch up to their grade levels.

From the expansive neuroscience literature on poverty and the brain, we’re highlighting 4 facts that educators should know and 3 brain-based learning strategies to try in schools. 

4 little-known facts about poverty and the brain

1. 60% cognition gap exists by kindergarten

By kindergarten, children from low-SES homes will already have 60% lower cognitive scores than their higher-SES classmates. This is “inequality at the starting gate.” 

When children of poverty are behind before the race starts, they need to develop their cognitive skills quickly and efficiently. Brain-based learning specifically targets memory, attention, auditory processing, and sequencing. Traditional pedagogy assumes these cognitive skills will come naturally. 

2. Language is most impacted by income

Income disparity impacts language, including complexity of speech, vocabulary, and phonological awareness, more than any other cognitive area, according to Noble et al. (2005). 

The second most impacted cognitive system found was executive function: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. 

Since language and executive function are hit hardest, educators at Title 1 schools should develop intervention plans that explicitly and intensively bolster these cognitive areas. 

3. Brain underdevelopment explains 20% of income achievement gap

According to a 2015 article in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers found that poor brain development in the frontal and temporal lobes explain up to one-fifth of test score differences between poor and middle-class children.

We know that educators can’t change parents’ incomes or students’ access to consistent meals and adequate health care. What educators can do, and do best, is change the brain.

Brain-based teaching is as much a philosophy as it is a science. It’s the belief that learning is a process of rewiring the brain—not a process of information dumping. And it’s the conviction that all students can change their brains, no matter their starting point.

4. Cognitive skills are part of SEL

Even though “cognitive” didn’t make the cut for the acronym of social-emotional learning, cognitive skills are the crucial third part of SEL. 

A RAND report identified three components of social and emotional learning :
1.    Cognitive skills
2.    Emotional competencies
3.    Social and interpersonal skills 

To foster SEL, Title 1 educators should encourage brain-based learning that meaningfully accounts for cognitive skill development. After all, cognitive learning is inseparable from SEL.

What can educators do?

Let’s review. Brain-based learning for students of poverty should develop cognitive skills

• quickly and efficiently,
• explicitly and intensively, and
• by rewiring the brain
• inseparably with SEL.

Here are 3 specific steps that educators can take that meet these criteria:

1. Teach students how their brains learn.

Judy Willis has taught 5th and 7th graders how their brains learn. In an article for TeachThought, Dr. Willis observed, “If we want to empower students, we must show them how they can control their own cognitive and emotional health and their own learning. Teaching students how the brain operates is a huge step.” Explicitly teaching about the brain can boost SEL in the classroom.

It turns out that such young students can grasp the fundamentals of neuroplasticity! One 7th grader reflected, “If I use my prefrontal cortex to mentally manipulate what I learn, my dendrites and synapses grow, and I will own that learning for a long, long time. I won’t have to learn fractions all over again each year.”

2. Use technology designed for cognitive strength-training.

Scientific Learning pioneered brain-based learning technology with its Fast ForWord products. Neuroscientists developed this program to target cognitive areas of the brain that happen to be underdeveloped in children experiencing poverty.

The target cognitive areas are also crucial for developing reading skills. So, Fast ForWord is a reading and language solution that quickly, efficiently, explicitly, and intensively rewires the brain. It helps struggling readers catch up to their grade level. (Read more about Title 1 schools that have seen significant gains with Fast ForWord.)

3. Involve students in choosing curricular unit themes.

Remember Dr. McCall? She cites an excellent example of this collaborative, inclusive approach to brain-based teaching:

My children decided the unit theme and made many decisions regarding which activities and projects they wished to do. Because of this, motivation was high…. This was accomplished by determining my children’s interests and talents via sharing, journal writing, “All About Me” projects, autobiographies, conferencing, interviews, teacher observation, interest inventories, “Index to Ideas” (brainstorming with families on index cards), voting, and dialogue with children and their parents. For example, some of the themes chosen by my students were Sports, Rap, The Rain Forest, Transistors, The Olympics, Famous African-Americans, and Native Americans. 

This approach will motivate learning, lower student anxiety, and foster cognitive development inseparably with SEL.

There is so much more we could share about neuroscience research, brain-based learning and teaching, and tips and strategies. Hopefully this is a good start! Let us know how it goes in your classroom, and share your own tips and strategies in the comments below!

The post 4 Little-Known Facts about Poverty and the Brain (And What Educators Can Do about Them) appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

What does ESSA mean for educators in 2019-2020? As the new school year begins, educators may be wondering what the second year of implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will look like for their schools. 

Keep reading to learn 6 ways that ESSA can change education in America. 

What is ESSA?

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a US law passed in December 2015 that marks a major shift in education policy for K-12 schools. Signed into law to replace its predecessor No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the act governs American education policy and is the main law for all public schools.

With the stated purpose of providing all children with equitable opportunities to receive high-quality education and close achievement gaps, the law retains elements of NCLB but effectively returns federal accountability provisions to states. In doing so, ESSA leaves more control to states and districts in setting student education standards and determining the consequences of low-performing schools.

Although the act was initially planned to take effect during the 2017-18 school year, its implementation was delayed by the repeal of certain regulations. With every state now following ESSA’s guidelines after the act went into effect in the 2018-19 school year, let’s take a look at how ESSA will change education for our K-12 students and educators. 

How ESSA will affect educators

With the implementation of ESSA guidelines and requirements in every state, here are some things to expect for American education systems:

1. ESSA encourages new measures of school success.

As states are responsible for having a plan in place to identify struggling schools, ESSA introduces additional accountability indicators to create a more accurate scope of student success in schools.

While standard academic factors like graduation rate and test performance remain a key part of measuring success, ESSA recommends states to include other measures of success as well. These recommended alternative indicators include access to and completion of advanced coursework, progress toward early literacy, chronic absenteeism, and other factors. 

Incorporating alternative success indicators can help ease student performance pressures on educators and provide a more comprehensive way to look at school achievement from multiple perspectives.

Because it is up to states to use their discretion in creating an accountability plan, measures of school success can vary from state to state. For example, 33 states have included a college readiness measure in their school accountability plan while only 9 states plan to use a school climate/culture measure.

Knowing what accountability indicators have been incorporated into your state’s accountability plan is important to understanding how to improve your school and help your students succeed. Click here to learn more about your state’s accountability plan under ESSA.

2. Standardized testing will continue, but with more flexibility for schools.

ESSA retains the hallmark annual standardized testing requirements from NCLB. States must still assess students in reading and math every year from 3rd to 8th grade, as well as in science at least 3 times before they graduate. However, under ESSA, states will have flexibility in how and when they administer those tests.

For example, the law allows states to institute a cap limiting the amount of time students spend taking tests and funds states in eliminating duplicative assessments, allowing districts to optimize their assessment systems. 

Additionally, ESSA allows districts the option to use locally determined, nationally recognized tests at the high school level, such as the SAT or ACT, which could help streamline classroom practice/preparation and reduce the amount of test-taking high school students are subjected to.

More importantly, ESSA removes the high-stakes consequences and test-and-punish nature attached to students’ standardized test scores. “Adequate yearly progress” has been eliminated along with the sanctions associated with it, including possible school closure. These changes can help relieve the pressure of statewide testing on teachers and schools, one of the major factors that contributes to high teacher turnover rates.

3. There may be a new focus on literacy in schools

ESSA provides funding for literacy and other grants that can help students succeed through encouraging the use of evidence-based literacy instruction for K-12 students.

To aid schools in building literacy skills for their struggling students, the law creates a Comprehensive Center on Literacy, a national center for literacy and reading issues to help students in special education. The center serves as a go-to resource accessible to parents and educators for information related to literacy and students with disabilities. 

The center focuses on delivering information to educators and parents to better meet the needs of students who struggle with a learning disability, providing tools to detect literacy challenges early on, identifying evidence-based literacy instruction and assistive technology, and developing professional development for teachers on early indicators and instructional strategies.

Another part of the law includes a Literacy Education Grant Program that encourages using evidence-based literacy instruction. This means that educators in states that apply for a literacy grant will have the tools to teach essential reading comprehension skills like phonological awareness, decoding, and reading fluency.

Fast ForWord is one tool that can help educators provide quality evidence-based literacy instruction to meet the needs of every learner. Fast ForWord’s SmartLearning Technology provides students with the reading support they need to make fast improvements in literacy that continue even after they finish the program. The neuroscience-based reading program includes key features to help identify and address student reading difficulties such as:

• Automated assessment that identifies student reading level 
• Personalized, intensive reading practice to match each student’s reading ability 
• Real-time corrective feedback to help students when teachers are busy 
• Online reporting for educators to track student reading progress

Learn more about the reading intervention program here.

4. You may see more innovative instruction based on student-centered approaches.

ESSA encourages states to explore and expand on personalized learning to design instruction that best meets the learning needs of all students. The law endorses Universal Design for Learning, a powerful framework that helps teachers support struggling and advanced students by tailoring lesson plans to each student’s ability and learning style. 

Commonly referred to as differentiated instruction, the instructional strategy helps reach diverse learners through a wide array of teaching techniques. Learn more about how to differentiate instruction in your classroom here. 

5. Teacher qualifications and training will vary from state to state.

Teachers play an important role in ensuring every child receives a quality education. With the passage of ESSA, states no longer have to conduct teacher evaluations through student outcomes and K-12 educators are no longer required to be “highly qualified” under federal law. 

The elimination of teacher evaluations could prove to be an essential step toward reducing standardized testing pressure on educators, but does have implications about teacher quality and certification.

The law, however, does create new opportunities for teacher professional development. For example, ESSA’s Teacher and School Leader Innovation Program provides grants to districts that are willing to try out performance pay and other teacher-quality improvement measures. The legislation also provides funding and resources to help train teachers on literacy and STEM in addition to encouraging the creation of teacher residency programs.

6. Parents will play an even bigger role.

Under ESSA, states are required to design their own accountability plans to ensure that schools will help students in special education. That’s where parents can make a difference. The law requires states to include parents in the accountability process, where parents can voice their opinions when developing these plans.

As an educator, encouraging parents to take part in the accountability process can foster parent engagement in their child’s education and academic progress. Supporting parents of disadvantaged and struggling students in driving decision-making is an important step toward closing educational achievement gaps and working towards equity in education.

Encourage parents to reach out to their state’s Department of Education to get involved in ensuring that their child receives a quality education.

References

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): What You Need to Know

The Every Student Succeeds Act: An ESSA Overview

50-State Comparison: States’ School Accountability Systems

5 Ways ESSA Impacts Standardized Testing

After No Child Left Behind, 9 Things to Expect for Kids With Learning and Attention Issues 

Comprehensive Literacy Center for Students with Dyslexia, Other Disabilities Included in the Every Student Succeeds Act

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): 5 implications for professional development

The post 6 Things Educators Need to Know about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) appeared first on Scientific Learning.

      

A Note from a Fast ForWord Graduate

We love when this happens.

The other week, we received a lovely email from a Fast ForWord alum. A young woman named Rachel W. told us, "I know my life has been forever changed by this wonderful company."

Read her full letter below!

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Rachel. We are honored to be part of it. Best of luck completing your Master’s degree in social work, and we hope you stay in touch!

July 3, 2019

Hello Richard Cheng,

My name is Rachel W. and I am writing to you today to thank Scientific Learning for existing. You have no idea how many lives have been changed by Scientific Learning. I know my life has been forever changed by this wonderful company. I say this with confidence because I know I would not be where I am today without it or without the support from my speech and language pathologist.

A little bit about me and my background: At the age of 8 I was diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). I was not socially or cognitively functioning at the appropriate age level. I could not understand what people around me were saying. I had a very difficult time following directions as well as staying engaged in school and in social settings. I was struggling to keep up with my peers academically, cognitively, and socially.

After I was officially diagnosed, my parents took me to see a speech and language pathologist where my life was transformed. She bought/downloaded Fast ForWard and challenged me to never give up on the program (even when it got challenging and frustrating for me). The games and levels I completed developed new pathways in my brain which allowed me to eventually function at the appropriate age level. It helped me develop friendships with my peers, interact with my family better, and deepen my understanding of what I was learning in school. My academic performance improved significantly as well as every other aspect of my life.

Without Scientific Learning, Fast ForWord, my amazing speech and language pathologist and my supportive family, I would not be where I am today. Today, I am 26 years old and functioning well in the adult world (even with CAPD). I graduated with honors from Illinois State University in 2016, and am currently working on my Master in Social Work. I hope to one day help individuals from all walks of lives find hope in their daily struggles--similarly to how Fast Forward helped me. Fast ForWord gave me hope and the confidence to face any challenge that came my way (which is so important and amazing for a young child to develop and have as they go through life).

I'm not sure who I should be writing to about this, but I wanted to let someone know my story and how important this company is. I don't know where I would be without this company. I saw your name on the website first and thought I would let you know my story. If there is an official place I can send my appreciation to, please let me know and I will gladly do it.

With warm regards and endless thanks,
Rachel W.

If you want to share your story with us, we’d love to hear it! You can email us at contact@scilearn.com or DM us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
 

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