HOW THE MEDIA INFLUENCES ON CHILDREN?????........................

 

 

At an early age books, movies, television, and the
Internet influence how our children think and act in a variety of ways. As
children grow these media influences become even more powerful. The media
influences on children is not always a good influence and parents need to
counteract this influence by discussing and monitoring what their children are
exposed to.



The media often stereotypes people and races. Most children's programming deals
in absolutes reinforcing the idea that people are good or bad, stupid or smart
and because of their inexperience children will latch onto stereotypes that
they see.



Parents can counteract this stereotyping by commenting when a group is
portrayed inaccurately. Let your children know for example that every blond
isn't stupid, and wearing black doesn't make you a bad guy. Point out that
everyone has good and bad traits.

So, often in the media a character is either good or bad, but in real life this
is not the case.



The media uses its influence on children to market items and influence your
child's desires making them think that they need certain items to be popular or
cool. My children often comment on things that they saw in commercials. The
other day my son told me that I should get a kitchen chopper, because it can
cut things up so much faster than I can using a knife. I replied that I don't
need a kitchen chopper because a knife works just fine.



Every year children influence their parents spending by convincing them to buy
things that the media has portrayed as "cool". Children recognize
name-brand products at an early age because they see them in the media. My
children recognized the McDonalds sign by age three even though we never eat
there, because they saw commercials on television.



Counteract the marketing by pointing out the faulty logic in commercials. Ask
your child if they really think having the latest toy will make them more
popular or happy. Children often don't realize that a Barbie won't move around
like it does on the commercials or that the elaborate set doesn't come with the
toy. Parents can teach their children that things do not equal happiness. Try
rewarding with praise and time instead of objects. My children know that they
don't get what they see on television and they rarely ask.



Life on many television shows and movies is far from normal. They often
glamorize potentially destructive behaviors like drinking, drugs, affairs, and
intimate teen relationships.



As a parent you can counteract the media's influence by pointing out how the
actions of the people on screen are potentially dangerous. Alcohol commercials
never show the hangovers the next day. Rarely does a teenage girl get pregnant
or someone contract a sexually transmitted disease in the media.



Research done by both RAND and the University of North Carolina also shows that
teenagers who are exposed to more sex talk and acts in the media are more
likely to engage in those same behaviors themselves. Dr. Brown, one of the
researchers says, "Teens are defaulting to entertainment media for sexual
information because they aren't getting this information in other places.
Unfortunately, the media aren't the best sex educators. The media tend to leave
out the crucial three C's: commitment, contraception and consequences."
The study on media influence on children also pointed out that parents could
have a greater impact on their teen's sexual behavior than the media when they
talk about it.



Taking the time to discuss the things that our children view in the media will
ensure that they are learning the things that we want them to and not the
lessons that the media might be teaching thus avoiding negative influence of
media. 

And

 which


foods


bad?
(By ‘bad’, I don’t mean they will make
you sick or anything. Just that you should eat them in moderation.)

'Bad' foods

Most processed foods – which
generally contain sugar, salt and fat



Fatty foods like margarines, butter, cream, most cheeses, fatty meat



Sugar and sugary foods like cakes and candies



Food containing additives and colourings



Sugary or diet soda drinks



Salty foods



Junk food



Fast food and takeaways

KIDS GUIDE TO FOOD.............................. GOOD FOOD

 

Good and bad foods: health

“You are what you eat”, goes a well
known saying. It’s not quite true but its message really means that if you eat
healthy foods, you are most likely to be healthy. If you eat nothing but corn
chips, you won’t get to look like a corn cob but you certainly won’t be fit and healthy. This is because your body needs a good mix of foods.

So...


which



foods



are


good?

Good foods

 

Almost anything fresh is a
good start. Better still is fresh organic food.

Oily fish Vegetables, particularly orange- or dark green ones
(carrots, chard, broccoli, squashes like pumpkins)


Fruits


Oats and other fibre-rich grains

PROBLEMS RELATED WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES.....................................

Learning
disabilities: Related problems and issues

Social and emotional difficulties

Sometimes kids have trouble expressing their feelings, calming
themselves down, and reading nonverbal cues, which can lead to difficulty in
the classroom and with their peers.


Social and emotional skills are an area where you can have a huge impact
as a parent. For all children, but especially those with learning disabilities,
social and emotional skills are the most consistent indicators of success,
outweighing everything else, including academic factors.  Academic
challenges may lead to low self–esteem, withdrawal and behavior problems, but
you can counter these things by creating a strong support system for your child
and helping them learn to express themselves, deal with frustration and work
through challenges. Your focus on their growth as a person, and not just on
academic achievements will help them learn good emotional habits and the right
tools for lifelong success.

Other disorders that make learning difficult

Difficulty in school doesn’t always stem from a learning disability.
Anxiety, depression, stressful events, emotional trauma, and other conditions
affecting concentration make learning more of a challenge.

• ADHD – Attention Deficit
       Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), while not considered a learning disability,
       can certainly disrupt learning. Children with ADHD often have problems
       with sitting still, staying focused, following instructions, staying
       organized, and completing homework.
• Autism – Difficulty mastering
       certain academic skills can stem from Pervasive Developmental Disorders
       such as autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Children with an autism spectrum
       disorder may have trouble making friends, reading body language,
       communicating, and making eye contact.

Can
gifted children have learning disabilities?

Many gifted and talented children (and adults) are often misdiagnosed as
having learning disabilities or behavior disorders. This occurs because there
are many characteristics of gifted children, both social and emotional, that
are mistaken as symptoms of specific learning disorders.


It is not uncommon for some gifted children (those with IQ scores over
140) to display a significant discrepancy (20 points or more) between Verbal IQ
and Performance IQ and possess characteristics of a learning disability. Often
gifted children have unusual learning styles, and even though they are very
intelligent, they may also have learning disorders.


Without intervention, self–esteem issues are almost certain in the life
of a child who is both gifted and has a learning disability. Whether or not
your gifted child also has a learning disability, they will benefit from extra
support, encouragement and love.

Diagnosis
and testing for learning disabilities and disorders

The process of diagnosing a learning disability can be confusing. It
involves testing, history taking and observation by a trained specialist.
Finding a reputable referral is important. Start with your child's school, and
if they are unable to help you, ask your insurance company, doctor, friends and
family.

Specialists trained to do psychological testing and result
interpretation

• Clinical psychologist
• School psychologist
• Educational psychologist
• Developmental psychologist

• Neuropsychologist
• Psychometrist
• Occupational
       therapist (tests sensory disorders that can lead to learning problems)
• Speech and language therapist
  
      

Sometimes several professionals coordinate services as a team to obtain
an accurate diagnosis, including input from your child's teachers.
Recommendations can then be made for special education services or
speech–language therapy within the public school system.


A nonpublic school that specializes in treating learning disabilities
might be a good alternative if the public school is not working out. For a list
of nonpublic schools in your area go to the website for your state's Department
of Education. For example, in California see: Nonpublic Schools
Database.

Integration, sequencing and abstraction: Technical terms for how the
brain works

A professional learning disorders specialist might refer to the
importance of “integration” to learning. Integration refers to the
understanding of information that has been delivered to the brain, and it
includes three steps: sequencing, which means putting information in the right
order; abstraction, which is making sense of the information; and organization,
which refers to the brains ability to use the information to form complete thoughts.



Each of the three steps is important and your child may have a weakness
in one area or another that causes learning difficulty. For example, in math,
sequencing (the ability to put things in order) is important for learning to
count or do multiplication (as well as learn the alphabet or the months of the
year). Similarly, abstraction and organization are important parts of numerous
educational skills and abilities. If a certain brain activity isn’t happening
correctly, it will create a roadblock to learning.

Getting
help for children with learning disabilities

All children can be both exhilarating and exhausting, but it may seem
that your child with a learning disability is especially so. You may experience
some frustration trying to work with your child, and it can seem like an uphill
battle when you don’t have the information you need. After you learn what their
specific learning disability is and how it is affecting their behavior, you
will be able to start addressing the challenges in school and at home. If you
can, be sure to reach out to other parents who are addressing similar
challenges as they can be great sources of knowledge and emotional support.

THE MOST COMMON DISABILITIES........................

Common types of learning disabilities:

Dyslexia:
is the difficulty of processing language, the problems are: reading, writing,
spelling and speaking.

Dyscalculia:
is the difficulty with math and the problems are: doing math exercises

Dysgraphy:
is the difficulty with the hand writing, spelling and organizing ideas

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Dysgraphy (sensory integration disorder: is the difficulty with motor skills. Also with hand – eye coordination, balance and manual dexterity.

 

 

 

Auditory processing disorder: is
the difficulty of hearing differences between sounds, the most common problems
are reading, comprehended, and language.

 

 

Visual processing disorder: 
is the difficulty of interpret visual information, for example problems with
reading, math, maps, charts, symbols and pictures.

EARS AND EYES......................................

Auditory and visual processing: the  importance of the ears and the eyes

The eyes and the ears are the primary means of
delivering information to the brain, a process sometimes called “input.” If
either the eyes or the ears aren’t working properly, learning can suffer and
there is a greater likelihood of a learning disability or disorder.
Professionals may refer to the ability to hear well as
“auditory processing skills” or “receptive language.” The ability to hear
things correctly greatly impacts the ability to read, write and spell. An
inability to distinguish subtle differences in sound, or hearing sounds at the
wrong speed make it difficult to sound out words and understand the basic
concepts of reading and writing. 
Problems in visual perception include missing subtle
differences in shapes, reversing letters or numbers, skipping words, skipping
lines, misperceiving depth or distance, or having problems with eye–hand
coordination.  Professionals may refer to the work of the eyes as “visual
processing.” Visual perception can affect gross and fine motor skills, reading
comprehension, and math.

TYPES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES....................................

Types of learning disabilities are often grouped by
school–area skill set or cognitive weakness. If your child is in school, it
will probably be apparent if he or she is struggling with reading, writing, or
math, and narrowing down the type will be easier.

Motor difficulties and learning disabilities

Motor difficulty refers to problems with movement and
coordination whether it is with fine motor skills (cutting, writing) or gross
motor skills (running, jumping). A motor disability is sometimes referred to as
an “output” activity meaning that it relates to the output of information from
the brain. In order to run, jump, write or cut something, the brain must be
able to communicate with the necessary limbs to complete the action.

Signs that your child might have a motor coordination disability include
problems with physical abilities that require hand–eye coordination, like
holding a pencil or buttoning a shirt.

Math difficulties and learning disabilities

Learning disabilities in math vary greatly depending
on the child’s other strengths and weaknesses. A child’s ability to do math
will be affected differently by a language learning disability, or a visual
disorder or a difficulty with sequencing, memory or organization. 

A child with a math–based learning disorder may struggle with memorization and
organization of numbers, operation signs, and number “facts” (like 5+5=10 or
5x5=25). Children with math learning disorders might also have trouble with
counting principles (such as counting by 2s or counting by 5s) or have
difficulty telling time.

Language difficulties and learning disabilities

Language and communication learning disabilities
involve the ability to understand or produce spoken language. Language is also
considered an output activity because it requires organizing thoughts in the
brain and calling upon the right words to verbally explain something or
communicate with someone else.

Signs of a language–based learning disorder involve problems with verbal
language skills, such as the ability to retell a story and the fluency of
speech, as well as the ability to understand the meaning of words, parts of
speech, directions, etc.

Reading difficulties and learning disabilities

There are two types of learning disabilities in
reading. Basic reading problems occur when there is difficulty understanding
the relationship between sounds, letters and words. Reading comprehension
problems occur when there is an inability to grasp the meaning of words,
phrases, and paragraphs.
Signs
of reading difficulty include problems with:

letter and word recognition

understanding words and ideas

reading speed  and fluency

general vocabulary skills

Writing difficulties and learning disabilities

Learning disabilities in writing can involve the
physical act of writing or the mental activity of comprehending and
synthesizing information. Basic writing disorder refers to physical difficulty
forming words and letters. Expressive writing disability indicates a struggle
to organize thoughts on paper.

Symptoms of a written language learning disability
revolve around the act of writing and include. They include
problems with:

neatness and consistency of writing

accurately copying letters and words

spelling consistency

writing organization and coherence