Free Downloads A Mind At A Time
"Different minds learn differently," writes Dr. Mel Levine, one of the best-known education experts and pediatricians in America today. And that's a problem for many children, because most schools still cling to a one-size-fits-all education philosophy. As a result, these children struggle because their learning patterns don't fit the schools they are in. In A Mind at a Time, Dr. Levine shows parents and others who care for children how to identify these individual learning patterns. He explains how parents and teachers can encourage a child's strengths and bypass the child's weaknesses. This type of teaching produces satisfaction and achievement instead of frustration and failure. Different brains are differently wired, Dr. Levine explains. There are eight fundamental systems, or components, of learning that draw on a variety of neurodevelopmental capacities. Some students are strong in certain areas and some are strong in others, but no one is equally capable in all eight. Using examples drawn from his own extensive experience, Dr. Levine shows how parents and children can identify their strengths and weaknesses to determine their individual learning styles. For example, some students are creative and write imaginatively but do poorly in history because weak memory skills prevent them from retaining facts. Some students are weak in sequential ordering and can't follow directions. They may test poorly and often don't do well in mathematics. In these cases, Dr. Levine observes, the problem is not a lack of intelligence but a learning style that doesn't fit the assignment. Drawing on his pioneering research and his work with thousands of students, Dr. Levine shows how parents and teachers can develop effective strategies to work through or around these weaknesses. "It's taken for granted in adult society that we cannot all be 'generalists' skilled in every area of learning and mastery. Nevertheless, we apply tremendous pressure to our children to be good at everything. They are expected to shine in math, reading, writing, speaking, spelling, memorization, comprehension, problem solving...and none of us adults can" do all this, observes Dr. Levine. Learning begins in school but it doesn't end there. Frustrating a child's desire to learn will have lifelong repercussions. This frustration can be avoided if we understand that not every child can do equally well in every type of learning. We must begin to pay more attention to individual learning styles, to individual minds, urges Dr. Levine, so that we can maximize children's learning potential. In A Mind at a Time he shows us how.
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (April 3, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743202228
ISBN-13: 978-0743202220
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #337,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #261 in Books > Education & Teaching > Schools & Teaching > Special Education > Learning Disabled #405 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Reference #642 in Books > Education & Teaching > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Reform & Policy
Other reviewers have discussed the pros and cons of Dr. Levine's theories in depth, so I won't go into those; in the field of cognitive psychology, I'm an interested (and, I think, fairly well-read) amateur rather than a professional.That said, I feel that this is an important book for both parents and educators. The child's "job" of learning how to function in the world, and mastering the many tasks set for him/her by the educational system, isn't an easy one. The human mind is complex and multifaceted, but our schools tend to think of "intelligence" as a narrowly defined set of skills, and anyone who doesn't do well in those must be either stupid or lazy. (Levine notes that the moral implications of such judgments, e.g., that a student "doesn't try hard enough" or is "unmotivated," can be devastating to a child, and are often grossly unfair.) The irony is that -- as Levine points out -- the abilities that enable a child to succeed in school aren't necessarily those that conduce to success in later life; so, by rewarding performance only in certain areas, we doom many children to a low opinion of their abilities and ignore a wide spectrum of human potential.Although the subject isn't exactly lightweight, I found the book appealing and highly readable. Dr. Levine clearly has great respect and affection for his young subjects, so his anecdotes are engaging and (often) amusing. I was especially tickled when he urged a young client not to let his teachers "catch him doing something right" because from then on they'd hold it against him. In school, I was a "divergent thinker" to the max: if a subject interested me, I'd do a brilliant job, but if not I'd blow it off. So my occasional successes turned into threats: "See how well you can do if you just TRY hard enough.
Dr. Mel Levine, Founder of All Kinds of Minds Institute and Director of the University of North Carolina's Clinical Center for Development and Learning, describes himself as "a pediatrician with a mission." He is "obsessed with helping children find success." Indeed, after three decades of working in schools and with children, Levine is receiving national attention. Not only is _A Mind at a Time_ a bestseller, Levine has recently been featured on several national talk shows and on the ... documentary _Misunderstood Minds_._A Mind at a Time_ is easy for the lay person to read and understand. Although Levine closely follows educational research, he does not cite research studies in _A Mind at a Time_. Rather he bases the book on "objective clinical observation." Levine writes, "For me these kids have been like textbooks on learning and mind development. I can learn more about a child by getting to know her well than by reading a list of computer-generated test scores. In fact, whenever I participate in the clinical evaluation of a child, I see some facets of brain function that I have never before seen."A genuine appreciation of each child shines through each of the case vignettes that Levine includes in _A Mind at a Time_. This appreciation is not merely compassion for a child dealing with learning difficulties; it is a celebration of the unique combination of strengths and weaknesses that makes up each child's mind. Optimism also pervades the discussion of each child.Levine identifies eight "neurodevelopmental systems" that work together during learning. The relationship between these systems is similar to that between the body's physiological systems (such as the circulatory system and the respiratory system).
The Time Garden Note Cards: Color-In Note Cards from the Creator of The Time Garden and The Time Chamber (Time Adult Coloring Books) Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind Battlefield of the Mind for Teens: Winning the Battle in Your Mind Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shambhala Library) Yoga Mind, Peaceful Mind: Simple Meditations for Overcoming Anxiety Mind Mapping For Kids As Simple As ABC (Mind Control) (Volume 1) Body Language: Discover How To Connect, Analyze And Influence People In A Subconscious Level By Understanding Their Nonverbal Communication (Behavior, ... Mind, Mind Power, Brain Hidden Power) The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind Imagination: An Epic Adult Coloring Book Journey of the Mind (Adult Coloring Books - Art Therapy for The Mind) (Volume 18) Master Your Mind: Achieve Greatness by Powering Your Subconscious Mind The Mind-Body Code: How the Mind Wounds and Heals the Body El campo de batalla de la mente / The Battlefield of the Mind: Cómo Ganar La Batalla En Tu Mente / How to Win the Battle in Your Mind: Library Edition (Spanish Edition) The Total Mindset: The Practicing Mind(mp3 CD Audiobook)/The Meditating Mind(Audio 2-CD Set) Battlefield of the Mind: Winning The Battle in Your Mind - Study Guide Designing with the Mind in Mind, Second Edition: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Guidelines Real-Time Systems and Programming Languages: Ada, Real-Time Java and C/Real-Time POSIX (4th Edition) (International Computer Science Series) The Wrinkle in Time Quintet Boxed Set (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, An Acceptable Time)
