INSIDE – guide

This 5 booklet binder guides teachers, parents and other professionals in activating cognitive development and learning how to learn. Bringing together three pioneering approaches in the area of cognitive education, it focusses on children with serious developmental delays or at risk of learning problems

Exists also in Dutch – Romanian – Hungarian – Spanish - Czech – Latvian language

Booklet 1 Learning to think together

Booklet 2 The art of cognitive bricklaying: Feuerstein

Booklet 3 A strategy of concept teaching and a Concept Teaching Model: developed by Magne Nyborg

Booklet 4 Teaching reading to teach talking and thinking - The Portsmouth approach

Booklet 5 Cognitive keys: activating cognitive functions of children living in an impoverished environment

Presentation: 157 pages, consisting of 5 different booklets, in a binder A4 format with rings, illustrated with over 100 bibliographical references

Concept and design: Frank Buckley

Cover drawing by Ruth Uytterlinde

Typeset, printed and distributed by a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Down Syndrome Educational Trust:

DownsEd Limited

Price: 46 euro (exclusive shipment)

How to order: send a mail to: sales@downsed.org

Down Syndrome Education International www.downsed.org
Belmont St., Southsea, Hampshire PO5 1NA, United Kingdom
Tel +44 23 9285 5330 Fax +44 23 9285 5320
or look for more information at www.inside.downsed.org

Summaries

Booklet 1 Learning to think together
Activating cognitive learning skills and inclusion of children with a wide variation in development

Jo Lebeer

In the challenge of inclusive education, to include children with a variety of special needs in mainstream schools, teachers tend to become increasingly frustrated because they hardly know how to do it. On top of that many public schools face a growing number of disinterested, behaviourally difficult youngsters who have various mild to serious educational difficulties, called “educationally at risk”. This booklet argues why inclusive education is better for cognitive, academic and social development, provided a number of conditions are met. First it is needed to adopt more differentiated curricula and evaluation systems. Then it is needed to transform the whole school system and teaching model from merely product-oriented towards a more process-oriented way of teaching, where the main emphasis lies on learning how to learn. The issue why all pupils need to learn to think is discussed. If inclusive education wants to be effective, it must go together Tekstvak: Many accidents happen because of insufficient anticipation and careless thinking. with cognitive education, where children learn how to gather, elaborate and generate information. Cognitive education is much more than gathering intellectual knowledge: it is also relevant in building social and artistic skills. The aim is to build a child’s capacity how to learn more independently. Project INSIDE is introduced with a comparison of its three main components: Feuerstein’s theory of Mediated Learning Experience, The DownsEd systems of early language and reading training and Nyborg’s Concept Teaching Model.

Booklet 2 The art of cognitive bricklaying
Feuerstein’s Structural Cognitive Modifiability &Mediated Learning Experience

Jo Lebeer

Reuven Feuerstein’s (International Centre for the Enhancement of Learning Potential, Jerusalem) theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability (SCM) postulates that the limits to learning are not known a priori. He stresses the social and cultural origin of cognitive development.

Differences in cognitive development cannot be explained exclusively by hereditary, congenital conditions or by environmental determinants such as socio-economic status of parents, cultural differences or familial background, but rather are the result of adequate Mediated Learning Experience (MLE). MLE is defined as the quality of the interaction in which human beings, such as parents, teachers, caregivers as well as peers, interpose themselves between a stimulus in the environment and an individual, in order to ensure that the stimulus is perceived, grasped and integrated in a meaningful way. It is through MLE that an individual builds up cognitive functions, prerequisites for independent learning afterwards. Feuerstein distinguishes 12 criteria of MLE.

From this theory, a practical cognitive intervention method (Instrumental Enrichment), dynamic assessment method (LPAD or Learning Propensity Assessment Device) and a set of didactic tools in order to create strong learning environments, have been elaborated.

Ovale toelichting: Next time check is there’s some water

The principal elements of his approach – mediated learning criteria, cognitive functions and an overview of the instruments – are introduced in this booklet. Each of the criteria and cognitive functions is explained, illustrated with cartoons and with examples of classroom application. A copy page of 29 cognitive functions for working in class is added. Includes a process-oriented lesson plan.

Mediation of regulation and control of behaviour (cartoon by Peter Sackx)

Booklet 3 A Strategy of Concept Teaching and a Concept Teaching Model
Magne Nyborg’s educational approach

Andreas Hansen, Morten Hem & Gunvor Sønnesyn

Prof. Magne Nyborg (1929-1996), pedagogist and professor at Oslo University did extensive research on learning difficulties. He founded the Institutt for Anvendt Pedagogikk (Institute for Applied Pedagogy). The postulate is that basic concepts (e.g. size, shape, number, position, time, etc.) are prerequisites for effective learning in academic and whatever other social situations. Nyborg's Concept Teaching Model systematically teaches basic cognitive concepts and conceptual systems to children, from kindergarten onwards. This has enabled many children with light to severe retardation not only to improve their learning but also to be included in the mainstream. Later on his approach has been proven to be useful for “at risk” children and adolescents and even as a prevention tool.

In part I Andreas Hansen introduces the Concept Teaching Model, its theoretical foundations and practical implications. Part II is an excerpt of the teachers’ guide “Grunnlaget” (meaning “foundations”) and illustrates CTM in practice with a few concepts: colour, size, shape, number. Examples of possible dialogues and model lessons are given. A list of objects with which concepts can be taught, is added.

Tekstvak: Example of concept teaching from the Anna Concept Lotto: every child has a card with an image. The teacher asks for example: who has a figure with colour red, the number of three and triangular shape?

Booklet 4 Teaching reading to teach talking and thinking
The Portsmouth approach to cognitive development and inclusion of children with serious developmental problems

Sue Buckley & Gillian Bird

Psychologists at the University of Portsmouth have been studying the development and education of children with significant learning difficulties since 1980, with a particular focus on children with Down syndrome, but the work is equally relevant to most other children with significant language and cognitive delay. There have been two main strands to our work, research into language, literacy and mental processes and research into inclusion in pre-school and school.

It is possible to improve the speech and language development of children with moderate and severe learning difficulties with appropriate therapy and advice to their parents from the first months of life. This therapy includes the use of augmentative communication (signing) from about 8 months of age and the introduction of reading activities to teach spoken language from as early as 2 years of age. In this way a majority of these children can continue to develop independent literacy skills in their school years. Reading activities improve speech and language development and working memory skills.

Inclusion into mainstream education results in very significant gains in speech and language and literacy skills for children with Down syndrome.

There are two main messages to be taken from our work:

1.Mental abilities are not determined at birth

2. For all children, mental and social development is influenced by the social world in which they are growing up

In this booklet, we will consider speech and language development and how to improve it, teaching reading to teach language and keys to successful inclusion in schools.

Booklet 5 Cognitive keys

Activating cognitive functions of children living in an impoverished environment

Maria Roth & Stefan Szamoskozi

Activating cognitive functions is important for the development of the whole human being, not only of his intelligence, but also of personality and motivation: the possibility to reach for goals, to be committed, courage, co-operation, curiosity, motivation and cognitive learning strategies all have to do with cognition. We start from the postulate of modifiability of cognitive functions in every human being. We go one step further than the classical nature-nurture discussion. This is important for supporting and developing so called “at-risk” and minority groups, who often are deprived of adequate education opportunities. We analyse examples of Roma children in Romania. We give a short overview of existing programmes known to activate cognitive functions. Then we will briefly present a cognitive development programme “Inclusive School Programme” and “Cognitive blocks”, which is largely based on Feuerstein’s theory of Mediated Learning Experience. Its results with a group of ADHD and non-ADHD children will be discussed. Both experimental groups showed a significant positive difference as compared to control groups.