ILT Blog and News
By Dr. Shirley Kokot
Goal-directed learning: Its value for adolescents
Goal-directed learning is when we experience something that motivates us to try it again. Perhaps the experience is a bad one, in which case, we might avoid a repetition. So goal-directed learning guides us to whether we want to repeat an experience. This form of...
Violence on TV: What happens to children who watch?
A study led by Linda Pagani, Professor at the Université de Montreal's School of Psychoeducation, reveals long-term associated risks of early exposure to violent content in childhood and teen antisocial behaviour, more than a decade later. Past research has shown that...
Our brave new world?
Parents these days seem to be faced with many more challenges than were offered in the past. It isn’t possible any more to bring your children up the way your parents raised you. There has simply been too much change too quickly, with technology literally...
Learning difficulties? How we can rewire the brain
The brain has gazillions (is that a word?) of neurons – that we call ‘wires’ – and these neurons need to communicate with each other so that we can function. This means that there are trigazillion (my new word) connections in the brain. It is rather remarkable that...
Pollution may harm children’s learning and memory
A new study from the University of Southern California, involving 8,500 children from across the USA, has revealed that a form of air pollution, largely the product of agricultural emissions, is linked to poor learning and memory performance in 9 and 10...
School reluctance or refusal – what’s the difference?
Rachel Leslie, Annette Brömdal, Cris Townley and Glenys Oberg, writing for The Conversation, explain the difference between school reluctance and school refusal and give tips to help children cope. School relucatance Most children will show reluctance to attend...
Helping your child learn to try and try again
We’re all taught as children that ‘failure is a rehearsal for success’ and how important it is to not be discouraged if we initially find some goals difficult to achieve. As adults, we know the value of perseverance and admire those who have grit and determination. ...
Is your pre-schooler being identified as ‘ADHD’?
It’s come to my attention that quite a few very young boys are being described as ‘ADHD’ or hyperactive. They seem to be regarded as being overly ‘busy’, mainly by their preschool teachers. Are we forgetting that most young children are highly active,...
Do your children fight all the time?
We tend to believe that siblings provide companionship for each other, and that only children are more lonely. The truth is that many parents find it difficult to handle the constant squabbling that takes place between brothers and sisters. Rachael Sharman, writing...