Disliking School and Losing Confidence: The Matthew Effect and Your Child

January 16, 2013 by

matthew effect

Somewhere between second and fourth grade, parents and teachers begin to observe a very noticeable difference among kids when it comes to both their academic performance and their feelings about school. Usually, the two go hand in hand. Youngsters who perform well in school find it enjoyable while those who struggle academically often dislike school. Makes sense, right? The question is, which comes first: a child’s poor academic performance or his disdain for school? Psychologist Keith Stanovich says it’s the latter and pinpoints literacy issues as the main culprit for academic failure in the early primary grades and beyond.

Stanovich was the first to coin the term “the Matthew Effect” as a way of illustrating the negative psychological effects a child experiences as a result of struggling to acquire literacy. The term has its origins in scripture, namely the verse in Matthew that reads, “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath,” or in layman’s terms, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Although you can probably think of a dozen different ways that this adage can apply to our daily lives, the way it impacts young school children is of particular concern.

What is the Matthew Effect?

At some point during the early elementary years, students have to make the transition between learning to read and reading to learn. Those students who have yet to learn to read fluently begin to lag behind as more and more subject matter content is delivered through textbooks. They suddenly find themselves struggling not just in the area of Language Arts but in Science and Math as well, subjects that they may have otherwise excelled in had they not been required to read a textbook in order to learn the information. Unfortunately, once students begin to fall behind, some of them never catch up. That’s why it’s imperative that parents learn to recognize the signs of the downward side of the Matthew Effect, so that they can intervene to stop the cycle of failure and defeat that many elementary children experience.

What are the Signs of the Matthew Effect?

Although every child is different, there are some general signs of the Matthew Effect that all parents should be aware of. These include:

  • Resists new things, no longer a learning risk-taker
  • Anxiety over assignments, homework, tests
  • Suddenly dislikes school
  • A drop in grades or standardized test scores

What Can I Do to Help?

If you notice signs of a negative spiral and are worried that it may be impacting your child’s academic success or emotional wellbeing, rest assured that there are steps you can take to turn the proverbial ship around and get your child back on the path to calmer waters. That doesn’t mean there is a one-size-fits-all solution, however.

While some experts argue that retention is the answer, the data doesn’t clear show that retention makes a difference.  Most parents turn to tutoring to help their children cope, but tutoring does not address the source of declining confidence and skill that is at the heart of a downward trend.  The best answer is grade-level remediation (either at home or school, but ideally both!) that gets at the source of confidence erosion, the reading or learning delays that are undermining performance at school.  Fast ForWord software by Gemm Learning is one such program.

Nearly everyone agrees that something must be done, though. Crossing your fingers and hoping that your child catches up with his peers simply isn’t an option.

Filed Under: Learning Issues Tagged With: ,

Is Cognitive Training for Real?

December 4, 2012 by

cognitive trainingCan video and online brain training games really make you smarter? This is the question that David Hambrick, associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University, poses in a recent NY Times article, “I.Q. Points for Sale, Cheap.”

IQ Can Be Changed, But By How Much?

The article’s main point focuses more on the claims of some cognitive training firms, most particularly the now infamous Jaeggi study where the equivalent of 6 IQ points were added after only 6 hours of brain training, a study that incidentally has not been replicated. Hambrick points to successful efforts to change cognitive skills made in the Abecedarian Early Intervention study, where 6 IQ points were added on average after five years of training, from birth to entering elementary school.

We are also somewhat circumspect about the potential to change IQ with training.  IQ limits seem akin to natural physical talent limits on the sports field — while they can be developed with practice, there are limits.

Is IQ a Distraction?

It appears that Hambrick chooses to link cognitive training to IQ because it is more controversial.  But achievement is not defined entirely by IQ or natural talent. Skill development through good technique and practice are perhaps equally important.

In academics, essential skills are reading, learning and focus.  While the ability to change IQ is questionable, these learning skills can be helped by cognitive training — processing, memory, sequencing and other skills can be exercised and improved to some absolute levels for most individuals.  This is proven science, established by fMRI images that show changed neural activity after cognitive training.

The fact that learning skills can be improved with brain training is reason enough to consider trying a brain-based intervention if your child has learning difficulties.

The fact that these gains sometimes translate into higher testing on IQ tests is a sideshow, a distraction.  Improving IQ is not the reason to try Fast ForWord or some other cognitive software.  However, just as practice makes perfect on the sports field, improving the outcomes of natural sports talent, cognitive training improves learning and reading skills.

Brain Change — A Quick, Easy Project?

“I.Q. Points for Sale, Cheap” also mentions how the Jaeggi study was able to produce major gains in only 6 hours of exercise.  This is treated with suspicion.  We agree.

In our world of cognitive training for reading and learning using Fast ForWord software, our benchmarks are 20 hours for any material change, 30-40 hours for the best outcomes.

Furthermore, cognitive training requires consistent practice and an “aerobic” effort each time, pushing cognitive skills to new levels each and every time.  This is another area where we think these off-the-shelf brain game programs fall down.  Consistent attendance requires consistently engaging material and personal trainer oversight, and we use remote educators to support Fast ForWord at home.

Filed Under: Learning Science Tagged With: , ,

Is It Inattentive ADD or Auditory Processing Disorder?

November 1, 2012 by

ADD or APD

Why It’s Probably Not ADD

Just because there’s a drug for it does not mean that ADD is a disease or disability.  Actually, it’s not a disability.  It’s a description of behavior — an inability to focus for sustained periods or a tendency to be easily distracted.

You may think of it as a disease because there is a drug you can take for it, and most of the time that drug is actually pretty effective.

Just like Adderall is effective in helping perfectly normal students hyper-perform to ace a test.

While ADHD or ADHD-PH (Predominantly Hyperactive) is more complex and actually has multiple causes, our subject here is ADD, or better said, Inattentive ADD or ADHD-PI (Predominantly Inattentive).  Here are the classic symptoms of ADD:

  • Drifting off in class
  • Cannot attend to reading, homework or tests for extended periods
  • Forgetfulness
  • Struggling with multiple-step directions

While many children with these ADD symptoms end up on medication, most often there is an underlying learning difficulty that is causing these symptoms, and that is auditory processing disorder (APD).  This describes an inability to process language efficiently. To a child with APD, words seem muddy or unclear, and so listening requires extra effort. After a while, this will lead the child to tune out, which a teacher or parent may misinterpret as ADD.

Muddy listening also impacts phonological awareness, sounding out words while reading. Many children with auditory processing difficulties are able to manage reading, but the effort required is taxing, and so they have no reading stamina … just like with ADD.

Here’s the good news.  In many cases, a one-time treatment that exercises auditory processing skills – -to make them more accurate and more efficient – can remove the source of attention deficit symptoms once and for all.

Improved processing efficiency makes listening in class easier and more interesting (as more is heard and understood) and less exhausting, so children will not tune out. To be fair, this is partly a learned behavioral skill, and so sometimes, even with much better processing skills in place, it takes a while for new habits, like listening attentively, to form!

Improved processing  also helps thinking. We think in language, and so if language is muddy, thinking is compromised.  Better thinking skills help test scores, homework habits and self confidence.

Improved phonological awareness makes reading more automatic or effortless.  This makes reading more natural.  It frees up the brain for reading comprehension, making the text more interesting.  The end result is better reading, and more reading stamina.

Our bottom line is this:

Don’t think of ADD as something you hope your child will grow out of that  has to be medicated for the time being.  Instead, think of it as a symptom, a clue, that your child has some kind of learning difficulty that in most cases can be targeted and helped.

And in most cases, because all learning in the end comes down to language — listening, reading, writing and thinking — a learning difficulty is related to how your child processes language.  And in most cases, that is a difficulty that, with intense practice, can be dramatically improved.

Gemm Learning uses Fast ForWord software to strengthen auditory processing skills to help inattentive ADD, reading and learning. If you think your child has an auditory processing disorder, learn more about APD treatment.

Filed Under: Learning Issues Tagged With: , , , ,

FAQ: Do I Need a Clinician to Run Fast ForWord for My Child?

October 11, 2012 by

Fast ForWord Frequently Asked Questions

“I have heard that only clinicians can monitor Fast ForWord.  If I work with Gemm, who will monitor my son’s program?”

Fast Forword ReadingMany clinicians utilize Fast ForWord within their practices because it is an extremely effective learning intervention. For many years, Fast ForWord was primarily used by clinicians and it became  the first choice for many Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) as an auditory processing disorder treatment. The process was intense — first the SLP conducted a detailed evaluation of the student, and then the student participated in 90-minute clinic sessions 3-4 days a week for 8 weeks.

Fast ForWord was soon adopted by public and private educators within a traditional computer classroom environment. In schools, however, there is no up-front evaluation to determine if a student is a candidate for Fast ForWord. And the protocol time was dropped to 50 minutes to fit into a school period.

Now, in the last 5 years, Gemm Learning has pioneered a virtual learning center model that extends beyond the clinic and classroom to the home using an affordable, convenient hybrid. Our method reconciles the two extremes of the clinic and the classroom — expensive upfront testing versus no testing at all, one-on-one attention in a center versus almost no oversight in a computer lab at school, etc.

At Gemm Learning, we use a consultation, behavioral questionnaire, and Reading Progress Indicator assessment to determine whether a student is a candidate for Fast ForWord. Our program managers are certified Fast ForWord professionals and experienced classroom educators. Once the sessions start, these instructors monitor daily data reports on every aspect of a child’s progress  — time, errors, difficulties, etc. The instructors’ knowledge of the program as well as their collective backgrounds in various classroom settings allow them to provide exceptional support to our diverse student body.

Gemm Learning staff essentially run the program for you remotely. Your role as parent is that of mentor or cheerleader, making sure your child is ready to make a good effort each day. Our role is to help make that happen with our student rewards site, support materials, and more.

If a child does not do well at home, however, then seeking out a local clinician may indeed be a good idea.

Note: the advent of Fast ForWord being available online has helped make Fast ForWord viable for even more families who find it difficult to do the program from the same computer every time.

Learn more about the difference between using Fast ForWord at home or at a clinic. Contact us to find out whether your child could benefit from using Fast ForWord software.

Filed Under: Gemm News Tagged With: , ,

A Note of Appreciation

November 11, 2010 by

Latest Recommendation Is Inspiring

We are always amazed by the wonderful  Fast ForWord reviews  we hear from our families.  Recently we spoke to a mom who shared how our Fast ForWord software helped her daughter.  We asked her to share her thoughts with you.  This is what she wrote:

“There is no doubt that all children are expected to go to school, however not all children are equally capable of learning in the same way. Many children struggle with their coursework, not because they can’t understand the material, but because they have trouble staying focused. Focused concentration is a learned behavior that comes easier to some children than others, however it does not imply a lack of intelligence or competence on the child’s part. It simply demonstrates that children’s needs are different, and thus the ways to cater for their needs must be equally diverse and helpful.

Gemm’s involvement with my child has been truly wondrous and it has reaped impressive results. They have not only helped my child improve academically, but they’ve also helped her find the self confidence she needs to perform better on all levels. Because of Gemm’s dedication to excellence, their unwavering support and willingness to help students achieve, and their patience and understanding of each child’s condition, they have made a drastic difference in my child’s attitude towards learning and helped her find pride in her accomplishments.

Gemm Learning approach their tasks with a sense of challenge rather than routine, and they take the child’s curve balls and turn them into fun. When my child faced some challenges at first and found it difficult to stay focused, they were there to assist her and give her the courage she needs to keep going.

Like any commendable educator, they possess the dexterity to see the child through all the way. They encompassed every aspect of my child’s learning needs, from focusing, to effective listening, to reading and spelling with confidence.

Their dedication to my child’s improvement has been truly inspiring. Thank you, Gemm Learning, for a job skillfully and admirably done.”

This student worked on Fast ForWord Language and then programs in Fast ForWord Reading.

Filed Under: Gemm Success Stories Tagged With: , , , ,

What Does The Demise of Picture Books Tell Us?

October 18, 2010 by

Reading Fundamentals Lose Favor?

An interesting article in a recent New York Times about how parents are moving their children onto chapter books at an earlier age is worrying.  It’s part of a larger trend where parents and educators are pressing forward with curricula before learning foundations are set, risking a lack of interest in reading.

Americans are scratching their heads over why only 40% or so of 8th graders are proficient readers.  Part of the answer is that we are famously impatient and results oriented.  All good, except that learning and reading proficiency requires complete mastery of reading skills in sequence. 

First a child should learn how to process language comfortably — phonological awareness, then learn to decode fluently, then learn literal reading comprehension, then learn to think while reading, called metacognition.

Short-circuiting any of these steps — particularly reading fluency or automaticity —  leads to an inablity to master reading comprehension with metacognition in middle and high school.  Furthermore, reading proficiency requires lots of reading which will only happen if reading is fun or, at the very least, not exhausting.  

Our program based on Fast ForWord software builds these cognitive skills required to make reading more natural and easy.  One of the common push-backs we get from even elementary age parents is that they are worried their child will fall behind today.  Our answer is that investment in a good foundation today will allow for much faster progress and less risk of a stumble tomorrow.

Not an easy message in today’s now-is-not-soon-enough, competitive world!

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/us/08picture.html?_r=1

Filed Under: Education Trends Tagged With: , , , , ,

Touching Blog on PDD-NOS

June 18, 2010 by

Progress on Autism Interventions

Here is a touching bog, a wonderful glimpse into the life of a parent bringing up an autistic child.  It recounts a day at the Yankees and how different the experience was for father and autistic son compared to the father’s first time to the Yankees with his father.

It is frustrating to learning services like ours to read stories like this. We know our core autism programs based on Fast ForWord, is not a “cure” for autism but it does show what is possible.  Fast ForWord is able to improve the processing aspects of learning in often dramatic ways, showing that the brain has much more in common with a muscle than it does with a hard-wired computer — it is an inspiration to researchers around the world that learning rewiring is possible. 

In years to come the hope is that more Fast ForWord-like treatments will become available addressing the various different aspects of learning, eventually adding up to a comprehensive intervention that should be able to repair most of the learning gaps associated with autism or PDD-NOS.

Here is the blog post:

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/autism.pervasive.developmental.2.1749342.html

Filed Under: Learning Issues Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

New Gemm video challenges NY Times Rosie O’Donnell Story

May 7, 2010 by

The NY Times article about Rosie O’Donnell and her son who is diagnosed with auditory processing disorder has created a lot of chatter in our world of learning.  The theme of the article is that auditory processing disorders need to be coped with, worked around, that they stay with you for life.

Then how do you explain this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a8aqiKb0xw

This a child who came to Gemm Learning for our auditory processing disorder treatment.  While it is a compelling video, it is not at all unusual for us.  For Blaise, his APD is gone and he is going from strength to strength.  His brain was changed by Fast ForWord.

The quote in the Rosie O’Donnell story that got me was this one:

“It definitely affected his whole world,” she said of her son. “Not just learning. It cuts them off from society, from interactions.”

Such a bleak picture, particularly as a life sentence that needs constant vigilance as learning needs change as a student ages.  But Dr Norman Doidge, now famous (again, in our circles!) author of The Brain That Changes Itself  has his own quote:

“Brian plasticity is the single most important scientific discovery of the last 50 years.”

In other words we now know with a certainty, that learning patterns and pathways are NOT hard wired like a computer.   They are more like muscle, that can be changed and strengthened. 

Ironically, auditory processing is not only not fixed, it is actually one of the brain function where there has been the most scientific progress, mostly because it can be isolated and will respond to sound-based exercise like Fast ForWord.  In Blaise’s case the changes Fast ForWord made have been life changing. 

For more videos on Fast ForWord and learning and reading, click this link:

http://www.gemmlearning.com/video_testimonials_fast_forword.php

Here is a link to the original article.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/

Filed Under: Gemm Success Stories, Learning Science Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fast ForWord Efficacy Confirmed, Again.

February 18, 2010 by
ron_gillam

Study Compares It To Other Interventions

Ron Gillam, persistent critic of Fast ForWord, has published yet another study that aims to  devalue the efficacy of Fast ForWord. 

The scientific community is pretty much agreed now.  After years and years of white papers (700 and counting) and over 200 studies showing great results, the scientists see that the program works.  It delivers real change that can be measured on fMRI scans, in cognitive testing and in academic gains.

Not so for Dr. Ron Gillam.  Dr. Gillam has theories on langauge interventions and how children learn that predict Fast ForWord to be ineffective.  Early in his career his studies were all about trying to prove that claim and particularly tried to undermine its methodology, its access and improvement of learning and reading difficulties by strengthening central auditory processing disorders or CAPD.

After failing to prove that this program does not work, he is now taking the tack that its proven efficacy is not unique!

This latest study concludes that Fast ForWord worked as well as other language interventions that incorporate the principles of active attention, feedback, rewards and intensity.   Including interventions that cost thousands of dollars to deliver since they involve one-on-one training.  

We would argue even here though.  If  post testing were done 9-12 months later the results would look very different.  The cognitive gains from Fast ForWord would be more evident while the students who had interventions that did not create new neural pathways would start to see their gains recede due to the absence of continued extra sessions.

Dr. Gillam uses subtle methods to try to undermine the impacts of Fast ForWord but still struggles!!  In this study, like others, he does not allow supervisors to intervene (this is not how Fast ForWord is recommended for use — mid-course corrections and interventions are almost always required) and he uses tight post-testing not allowing enough time for the full value of Fast ForWord  to develop.   

Fast ForWord is a cognitive program that works on fundamental underlying skills that sometimes take a month or two at least to integrate into the learning and reading process to the point that the gains are measurable.  Post testing right away is counter to the whole thrust of the software.  Cognitive gains do not translate into academic gains over night.

And even with these limits, Fast ForWord matched three other approaches that work more directly on the skills being pre and post tested.  Test a certain memory skill, work on that skill for 6 weeks, then test that memory skill again and of course you will see gains.  Test reading comprehension, work on a memory game, then test reading comprehension again and the immediate results may not be so good.   More things have to fall into place for the better memory skills to impact reading comprehension results. 

As a Fast ForWord provider, where we see wonderful anecdotal and measurable results time after time, and so we are long past the point of worrying whether Fast ForWord works.  It is interesting to see that its main detractor is actually now at that same place  and is stuck with arguing it is not unique!

Here is a summary and a link to the full article:

A recent article by Ronald Gillam, PhD, CCC-SLP and Diane Frome Loeb, PhD, CCC-SLP, has published findings from a randomized controlled trial studying the effects of neuroplasticity-based training as a method of language intervention. 

They found that using principles of neuroplasticity-based training (active attention, feedback, rewards and intensity) is an effective solution for language-based learning struggles.

Their conclusion: “Our results suggest that neural reorganization that promotes language development can result from a variety of interventions in which highly motivated children have multiple opportunities to respond to challenging and accomplish-able tasks within intensive programs.”

http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2010/100119/SchoolAgeLanguageIntervention.htm

Filed Under: Learning Science Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Are Kids Reading Too Early?

December 23, 2009 by
Is Five years old too young to start reading?

Study Suggests 5 May Be Too Early.

A study of 400 pupils in New Zealand found no evidence of an advantage in teaching reading from the age of five. By the age of eleven, children who start to read at seven years of age end up reading as well as children that start at five.

The study, reported in the NZ Dominion Post, was published by Dr Suggate at the University of Otago in New Zealand.  He said ”This study emphasizes the importance of early language and learning, while de-emphasising the importance of early reading.”

We are not at all surprised by these findings.   In the early years it should be all about learning and cognitive foundations.  

Reading requires sound langauge processing skills.  For an older child, with a better grasp of language structure and vocabulary, reading is going to come a much easier, with a lot less student angst and a lot more likelihood that the student will actually learn to enjoy reading. 

Programs like Fast ForWord essentially do this –it elevates language processing, setting up for a much less difficult path to reading competence.

Of course, the one reason not to  wait, is for the sake of the ones who have auditory processing difficulties or other impeding issues that are going to make reading hard.  For these children, waiting a couple of years won’t help that much as their basic processing issue will still be there.  For these children, the sooner they try to start reading the sooner they will be identified and can be helped.

Still, for most kids this is an interesting finding and if it is integrated into our education system we may end up with a new generation of enthusiastic readers who are not turned off reading during the often traumatic learning to read stage.  Wouldn’t that be nice.

Filed Under: Education Trends, Reading and Dyslexia Tagged With: , , ,
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