ILT Blog and News
By Dr. Shirley Kokot
How the environment affects the brain
It is a simple fact that the brain is directly affected by the food we eat, the air we breathe and how we treat our bodies. The way the brain is affected can be seen in our behaviour – and children who struggle with learning tasks or behaving appropriately are...
Tics and twitches – When to worry
The world, although still a beautiful place, is fraught with man-made conflicts. Violent events, both globally and locally, dominate our news channels. As a result, we are seeing increasing amounts of youngsters with symptoms of stress. Stress, with accompanying...
Parents – trust your instincts!
At the end of each term comes the report from your child's school. Now, as parents, you have to read what one or more other human beings think of your child. This can be a pleasure but can also cause confusion and even concern. How seriously should you take the...
Boosting maths skills with board games
Children’s board games often involve moving pieces along a straight numbered path (like snakes and ladders, for example). These games can significantly strengthen children’s maths skills, according Joe Golfen, in a report published by the University of Oregon. Even...
How the body helps the brain develop
The body isn’t just there to serve as a vehicle for our large heads and heavy brains. Instead, the body has huge impact on the brain’s development. In fact, without having a body that moves, we would have very inefficient brain function because the all-important...
Four-year olds shouldn’t be sitting still
Children aged four and five and attending pre-school should not be sitting still at tables for any length of time. Lucy Sors and Louise Whitfield, experts in primary education, express their belief that expecting children to sit and formally learn how to write at...
Bread and ADHD type behaviours
Is bread really the staff of life for all people? The answer is almost certainly that it might have been once but in our modern times, the preservatives that are used to keep it fresh for longer might be underlying the difficult behaviours associated with ADHD in...
Getting children back into a sleep routine
During school holidays it is common for children to stay up a little later, spend a little more time on screens before bed and generally fall into less regular sleep routines. During term time, however, its important for children to have predictable bedtimes. We are...
How to have a conversation with your child
Why are children seemingly so reluctant to talk about school? How many times do you ask them ‘How was school today’ and they respond with a curt ‘Fine’. Shelbie Witte, writing for The Conversation, says that teachers may have the same problems in the classroom, with...