Is modern life cooking up a new kind of human being, whose altered circuitry will cause them to think and act differently from people today? It sounds like science fiction, but a growing number of specialists feel that tomorrow’s classrooms are likely to be filled with pupils who will think more episodically, have shorter attention spans, communicate through pictures rather than words, have more learning difficulties, and be less able to control their impulses and emotions than the children of today…

Cuddles, singing, eye contact, talking and movement are all known to pattern a pre-schooler’s brain and to help with reading and writing, and social and emotional well-being later on. But today’s children are getting less of them. “As a society, we don’t value nurture,” says Palmer…

A lack of active play could also be affecting how children’s brains develop. Sally Goddard Blythe, of the Institute of Neuro-Physiological Psychology, says that many children now retain primitive, baby responses long after they should have developed higher levels of brain functioning, and that these reflexes impede learning. A new report from the Institute, on the progress of more than 1,000 children in primary schools, shows that just 10 minutes of structured exercises a day can improve not only children’s balance and coordination, but also their concentration and achievement in maths, spelling, reading and writing…

In the United States, Jane Healy, an educational psychologist, has charted how children are becoming less attuned to written and spoken information, lack perseverance, are impatient, and show little curiosity about the world…

And Martin Westwell, deputy director of the Institute for the Future of the Mind, at Oxford University, points out that it is the cultural value we impose on any changes that give them meaning. “People say children using computers will grow up with terrible handwriting, but you could say: ‘So What?’”

Neither should agents of change be labelled good or bad, he says. “In some instances, technology appears to be changing the way we think, and there are people who feel nervous about this. But it’s not the technology that’s at fault, it’s what you do with it that matters.”

Source: Belfast Telegraph
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/features/story.jsp?story=716965

The pervasiveness of shyness — among teens as well as adults — is inching upward, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Indiana University Shyness Research Institute…

More people are reacting to all that stimuli by withdrawing from social situations, avoiding intimate exchanges or interacting more electronically, he said.
What’s lost sometimes is the ability to compromise, negotiate and get along with a diverse group of people…

“They don’t have to be the most popular kid in school to be healthy and well-adjusted,” says Carducci. “But it’s a red flag if they’re not engaging with a core group of friends.”
The average teenager tends to have four to six good friends, says Indiana University psychology professor Kathy Johnson…

Many studies show 40 percent to 43 percent of people consider themselves shy, says Carducci, author of several books dealing with shyness. But the feeling is more intense among teens because their bodies, emotions and lives are in great transition.

Sometimes, it takes a change in environment, a mentor or good role-modeling from parents or even peers to help teens improve their social skills.

Source: NewsJournal
http://tinyurl.com/yp9hls

First there was the “new economy,” then there was the “knowledge economy,” and now we have the “creative economy.” …

In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, massive material and political resources have been devoted to what leaders term “Chuangyi jingji” (creative economy) as a key strategic element for advancing the cities’ development…

… We teach our children to “tinghua,” to heed what an elder or superior says or be obedient. As a matter of fact, we often praise our children as “tinghua de hao haizi” good, obedient children.

We never expect schools, institutions or companies to judge people’s creative ability as one of the top traits for talents.

In real life, creative people are often discouraged, and sometimes demoted.

These people may be seen as underperformers because they do not follow established rules and practices. Despite the fact they get their jobs done, they do not fit in with our traditional mode of possessing good qualities.

Besides, Chinese society and culture do not easily tolerate mistakes. Nobody knows how many innovations have come to a premature end because of mistakes occurring during the development process.

As a result, we reap what we sow: Chinese children can be exemplarily disciplined and obedient compared with children elsewhere. But as a nation we contribute too little to contemporary creations in the modern world…

Source: CHINAdaily
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-11/27/content_743249.htm

In some ways, it’s simply part of a kid’s natural journey toward independence. But child development experts say that physical and behavioral changes that would have been typical of teenagers decades ago are now common among “tweens” - kids ages 8 to 12.

Some of them are going on “dates” and talking on their own cell phones. They listen to sexually charged pop music, play mature-rated video games and spend time gossiping on MySpace. And more girls are wearing makeup and clothing that some consider beyond their years…

“I’m sure this isn’t the first time in history people have been talking about it. But I definitely feel like these kids are growing up faster - and I’m not sure it’s always a good thing,” says Dr. Liz Alderman, an adolescent medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. She’s been in practice for 16 years and has noticed a gradual but undeniable change in attitude in that time…

Beyond the drugs, sex and rock’n'roll their boomer and Gen X parents navigated, technology and consumerism have accelerated the pace of life, giving kids easy access to influences that may or may not be parent-approved. Sex, violence and foul language that used to be relegated to late-night viewing and R-rated movies are expected fixtures in everyday TV…

“Physically, they’re adults, but cognitively, they’re children,” says Alderman, the physician in New York. She’s found that cultural influences have affected her own children, too…

With grown-up influences coming from so many different angles - from peers to the Internet and TV - some parents say the trend is difficult to combat…

In the end, many parents find it tricky to strike a balance between setting limits and allowing their kids to be more independent.

Source: Contra Costa Times
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/16097101.htm

Private and public preschools are growing as more research has developed that reinforces the importance of early childhood development to later academic success. Parents who can afford private preschools have acted on these findings, enrolling their children earlier and at an increasing rate. But some worry this may contribute to the gap in achievement that exists in public schools…

The Virginia Preschool Initiative also includes “foundation blocks” that outline concepts in literacy, mathematics, science, history and social studies on which teachers should focus…

“The SOL tells the content to be taught,” said Mark Allan, director of elementary instruction for the state education department. “Teachers can be creative in how they get kids actively involved in instruction. The foundation blocks have a lot of room for innovation and creativity.” …

In speaking with county kindergarten teachers at Crozet and Brownsville elementary schools, Petchel said some have had to adjust what they teach because their students are entering with increasingly higher literacy abilities…

“When I started 14 years ago, kindergarten was what preschool is today,” Williams said.

Source: Daily Progress
http://tinyurl.com/25645f

This Christmas, ambitious parents will spend a small fortune on high-technology toys that claim to lift the intelligence of their progeny, yet child development experts argue that a set of play bricks or a cardboard box would do the job just as well. What’s the real story in toy town? …

Reyne Rice of the Toy Industry Association in New York said that demographic changes were behind the growth in demand for learning toys. “More than 30 percent of babies born in the U.S. are to affluent moms aged 25-plus, who consider education a No. 1 priority for their children,” she said. Those families, she added, “are willing to do whatever it takes to give their kids a head start in life.” …

Many in the industry question the desirability of exposing children to targeted learning at a very young age. Krister Svensson, director of the International Toy Research Center in Stockholm, said that educational toys might even be harmful. “Parents who use learning toys to hothouse their child can become frustrated if the child is not progressing as fast as they would like,” he said. “The seeds of failure can be sown before the child learns to talk. Ideally, the act of play must be come from the child’s point of view - not the parent’s.” …

Of the 1,000 teachers that took part in the survey, 60 percent said that they would consider using video games for educational purposes. The majority of the teachers polled said they believed that mainstream games could lead to improved skills and knowledge.

Source: International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/24/yourmoney/mtoys.php?page=1

According to the survey, only 10 percent of the students are capable of writing down their parents’ birthdays, 33 percent want to celebrate their birthday with their parents, and 16 percent said they had moved their parents when they presented birthday gifts…
Most Chinese parents, however, prefer to see their children get a good exam score rather than receive a birthday call. ” …

Chinese students, mostly from one-child families, are the focus of the family and are growing up to be careless of others, said Peng Yi, a licensed psychiatrist.

Peng said that, traditionally, Chinese parents never demand anything from their children, and the children believe they deserve everything their parents have done for them.

Source: CHINA VIEW
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-11/23/content_5368203.htm

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it is as simple as paying attention to what your kids are doing.

Special Agent Mike Miller, of the cyber crimes division, said allowing teenagers unrestricted online access or access in private locations, such as a bedroom, are big danger signs. He said a lack of supervision in the child’s involvement online is the first step toward putting him or her at risk.

Too many parents believe they can download or install a program to protect their child from predators. These programs try to filter or block out dangerous or inappropriate Web sites.

“(Protection programs) are not foolproof, nor are they the answer,” Miller said. “But they are probably better than nothing.” …

“Part of it is apathy, but a lot of it is lack of time to find out the right information,” Miller said. “We are finding a lot of cases where children in single-parent homes are vulnerable because the single parent is working, and the computer becomes the baby sitter.”
He said some parents refuse to believe their child may be in danger until it is too late…

“Parents should check out their child’s online profile,” he said. “Often, the child will put up too much personalized information in their profile. It is an easy way for someone to get their hands on that info.” …

Striking a balance between supervising your child’s activities online and allowing them to develop their own sense of privacy is difficult. Miller admitted it is a tough place for parents to be these days.

Source: WBALCHANNEL.com
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/family/10347056/detail.html

It starts in utero, intensifies when babies are learning to crawl and hits a frenzy about the time they are learning the alphabet: the push to get smarter has created a global industry dedicated to training young brains…

… Tech toys aimed at improving intelligence are designed for the under-10s, and particularly for the ages when children are learning to read, write and count…
Toys are no longer purely about fun and entertainment: smart kids are what it’s all about…

From laptops for the under-fives to interactive dolls, technology is driving the childhood experiences of the next generation - and nobody knows what the long-term effects will be…

Dr Verenikina believes toys that claim to help babies and children to develop ahead of their peers send the wrong message to parents…

“We know that learning in children under three is essentially based around human relationships and through emotional and social connections,” Dr McDowell says, and time spent by very young children in front of a screen teaches passive rather than active learning…

While technology can be used for brain training, most researchers in the field of brain ageing argue that the same effect can be had through regular low-tech substitutes.

Source: The Age
http://tinyurl.com/2fkq6x

Two recent studies say you’ll do more to encourage literacy, foster imagination, and get a better chance to bond with your small fry if you stick to plain old books and toys…

Soon-to-be-published research from Temple University’s Infant Lab found that parents and preschool children ages 3 to 5 shared more positive interaction and conversation when reading together from a traditional picture book than they did looking through what’s called an e-book — one of the increasingly popular brand of toys that reads and sings aloud, prompts kids (and their parents) to press buttons and flashes lights.

And another just-released report from the University of Washington found that toddlers who played with blocks actually scored 15 percent higher on language tests than average and were 80 percent less likely to watch TV…

The message to parents — one we’ve all heard before — is to slow down and not to worry about making every single moment a learning opportunity.

Source: Lowell Sun Online
http://www.lowellsun.com/lifestyles/ci_4693865