ILT Blog and News
By Dr. Shirley Kokot
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...
Helping your child make friends
Many children face changes at the beginning of a new year. If they are starting at a new school, or changing classes at their previous one, it means that they may be faced by the challenge of making new friends. Is it important to have friends? The simple answer is...
Skip to School Success
Do you remember the days when streets outside our homes and school playgrounds were full of (mostly) girls skipping rope? We don’t see this as often today, although it always gives me great pleasure when I do come across a few girls enjoying themselves in this...
Why can’t children focus on a task?
Jeff Grabmeier, of The Ohio State University reports on a recent study motivated by the knowledge that children tend to struggle to focus on a task, often taking in information that won’t help them complete their assignment. This raised the question, why? The...