Skip to Content

Education

Younger children in the classroom likely over-diagnosed with ADHD: UBC research

Staff Reporter
Mar 5th, 2012

The youngest children in the classroom are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – and given medication – than their peers in the same grade, according to new research by the University of British Columbia.

Children born in December, close to the cut-off date for entry into school in British Columbia, were 39 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children born 11 months earlier, according to authors of the UBC study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. December-born children also were 48 per cent more likely to be treated with medication than their January-born peers.

The gap in ages among students in the same grade creates what researchers call a “relative age effect,” in which younger children within an age cohort are at a disadvantage in academic and athletic activities. In this case, the researchers suggest that younger students within a grade may be diagnosed with ADHD because they are less mature.

Continue Reading »
(0) COMMENTS

Parenting advice: How to make teenagers read a book

Howard Eaton
Jan 30th, 2012

Parents often receive conflicting messages about teenagers and literacy: on the one hand, they don't read books, but on the other hand, they are constantly reading online. 

Educator Howard Eaton was asked, "My teenage son doesn't pick up a book on his own these days. Should I be alarmed? Is there anything I can do about it?" 

Here is his feedback: 

This is such an important question. Should I be alarmed that my teenage son doesn’t pick up a book on his own these days?

The short answer is, yes.

Based on research over the last 20 years teenagers that don’t read books are less likely to attend college, reduced language skills, experience depression more frequently then non-readers and have lower paying jobs. That is a lot to be alarmed about. Research also notes that reading fiction has significant benefits to the brain including increasing attention span, developing empathy, improving overall social cognition and enhancing reasoning ability. Reading books benefit our teenagers in so many ways.

Continue Reading »
(1) COMMENTS

Parenting advice: children and video games

Howard Eaton
Jan 23rd, 2012

Educator Howard Eaton was asked, "how are video games impacting my child's future? My teenager spends an average of about two hours a day playing video games, but at times has spent as much as seven hours a day. Is there hope for teenagers who spend hour after hour playing video games?"  Here is his answer, an answer parents with kids who love video games won't want to miss:

Continue Reading »
(1) COMMENTS

Parenting advice: what to do if your child isn't interested in school?

Howard Eaton
Jan 16th, 2012

Flickr photo by OctavioSN

Parents of teenagers worry about how to keep their children engaged in school while respecting their boundaries. Here's some advice for a parent of teenagers who had the following question: "Should I try to set a high bar for my teenage son's academic performance or is he already a formed human being in charge of his own destiny?"

Parenting advice:

A question for the ages. What parent does not struggle with this question? I do. I have two boys in their teenage years. One in public school and the other home-schooled. My wife and I know how important grades are for university admissions. Thus, our minds tend to fix on this concept and wonder, "Are they studying enough to get the grades they need?" Or: "Are they taking the right classes?" This results in our own inner stress and anxiety. We begin to think for ourselves. What we want. What we hope for. We begin to believe we can help shape our children's destiny through our efforts. And, we often, at the end of all this concern, feel puzzled and lifeless.

Continue Reading »
(1) COMMENTS
Syndicate content