I may not have gone to where they want me to be,
but I have gone to where I wished to be. :)
Graduation photo, here it is! Posted with great pride! :))
Lunes, Oktubre 15, 2012
pride and honor
I may not have gone to where they want me to be,
but I have gone to where I wished to be. :)
Graduation photo, here it is! Posted with great pride! :))
Lunes, Disyembre 12, 2011
Sabado, Disyembre 10, 2011
AN OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS OF SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY EMERGENT LEARNERS
Problem in Focus: Short Attention Span among Children
(Give attention to Children’s Short Attention Span)
I. Introduction
Emergent literacy refers to the reading and writing behaviors that precede and develop into conventional literacy state. It is concerned with the earliest phases of literacy development, the period between birth and the time when children read and write conventionally. The term emergent literacy signals a belief that, in a literate society, young children--even 1- and 2-year-olds--are in the process of becoming literate, (Sulzby, 1989; Teale, 1996).
In the past, little importance was placed on what children experienced in the first years of life. It was believed that children learned to read and write only when they entered elementary school and received specific instruction. However, this thought is being contradicted by the modern people who believed that young children should be taught to read because it’s not developmentally appropriate. But, it does mean that early literacy skills can be developed which lead to literacy and language development.
On the other hand, achieving the total literacy among children is not easy. Along the way, there can be inevitable problems encountered during the achievement of the early literacy development. We all know that our children have different stages of cognitive learning development -- children at certain stages are capable of only certain types of intellectual endeavors. Some children already acquire certain skills and knowledge that other children still not.
One of the difficulties children may stumble upon towards their journey of acquiring knowledge is their concentration in the class. While some children suffer from attention deficits or disorders, others who struggle to pay attention in class simply are not engaged in the learning process. In other sense, this can also be called as “attention span”. As the web defines it, attention span is the length of time during which one (as an individual or a group) is able to concentrate or remain interested. Our children are lively and full of curiosity about the world around them. Unfortunately, that curious nature involves many things, so attention paid to one particular subject may be quite short. Short attention spans can be frustrating to deal with for a teacher, and often is dealt with in a way that is not beneficial to the child. It is now the teacher’s task on how to catch up with these kinds of children.
II. Discussion
Children have even shorter attention span than adults. According to an article at www.kidsgrowth.com, “A normal attention span is 3 to 5 minutes per year of a child’s age. Therefore, a 2-year-old should be able to concentrate on a particular task for at least 6 minutes, and a child entering kindergarten should be able to concentrate for at least 15 minutes.”
What is short attention span? A child having short attention span shows the following behaviors, “this child is never settled at the same task for long and often has loads of energy and won't sit still. This child is often trying to move about to where he is not supposed to be. This child can be extremely disruptive within the classroom and to individual children whom he constantly and regularly disturbs. Of all the different types of Special Educational Needs in a mainstream school, the short attention span difficulty is one of the most demanding on the teacher. In fact some teachers will feel the child with short attention span needs a teacher completely to himself! But some children, who have a short attention span, can amaze people by the long term attention span they can give to things they are really interested in! Maybe it is not a short term attention span that is the problem, but more likely the activities he is being given to do that make him bored and dismissive of the task in hand! Maybe he is being offered the wrong and inappropriate-for-him teaching style! Now there's a challenge!” (Lawrence, Chris (2007). Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Setting. Children with Short Attention Span. May 16, 2011 from http://show-me-wow.com/shortattentionspan.aspx.
Attention deficit disorder is a chronic condition that needs special parenting and school intervention. According to www.kidsgrowth.com, if your child seems to have a poor attention span and is over 3 years of age, there are recommendations that may assist you in helping your child. Your main obligations involve organizing your child's home life and improving discipline. Only after your child's behavior has improved will you know for certain if your child also has a short attention span. If he does, specific interventions to help him learn to listen and complete tasks ("stretch" his attention span) can be initiated. Even though you can't be sure about poor attention span until your child is 3 or 4 years of age, you can detect and improve behavior problems at any time after 8 months of age.
The home, family, school, peer relationship, and everything in the environment is linked to the children’s literacy development including the difficulties faced by them. The kind of environment the child dwells affects his/her cognitive capabilities. If a child lives in a place where he/she is badly influenced by beings surrounding him/her, then there is a high risk of getting undesirable behaviors, which of course will lead to the negative effect on the cognitive progress of the child. Aside from what is mentioned above, peer pressure is a hard force to combat in school. For example, a child sitting next to a school bully or class clown can find their antics distracting. Furthermore, children also may find themselves pressured by classmates and friends to break rules, disobey authority and challenge teachers and parents by failing to complete class work or homework. Children who complete class work and receive good grades may face playground repercussions, for example, of being referred to as a "nerd" or "brainiac." As a result, children may consciously decide against concentrating to avoid being outcasts.
Another cause a short attention span in children is the delayed development of the brain. This developmental problem or immaturity, if you like, is also known as Attention Deficit Disorder. It is characterized by an impaired ability to learn, to listen, and to wait for one's turn or to complete a task. While in a small percentage of children it may be a reaction to disorderly home environment, it is normally not a condition that is caused by improper parenting. These symptoms are probably natural in children below three to four years of age. However, they are a major cause for concern if they continue beyond that. Hyperactive children are also more prone to have a short attention span.
Moreover, another cause of the short attention span is the vast innovations in technology. Studies show that children need to have 8-10 hours of sleep, but due to the presence of newly invented gadgets, children become obsessed with these things and has reached such proportions that a child's attention span while making use of these things is not taken into account while assessing his/her abilities to focus.
III. Analysis
As mentioned, the home, family, school, peer relationship, and everything in the environment is linked to the children’s literacy development including the difficulties faced by them. The kind of environment the child dwells affects the unfolding of his/her cognitive capabilities.
Everyone in the home is responsible for the construction of the literacy development of the children – especially the parents who are considered to be the first teachers. They play vital role in molding their children’s young minds which needs more emphasis so that they can redefine their roles and redirect their active, conscious, and creative participation to successfully help in their child’s early literacy.
Even though we entrust our children to the teachers in school, we cannot put all blame in them. Yes, it is their duty to attend to our children’s literacy needs, but it they also have certain limitations to consider.
At the other side of the picture, the way society has evolved is equally to blame. The effect of children’s fascination with the latest electronic gadgetry goes far deeper than we would like to believe. Day in and day out we allow them to be exposed to the rapid changes of the society, which somehow results to the establishment of negative feedback left in their minds unattended.
The significance of the developmental stage of the child with regards to short attention span is more likely displeasing. Based on the research, children who have short attention span experience delayed development of the brain. In that sense, they are considered immature, undeveloped, and unformed compared to those children who have normal brain development.
IV. Recommendations
"Problems do not go away. They must be worked through or else they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and development of the spirit.” -- M. Scott Peck There is always solution to problem, as the optimist always says, so as to this problem.
In order to attain a better early literacy formation among children, here are some possible solutions recommended by experts;
Ø Vary the lessons or subjects to be taught, keeping them each at about 15 minutes, the average time of a kindergarten child's attention span.
Ø Create a set routine. Though the lessons may vary, having a routine allows for attention span development in children and helps them to adapt to long periods of time.
Ø Observe what concepts or ideas the children become interested in. Encourage that interest and expand their attention span by gradually building up the time spent talking, playing or making the activity that interests them.
Ø Use bright colors, a variety of objects and stuffed animals during your lessons to keep children entertained and enhance their attention span.
Ø Accept the short attention spans of the children. Every year, children gain 3 to 5 minutes more in their attention spans.
However, the government must not forget its responsibilities in the realization of the dreams of its people in achieving a holistic development toward brighter future for themselves and the community as well. Education must be given the highest priority especially in the allocation of budget for the establishment of more training centers, schools, instructional materials, and facilities to achieve quality education to the fullest.
V. References
Internet Sources
Book Source
Marquez, T. S. et al. (2009). Developmental Reading 2
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