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DUE SEPTEMBER. Wall calendar 30 x 30 cm (opening to hang 30 x 60 cm). Printed in 6 languages the calendar grid includes lunar phases as well as mini datepads for the previous and forward months and a space for additional notes. Printed on vegan certified paper from managed, sustainable forests using soy inks. Printed using 100% hydropower. Produced by the German international calendar publishing company Neumann (previously Te Neues).
The art -
A German art school operational from 1919-1933, The Bauhaus was grounded in the idea of creating a Gesamtkunstwerk ("'total' work of art") in which all the arts would eventually be brought together. The Bauhaus style later became one of the most influential currents in modern design, Modernist architecture and art, design, and architectural education. The Bauhaus movement had a profound influence upon subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design and typography. Staff at the Bauhaus included prominent artists such as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy at various points. | https://paperparrot.com.au/products/bauhaus-wall-calendar-2023 |
With the death of Clement Greenberg on May 7, the most important art critic of our time—the greatest in English since Roger Fry—has passed from the scene. Beginning with the essay he wrote in 1939 called “Avant-Garde and Kitsch,” which promptly became a classic in the literature of modernism, Greenberg’s criticism did more to illuminate the vicissitudes and achievements of modernist art in the period of the Second World War and the immediate postwar period than that of any other writer. Those years were, of course, the heyday of the Abstract Expressionist movement, with which he was closely identified, and he wrote about the artists of that movement—mainly in Partisan Review and The Nation—with an uncommon understanding and authority.
Yet his critical interests were by no means confined to the accomplishments of the New York School—or, for that matter, to the visual arts. About literature, politics, and the problems of modern cultural life—most pertinently, the problems of high art in an era dominated by the imperatives of popular culture—he also wrote with great intelligence. He brought a highly developed historical sense to his examination of the art and culture of the modern period, and he brought to that task something else that was equally important and equally rare—an insistence on the priority to be given aesthetic standards in the judgment of works of art.
It was not a priority universally shared by his contemporaries, even in the art world, and it often provoked an antagonism that degenerated into ad hominem invective. (See, for example, Rosalind Krauss’s vicious attack in The Optical Unconscious, published just last year.) Yet he remained steadfast in his belief that what counted, above all, in the judgment of art was aesthetic quality, and that belief won him the devotion of many artists and critics who may sometimes have disagreed as to where aesthetic quality was to be found but who never doubted that the discernment of it was the raison d’être of criticism itself.
Like Roger Fry—and like T. S. Eliot, whom Greenberg once upheld as “the greatest of all literary critics”—he was often accused of wielding dictatorial powers over contemporary critical opinion. It was a charge that was much exaggerated in Greenberg’s case, for the majority of the new reputations to achieve commercial and institutional success in his time never enjoyed his critical support.
The odd thing about the charge of a Greenbergian dictatorship was that it did not achieve any real credence until Greenberg himself had ceased to write about art in any regular way. The dishonest thing about it was that those who made the charge rarely, if ever, declared their own special interest in bringing it.
This whole notion of a Greenbergian dictatorship, which found its way into some of the trashy obituaries that were published at his death, was essentially a phenomenon of the 1960s—an attempt, after the fact, to repeal an authority that had refused to confer its approval on artistic developments, Pop Art prominently among them, that were hugely successful but which, without this critic’s support, nonetheless still lacked an unchallengeable legitimacy.
Greenberg had acquired his immense intellectual authority in the art world at a time—the 1940s and early 1950s—when the influence of his criticism was limited to the emerging artists of the New York School and the kind of people whom he described, in 1947, as “a very small circle of fanatics, art-fixated misfits who are as isolated in the United States as if they were living in Paleolithic Europe.” His was, in this sense, an insider’s criticism, written out of a knowledge of the life of art, an awareness of the historical situation in which modernist art found itself at that moment, and a penchant for making aesthetic distinctions that were unequaled in his generation. That was the basis of his critical authority.
He had come of age, intellectually, in the Marxist-dominated culture wars of the 1930s. His experience in that intellectual milieu left Greenberg permanently inoculated against the politicization of artistic judgment. That, too, was one of the things that was held against him when, in the final decades of his long life, it once again became chic to confer distinction upon certain artists and works of art—works of non-art, too—solely on the basis of political criteria. He had been through it all before, and he looked upon this reversion to political tests for art with profound distaste.
Against the politicization of art and criticism, Greenberg upheld the importance of what he called “aesthetic fact,” by which he meant—as he wrote in an essay on Eliot in 1950—an understanding of “what works of art actually do, not so much what they mean.” It was owing to his tenacious concentration on “aesthetic fact” that he achieved his eminence and influence, and in the four volumes of his Collected Essays and Criticism he has left us a critical oeuvre that will outlive the carping and incomprehension of his adversaries.
A Message from the Editors
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their real names.
As a reader of our efforts, you have stood with us on the front lines in the battle for culture. Learn how your support contributes to our continued defense of truth. | https://newcriterion.com/issues/1994/6/clement-greenberg-1909-1994 |
Work by female artists from the 1960s and 70s that was marginalised and ignored by a sexist art establishment is finally getting recognition in a major pop art show at Tate Modern.
“It’s never too late,” said Jessica Morgan, curator of the World Goes Pop exhibition, explaining how she and her fellow curators spent five years uncovering the hidden stories from an art movement largely remembered as Anglo-American and male.
The part played by female artists in particular had been “removed and erased” from the story of pop art. One of those artists is Judy Chicago who made her name in 1979 with her installation The Dinner Party, on permanent display at the Brooklyn Museum.
Asked how sexist the art establishment was in the 60s, Chicago threw up her arms and exclaimed: “Oh my God! When I left graduate school I was exhibiting in a climate that was unbelievably inhospitable to women. It was a real struggle.”
Chicago, whose work will be displayed at Tate Modern 50 years after she started it, recalled the response of her male teachers to the work. “There were wombs and breasts … eurgh! In the early 60s, I was just emerging from graduate school and making images like this and my male professors hated them – hated them! I had to change what I was doing or I would not have gotten my masters.”
The works are personal stories – represented by imagery that includes reproductive body parts – spray-painted on to car bonnets or hoods, but her teachers’ response meant she did not complete them until 2011.
The Tate Modern exhibition contains about 160 works, most of which are going on display in the UK for the first time. Some of the pieces by both female and male artists are from parts of the world not normally associated with pop art – including eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.
“This show is fabulous, it’s wonderful,” said Chicago. “You think about pop art, you think about the white boys from America celebrating consumer culture. Who knew that the language was allowing artists around the world to bend it, to critique the policies of America, to critique the use of women in popular culture. Who knew?”
Morgan, meanwhile, said the art establishment of the 60s was undeniably sexist and many female artists were often doubly misunderstood because they were thought to be telling the same stories as their male counterparts.
The French artist Dorothée Selz is featured in the show with works from 1973, in which she recreates the poses of three pin-up girls. “It is the only time in my entire career that I used myself,” she said. “Pop art objectified women but I do this … it is another vision. There are excellent male pop artists like Allen Jones and Andy Warhol, but normally the woman is to be nice and beautiful and ready to eat. Here I am questioning that with humour.”
The idea of the exhibition is to show how pop art was far more than a celebration of western consumerism – it was also a subversive international language for criticism and protest.
Most of the works never made it into public collections and the majority are being lent to the gallery by artists or their estates.
Morgan said many of the pieces had a far harder edge than traditional pop art and were ahead of their time. “If you are based in Latin America and living through the junta taking place in Argentina and Brazil, your relationship to news media [and] to US commercial culture has a much more abrasive quality to it than the celebration we associate with most work in the US and the UK.”
She said the curators had been like excavators, discovering little-known works and stories from all over the world. “We encountered such an incredible bounty of work from all these different places. Much of it completely unfamiliar to me and my colleagues.”
• The EY Exhibition: The World Goes Pop is at Tate Modern 17 September-24 January.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010
Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress. | https://fadmagazine.com/2015/09/15/tate-modern-highlights-pop-art-by-women-ignored-by-sexist-establishment/ |
Modern art - not to be mistaken with contemporary art - has a rich and varied history spanning many great historical artists and a wide range of styles and techniques. It spans a breadth of theories and attitudes, being a part of a tradition-breaking movement whose effects richocetched throughout culture and society.
Following the great societal advances of the industrial age, life as we knew it had shifted so drastically that a new way of thinking, seeing, and creating quickly followed suit. Modernist artists shirked tradition, believing they needed new ways of expressing that would better reflect their new existence. An art movement founded on finding new styles for personal expression, it challenged the conventions of the past, the traditional and historic artistic methods that preceded it were rejected and in their place came art born from imagination and feeling, with distorted shapes, angular movement and loose brushstrokes being just a few methods used to convey this criticism of the ‘old’.
Here we explore the history of this world-changing art movement, the influence of which can still be seen in many great artworks today.
The History of Modern Art
Modern art is widely accepted to have spanned the period of 1860 to around 1960, and in that time it went through a great range of styles as the core of its value was to continuously embrace the new. Technological advancement and events of great historical significance were all incorporated and used to further this progressive movement.
Its birth was around 1860, and its development can be not only attributed to the aforementioned socio-economic situation, but also with progressive thought relating to the existence of the subconscious such as the publication of Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams in 1899. This led to an even greater artistic investigation of the self and the internal experiences of that.
Modern art became increasingly avant-garde, moving further and further away from the historical notions that art should depict the ‘real’ world as it is seen, moving instead into abstract and challenging ways of visually representing the human condition.
This continued through the early 1900’s and it wasn’t until around the 1960’s that there was a clearer splintering into more specific factions and the rise of the postmodern, which is accepted to have drawn a close to this deeply experimental and influential era.
Modern Artwork at Trent Gallery
Modern art continues to inspire and enthrall many artists and art connoisseurs, with its impact still ricocheting throughout the art world. If you’re interested in purchasing art that has taken direct inspiration for the modernist movement, speak to our experts who can recommend some of our wonderful artists.
With galleries in Oakham, Beverly, and Newark, we are poised locally for a wide range of areas and our website means no matter where you are in the country you can order from our wonderful range of art. Get in touch to speak with one of our experts today. | https://www.trentgalleries.co.uk/modern-art/ |
Painters Eleven April 30, 2019
Painters Eleven was an influential artists’ group from Toronto in the 1950s. They were instrumental in helping to introduce abstract painting into the mainstream of Canadian art.
Beginnings
In 1950, Toronto was still dominated by the art of the Group of Seven. But in 1952, Alexandra Luke organized the first public exhibition of abstract artists in Ontario. That exhibit included seven of the members of the future Painters Eleven group (Jack Bush, Oscar Cahén, Thomas Hodgson, Alexandra Luke, Ray Mead, Kazuo Nakamura, and William Ronald). With the addition of J.W.G. (“Jock”) Macdonald, Harold Town, Walter Yarwood, and Hortense Gordon in 1953, they became the ‘Painters Eleven’.
The group first came together when William Ronald organized the ‘Abstracts at Home’ exhibition at the Robert Simpson department store. Soon thereafter, they met again in Oshawa, to discuss their common interests in abstraction.
Although artist, ‘Jock’ Macdonald had explored abstraction as early as 1934, the majority of the group (many a generation younger) became aware of it more than 10 years later. Their sources were varied: Mead trained in England, Cahén in Europe. Luke, Gordon, Macdonald and Ronald traveled to the United States to study with prominent German-born painter and teacher, Hans Hofmann. Though the New York art scene provided an important example for the group, the Canadians developed their own style.
In February of 1954, the first exhibition of Painters Eleven opened at the Roberts Gallery. The exhibition drew large crowds, but sadly, resulted few sales. Nonetheless, subsequent exhibitions were held at the Roberts Gallery in 1955 and 1956, and at the Park Gallery in 1957 and 1958.
Legacy
Initially, critical response in Toronto ranged from bewilderment to hostility. In Canada, the modernist approach was looked upon as strange, and even subversive. Gradually, however, reviews became more favourable. In 1956, Painters Eleven gained international recognition as guest exhibitors at the ‘American Abstract Artists‘ organization in New York City. Exhibitions of some of their works continued in regional Canadian galleries, as well as at the National Gallery of Canada, to 1961. The 1958 Park Gallery exhibition was the last annual group showing. In 1960, the group finally disbanded.
The popularity of abstract expressionist art was, at first, slow to catch on in Canada. Eventually however, it became accepted, largely due to the influence if the Painters Eleven group. Today, the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, continue to exhibit their work. | https://samsoriginalart.com/painters-eleven/ |
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A global history of self-taught artists advocating for a nuanced understanding of modern and contemporary art often challenged by the establishment
When the art world has paid attention to makers from outside the cultural establishment, including so-called outsider and self-taught artists, it has generally been within limiting categories. Yet these artists, including many women, people with disabilities, and people of color, have had a transformative influence on the history of modern art. Responding to growing interest in these artists, this book offers a nuanced history of their work and how it has been understood from the early twentieth century to the present day.
Nonconformers includes work by well-known figures such as Henry Darger, Hilma af Klint, and Bill Traylor alongside many other artists who deserve widespread recognition. After reviewing how self-taught artists factored into key movements of twentieth-century art, the book shifts to highlighting the voices of contemporary practitioners through new interviews with artists William Scott, Mamadou Cissé, and George Widener. An international group of contributors addresses topics such as the development of the Black Folk Art movement in America and l’Art Brut in France, the creative process of self-taught artists working outside of traditional studios, and the themes of figuration, landscape, and abstraction. Global in scope and with chronological breadth, this alternative narrative is an essential introduction to the genre long known as “Outsider Art.”
Lisa Slominski is an American curator, writer, and cultural producer based in London. She provides a voice of diversity and inclusivity within a contemporary art context and lectures on the topic of “Outsider Art,” including for Queen Mary University of London. | https://www.yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300260229&sf1=contributor&st1=%22George%20Widener%22&m=1&dc=1 |
Clement Greenberg (1909-1994) was an influential art critic whose writings helped define" Modernism."
Clement Greenberg was born on January 16, 1909, in the Bronx in New York City. He was the oldest of three sons born to Joseph and Dora (Brodwin) Greenberg. In 1914 the family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where his father was a storekeeper. Six years later the Greenbergs moved again, this time to Brooklyn, New York, where Joseph Greenberg became a manufacturer.
Clement Greenberg was educated in public high schools and graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor's degree in literature in 1930. When he graduated Greenberg was unable to find a job, but during this time he studied German, Italian, French, and Latin. In 1933 he and his father began a wholesale dry goods business from which Clement resigned in 1935. A turning point for Greenberg came the following year, when he went to work for the federal government, first in the office of the Civil Service Commission and in 1937 in the Appraiser's Division of the Customs Service in the Port of New York. This latter position gave him time to begin his career as an essayist. In winter 1939 Greenberg published his first review—a commentary on Bertolt Brecht's A Penny for the Poor. This began a period of critical writing about art and culture that would span five decades.
The 1940s marked Greenberg's greatest activity as a critic. From 1940 to 1942 he was an editor of Partisan Review, and from 1942 to 1949 he published regularly as the art critic for the Nation. In August 1944 he accepted the position of managing editor of the Contemporary Jewish Record. When this bimonthly magazine was replaced by Commentary, Greenberg was named associate editor, a position he held until 1957.
Until 1941 Greenberg's criticism was largely confined to literary subjects. In May of that year, however, he published an appreciation of the artist Paul Klee in the Nation. This initiated the art criticism for which he became most widely known. The intellectual justification for his approach had been articulated a few years earlier in two essays published in Partisan Review. "The Avant Garde and Kitsch" (1939) was a manifesto in which Greenberg made a sharp distinction between "true culture" and "popular art." He asserted that quality in a work of art had nothing to do with contemporary social and political values. "Retiring from the public altogether," he wrote, "the avant-garde poet or artist sought to maintain the high level of his art by both narrowing it and raising it to the expression of an absolute…." This was necessary, he argued, because of the ways in which modern society had debased high art into kitsch. In "Towards a Newer Laocoon" (published in Partisan Reviewin 1940) Greenberg explained the necessity for avant-garde artists to break away from the traditional dominance of subject matter and place a new emphasis on form.
Greenberg's early thinking was influenced by the theories of Karl Marx and Hans Hofmann. Greenberg's study of Marxist theory made the avant garde of interest to him, and it suggested that abstract art was a revolutionary move away from the popular appeal of narrative painting in America. More important, however, was the influence of Hans Hofmann, the German artist and educator. In 1938 and 1939 Greenberg attended Hofmann's classes in which he stressed the importance of the formal qualities of painting— color, line, plane, and the "push" and "pull" of shapes on the flat canvas. In his criticism of the 1940s and the 1950s Greenberg developed these ideas into a unique critical tool.
In the mid-1940s Greenberg was the first to champion the work of the New York School of abstract artists such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, and David Smith. When, in the 1950s, the New York School of painters gained recognition, the quality of Greenberg's criticism brought him a great deal of attention. He was asked to organize exhibitions and was invited to teach and lecture at Black Mountain College, Yale University, Bennington College, and Princeton University, among others. Greenberg continued to refine his ideas about art and to write art criticism. In concise prose, Greenberg mixed references to the history of modern art and his analysis of the formal properties of painting in such a way as to make the abstract work of these artists accessible to critics and students of art. His criticism was characterized by a personal and passionate articulation of his artistic enthusiasms. In 1961 Greenberg published a collection of his essays in Art and Culture, a book that would influence the next generation of critics.
In the early 1960s Greenberg also published one of his most influential essays. "Modernist Painting" outlined a formalist history in which the preoccupation of painters with the formal elements of painting, particularly the flatness of the picture plane, was the common thread of his reading of the history of modern art. From Edouard Manet to the contemporary paintings of the New York School of the 1940s and the 1950s, Greenberg traced a continuous stripping away of subject matter, illusion, and pictorial space. Caught within the internal logic of their medium, painters rejected narrative in favor of painting's unique, formal qualities.
With the emergence of Pop Art in the 1960s Greenberg's formalist approach was no longer relevant. Pop Art, with its reliance on conceptual wit and its sources in "low," popular art, was the antithesis of Greenberg's formalist theories. As an answer to the success of Pop Art, in 1964 Greenberg organized the exhibition "Post Painterly Abstraction." In the accompanying exhibition catalogue he extended his critical principles to argue that paintings exhibiting openness, linear clarity of design, and high-keyed, even-valued color were the natural progression of the formal history of art that he had outlined earlier in "Modernist Painting." Despite his arguments, Greenberg's emphasis on a formalist interpretation came under increasing criticism during the 1970s and the 1980s.
Even to his challengers, however, Greenberg remains one of the most important critics of his time. All recognize that he articulated clearly and concisely an approach to art that has remained prevalent for almost half a century. Greenberg's influence is so significant that for contemporary critics his articulation of art criticism has come to define the Modernist movement.
Further Reading on Clement Greenberg
The most important publications of Clement Greenberg's criticism are Clement Greenberg: The Collected Essays and Criticism, John O'Brian, editor (1986 and 1993). This four-volume work provides a short introduction and gives the reader the first published version of Greenberg's essays. The question of the edition of the essays is important because when Greenberg himself published a collection of his essays, Art and Culture: Critical Essays (1961), he re-edited his writing to more closely reflect his thinking at that time. Monographs of important artists of the 20th century written by Greenberg include Joan Miró (1948), Matisse (1953), and Hans Hofmann (1961). A complex and thorough consideration of Greenberg's criticism can be found in Donald Kuspit's Clement Greenberg: Art and Critic (1979). | https://biography.yourdictionary.com/clement-greenberg |
Criticism from Antiquity to the present day.
Modern Urdu Poetry in English Translation.
reference and exposition, but more than a mere chronicle of facts.
Director of the US/ED-Title-VI-funded Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
Short Stories of Ellis Sharp (2009).
in modern German literature and critical theory.
M. A. R. Habib is Professor of English at Rutgers University, Camden.
to the Present (2005) and Modern Literary Criticism and Theory (2008).
Hermeneutics and Communication, ed. Poul Houe and Gordon D.
Marino (2003) and En anden Andersen – og andres: Artikler og foredrag 1969–2005 (2006).
in Nineteenth-Century American Literature (2003).
and Mallarmé: The Poet and His Circle (1999), republished as a paperback in 2005.
Clinton Machann is Professor of English at Texas A&M University.
recent publications is ‘Difficulty and Modern Poetry’ (2007).
and Reading, where she wrote her doctoral thesis on Hippolyte Taine.
and the Reinvention of Tradition: Backing into the Future (2009).
of Art (1997). His most recent book, On Waiting, appeared in 2008.
Toronto and at King’s College London and University College London.
Julia M. Wright is Associate Professor in English at Dalhousie University.
Anthology (2008) and a number of other volumes.
criticism as an autonomous, professional discipline in the academy.
it was shaped internally by these larger movements.
of the development of English literature as a discipline.
and rigorous discipline in the service of an aesthetic and moral vision.
should be sympathetic and imaginative.
character, its merits, and indeed its political legitimacy and sovereignty.
central part of their agendas.
and even crafting new theories of poetic imagination. But what distinguished the Victorians’ focus on these issues was a new sense of history.
endeavours as informed by historical context.
Eurocentrism was counterbalanced by a rhetoric of literary nationalism.
underlying Romanticism was redefined and eventually dissolved.
stemmed respectively from Hegel and Marx.
distinct from the realms of both morality and usefulness.
of his philosophy and aesthetics.
of history, Marxism deepened and problematized this contextualization.
patterns of influence and exchange between them.
‘the poetry of the heart and the countervailing prose of circumstances’.
formidable link between the aesthetic and ethical imperatives of Realism.
to arouse pity. Thackeray distorted social life to evince condemnation.
processes, and that reality was a complex concept.
the investigation into inner consciousness and narrative point of view.
It is ironic that an age which laid heavy emphasis on the imitation of science should also spawn a rich range of reactions against such positivism.
the contemporary social system and a complacent bourgeoisie.
literature was effectively a series of acts of ‘retributive’ poetic justice.
and a foundation for morality.
to psychological analysis before the arrival of Freud.
Arnold was waging continue to rage today, and he stands as the archetypal defender of the role and importance of letters.
a controversial legacy of cultural radicalism and internationalism.
tragedy, satire, epigram, ode, elegy and pastoral.
as in the work of Ortega y Gasset, Georg Lukács and Mikhail Bakhtin.
a focus on the audience to one on the author.
that we should judge poetry by the essential trait of ‘high seriousness’.
made by Poe, Coventry Patmore, Sidney Lanier and George Saintsbury.
Sainte-Beuve and the dramatists Emile Augier and Alexandre Dumas fils.
movement, led by Antoine, and followed by Brahm and Stanislavsky.
ideas, while the theories of Hofmannsthal and Wilde were highly eclectic.
espoused a scientific method of criticism based on psychological laws.
increasingly correlated with its factual authenticity.
and Feuerbach’s thesis of the projective character of religious knowledge. Any substantial place for the Bible had by this point dissolved.
literature. The idea of literary autonomy has enjoyed a recent resurgence.
science to the more popular forms of poetry, art, drama and the novel.
all of it recognizably ‘literary’ criticism.
Magazine, 35 (1847), p. 288.
or the journalist, began to prompt self-conscious scrutiny by mid-century.
among the ‘valuable books of the age’ that Saintsbury had in mind.
‘Criticism and the Victorian Periodical Press’.
been put down which was crucial to the future development of criticism.
than the individual voice of the reviewer which exuded authority. | https://b-ok.org/book/2777597/89e01a |
2 edition of Modern artists on art found in the catalog.
Modern artists on art
Robert L. Herbert
Published
1964
by Prentice-Hall
.
Written in English
Edition Notes
|Statement||edited by Robert L. Herbert.|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL13642599M|
Artists' books that maintain the traditional structure of a book are often known as book art or bookworks, while those that reference the shape of a book are known as book objects. Other types of work produced by artists in book format include concrete poetry, where meaning is derived from the spatial, pictorial and typographic characteristics. Classical, Modern, & Contemporary Artists. Biographies and analysis of the work of all the artists who were important in the development of visual art. If a major artist is missing from the list, The Art Story has not yet had a chance to research their life and art.
This is a list of modern artists: important artists who have played a role in the history of modern art, dating from the late 19th century until (approximately) the s. Artists who have been at the height of their activity since that date, can be found in the list of contemporary artists. Add . Initially trained as a sculptor, Leeroy’s work blends theatre, fashion, film, production design, and public art. He graduated from the prestigious Philippine High School for the Arts, before continuing his Fine Arts degree at the University of the has received artist residences in Singapore and Australia and was awarded the 13 Artists Award by the Cultural Center of the.
Roberta Smith is an American lecturer on contemporary art and an art critic for the New York writes about visual arts in general, including decorative arts, design, architecture, and popular and outsider has written numerous essays for monographs and catalogues on contemporary artists as well. In she was awarded with Frank Jewett Mather Award for Art . About Blog Jessica Hagen is the owner and director of Jessica Hagen Fine Art & Design, located in beautiful Newport, RI. Ms. Hagen founded the gallery in and curates the gallery's collection of painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics and jewelry. Jessica Hagen Fine Art Design features works of art created by living artists from throughout the northeast and beyond.
Growing Frogs
By the Honorable Jonathan Trumbull Esquire ... A proclamation for a day of fasting and prayer.
The Meallica Files with Video
military institutions of the Romans.
Philosophy and humanism
The man in the stretcher
Edward VIII abdication
alternating gradient method for solving linear systems
washing of the spears.
Climbing in the Ogwen district.
Asbestos-containing materials in school buildings
A series of lessons in raja yoga.
Single-laboratory evaluation of method 8080, organochlorine pesticides and PCBs
American family
Fundamentals of municipal bonds.
Modern Artists on Art: Second Enlarged Edition (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) Paperback – Decem by Robert L. Herbert (Editor)/5(10). Artists on Art: from the XIV to the XX Century 3rd Edition by Robert Goldwater (Editor), Marco Treves (Editor) out of 5 stars 10 ratings/5(10).
Few living artists can claim to have had the influence of Michael Craig-Martin (born ). Celebrated globally for his distinctive art, with numerous retrospectives and honors to his name, he has helped nurture generations of >>more Art / Books ISBN US $ CAN $ TRADE Pbk, 6 x.
Herschel B. Chipp's Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book By Artists and Critics is a collection of texts from letters, manifestos, notes and interviews.
Sources include, as the title says, artists and critics—some expected, like van Gogh, Gauguin, Apollinaire, Mondrian, Greenberg, just to name a few—and some less so: Trotsky and Hitler, in the section on Art and Politics/5(24).
In this comprehensive collection of art made from books, we explore the myriad of ways that bibliophilic artists inventively transform works of literature into works of art.
Some artists, such as Claire Brewster and Loui Jover, cleverly transform individual pages. 10 Most Famous Modern Art Artists And Their Masterpieces #10 Georgia O’Keeffe. American Modernism was an artistic and cultural movement which peaked between #9 Jackson Pollock. Abstract Expressionism was a post World War II art movement which was #8 Henri Matisse.
Along with Pablo Picasso. From a catalog that sheds new light on black models of midth-century French painting to a collection of mids art criticism by the novelist and playwright Gary Indiana, the best art books.
30 Modern & Contemporary Artists 1. Jean-Michel Basquiat (). Peter Doig (b. Christopher Wool (b. Rudolf Stingel (b. Mark Grotjahn (b. Richard Prince (b. Yoshitomo Nara (b. Keith Haring ().
Zeng Fanzhi (b. Best Art and Art History Books A painter paints the appearance of things, not their objective correctness, in fact he creates new appearances of things. Years of Modern Art in a Nutshell by. Will Gompertz. avg rating — 3, ratings. I'm not familiar with the majority of these books or art historians.
It's a nice ideal, Alex. Their art marked the beginning of the Pop Art movement, and essentially the end of Abstract Expressionism. Since the days of Pop Art, contemporary artists continue to use screen printing as a medium to produce inspiring works of art.
Check out 8 inspiring screen printing artists you should know. Andy Warhol. Zhang Meng ( -) is a contemporary Chinese artist who is good at traditional Chinese painting, printmaking, photography, multi-media art, and sculpture.
The artist is an associate professor, teaches in several academies of fine art in China respectively. Featuring text compiled by curators, critics, artists, and academics accompanied by full-page pictures, Phaidon’s iconic Art Book is “a valuable work of reference as well as a feast for the eyes.” This glossy anthology follows an alphabetical format, offering readers an A-Z guide of art history’s most prolific artists spanning periods, schools, and styles.
This delightful book is long overdue: kudos to the author for putting together this joyful salute to women artists through the ages, with a nod to modern work. It is a clever and important collection and very much in keeping with The Jealous Curator's trademark taste for bright pops of colour, whimsical humour, and a dash of resistance/5(45).
Artists' books are books or book-like objects over the final appearance of which an artist has had a high degree of control; where the book is intended as a work of art in itself. — Stephen Bury. Artists' books are made for a variety of reasons.
An artist book is generally interactive, portable, movable and easily shared. Some artists books. Contemporary art is the art of our lifetime—the art being made now and about this moment.
As an art historical movement it eludes easy definition, often characterized as contradictory, confusing, and open ended. Contemporary art tends to be tied to conceptual practice, and while it may manifest through any materials and methods, it often directly challenges traditional notions of what art.
ABOUT PHAIDON Phaidon is the premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1, titles in print. We work with the world's most influential artists, chefs, writers and thinkers to produce innovative books on art, photography, design, architecture, fashion, food and travel, and illustrated books.
Artist Guy Laramee is renowned for his ability to transform books into modern works of art. Using a sandblaster, the Montreal-based artist carves the covers and pages of books into sculptural landscapes that appear to be straight from a storybook.
After the Revolution: Women Who Transformed Contemporary Art–Revised and Expanded Edition examines the rise of women artists in the late 20th century, viewed through the work of 12 key figures.
Four prominent critics discuss the ways women artists have changed art since the first movements of feminism and assess the changes that have occurred.
Responding to the rapid changes in the world around them, modern artists explored new techniques and ways of seeing, incorporating new ideas into their work. Striking abstraction, expressive Post-Impressionist paintings and iconic film art are just some of the highlights in our modern print range, featuring works largely dating to the twentieth.
In “The Big Picture: Contemporary Art in 10 Works by 10 Artists,” Matthew Israel, Artsy’s Curator at Large, examines 10 artworks that trace the development of contemporary art.
Below are a series of excerpts from his book, out March 28th from Prestel. Contemporary art is notoriously difficult to understand and can be quite intimidating. This is a list of artists who create contemporary art, i.e., those whose peak of activity can be situated somewhere between the s (the advent of postmodernism) and the present s on this list meet the following criteria: The person is regarded as an important figure or is widely cited by his/her peers or successors.
Now being reprinted by the museum, the book is a compilation of essays by nearly 50 writers on the works of female artists spanning Early Modernism to Contemporary art - from being a woman in the Bauhaus to performance art.
Artists include Frida Kahlo, Diane Arbus, and Nan Goldin/5(2).Research and discover more t modern and contemporary artists on Artsy. Find works for sale, biographies, CVs, and auction results. | https://hytowygyvypawu.laikipiatourism.com/modern-artists-on-art-book-16412jq.php |
Signed in pencil, signed within the plate, what does all of this mean? Among those artists, the most well-known cubists have been Pablo Picasso and Georges. However presenting paintings, sculptures and art work on-line is in development. Round this time, the French empire was expanding into Africa, and African artifacts have been being brought again to Paris museums, exposing Picasso to a truly unique type of art.
This displays the truth that in some media, equivalent to manuscript illumination, the roles of scribe and artist weren’t all the time separate: at occasions one individual undertook both kinds of labor, whereas in other cases the jobs were extra specialized.
1 2 Of their most general kind these actions include the manufacturing of works of art, the criticism of art, the examine of the history of art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art. After the Renaissance (14th-seventeenth centuries), French artists like Courbet (1819-seventy seven) and Cezanne (1839-1906) showcased more realty primarily based topics, corresponding to using linear perspective and Realism, by oil painting.
Fundamental human intuition for concord, steadiness, rhythm Art at this stage isn’t an motion or an object, but an inside appreciation of steadiness and harmony (beauty), and therefore a side of being human past utility. Pope’s translation In Hoyt’s New Cyclopedia Of Sensible Quotations (1922), p. forty three-forty five.
The bond of sympathy, just like the artist’s eye for beauty, may stretch throughout many divisions. Great artists are individuals who find the way to be themselves of their art.
While you lose somebody you love deeply there are classes beyond what you may imagine. For this reason, and for no different, specifically, that after we come to inspect the watch, we perceive — what we could not uncover within the stone — that its several parts are framed and put collectively for a goal, e.g., that they are so shaped and adjusted as to supply movement, and that motion so regulated as to point out the hour of the day; that if the totally different parts had been differently shaped from what they’re, or placed in every other manner or in every other order than that in which they are placed, both no movement at all would have carried on in the machine, or none which would have answered the use that’s now served by it.
ART as the runtime executes the Dalvik Executable format and Dex bytecode specification. The Japanese phrase nazorae,†which means simulation or transformable imitation, sums up the quintessential strength of Japanese traditional art to achieve ultimate magnificence.
Modern art has gained lots of significance in modern households. The painting by Edvard Munchs, The Scream, might be essentially the most sought after painting by art thieves in history. The final exhibition I saw, a retrospective of the artist Charles White at the MoMA, was stuffed to the brim with each photos of black pain and the great thing about black life.
The details about artists and scribes is intended to offer a springboard for further analysis. 86 Trashion , using trash to make trend, practiced by artists corresponding to Marina DeBris is one instance of using art to boost consciousness about air pollution.
Both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art have gained international recognition as worthwhile art kinds over the past few many years. 1mass noun The expression or application of human inventive talent and imagination, typically in a visual type such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional energy. Completed chalk pastel drawings can appear like paintings and are also known as paintings. | http://www.aasrb.com/artnews.html |
# American Pre-Raphaelites
The American Pre-Raphaelites was a movement of landscape painters in the United States during the mid-19th century. It was named for its connection to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and for the influence of John Ruskin on its members. Painter Thomas Charles Farrer led the movement, and many members were active abolitionists. Their work together was short-lived, and the movement had mostly dissolved by 1870.
The American Pre-Raphaelites used a vivid, realistic style and, unlike their English counterparts, avoided figurative paintings in favor of landscapes and still lifes. American Pre-Raphaelites promoted still lifes and natural settings for paintings in the 1860s.: 96
## History
The influence of English art critic John Ruskin on art in the United States began with the publication of his first volume of Modern Painters in 1843. Ruskin's emphasis on plein air painting and painting from life struck a chord with American Transcendentalist ideals.: 44 Modern Painters was read widely by painters and critics like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Eliot Norton. According to artist Worthington Whittredge, Modern Painters was "in every landscape painter's hand".: 151 Small exhibition magazines like The Crayon,: 82 first published by William James Stillman in 1855,: 351 popularized the art of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
After a trip to England, Stillman joined a group of artists who met at the Brooklyn home of Henry Kirke Brown. Together, they were referred to as "The American Pre-Raphaelites".: 84 Curated by Augustus Ruxton and William Michael Rossetti, an American exhibition of British art in New York in 1857 further spread the ideals of Pre-Raphaelite art,: 85 with works like Ruskin's own Fragments of the Alps.
When the painter Thomas Charles Farrer moved to the US from England in 1860, he brought new life into the movement. Farrer had trained under Ruskin himself at the Working Men's College in London.: 89 On January 27, 1863, he and six friends formed the Association for the Advancement of Truth in Art.: 352 The Crayon had lapsed publication, so the Association began the monthly magazine, The New Path, which ran from May 1863 to December 1865.: 90
Ranging from painting to architecture, The New Path often published essays critical of artists like Erastus Dow Palmer and generally supported the detailed, "truthful" works favored by the Pre-Raphaelites and Ruskin.: 353 Architecture and art critics Peter B. Wight and Russell Sturgis were some of the main contributors.: 353 Although many of the American Pre-Raphaelites had been members of the Hudson River School movement, they rejected its idealized landscapes.: 6 Known for its acerbic, cutting criticism, The New Path criticized painters like Albert Bierstadt for their landscapes that upheld beliefs of US manifest destiny.
After The New Path ceased publication, the movement unraveled by 1870, partially because of the upheaval of the American Civil War. The taxing demands of plein air painting also pushed many American Pre-Raphaelites to move to different styles of painting. For example, William Trost Richards became a marine painter in later life.: 14
## Artistic style
Like the English Pre-Raphaelite movement, the American Pre-Raphaelites exhibited high levels of finish and detail in their paintings, with an attention to natural representation and subjects. William Stillman reportedly once spent three months painting a violet in the foreground of one of his paintings.: 84–85 Similarly, the Pre-Raphaelites often criticized artists like Albert Bierstadt for not conducting enough studies before executing their paintings: they rebuked Bierstadt's The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak by saying, "twenty times the study that the artist has given to this picture—study represented by actual sketches, built upon a previous ten years ... would not have justified him in attempting to fill so large a canvas".
This focus sometimes led the group to be called "Realists", reflecting their opposition to academic art and the New York National Academy of Design.: 14 The overall effect is that "the world, subjected to a scientific gaze, is made to disclose a surfeit of detail, turning nature into ornament", according to critic Bailey Trela. As time passed, the American Pre-Raphaelites were criticized as "unimaginative" and for adhering too closely to Ruskin's refutation of emotive art, which uses what he called the pathetic fallacy.: 1235
While they had adopted the naturalist emphasis of English Pre-Raphaelitism, they did not use the moral scenes or medieval settings in their own works. The American artists often depicted "rustic, informal" landscapes and still lifes, and had a predilection for painting birds' nests.: 85,89 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pre-Raphaelites |
Art, magic, and the occult have been intimately linked since our prehistoric ancestors created the first cave paintings some 50,000 years ago. As civilizations developed, these esoteric forces continued to drive culture forward, both visibly and behind the scenes, from the Hermetic ideas of the Renaissance, to the ethereal worlds of 19th century Symbolism, to the occult interests of the Surrealists.
In this deep exploration of “occulture”--the liminal space where art and magic meet--Carl Abrahamsson reveals the integral role played by magic and occultism in the development of culture throughout history as well as their relevance to the continuing survival of art and creativity. Blending magical history and esoteric philosophy with his more than 30 years’ experience in occult movements, Abrahamsson looks at the phenomena and people who have been seminal in modern esoteric developments, including Carl Jung, Anton LaVey, Paul Bowles, Aleister Crowley, and Rudolf Steiner.
Showing how art and magic were initially one and the same, the author explores the history of magic as a source of genuine counter culture and compares it with our contemporary soulless, digital monoculture. He reveals how the magic of art can be restored if art is employed as a means rather than an end--if it is intense, emotional, violent, and expressive--and offers strategies for creating freely, magically, even spontaneously, with intent unfettered by the whims of trends, a creative practice akin to chaos magick that assists both creators and spectators to live with meaning. He also looks at intuition and creativity as the cornerstones of genuine individuation, explaining how insights and illuminations seldom come in collective forms.
Exploring magical philosophy, occult history, the arts, psychology, and the colorful grey areas in between, Abrahamsson reveals the culturally and magically transformative role of art and the ways the occult continues to transform culture to this day.
On the whole, Carl Jung is already so well documented and well known that it’s almost not worth talking about him. Jung is a superstar of a different kind than Freud, despite the fact that both have been important pioneers within psychology as we know it. The word “pioneer” isn’t even enough to describe them. They are rather founders of modern psychology, which has now, in its rebellious teen independent phase, tossed them both out. Jung packed a stronger punch but not because he was less esoteric and incomprehensible than Freud--in many ways he was more so--but because he was taken in and integrated into the culture much faster.
Even early on Jung was part of culture. The Dada movement shared the same environment as the budding psychology movement in Switzerland. Herman Hesse was his patient, and Jung had a creativity of his own that he battled with. Jung interpreted cultural phenomena in more general ways than Freud, whose focus was usually on the individual and isolated experiences. Jung focused more on the integration and analysis of myths, religions, customs, and symbols.
In the development of concepts like the “archetypes” and the “collective unconscious,” Jung not only looked at isolated myths but also at their artistic expressions. He claimed that there is an impulse-generating layer in the psyche that is shared by all human beings and can be accessed through introspection, dreams, the study of myths, and personal artistic work.
The openness that followed World War II--decidedly a necessary pendulum movement--was integrated in Jung’s life and work in telling the story of what had so far gone wrong. The need to find a healthy individualism in a paranoid and collectivistic world activated by myths with strong emotional resonances, and the integration of one’s own artistic process, eventually contributed to a liberalization of Western culture in the hippie movement, and later in the new age movement, and even to a stronger presence of political liberalism. One can think what one wants about all of these manifestations but no one can deny the influence that Carl Jung has had on our culture.
A pop cultural book by Jung like Man and His Symbols is filled with a deeper understanding of Homo sapiens as cultural beings, and the opportunity to get an overview in an increasingly complex, confused, and fragmented world. One jumps over the conclusions and the demands of critical thinking to find an alluring and irrational solution to personal issues through a very general kind of inspiration. Where Jung claimed that many of our central myths told stories about essential things, which each person must process in a hard and quite often painful process of individuation, the modern interpretation from the 1960s onward has become one of facing the path of least resistance and adapting to its attractive shortcuts. Where Jung wanted to make us aware of what is already there, inside us, most people still keep looking for outside sources. His terminology rules in popular culture with terms like introvert, extrovert, synchronicity, anima, and animus.
Jung’s integration of myths as an expression of fundamental psychological truths got a push forward through American mythologist Joseph Campbell’s successful books The Masks of God, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and The Power of Myth. Here we also find an accessible focus on the analysis of myths, mainly filtered through religion, fiction, and popular culture throughout the millennia.
In the 1960s, even structuralist philosophers like Roland Barthes began writing about contemporary times from a mythological perspective. Like Jung, Barthes claimed that myth is essentially a language. Where Jung wrote that this language in itself also constituted an essential content for personal development, for Barthes the mythological language became more of a convenient tool for his own contemporary criticism.
But the very term “mythology” was brought forth again and no longer strictly within academic fields like the history of religions or anthropology. From a psychological perspective one could say the concept of myth was made conscious by Jung and his later interpreters. Suddenly it was around in a wider and more public context.
With this, the terms “myth” and “mythology” gained more meaning. Where it used to signify a group of behaviors and stories that had lived on orally, today it’s become diluted and can signify anything from a lie to a feeling: “No, that’s not correct, it’s just a myth.” This dilution is of course a part of contemporary Western culture in general. Not just of old kinds of tradition but also of how we experience them, how we value them. Perception certainly hasn’t been sharpened but rather dulled, and the material we experience consists of impoverished and diluted versions of what once transmitted something substantial.
An example: Our Western dramaturgy is based on what is called a “Homeric structure.” It ties in to Homer’s stories about Odysseus’s travels toward distinct goals. During his travels Odysseus faces problems and challenges that he deals with and solves. This is a very simple set-up and yet endlessly fascinating and represents the weight of tradition. You tell your kids the same stories that were once told to you. These stories are more important than most parents understand.
But what’s happened since the days of Jung are mainly two things: technology-driven mass media and the commercialization of shared, public space. Both these things have contributed to the increased amount of fiction in relation to one’s own thinking. Where previously we chose fiction in a compartmentalized manner and actively took part of it, today we are overrun by TV, the Internet, movies, and commercials, all of which are experienced passively.We now live in and through more fiction than so called fact-based reality. Fiction has taken over. We have left the original function of myth--education, teaching, and explainingthings that are conducive to one’s own mental health--in unfortunate favor of being driven into a wall of technological rule and perceptional deficiencies at an exponentially increasing speed.
"Although dealing with some deep matters - occultism, art, philosophy - that are often the object of pretentious or bombastic writing, Occulture is pleasingly free of either. Despite the breadth of his knowledge and experience, Abrahamsson never talks high-handedly to his readers, delivering his thoughts and arguments clearly. There’s much in the book for readers with every level of knowledge of the subjects discussed - although it does assume a familiarity with, for example, the ideas of Crowley, LaVey and Jung - and much to reflect upon. | https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Occulture/Carl-Abrahamsson/9781620557037 |
Harmony Hammond and writer and art critic Lucy Lippard will be in conversation reflecting upon the artists and artwork of the group exhibition Women's Work at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY.
Lyndhurst's press release follows:
On September 20, Women’s Work: A Conversation with Lucy Lippard and Harmony Hammond will include writer, activist, curator, co-founded various artists’ feminist and activist organizations and publications, and author of 25 books on contemporary art and cultural criticism, Lucy Lippard, will be joined by Harmony Hammond, a leading figure in the development of the feminist art movement in New York in the early 1970s, and co-founder of A.I.R., the first women’s cooperative art gallery in New York. You won’t want to miss this spirited and thought-provoking conversation between two leading figures of the feminist art movement—and two long-time friends—as they reflect on their careers from the 1970s up to the present, and the evolution of “women’s work” in the art world as reflected in the artists and artwork of the Women’s Work exhibition at Lyndhurst.
There have always been great women artists—a fact that feminist art historians have continually and consistently reinforced over the past half century. Using this summer’s new Women’s Work exhibition at Lyndhurst as a source of inspiration, these virtual events will delve into the complex history of women’s artistry; the growing recognition of the influence of women artists, feminist artists, and women artists of color on the art world; and the deep connections that exist between the production of art and the places where women created it.
These virtual events are brought to you by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Where Women Made History program in conjunction with the Women’s Work exhibition at Lyndhurst—a National Trust Historic Site." | https://alexandergray.com/news-events/harmony-hammond190 |
Similar presentations:
The main mechanisms of speciation
1.
2. The main mechanisms of speciation
3. Learning objective•classify the main mechanisms of
speciation
4. Success criteria1. Apply previous knowledge about
main mechanisms of speciation.
2. Classify correctly at least four
examples out of five.
5. Terminology• Speciation, allopatric, sympatric, isolation:
ecological and geographic, parapatric, peripatric,
variation within population, adaptation, new
species, mechanical isolation, behavioral
isolation, gene pool, genoms, allele frequency,
individuals, deme, anceryral species, barrier,
polyploidy,
6.Species B
Species C
Speciation
one species diverging
into a new species
Causes
-geographic isolation
- behavior or temporal changes
Species A
Specific Change over time
6
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Reproductive isolation
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.Speciation
When a species evolves
(branches) into a
new species as a result of
natural selection; the new
species can no longer
interbreed producting
fertile offspring.
Examples
-geographical isolation
-mating behavior
-breeding habits
-changes in food sources
Common Ancestor
Maltose Food
Starch Food
Many generations pass
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. Geographic IsolationTwo populations are separated by geographical barriers such
as, Mountains, Lakes, Oceans, Rivers, Deserts…over time
speciation will occur.
Kaibab squirrel has a
black belly and lives on
the North Rim. | https://en.ppt-online.org/361695 |
Just lately there's been a flurry of papers on speciation that I haven't had time to digest properly. Several of them seem to support "sympatric" or localised speciation based on selection for local resources with reproductive isolation a side effect of divergent selection. So here they are below the fold with abstracts and my comments...
Evolution of reproductive isolation in plants
Heredity advance online publication 23 July 2008; doi: 10.1038/hdy.2008.69
A Widmer, C Lexer and S Cozzolino
Reproductive isolation is essential for the process of speciation and much has been learned in recent years about the ecology and underlying genetics of reproductive barriers. But plant species are typically isolated not by a single factor, but by a large number of different pre- and postzygotic barriers, and their potentially complex interactions. This phenomenon has often been ignored to date. Recent studies of the relative importance of different isolating barriers between plant species pairs concluded that prezygotic isolation is much stronger than postzygotic isolation. But studies of the patterns of reproductive isolation in plants did not find that prezygotic isolation evolves faster than postzygotic isolation, in contrast to most animals. This may be due to the multiple premating barriers that isolate most species pairs, some of which may be controlled by few genes of major effect and evolve rapidly, whereas others have a complex genetic architecture and evolve more slowly. Intrinsic postzygotic isolation in plants is correlated with genetic divergence, but some instrinsic postzygotic barriers evolve rapidly and are polymorphic within species. Extrinsic postzygotic barriers are rarely included in estimates of different components of reproductive isolation. Much remains to be learned about ecological and molecular interactions among isolating barriers. The role of reinforcement and reproductive character displacement in the evolution of premating barriers is an open topic that deserves further study. At the molecular level, chromosomal and genic isolation factors may be associated and act in concert to mediate reproductive isolation, but their interactions are only starting to be explored.
Keywords: genic isolation, chromosomal rearrangement, natural selection, prezygotic, postzygotic, speciation
Comment: plants often hybridise, and as gamete broadcasters they are often susceptible also to introgression of genes from one species to another. So it makes sense that what would, post hoc, isolate plants is going to be all over the map like this.
Widmer, A., Lexer, C., Cozzolino, S. (2008). Evolution of reproductive isolation in plants. Heredity DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2008.69
Reproductive isolation in Saccharomyces
Heredity advance online publication 23 July 2008; doi: 10.1038/hdy.2008.73
D Greig
Although speciation is one of the most interesting processes in evolution, the underlying causes of reproductive isolation are only partially understood in a few species. This review summarizes the results of many experiments on the reproductive isolation between yeast species of the Saccharomyces sensu stricto group. Hybrids between these species form quite readily in the laboratory, but, if given a choice of species to mate with, some are able to avoid hybridization. F1 hybrids are viable but sterile: the gametes they produce are inviable. For one pair of species, hybrid sterility is probably caused by chromosomal rearrangements, but for all the other species, the major cause of hybrid sterility is antirecombination—the inability of diverged chromosomes to form crossovers during F1 hybrid meiosis. Surprisingly, incompatibility between the genes expressed from different species' genomes is not a major cause of F1 hybrid sterility, although it may contribute to reproductive isolation at other stages of the yeast life cycle.
Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, paradoxus, reproductive isolation, evolution, speciation
Otto, S.P., Servedio, M.R., Nuismer, S.L. (2008). Frequency-dependent selection and the evolution of assortative mating. Genetics DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.084418
Isolation-by-Distance and Outbreeding Depression Are Sufficient to Drive Parapatric Speciation in the Absence of Environmental Influences
PLoS Comput Biol 4(7): e1000126. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000126
Guy A. Hoelzer, Rich Drewes, Jeffrey Meier, René Doursat
A commonly held view in evolutionary biology is that speciation (the emergence of genetically distinct and reproductively incompatible subpopulations) is driven by external environmental constraints, such as localized barriers to dispersal or habitat-based variation in selection pressures. We have developed a spatially explicit model of a biological population to study the emergence of spatial and temporal patterns of genetic diversity in the absence of predetermined subpopulation boundaries. We propose a 2-D cellular automata model showing that an initially homogeneous population might spontaneously subdivide into reproductively incompatible species through sheer isolation-by-distance when the viability of offspring decreases as the genomes of parental gametes become increasingly different. This simple implementation of the Dobzhansky-Muller model provides the basis for assessing the process and completion of speciation, which is deemed to occur when there is complete postzygotic isolation between two subpopulations. The model shows an inherent tendency toward spatial self-organization, as has been the case with other spatially explicit models of evolution. A well-mixed version of the model exhibits a relatively stable and unimodal distribution of genetic differences as has been shown with previous models. A much more interesting pattern of temporal waves, however, emerges when the dispersal of individuals is limited to short distances. Each wave represents a subset of comparisons between members of emergent subpopulations diverging from one another, and a subset of these divergences proceeds to the point of speciation. The long-term persistence of diverging subpopulations is the essence of speciation in biological populations, so the rhythmic diversity waves that we have observed suggest an inherent disposition for a population experiencing isolation-by-distance to generate new species.
Hoelzer, G.A., Drewes, R., Meier, J., Doursat, R., Bourne, P.E. (2008). Isolation-by-Distance and Outbreeding Depression Are Sufficient to Drive Parapatric Speciation in the Absence of Environmental Influences. PLoS Computational Biology, 4(7), e1000126. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000126
Comment: speciation by parapatry is when populations at the edge of a species' range evolve in ways that tend to increase their reproductive isolation from the main metapopulation.
Frequency-dependent selection and the evolution of assortative mating
Genetics. Published Articles Ahead of Print: July 27, 2008, doi:10.1534/genetics.107.084418
Sarah P. Otto, Maria R. Servedio and Scott L. Nuismer
A long-standing goal in evolutionary biology is to identify the conditions that promote the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation. The factors promoting sympatric speciation have been of particular interest, both because it is notoriously difficult to prove empirically and because theoretical models have generated conflicting results, depending on the assumptions made. Here, we analyze the conditions under which selection favors the evolution of assortative mating, thereby reducing gene flow between sympatric groups, using a general model of selection, which allows fitness to be frequency dependent. Our analytical results are based on a two-locus diploid model, with one locus altering the trait under selection and the other locus controlling the strength of assortment (a "one-allele" model). Examining both equilibrium and non-equilibrium scenarios, we demonstrate that whenever heterozygotes are less fit, on average, than homozygotes at the trait locus, indirect selection for assortative mating is generated. While costs of assortative mating hinder the evolution of reproductive isolation, they do not prevent it unless they are sufficiently great. Assortative mating that arises because individuals mate within groups (formed in time or space) is most conducive to the evolution of complete assortative mating from random mating. Assortative mating based on female preferences is more restrictive, because the resulting sexual selection can lead to loss of the trait polymorphism and cause the relative fitness of heterozygotes to rise above homozygotes, eliminating the force favoring assortment. When assortative mating is already prevalent, however, sexual selection can itself cause low heterozygous fitness, promoting the evolution of complete reproductive isolation (akin to "reinforcement") regardless of the form of natural selection.
Otto, S.P., Servedio, M.R., Nuismer, S.L. (2008). Frequency-dependent selection and the evolution of assortative mating. Genetics DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.084418
Key Words: Assortment, disruptive selection, frequency-dependent selection, sexual selection, sympatric speciation
Microbial Evolution: Stalking the Wild Bacterial Species
Current Biology Volume 18, Issue 13, 8 July 2008, Pages R565-R567 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.05.029
W. Ford Doolittle
A recent report suggests that, when habitats are disturbed, bacterial populations that would be considered to be separate species can merge, reversing the process of speciation. But, for bacteria, ‘species’ remains undefined and undefinable.
DOOLITTLE, W. (2008). Microbial Evolution: Stalking the Wild Bacterial Species. Current Biology, 18(13), R565-R567. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.05.029
Comment: Doolittle repeats a standard claim about microbial species, that they are not structured enough or lack a "grade of organization" (my words, not his) and so we cannot call them species. I argued against this view, which is unfortunately widely repeated without much support, in my HPLS paper on Microbial Species, which is not, unfortunately, online: The Concept and Causes of Microbial Species. Studies in History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 28 (3): 389-408.
While on the topic of speciation, here's a nice wrap up at Biological Ramblings of a paper that finds, using the biological species concept no less, that the American Winter Wren is actually two species. And GrrlScientist has a nice review of another paper that finds that the Australian rosella is not a ring species. I am suspicious of ring species claims - most of them are not based on actual gene flow but on morphology. What the paper Grrl discusses indicates is that species are more like advancing and receding pools of water held together by surface tension, than the orderly advance of gene pools that ring species seem to indicate. Here's the abstract for that paper:
Where and when does a ring start and end? Testing the ring-species hypothesis in a species complex of Australian parrots.
Proc Biol Sci. 2008 Jul 29. [Epub ahead of print]
Joseph L, Dolman G, Donnellan S, Saint KM, Berg ML, Bennett AT.
Speciation, despite ongoing gene flow can be studied directly in nature in ring species that comprise two reproductively isolated populations connected by a chain or ring of intergrading populations. We applied three tiers of spatio-temporal analysis (phylogeny/historical biogeography, phylogeography and landscape/population genetics) to the data from mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of eastern Australian parrots of the Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans complex to understand the history and present genetic structure of the ring they have long been considered to form. A ring speciation hypothesis does not explain the patterns we have observed in our data (e.g. multiple genetic discontinuities, discordance in genotypic and phenotypic assignments where terminal differentiates meet). However, we cannot reject that a continuous circular distribution has been involved in the group's history or indeed that one was formed through secondary contact at the 'ring's' east and west; however, we reject a simple ring-species hypothesis as traditionally applied, with secondary contact only at its east. We discuss alternative models involving historical allopatry of populations. We suggest that population expansion shown by population genetics parameters in one of these isolates was accompanied by geographical range expansion, secondary contact and hybridization on the eastern and western sides of the ring. Pleistocene landscape and sea-level and habitat changes then established the birds' current distributions and range disjunctions. Populations now show idiosyncratic patterns of selection and drift. We suggest that selection and drift now drive evolution in different populations within what has been considered the ring.
In addition there are papers on a peripatric origin for two sympatric species of field crickets, ecological speciation in sunflowers, sympatric speciation in fishes in Sulawesi, techniques for estimating speciation probabilities phylogenetically, ecological gradients in finches, habitat fragmentation in a Hispaniolan lizard, and a way to analyze and reconstruct reticulate (that is, joining, not splitting) phylogenies.
And finally, note that Stephen Colbert has had a spider named after him. There are too many levels of irony here for me to fully disentangle them all.
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Ah, sympatric/parapatric speciation. Something I'm really interested in. I'm actually trying to come up with a model that might give some insight into the process in the absence of reinforcement... unfortunately, it's not going so well. :(
Speciation really seems like it's at the forefront of theoretical evolutionary biology right now, though. Pretty exciting!
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We've just named a beetle after him as well. Silent T and all. Hasn't hit the news yet.
Now, to go read all of these speciation papers...
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Bloody hell. The parrot paper has only just come out in dead tree version. | https://scienceblogs.com/evolvingthoughts/2008/08/05/new-work-on-speciation |
How Do New Species Arise?
New species form by speciation in which an ancestral population splits into two or more genetically distinct descendant populations. Speciation involves reproductive isolation of groups within the original population and accumulation of genetic differences between the two groups.
Where do new species arise?
Thus new species form when individuals from diverging populations no longer recognize one another as potential mates or opportunities for mating become limited by differences in habitat use or reproductive schedules.
What are 4 ways a new species can develop?
What gives rise to new species?
Factors leading to the rise of new species
Natural selection. Genetic mutation. Geographical isolation. … Quantum of genetic variant inherited from one generation to the next generation.
Are new species evolving?
Biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon rainforest were thought to be the best place for new species to evolve but it turns out that extreme areas help species to emerge faster.
What are 5 ways species can become isolated and form new species?
There are five isolation processes that prevent two species from interbreeding: ecological temporal behavioral mechanical/chemical and geographical.
What is the formation of new species called?
Speciation is an evolutionary process by which a new species comes into being.
How often do new species emerge?
Luckily even after 250 years of professionals documenting thousands of new plants and animals every year the rate at which new species are discovered remains relatively stable. Somewhere between 15 000 and 18 000 new species are identified each year with about half of those being insects.
Which of these is one of the main ways that a new species forms?
Since Darwin’s time scientists have come to understand that geographic isolation is one of the main ways that new species form. Isolation or complete separation occurs when some members of a species become cut off from the rest of the species.
Which is the most responsible factor for bringing about the origin of a new species?
Q. Among living organisms which one of the following is the most responsible factor for bringing about the origin of a new species? Notes: Origin of new species depends on isolation of gene flow between new species and develops significant genetic divergence.
How can a new species be created in one generation through polyploidy?
For a new species to develop something must cause a breach in the reproductive barriers. Sympatric speciation can occur through errors in meiosis that form gametes with extra chromosomes (polyploidy). Autopolyploidy occurs within a single species whereas allopolyploidy occurs between closely related species.
What factors could lead to the rise of a new species Brainly?
Factors that could lead to the rise of a new species are as follow :(i) Natural selection. (ii) Process of genetic drift(iii) Genetic Mutation(iv) Geographical isolation. (v)Environmental factors on the isolated populations. (vi) Reproductive isolationfor a long time.
Can we create new species?
Scientists are now capable of creating new species of animals by taking genetic material from one or more plants or animals and genetically engineering them into the genes of another animal.
How long does it take for a new species to develop?
Across a broad range of species the research found that for a major change to persist and for changes to accumulate it took about one million years.
What new species have evolved recently?
- Guppies Adapted to Predators. …
- Green Anole Lizards Adapted to an Invasive Species. …
- Salmon Adapted to Human Interference. …
- Bedbugs Adapted to Pesticides. …
- Owls Adapted to Warmer Winters.
How do new species form quizlet?
A new species can form when a group of individuals remains isolated from the rest of it’s species long enough to evolve different traits. … The members of the species may not have adaptations that allow them to survive and reproduce in the changed environment.
How do you identify a new species?
By taking bits of a single gene scientists are using DNA barcoding to identify new species. If a portable hand-held scanning device can be developed one ecologist says it could “do for biodiversity what the printing press did for literacy.”
How are new species formed through natural selection?
When a new species develops as a result of evolution it is called?
Why are we still discovering new species?
Discovering new species is important as it helps to protect them. Furthermore new species can also produce compounds that could lead to the development of new medicine. It is estimated that 15 million different species live on our planet but only 2 million of them are currently known to science.
Are we still discovering new species?
Earth is a planet teeming with life and scientists are still working to catalog new species. It may seem hard to believe but a 2011 study suggests as much 86 percent of land species and 91 percent of marine species are still undiscovered. Here are 8 new species discovered so far in 2021.
Are new species discovered every day?
All Answers (39) This is a very difficult question but yes is posible to know the number of species described daily. Just to give you an example in the year 2016 science described around 18 000 new plant and animal species this is equivalent to 49 3 species per day.
How the new individual of a species is formed from existing one of same species?
(i) New individual of a species is formed from the existing one of the same species by the process of reproduction .
Is the formation of a new species from an existing species and can occur in two phases?
speciation the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution. Speciation involves the splitting of a single evolutionary lineage into two or more genetically independent lineages. Speciation and biological diversity in Galapagos Islands ecosystems.
Which is the most accepted theory of origin of life?
One of the most widely accepted theories for the origin of life is the one proposed by Haldane and Oparin. In their theory the first life formed from a “primordial soup” of organic molecules with the help of sunlight. During that time frame the conditions on earth were quite different from today.
How new plant species are formed?
What do members of a species exhibit?
Species and the Ability to Reproduce. A species is a group of individual organisms that interbreed and produce fertile viable offspring. … Members of the same species share both external and internal characteristics which develop from their DNA.
What are fossils What do they tell us about the process of evolution?
The preserved remains of animals or plants or other organisms from the distant past are called fossils. These fossils tell us about many extinct animals and also give insights into how the evolution could have taken place.
Will geographical isolation be a major?
No geographical isolation will not be the major factor in the speciation of asexually reproducing organisms. … They pass on the parent DNA to the offspring which leaves no chance of speciation.
Do Humans come from monkeys?
Formation of New Species by Speciation | Evolution | Biology | FuseSchool
Speciation Processes | How do new species arise? | https://www.microblife.in/how-do-new-species-arise/ |
Two sister species of butterflies, Heliconius melpomene and Heliconius cydno, each mimic a different model species. While these species are largely sympatric, there are some areas in which H. melpomene occurs alone (i.e., allopatric to H. cydno). Mating studies show that H. melpomene females from these allopatric populations are more responsive to courtship by H. cydno males than are H. melpomene females from sympatry. What mechanism could explain this stronger behavioural isolation in sympatric compared to allopatric H. melpomene populations?
a) trait-based reproductive barriers
b) reinforcement
c) ecological speciation
d) prezygotic isolation
e) behavioural isolation
In allopatric speciation, groups become reproductively isolated and diverge due to a geographical barrier. In sympatric speciation, reproductive isolation and divergence occur without geographical barriers—for example, by polyploidy. | https://www.assignmentexpert.com/homework-answers/biology/cell-biology/question-265372 |
Cargivers need care, too
National Family Caregiver Month is celebrated each year in November.
What better month could we express our gratitude for the over 65 million family caregivers who provide countless hours of care to their loved ones?
When we speak of family caregivers, we are speaking of a significant percentage of the country’s population. Caregivers often provide complex medical care, keep commitments of working a full-time job, and maintain relationships with other family members while providing excellent care for their loved ones.
Caregivers often sacrifice their own physical, financial and emotional well-being. They dedicate themselves to helping others without expecting recognition or thanks, but that makes them all the more deserving of both. Caregivers are the unsung heroes of our nation.
Our agency would like to thank all family caregivers for the selfless acts you do each day. We encourage you to make caregiving for yourself a priority as a caregiver. Don’t neglect to take care of you. Follow the 10 steps below to nurture yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually every day. When you take care of yourself, you can care for your loved one even better.
1. Eat well-balanced meals — drink six to eight glasses of water a day.
2. Exercise every day — move your body daily, even if it is simply just 15 minutes of stretching, yoga or walking. Use the stairs if possible to keep your circulation going.
3. Go outdoors — fresh air renews the body and spirit. When possible, open a window.
4. Make sure you rest — strive for a minimum of seven to eight hours of consecutive sleep in a 24-hour period. Nap when your loved one naps.
5. Treat yourself — seek treatments for your own aches and pains before they turn into something more serious.
6. Don’t ignore your emotions — pay attention to your own feelings and emotions, and seek counseling if needed. Vent feelings to trusted friends or family members.
7. Take time for yourself — use relaxation or stress management methods such as meditation, visualization and yoga. Books and videos are available to guide you in these techniques.
8. Read, pray or meditate — for at least 15 minutes a day.
9. Chuckle more often — laugh, reminisce and share stories of happy times.
10. Ask for help — friends, family and religious groups may be eager to assist and are only waiting to be asked and directed.
For more information about caregiver support services and programs through the Area Agency on Aging District 7, please call us at 1-800-582-7277 or e-mail [email protected]. We are ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have and help you find resources in your community to help you in your caregiving role.
Pamela K. Matura is the executive director of the Area Agency on Aging District 7. | https://www.irontontribune.com/2014/11/25/cargivers-need-care-too/ |
Your family and friends can be a source of comfort and support as they help you navigate the ups and downs of life. When those relationships are strained by conflict, your physical and mental health can be negatively impacted. Fortunately, with the support of therapy, you and your loved ones can begin to understand and support each other in healthier ways.
Conflicts with family and friends are typically born out of misunderstandings and differing beliefs. If disagreements are not healthily resolved, it can lead to more arguments, underlying tension, resentment, and toxicity. Often, our families and friends are the cornerstones of who we are, from our values and beliefs to our social and economic support systems.
However, when conflicts arise in these relationships, that source of comfort can quickly turn into a source of emotional and physical pain. If you and or your loved ones lack the knowledge and skills to have an open dialogue with each other when issues arise, small issues begin to feel big – and big issues feel insurmountable.
Some common signs of relationship issues include:
Your mental and physical health are deeply interconnected to the important relationships in your life. As noted in an article from the Pew Research Center, three in ten, or 28%, of American adults feel loneliness and isolation due to dissatisfaction with their family life. When you have unresolved conflict in your relationships, it can impact multiple aspects of your life. This conflict can influence the way you feel about yourself and others. You may also have negative physical responses to those stressors.
Research shows that conflict and lack of clear and healthy communication skills in relationships have a profound impact on our choices and functioning. According to an article from Youth, 90% of runaway youth in shelters and 75.5% of youth in residential programs say they ran away because of longstanding family issues.
As human connection is a fundamental part of our existence, the stress induced by relationship conflicts triggers a primal fear of loss. Moreover, long-term relationship conflict can make you feel misunderstood, unloved, and unsafe in the relationships that play a significant role in your life.
Conflict can create stressed-induced physical and mental health risk factors, including:
Conflict in relationships is not inherently bad. After all, it’s neither possible nor healthy to remain harmonious at all times. When different personalities come together, it is unlikely that everyone will agree with every decision or opinion. However, relationship conflicts should not create a long-term disruption to your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. As noted in an article from the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, stressful conflict in social relationships without good coping and communication skills can contribute to poor health habits over a lifetime.
When you seek support for your relationship conflicts, it can help you and your loved ones create stronger boundaries and form healthier, deeper connections with each other. With support, you can alleviate stress, learn healthier coping strategies, and build communication skills to improve your interpersonal relationships. Moreover, the support of a therapist or care counselor can help you find more meaning and fulfillment in your relationships.
While temporary conflict and stress in relationships are not uncommon, experiencing prolonged periods of stress due to those conflicts can be harmful to your health. The symptoms of relationship conflict can contribute to excessive stress, loneliness, social isolation, and other health issues.
Some symptoms of relationship conflicts may include:
At Mindfuli, we can provide emotional and social support to help you and your loved ones build healthier bonds with each other. With our virtual platform, we can provide flexible real-time video and chat-based features, so you and your loved ones can receive the support you deserve from the comfort of your homes. Our licensed therapists and care counselors are trained to help you navigate those conflicts to build healthier relationships based on strong interpersonal communication skills and emotional fulfillment.
Moreover, we offer a wide range of evidence-based support services to help you start rebuilding those connections with each other.
Some of the services we offer at Mindfuli include:
To learn more about how relationship-based therapy can support you and your loved one, visit our Relationships/Family page.
If you feel like you are experiencing heightened symptoms of stress, loneliness, and isolation due to relationship conflicts, you deserve support. Seeking support can help you and your loved one process your feelings and build deeper connections with each other. Relationship conflicts and strain can make daily life feel overwhelming, depressing, and agitating. Pursuing treatment and support can help you and your loved ones understand each other, support each other better, and find joy in being in each other’s lives. At Mindfuli, we believe the therapeutic alliance between you and your care team can support your long-term wellness.
To learn more about Mindfuli and our care team, visit the Our Team page.
Relationship conflicts can add more stress to your social interactions and daily life, but with support, you can start building healthier connections with your loved ones. Our virtual real-time video and chat-based features at Mindfuli can help you get the social and emotional support you need. Call (888) 703-3004 to learn more.
Email VOB to [email protected]
Include the following: | https://mindfuli.com/relationships-family-info/ |
Many people believe that mental health issues are rare or that they “happen to someone else.” In fact, mental illnesses are common and widespread. An estimated 54 million Americans suffer from some form of mental disorder in a given year.
Most families are not prepared to cope with learning their loved one has a mental illness or is experiencing mental distress. It can be physically and emotionally trying for everyone. It can also make us feel vulnerable to the opinions and judgments of others.
What is Mental Illness or a Mental Health Challenge?
A mental illness or mental health challenge is something that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting in an inability to successfully cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines.
There are more than 200 classified forms of mental disturbances. Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal. There are also less severe but equally challenging issues, particularly in children, which result in behavioral challenges that are rooted how the child mentally processes what is occurring in his or her world.
Mental Illnesses are Physical, Emotional and Psychological
Mental health problems may be related to excessive stress due to a particular situation or series of events. As with cancer, diabetes and heart disease, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological. Mental illnesses may be caused by a reaction to environmental stresses, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these. With proper care and treatment, individuals can learn to manage a mental illness or mental health challenge and in many cases, recover.
How to Cope Day-To-Day
Accepting Your Feelings
Despite the different symptoms and types of mental illnesses or challenges, many families who share similar experiences when a loved one is struggling. You may find yourself denying the warning signs, worrying what other people will think because of the stigma of mental health concerns, or wondering what caused your loved one to have these symptoms.
Accept that these feelings are normal and common among families going through similar situations. Find out all you can about your loved one’s condition by reading and talking with mental health professionals. Share what you have learned with others.
Handling Unusual Behavior
The outward signs of a mental health challenge are often behavioral. A person may be extremely quiet or withdrawn, or they may burst into tears, have great anxiety or have outbursts of anger.
Even after counseling or other treatment has started, some individuals with a mental health challenge can exhibit anti-social behaviors. When in public, these behaviors can be disruptive and difficult to accept. The next time you and your family member visit your doctor or mental health professional, discuss these behaviors and develop a strategy for coping.
Your family member’s behavior may be as dismaying to them as it is to you. Ask questions, listen with an open mind and be there to support them.
Establishing a Support Network
Whenever possible, seek support from friends and family members. If you feel you cannot discuss your situation with friends or other family members, find a self-help or support group. These groups provide an opportunity for you to talk to other people who are experiencing the same type of situation. They can listen and offer valuable advice.
Seeking Counseling
Therapy can be beneficial for both the individual with mental health challenge and for other family members. A mental health professional can suggest ways to cope and better understand your loved one’s symptoms and condition.
When looking for a therapist, be patient and talk to a few professionals so you can choose the person that is right for you and your family. It may take time until you are comfortable, but in the long run you will be glad you sought help.
Taking Time Out
It is common for the person with the mental illness to become the focus of family life. When this happens, other members of the family may feel ignored or resentful. Some may find it difficult to pursue their own interests.
If you are the caregiver, you need some time for yourself. Schedule time away to prevent becoming frustrated or angry. If you schedule time for yourself, it will help you to keep things in perspective and you may have more patience and compassion for coping or helping your loved one. Being physically and emotionally healthy helps you to help others.
Many families who have a loved one with mental health challenge or illness share similar experiences. It is important to remember that there is hope for recovery and that with treatment many people return to a productive and fulfilling life.
We Hear You and We’re Here to Help
For more than 80 years, Child Guidance & Family Solutions has been a nationally recognized behavioral health provider for Northeast Ohio children, teens, adults and families. Our team includes more than 150 therapists, psychiatrists and allied health professionals who are committed to the mental health of our community, its families and its children. If you or someone you care about needs help, contact us. We’re here to help.
Find the Service or Program for You
Not sure where to begin? Our easy-to-use tool will help guide the way. | https://www.cgfs.org/knowledge-hub/living-with-mental-health-challenges/ |
When a family member becomes ill, we begin to modify our life to care for them. We make multiple changes regarding our three health factors. And like that we begin to forget what actually matters; which is our health. Our health is not about maintaining a healthy BMI. It’s about making sure you are emotionally and mentally stable to carry the title of a caretaker. In fact, the sacrifices we often make, are not about making changing our life to accommodate our loved one. It is important to take into account the following three health factors: 1. Mental/Emotional, 2. Finance and 3. Physical.
Financial Health Factor
Before making any sudden changes, it is important to see how are your finances. Although, some family members prefer their loved one to be cared for at home. Some are not aware of the financial assistance that are available to make these accommodations. Some of the financial aid are, Medicaid Managed Long Term Services and Support (MLTSS); which provides financial support for in home health care, assisted living, adult foster care home, etc. and the Personal Preference Program (PPP); which provides monthly budgeting for those who qualify for Personal Care Assistant services. In addition to these services, NJ also offers New Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving, Statewide Respite Care Program, among others. These services are important to research because it helps to alleviate financial burden.
Mental and Emotional Health Factor
The second health factor are the changes in your mental and emotional health. Families caring for their loved undergo stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health effects. According to a study conduct by Richard Schulz, PhD and Paula R. Sherwood, PhD, RN, CNRN found that these health effects increase depending on the loved ones impairment. Early signs of mental and emotional decline are: eating or sleeping too much or too little; having low or no energy; feeling helpless, yelling or fighting with family and friends, among others which can be found in the U.S Department of Health & Human Services website.
Maintaining a good mental and emotional health is important. It allows you to better care for your loved ones, and promotes meaningful contributions in those areas that are important to you. Some ways to cope and maintain a positive mental health is by setting a time to make sure you eat and receive enough rest, as well as finding coping outlets such as writing, finding ways to unwind through reading, music, writing, etc.
Physical Health Factor
The last factor to keep in mind is your physical health. As previously mentioned, emotional and mental health causes a great impact on how you care for your loved one, but it also affects your health. Most of the ailments that many family caregivers experience are due to stress many experience with so many changes and little support. According to the American Psychological Association, prolonged stress contributes to an array of pain and discomfort in different parts of your body such as indigestion, bloating, nausea, acid reflux, chronic fatigue, etc. These ailments can be treated with your provider but it is best find ways to alleviate these symptoms for the overall betterment of your health.
Positive Health Factors
Taking care of your loved ones does not have to impact you negatively. There are resources and programs that can help you reduce your worries that will reduce the impact on your three health factors. Taking care of a loved one requires a lot of work and dedication. It is important to know when to devote time to ensure your well-being is taken care of. Because of these needs, we know Home Health Aides are important, not just for the patient but for their family members as well.
At E&S Home Care Solutions we accept a variety of organizations, affiliations, and insurance companies in our network to assist with the pressure of cost. Our Home Health Aides are available to care for your loved one half of the day or 24/7. We seek to accommodate to your preference and availability. Because of this our services are affordable compared to senior home. What is important for us, is to ensure you are able to entrust us with your loved ones. Schedule a FREE virtual consultation to learn more. | https://eshcs.com/2021/01/22/three-health-factors-in-family-care/ |
Many people choose caregiving as an occupation for professional reasons. They’re aware of the job’s challenges and get many years of education and training to make sure they’re fit for the job. And they get financial rewards for providing caregiving service.
But things are different when it comes to family caregiving.
Most family caregivers have to be there for their loved ones without formal healthcare education and training. These caregivers usually find themselves in situations where they are generally unprepared to provide full-time care to a family member or a friend who needs support. They step up to the responsibilities anyway.
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, 29% of all US adults are caregivers for their relatives in one way or another. These individuals provide service without any financial compensation and even forget to care for their own selves.
Why do family caregivers need self-care
Family caregiving comes with a lot of challenges, and many caregivers end up compromising their own physical, mental, and emotional health to provide care for their loved ones. They often forget that it is vital for them to care for themselves, to be able to provide better care for the care recipients.
Let’s take a look at the hardships family caregivers face and how they can care for themselves.
- Loss of time and resources: Family caregiving can end up being costly in terms of time and money for the caregiver. Many caregivers end up losing a lot of income over their lifetime because they’re occupied supporting a loved one instead of focusing on their careers. You may even be financially more burdened if the care recipient is in a weak financial position to pay for their own expenses.
- Strain on physical and mental health: From living a normal life to suddenly being responsible for someone is undoubtedly challenging. Providing 24/7 care is physically and mentally demanding. As a caregiver, you put your loved one’s needs above your own and forget to care for yourself. It can be draining, stressful, and exhaustive. In the long-run, it can take a toll on your physical and mental health.
- Sleep deprivation and depression: It is common for family caregivers to spend the time meant for sleep to care for their loved ones. Sleeplessness and continuously changing sleep cycles can deteriorate their health. The lack of self-care can put them at a high risk of depression.
How to care for yourself as a family caregiver
It is imperative to understand that providing proper care to your loved one is only possible if you care for yourself in the first place. This may seem like selfishness, but it is crucial for you and the care recipient in the long-run.
Here’re some self-care tips for family caregivers.
- Take time out for yourself: It doesn’t have to be a month-long vacation, but planning out your day and giving yourself a little bit of downtime where you can do something to relax is essential. Your mind and body need to recuperate, which is good for your health and can help you provide quality care.
- Don’t isolate yourself: It’s easy to forget yourself and live entirely for someone dependent on you. Caregiving is a rewarding experience, but if it becomes the primary goal of your life, you may lose yourself entirely. You may feel lonely, helpless, and depressed at times. To avoid such situations, be sure to spend time on your hobbies and socializing with your friends.
- Seek help: As a caregiver, you know your responsibilities often overwhelm your energy, so much so that you end up feeling hopeless, emotionally drained, lonely, and desperate. Remember that not talking about your problems can bottle up your feelings, which can be far more dangerous because it can lead you to resent yourself and the care recipient. Getting timely help can save you from severe emotional and mental health issues.
It’s essential to be mindful and know when things start to get too much to handle during your caregiving journey. Talking to someone who relates can help you work through your hardships very quickly. Sometimes all one needs is someone who listens. Discussing your difficulties and challenges with your family members and friends can help you cope with the circumstances.
It is also a good idea to seek help from online support groups for family caregivers. One of the leading platforms that provide support for caregivers is ExtendaTouch. This online helpline connects family caregivers so that they can help each other by providing emotional support and sharing helpful information and advice. | https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/self-care-guide-for-family-caregivers/ |
If you’ve been diagnosed with HIV, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to tell your loved ones. At first, you may not know how much you want to share, what to tell people, or even if you want anyone to know about your illness. Take a deep breath and give yourself time to think about your situation and develop a strategy. Though this news is difficult for you and your loved ones, getting the right HIV support in the months to come may be a very positive part of your HIV treatment.
"First of all, I tell people they have to be comfortable with their diagnosis before they can share it with someone else because you don't know what kind of a response you'll be getting from your loved ones," says Kristin Englund, MD, associate staff member in the department of infectious disease at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “It's a very challenging diagnosis, so you can't ever tell how loved ones are going to respond."
Choosing Your HIV Support Team
With the exception of your sexual partners and your health care providers, you can choose who to tell about your HIV, and you don't have to tell the majority of people you know, says Englund. The laws about whom you are required to tell vary from state to state.
If there are people you think will likely take the news poorly, you may decide that it's best not to tell them. With today's medications, the lifespan of someone undergoing HIV treatment can be several decades, says Englund. That can give you the flexibility not to tell certain people.
But you should tell someone. "At least make sure you have some support structure around you," advises Englund. Choose a trusted friend or relative who you can be open and honest with so that you can get the support you need while you're adjusting to your HIV symptoms as well as the changes that HIV treatment brings.
What and Where to Tell Loved Ones
Family members and loved ones will likely have "practical questions and concerns about transmission," says Englund, so you should be educated and prepared to answer such questions. You'll want to alleviate the fears and concerns of your loved ones, who will likely have questions about what HIV means for your health and whether they are at risk of contracting the illness from you. They may wonder about your HIV symptoms and how you’ll be affected from day to day, such as what you'll be able to do, what you may need help with, and how you'll be feeling.
“If you can't answer the questions your friends and family have, be prepared to give them a pamphlet or a Web site where they can go to and get information," suggests Englund. You should also be prepared for some friends or family members to ask you how you contracted HIV. Decide ahead of time how and if you want to respond to that question.
Dr. Englund recommends a one-on-one setting rather than facing many people at once. You might want to tell your loved ones in the comfort of your home, their home, or at a favorite restaurant. Englund says she gives her patients the option of role-playing in her office to help them practice telling their loved ones that they have HIV. She also offers to have the loved one come into the office so that she and the patient can explain the news of the diagnosis together, and she can help to field questions and provide accurate answers. Talk to your health care providers if you have questions or concerns or need help telling your family.
Getting Needed HIV Treatment
Even if you're not ready to tell your family that you have HIV, don’t delay seeking HIV treatment. "It's important to get started on treatment as soon as you and your provider have determined where you are in the course of the disease, and whether medication is appropriate," says Englund.
You also have to be prepared for the commitment that HIV treatment requires. "To make that kind of lifelong commitment, a patient has to be ready to enter into that journey," says Englund. So take time to assess the reality of your HIV, decide who you will tell, and set up your support system to help you stay strong and focused on your HIV treatment. | https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/living-well-with-hiv/discussing-hiv-with-family-and-friends/ |
relevant and informative.
Helpful Articles
Care for Halifax CaregiversPosted Jan 18, 2016
The stress that Halifax caregivers fee when caring for a loved one can come in many forms – mental, physical, emotional, career, financial, etc. and can take it’s toll on the caregiver. The extra burden of providing this care can result in anger, anxiety, denial, depression, dissatisfaction with life, exhaustion, guilt, irritability and stress-related physical symptoms (Sonnenburg, 2010).
Care giving can also affect your career, personal relationships, emotional/psychological health, family life and availability of personal time. Some suggestions to alleviate these stresses are to take breaks, eat and sleep well, and to bring any new or ongoing health issues up with your doctor. It is also important to know your limits and seek out resources in the community that can provide you with support. This support can include someone to alleviate your care duties as well as counseling or support groups specific to caregivers where you can discuss the difficult emotions you experience as a caregiver (Sonnenburg, 2010).
As our aging population continues to grow there is going to be a higher demand for Halifax caregivers and other care support in the community. It is important that caregivers take the time to look after their own health concerns so that they are able to continue to provide this much needed and valued care. | http://alwayshomecare.ca/Care_for_Halifax_Caregivers |
How to Support Someone with Mental Illness
1 in 5 of us lives with a mental illness.
This means every one of us has a family member or loved one affected by mental illness. Like any other health problem, someone with a mental illness needs all of your love and support.
Many people often ask, “How do I know when to help?” Some signs that a friend or family member may have a mental illness and could need your help are:
- They suddenly no longer have interest in things they used to enjoy
- They seem angry or sad for little or no reason
- They don’t seem to enjoy anything anymore
- They have told you about or seem to be hearing voices or having unsettling thoughts
- They seem emotionally numb, like they don’t feel anything anymore
- They eat a lot more or less than they used to
- Their sleep patterns have changed
- They seem to be anxious or terrified about situations or objects in life that seem normal to you and to others
- They’ve been missing more and more time from work or school
- They’ve been drinking heavily and/or using drugs to cope
- They are avoiding their close friends and family members.
- They are talking about taking their life or feeling hopeless
Support from family and friends is a key part of helping someone who is living with mental illness. This support provides a network of practical and emotional help. These networks can be made up of parents, children, siblings, spouses or partners, extended families, close friends, coworkers, coaches, teachers, and religious leaders.
Caring for anyone living with illness can be challenging. In order to best do so, here are a few tips to help you support someone living with mental illness.
- Learn about the illness and its signs and symptoms. Also, learn more about how treatments work so that you know what side effects and improvements you may see.
At the bottom of this article, find links to learn about more than 12 of the more common mental illnesses.
- Encourage treatment. Offer to help make those first appointments with a doctor to find out what’s wrong or accompany the person to the doctor-these first steps can be hard. If you do accompany the person, write down any notes or questions either of you have in advance so that you cover all the major points.
- Help set specific goals that are realistic and can be approached one step at a time.
- Don’t assume you know what the person needs. Ask how you can help. Listen carefully to the response.
- Provide emotional support. You can play an important role in helping someone who’s not feeling well feel less alone and ashamed. They are not to blame for their illness, but they may feel that they are. Help encourage hope.
Although ultimate responsibility lies with the person living with the illness, you can play an active role in your friend or loved one’s treatment.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals are increasingly recommending couple- and family-based treatment programs. Families and friends can be important advocates to help loved ones get through those hard, early stages of having a mental illness. They can help their loved one find out what treatment is best for them. They can also be key in letting professionals know what’s going on, filling in parts of the picture that the person who’s ill may not be well enough to describe on their own. This might also include helping a partner adhere to a treatment plan developed with the therapist to control anxiety responses in situations when the therapist is not present.
For someone with OCD, this plan might limit how often the patient may engage in a ritual. The partner helps discourage the patient from repeatedly performing the ritual and positively reinforces ritual-free periods of time.
When helping someone with their own recovery, it is important to remember that it is extremely important for you to take care of yourself and maintain your own support system. Having friends and family to confide in — as well as assist you when your loved one cannot — is vital. Don’t give up your own life and interests. Engage in your outside interests and hobbies for a break from the stresses of daily life. Make sure to set boundaries, decide what your limits are, and inform your friend or loved one. These might be emotional, financial, or physical.
Most importantly, seek professional help for yourself, if necessary. The recovery process can be stressful and your well-being is just as important as your friend or loved one.
Although they can be scary, it is important to remember that brain and behavior disorders are treatable. Individuals with these conditions can live full and healthy lives, especially if they seek treatment as needed. Now more than ever, it is important to reduce stigma and encourage people not to suffer in silence, but to seek help. Always remember that with help, there is hope.
- Written by Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. This blog post also appears on the Gravity Blankets Blog.
Click here for some Everyday Mental Health Tips.
Learn about: | https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/how-support-someone-mental-illness |
Loss is a difficult thing for anyone to experience. If you’ve recently lost a loved one, knowing how to cope and what to do next can be hard. Caring for a dying loved one is a unique challenge, but there are ways to make the process easier for both you and your loved one. Here are some tips on how to care for a dying loved one.
Make a Plan
The first step is to make a plan. You’ll need to decide who will be responsible for which tasks, from medical appointments and medications to financial matters and end-of-life arrangements. It is important to have these conversations early on so that everyone is on the same page and no one feels overwhelmed. Here are some other things to consider as you make your plan:
- How will you communicate with other family members and friends?
- Who will be the primary caregiver?
- What are your loved one’s wishes regarding end-of-life care?
- What kind of support do you need?
Build a Support System
It’s important to have a support system in place when caring for a dying loved one. This could be friends, family, or even professional counselors. These people can offer emotional support and practical help when needed. They can also give you a break from caregiving duties so that you can take some time for yourself.
You might also consider joining a support group for caregivers. These groups provide a space to share your experiences and connect with others who understand what you’re going through. Not only can this be helpful in the moment, but it can also give you a sense of community and connection.
Create a Safe and Comfortable Environment
When your loved one is nearing the end of their life, it’s important to create a safe and comfortable environment for them. This could mean ensuring they have everything they need within reach or helping them move to a more comfortable position. It’s also important that their surroundings are calm and free from noise and bright lights.
If possible, have family and friends visit during times when your loved one is more likely to be alert and responsive. No one wants to say goodbye, but it can be helpful to have these conversations while your loved one can still communicate.
Hire Professional Help
Depending on your loved one’s needs, you might need to hire professional help. For example, you might want to hire a hospice nurse at home. These nurses are specially trained to care for terminally ill patients and can provide both physical and emotional support.
You might also consider hiring a home health aide to help with things like bathing, dressing, and meals. This can be a big help, especially if you’re working or caring for other family members.
Talk about Their Wishes
One of the most important things you can do when caring for a dying loved one is to talk about their wishes. This includes everything from medical care and end-of-life arrangements to funeral plans. It can be difficult to talk about these things, but it’s important to clearly understand what your loved one wants.
These conversations will likely be ongoing, and they might change over time. That’s why it’s important to check in regularly and ensure everyone is on the same page. No one wants to make these decisions alone, so make sure you involve other family members and close friends in the process.
Be Patient
Caring for a dying loved one can be frustrating, exhausting, and emotional. It’s important to be patient with yourself and your loved one during this time. Try to take things one day at a time and remember that there will be good days and bad days. Seek out support from your loved ones and professionals when needed so that you don’t feel like you’re in this alone.
Also, prepare for the worst. No one wants to think about their loved one dying, but it’s important to be prepared for the worst. This means having a will in place and knowing your loved one’s end-of-life wishes. It might also mean setting up a power of attorney or advance directives.
Caring for a dying loved one is an incredibly difficult task. However, by making a plan, creating a support system, and being patient, you can make the process easier for you and your loved one. Remember to seek help when needed, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Soak up the good moments, and know that you’re doing everything possible! | https://www.themixseattle.com/care-for-dying-loved-one/ |
2. When should someone consult with a geriatric social worker? A person should consult with a geriatric social worker whenever there are physical or emotional needs, conflicts or resistance, or safety concerns that the individual or the family cannot resolve alone.
Gerontological social workers provide counseling and therapy to clients to help them cope with the psychological, emotional, social and financial challenges that come with aging. They also provide therapy and advise clients’ families and loved ones as necessary.
However, Social Services do have a duty of care and so they have to assess your needs as an older adult, and ensure any services that are required are in place. If you’re wondering can social services force someone into a care home the answer is only if your care needs are not being met in your home.
How Do Social Workers Help the Elderly?
10 Social Programs for the Elderly/Senior Population
When you can no longer care for elderly parents, a home care company can help. Professional caregivers can relieve the stress of family caregiving and begin supporting aging parents at home. Elder care management considers your loved one’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
Elderly support services include:
Social workers aim to improve people’s lives by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties, promoting human rights and wellbeing. Social workers protect children and adults with support needs from harm.
The four major old age problems include:
The basic needs include financial security, personal security and safety, health care and health challenges, mental health, and self-actualization. This paper aims to identify what basic needs need to be met for the elderly to experience healthy ageing, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Here are just a few suggestions: | https://agefriendlyinnovators.org/elderly/readers-ask-elderly-when-to-call-a-social-worker.html |
We’re in the heart of National Recovery Month, a time to honor and support those in recovery from substance abuse or other disorders. If one of your loved ones has made the decision to begin a treatment program and seek help from mental health therapist, they will need your support. The support of family and friends plays a huge role in addiction recovery, but it can be difficult to know how to help. Here are some tips for being a good friend, family member or partner to someone in recovery:
- Ask questions about how they’re doing, but don’t interrogate. You want your loved one to feel as if they can open up to you, no matter what.
- Invite them out for activities that will not make them want to drink or use. Go hiking, see a movie, go shopping or have coffee together. Make exercise dates. You will both benefit!
- Try to reduce the stress in your lives. Recovering alcoholics and drug users may be extra susceptible to stress, and stress is unhealthy for everyone. If you’re having family conflicts, health worries or financial concerns, seek out stress management tips and consider calling a counseling center.
Remember, while it is important to support your loved one during this challenging time, it’s also essential to take good care of yourself. Contact Dr. Lawrence if you are looking for a Orange County psychiatrist to learn more about what you can do to support those in recovery. | http://drlawrencetucker.com/support-someone-recovery/ |
Recovery, mental health and loss: Addressing difficult issues at the holidays
The holidays can be a happy time for many people, bringing opportunities to see family and friends and celebrate with loved ones.
That said, this time of year can also prove difficult, especially for those struggling with substance use, eating disorders, depression, and other behavioral health diagnoses.
Disruption to routine and added stress can exacerbate challenges in recovery, increase feelings of anxiety or depression, or contribute to feelings of grief for those who are estranged from loved ones.
If you as an individual are struggling during the holidays, it is important to remember that there are several ways you can support yourself and build a healthy environment for celebration.
1. Know your triggers. For those in recovery, it can be helpful to identify triggers that are unique to the holiday season. Speak privately with a party’s host or a trusted family member to ensure there are non-alcoholic drinks available at gatherings, or be mindful of regrouping with longtime friends who may not support your journey of recovery. If stress is a trigger, practice a coping mechanism to seek relief in another way. Regular exercise, mindful breathing, or even a quick walk around the block can provide a needed reset.
2. Create a plan. Anticipate challenges you may encounter, and be prepared with a plan. This might be as simple as planning a break from holiday festivities for an afternoon of self-care. If you are grieving the death of a loved one, take time to schedule a coffee date or planned check-in with a friend — even attending a support group — to address feelings of loneliness. If a family member is vocal on political issues every holiday gathering and it leads the conversation into a meltdown, remember that you have the choice to remove yourself before it turns ugly, or have a response planned. You also can simply not participate if you know it might cause feelings of stress or anxiety.
3. Forget perfection. Eliminate some of the pressures that come with holiday expectations, whether through redefining long-held traditions, or simply by accepting setbacks as they come. The holidays don’t have to look a certain way. Rather, they are a time to celebrate what you have, even if it is simply a smile for others. Remember what matters most, and keep a sense of humor for the challenges that arise.
4. Rely on support. One of the most important things you can do for yourself this holiday season is to remember that you are not alone. You may have family or friends who can help out if you are feeling isolated, or having difficult feelings. There are also many support groups where you will be welcomed as well.
More:The Santa diet
More:Donations to Christmas Emergency Fund benefit Not One More
More:Caregivers must care for themselves, too, during the holidays
If it is a loved one who is in recovery or experiencing the holiday blues, there are many ways in which family members and friends can provide support.
Sometimes, it can be as simple as starting a conversation. Rather than waiting for the “perfect moment” or feeling as if you need the perfect thing to say, simply begin. By creating space for them to share their feelings without needing to “fix” things, we can show our support without judgment. Sometimes just saying “I don’t know what to say but I am here for you” is all a person needs to hear in order to feel supported.
For those who are grieving a death or the loss of a loved one, consider scheduling time together or extending a concrete offer of help — for example, purchasing a Christmas tree and decorating it together, or shoveling the walk after the season’s first snow.
If you knew the deceased well, it can be equally powerful to share a memory and simply acknowledge that individual’s life and loss.
Above all, treat loved ones with compassion and empathy. Approaching the holidays with the understanding that these months are not always “the most wonderful time of the year” is the first step in creating a supportive environment for everyone.
Kimberly Shalenko MA, LPC, is the Drug & Alcohol Outpatient Manager for TrueNorth Wellness Services, a behavioral health and wellness nonprofit serving southcentral Pennsylvania. | https://www.ydr.com/story/life/wellness/blogs/no-sweat-york/2017/12/14/recovery-mental-health-and-loss-addressing-difficult-issues-holidays/953541001/ |
Parenting can be rewarding but also very stressful, and Parenting NI recommends that parents take regular time to look after themselves; self care. The Coronavirus crisis has made this advice more relevant than ever. It has been well established that the pandemic has had a negative effect on the mental health of millions of families under lockdown. The U.N warned of a ‘global mental health crisis’ as a result of the impacts of the virus.
Mental Health
It is important for everyone to look after their emotional and mental health and well being, but as a parent this can sometimes feel extra challenging. Managing parenthood, particularly combined with home-schooling and working from home can leave little time for self-care. However, a parent’s mental health has a direct impact on their children. Parental mental ill health is linked to a number of negative outcomes in children later in life. This is not to say parents should feel guilty or ashamed if they need support for their mental health. Instead, parents should recognise that taking time to support their own mental health is good parenting. You are supporting your children by supporting yourself.
This article will give advice on how parents can take time to manage their own stress and mental health even during particularly challenging times, such as what we have been experiencing in lockdown.
Communication
Firstly, talking; this is such an important and often overlooked aspect of self-care. Talking about your feelings can help to regulate your emotions and process stressful situations. Talking to someone can help you to feel less isolated. Talking to a trusted adult, like a partner or close friend is a good way to deal with stressful situations. Be aware, however, that some mental health issues will require a professional to help you. Do not be afraid to seek that sort of help if you need it.
Talking to your children is important too. It is highly likely that even young children will have picked up on mood changes or other signs that you may be struggling emotionally. Talking to them about how you are doing – in an age appropriate way – can help to alleviate their fears, feelings of self-blame and guilt. An added bonus of doing this is that it encourages your children to talk to you if they are feeling down. Open communication allows families to support each other.
Exercise
Another key aspect of self-care is physical activity. Moving your body releases endorphins, helps you to sleep better and makes you feel energised. Even if you are unable to get outside to exercise, looking up a short video online and doing a mini-workout can help to improve mood. Even better if you can do this with your children – why not enjoy a mini yoga session together or if you can get outside a game of rounders perhaps!
Exercise can be something done with the family in a fun way. If you are able to play outdoors with your children, or go for walks everyone will really benefit. However, if you find that you need time alone to de-stress, consider leaving children with your partner or if they are old enough, at home. If this is not possible in your family, you can always exercise after the children go to sleep or while they work on school work. It is normal to need time alone for self-care for many people.
Switch off
Social media can be a great tool to keep in contact with friends and family. However, it is also a major source of stress for many parents. An important form of self-care, particularly for parents with anxiety, is to limit consumption of news and social media. An over abundance of information, as well as untrue or misleading stories can increase your anxiety and stress. So take time to step away from the TV or your device that you use the most.
Instead, seek out information on a more limited basis and only from reliable news outlets that you trust. Rest assured, you will not miss anything important by not refreshing your Facebook or Twitter timelines every ten minutes.
Be Kind to Yourself
Finally, the most important tip for parents struggling with self-care is to go easy on yourself. Almost every family in the world is struggling to adapt to this new and unwanted change in routine. If you are doing your best, it is very likely that it is enough. Do not judge your own competency by what you hear about others, and simply do what you can to get through this.
If you find that you are struggling, reach out for help. Many community and voluntary sector organisations are acutely aware that people are in need of support. Some of these people have never felt they needed support before, while others have found an already difficult situation has changed into something unmanageable. There is no need to suffer in silence – reach out for support if you need to.
Parenting NI continues to provide help and advice for parents, so contact our free, support line: 0808 8010 722 to talk through your concerns and find out about what might be available to you. | https://www.parentingni.org/tag/kindness/ |
GIVING in to stress and anxiety will wreak havoc on your physical and mental health – so try to stay positive.
The Covid-19 outbreak has been stressful for many people. Anxiety and fear about contracting the disease has been overwhelming and many have understandably become rather emotional about it.
Learning how to effectively cope with the stress of the current situation will not only help you maintain some semblance of normalcy but also help the people you care about as well.
Stress during the Covid-19 outbreak could result in one or more of the following:
- Increased consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
- Worsening of chronic health problems.
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
- Changes in sleep and eating patterns.
- Fear and concern about your own wellbeing and the health of your loved ones.
What you can do to cope with anxiety and stress
- Stop watching, reading, or listening to news about Covid-19, including those circulating on social media.
- Spending too much time reading up about the pandemic can be upsetting.
- Take care of your physical health. Take deep breaths, exercise or meditate. Eat healthy, well-balanced meals, get sufficient rest and avoid consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
- Take time to unwind. Focus on doing activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others by talking to people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
- Share facts about Covid-19 and understand the real risk to yourself and your loved ones as this can make the situation less stressful.
- Spend time with your kids doing fun things – remember that they react in part to what is reflected from the adults around them.
For parents
Your children react in part to what is reflected from the adults around them. If you or your caregivers manage a situation calmly and confidently, you can provide the best support for your children.
Parents can be a lot more reassuring to those around them, especially kids if they are better prepared themselves. That being said, not all children respond to stress in the same manner. Some different changes to monitor include:
- Excessive crying or irritation.
- Returning to behaviours they have outgrown.
- Excessive worrying or sadness.
- Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits.
- Irritability and “acting out” particularly among teenagers.
- Below-average academic performance.
- Avoidance of daily activities enjoyed before the lockdown.
- Unexplained headaches or body pain.
- Consumption of alcohol or tobacco.
What you can do to ease the stress
- Always reassure your children that they are safe and that it’s normal to feel upset at times.-
- Talk to them about how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn from you.
- Reduce your family’s exposure to news coverage of the current events, including social media. Children can misinterpret what they see or hear and become frightened about things they do not fully understand.
- Try to maintain daily routines. Set a schedule for learning and fun activities. Most importantly, be a role model to your children. Take breaks, get sufficient rest, exercise and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members.
Try to maintain a daily routine that includes some work and some time out to pursue activities that relax you.
For people who have been through quarantine
Being in isolation can be stressful even if you do not get sick or test positive for Covid-19. However, everyone reacts differently when coming out of quarantine too. Some of the feelings may include:
- Having mixed emotions that include relief.
- Fear and concerns about your own health and the well-being of your loved ones.
- Stress from the experience of monitoring yourself or being monitored by others for signs and symptoms of Covid-19.
- Sadness, anger and frustration because people you know have unfounded fears of contracting the virus from you even though you have been given the all clear.
- Guilt about not being able to perform your normal activities or duties during the quarantine.
- Other emotional or mental health changes. | https://thenewsarawak.com/coping-with-stress-anxiety-during-the-quarantine/ |
The stress of caregiving can take a toll on your emotional wellbeing, whether you’re a part-time caregiver or provide home care for a parent with Alzheimer’s. While most caregivers begin by asking their friends and family for help, there often comes a point when more support is needed, or a person simply feels more comfortable talking to someone who is outside of their immediate social network. Fortunately, there are multiple places where you can turn to find emotional support that will ease your stress and enhance the care you provide to your elderly loved one.
Religious Organizations
During a time of crisis, many people turn to their church home to find support. While religious organizations can be an excellent resource, it is important for you to remember that others may not realize the stress that you are going through unless you reach out. Whether you need to speak to a member of the clergy or prefer to have your name added to the prayer list, consider letting someone know that you are in need of emotional support.
Online Forums
Sometimes, it can be helpful to have an outsider’s perspective that allows you to talk about difficult topics such as caregiver guilt. Online support groups abound on the Internet that include both local and long-distance options for support. Simply search for one that appeals to your situation and begin interacting with other caregivers.
Community Support Groups
In every community, there are usually one or more support groups that are related to senior care. Start by checking with your community’s local senior center or inquire at your loved one’s health care facility to find out if there is a support group for caregivers nearby. Then, make arrangements so that you can attend regular meetings either once a week or monthly.
Other Caregivers
Few people can understand the emotional challenges that come with providing long-term care to a loved one like another caregiver. If you have a professional caregiver who assists with your loved one, consider opening up to them about your struggles. You may also connect with another caregiver at a support group or even in a doctor’s waiting room. If you meet someone that you feel a connection with, ask to schedule a time when you can both talk freely. Sharing your feelings over a cup of hot coffee or tea can be very soothing.
Professional Counselors
If you find that your stress has become overwhelming, it may be time to seek professional assistance. Research professional counselors in your area who specialize in family counseling. Then, arrange for some caregiver respite care and schedule an appointment. By taking charge of your emotional health, you will ensure that your loved one receives the best care that you can provide.
With the right resources and support, meeting your senior loved one’s care needs will feel more manageable. If you need an ear to listen or a hand to help, turn to Home Care Assistance. We offer respite, hourly, and live-in care, as well as Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s home care in El Dorado County. Our caregivers are compassionate and expertly trained, our dedicated Care Managers are available 24/7, and all of our care services are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. For more information on how our care services can benefit both you and your loved one, give us a call at (916) 358-3801 or (530) 409-4411. | https://www.homecareassistanceeldoradoco.com/emotional-support-for-caregivers/ |
Concerns about our personal situations or those of our loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic can be extremely stressful. Add in the constant flow of news about COVID-19 and stress and anxiety can skyrocket, even for the most laid-back person.
During stressful times, it’s important to remember each one of us reacts differently depending on our background, personalities, communities and social connections — and that’s okay.
However, stress can be destructive as well as affect the immune system. Therefore, taking steps to reduce your stress in a healthy way is vital. To do this, you first need to recognize the signs of stress and anxiety, identify your concerns, find solutions to alleviate those concerns and know if you need additional assistance.
Challenges of Stress and Anxiety
The cognitive and emotional impact of COVID-19 can take a big toll on your mental health and the mental health of your loved ones. That’s why it is important to know the signs of stress and anxiety.
Stress and anxiety symptoms in adults can include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Low motivation
- Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns
- Worsening of chronic health problems
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs
- New or worsening symptoms for people with pre-existing mental health conditions
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Tension, upset stomach, jitters
- Compulsive behaviors, such as obsessively checking the latest COVID-19 news
- Anger or frustration
- Feelings of distress or sadness
- Being withdrawn
When it comes to stress and anxiety in children, not all children and teens respond the same way. Signs can vary and include:
- Fear
- Confusion
- Excessive crying or irritation (especially in younger children)
- Regression with outgrown behaviors (such as bedwetting)
- Excessive worry or sadness
- Unhealthy eating habits
- Poor sleep habits
- Irritability and acting out
- Poor school performance or school avoidance
- Attention issues
- Poor concentration
- Avoiding enjoyed activities
- Headaches or body pain
- Use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs (in teens)
Solutions
The current situation is inherently and undeniable stressful for everyone. The following are methods to help you manage your COVID-19 stress and anxiety:
- Prepare. Preparing for a range of possible scenarios and having adequate supplies can help you feel calmer. Determine how you will handle situations in advance. Decide how you will get help if needed with such tasks as food delivery, transportation, and medical care. However, remember to keep things in perspective. Use credible sources, like WHO and the CDC to better understand what actions you should take.
- Manage your expectations. Be realistic with goals, for both ourselves and others. It is unrealistic to expect everyone to suddenly become exceedingly productive because activities and commutes have been eliminated. Go easy on yourself and others. Adapting to new situations takes time.
- Understand what makes you feel safe. Feeling a sense of safety is different for everyone, which is okay. Don’t compare yourself to others and what they feel is safe. A quick grocery trip may feel safe for your neighbor but you may only feel safe with grocery delivery.
- Daily routines. Whether you are able to keep your daily routines or need to create new ones to accommodate changes in your day, routines are valuable. They are important ways to maintain stability during our unstable times.
- Establish work boundaries. One of the most important things you can do when working from home is to set clear boundaries. Explain the rules to those in your home about what they can and cannot do during your work time and set up consistent work hours. When the workday is over, leave work at the office and turn off your computer or put it to sleep.
- Make health a priority. Get exercise, stretch, meditate, practice yoga, eat healthy, avoid alcohol and drugs and get plenty of sleep. Learn simple daily physical exercises to perform at home to maintain mobility and reduce boredom.
- Get outside. Sit outside for a while and get some fresh air and vitamin D. Take a walk. Exercise and sunshine both help with mental health.
- Take information breaks. Set boundaries and take time outs from scanning social media and watching, reading, or listening to news stories. When seeking information updates, schedule when you will view updates and then avoid looking for information outside of those times.
- Relax. Take time to do activities you enjoy, such as video games or crafts.
- Stay social. Despite social distancing and stay-at-home orders, it is especially important to connect with others during this time. Call, text, email or video chat with friends and family. Talk to trusted friends about what you are feeling. Keeping up with connections outside of your home are vital for your mental health.
- Avoid rumors. There are a lot of rumors and speculation in the media and on social media around COVID-19 that can heighten stress and anxiety. To deter these effects, only seek information from trusted sources, such as WHO and the CDC.
- Determine what you can control. Focus on what you can do, such as washing your hands and taking your vitamins. Realize what you cannot control and let it go. It’s important to remember you can only control yourself.
- Accept. By recognizing, acknowledging, and accepting the reality of the situation, you can better handle what arises.
- Be mindful. When you find yourself worrying about something that hasn’t happened, gently bring yourself back to the present moment. Mindfulness is a helpful way to reduce stress. To ground yourself in the present moment, sit quietly and focus on your breathing and senses. There are numerous resources available on the Internet to help you if you need assistance with mindfulness and meditation techniques.
- Be compassionate. Despite the stress of the situation, instead of reacting instinctively, take a quick moment before reacting and take a deep breath. In that breath, you will find it easier to practice compassion when you are pushed to your limits. Remember, compassion isn’t just for others but for yourself as well.
- Self-care. It’s easy to ignore your own needs during stressful situations. However, you can help others better when you take care of yourself first. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in healthy activities and pursuits that bring you joy and help you rest and relax.
- Continue treatment. If you or a loved one has a pre-existing health or mental health condition, it is important treatment plans continue. In addition, you should also keep an eye out for any new or worsening symptoms. If those occur, contact your health or mental health professional.
- Shift negativity. By shifting the way you think and speak, you can reduce the stress associated with negative talk. Instead of saying, “I’m having a hard time” switch it to “I am having a hard time, but I will get through it.”
- Get busy. When you find yourself with a lot of time on your hands, it’s helpful to get busy. Get organized, start a new hobby or clean out the garage. Being productive helps you achieve a sense of accomplishment and allows you less time to focus on the negative.
- Remain hopeful. Keep a broader view of the situation and look at it long-term. Be grateful for what you have right now and take satisfaction in your accomplishments, even small ones. Look to your spirituality and your personal beliefs and values.
During stressful times, children often become more attached and demanding of parents. The following methods are recommended to help children and teens with the stress and anxiety from COVID-19:
- Talk to your children. Take time to talk to your children and teens about the COVID-19 outbreak. Make sure your explanations are clear, helpful, honest and age-appropriate.
- Listen. Let your children talk and ask questions about COVID-19. Fill them in on correct information to reduce their worries. Share facts and answer questions in a way they can understand. Addressing their concerns together can help ease their anxiety.
- Provide accurate information. Figure out what your children know about COVID-19, and give them accurate information about how to reduce catching it. You may have to ask about specific concerns to make sure they have correct information.
- Focus on prevention. Keep the focus on prevention. Encourage and praise healthy hand-washing and other prevention measures, but avoid criticism and harsh correction if they are not perfect.
- Be calm and confident. Children use cues from adults to manager their emotions during stressful times. Children and teens react the way they see the adults around them react. When adults react to COVID-19 in a calm manner, children will do the same.
- Tell your child they are safe. Let them know it is okay if they feel upset. It may be helpful to share with them how you deal with your own stress. That way they can learn how to cope from you.
- Limit media and social media. Children may misunderstand what they hear and see and become scared. To reduce the chances of this, limit their COVID-19 media and social media exposure.
- Keep routines. Routines are important and comforting. Try to keep up your child’s regular routine or create new ones. Create a schedule for learning activities and one for fun activities. If it can be done safely, encourage your child to continue to play and socialize with others, even if only within the family or via video chat. Routines and safe socializing are just as important for teens. Encourage your teen to create routines that work for them.
- Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members. Children model what they see.
- Help your child express their emotions. Every child has their own way of expressing emotions. Help your child find positive ways to express their feelings, such as sadness and fear. Often, using a creative activity, such as playing or drawing, can help your child express their emotions.
- Keep children close. Children kept close to their parents and family often feel safer than those that are not. If you must separate from your child, make sure you have regular contact with your child, such as regular scheduled phone calls or video chats.
Know when to get help
If you or a loved one is struggling with stress and anxiety and it gets in the way of daily activities for several days, it may be time to get assistance. It is okay to reach out for support. You don’t have to go at it alone with worry and stress. For assistance, please visit UHD’s Employee Assistance Program (UTEAP), HealthSelect BlueCross BlueShield of Texas Mental Health or HealthSelect Virtual Mental Health Visits. | https://thehubdigest.com/2020/04/01/understanding-and-managing-covid-19-stress-in-adults-children/ |
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to many changes and difficulties in the world, increased anxiety and mental health challenges are on the rise. Fear of the unknown and uncertainty of what is still to come have left many people struggling with anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in their daily life.
Are you experiencing a higher level of stress and anxiety? It’s important to know you aren’t alone and that there are coping skills you can employ to navigate this time. Keep reading for the signs of increased anxiety and tips to help you cope in the healthiest way possible.
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxious feelings and fear related to COVID-19 are especially common among those with a higher risk of disease complications. However, even if you and your loved ones are not immunocompromised, daily media coverage and uncertainty about the future can lead to a wide range of anxiety symptoms, including:
- Excessive worrying and fearful feelings, such as a sense of dread
- Difficulty sleeping
- Increased fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Unusual irritability and tension that makes you feel on-edge most of the day
- Increased heart rate
- Hot flashes and sweating
- Uncontrollable trembling or shaking
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
While it is common to experience some level of anxiety due to the world’s events, seek help from a qualified counselor if your anxiety is interfering with your daily life.
How to Cope with Anxiety and Fear Related to COVID-19
It’s important to understand that while anxiety can feel overwhelming and like it will never go away, it doesn’t need to be a permanent part of your life. You can develop coping skills to manage your anxiety effectively.
Here are three coping skills you can employ to manage and even overcome anxiety symptoms during the pandemic and beyond:
Tip #1: Identify Your Anxiety Triggers and Avoid Them
Do you feel especially anxious after watching the news or reading news stories on social media? Consider limiting your intake of news stories or avoiding them altogether. You can ask friends and family to update you from time to time on current events, but giving your mind a break from the continual media intake may alleviate some of your symptoms.
Tip #2: Find a Trusted Friend to Share Your Struggles
Rather than suffering in secret, talking with someone else about what is causing your anxiety may help you process your thoughts and emotions. Sharing with a friend can make you feel better long after the conversation.
Tip #3: Shift Your Mind to a Happier Moment or Place
Your thoughts have tremendous power in your life, and you have the ability to shift your mind from a state of worry to a more peaceful and positive place, even amidst the stress and uncertainty of COVID-19. Try identifying your negative or fearful thoughts and replacing them with a positive thought, quote, or mantra.
Support and Counseling to Help You Manage Anxiety
The world may continue to live with COVID for months and even years, but compassionate counseling services are available to help you navigate these stressful times. You shouldn’t have to face continual worry, fear, or anxiety that impacts your daily life.
At Positive Living Psychotherapy, our experienced professional counselors are here to guide you. Connect with us online now, or call 770-552-0333 to schedule a session if you are living with increased anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic or other world events. | https://www.positivelivingpsychotherapy.com/tips-for-coping-with-increased-anxiety-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ |
Causes of Stress in Teens
We all have been there. We have all felt the strain of life and it can feel like one more step will break us. We feel like we’re alone and there’s no way out.
We are all susceptible to this at times and some more than others. Teenagers in particular have been known to have a tough time coping and understanding their feelings.
In this Blog post we will discuss Causes of stress in teens.
Changes in their bodies
The teenage years are a time of great change for the human body. Boys and girls alike experience a rapid growth in height and weight, as well as changes in their sexual maturity.
These changes can cause a great deal of stress in teenagers, who may feel self-conscious or uncomfortable in their own skin.
In addition to the physical changes that take place during adolescence, teenagers also experience a number of emotional and mental changes.
They may become moody or irritable, and may have difficulty concentrating or paying attention. These changes can also add to the stress that teenagers feel.
It is important for parents and other adults to be understanding and supportive of the changes that teenagers are going through. If teens feel that they can talk openly about the changes they are experiencing, it can help to reduce the stress they feel.
Problems with friends and/or peers at school
The teenage years are fraught with stress and anxiety, as teens navigate the social landscape of school and try to fit in with their peers.
For many teens, the pressure to conform to the expectations of friends and peers can be overwhelming, and the resulting stress can lead to serious problems.
Teens who are struggling to cope with the demands of school and their social lives may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope, or they may become withdrawn and depressed. In extreme cases, some teens may even contemplate suicide.
It is crucial that parents and guardians be aware of the signs of stress in teens and provide support and guidance to help them through this difficult time.
Death of a loved one
Death is a difficult topic for anyone to deal with, but it can be especially hard for teenagers. The death of a loved one can cause a lot of stress and anxiety in teens.
It can be hard for them to cope with the loss and they may feel like they are all alone.
It is important for teens to have a support system to help them through this tough time. There are many resources available to help teens deal with the death of a loved one.
Family problems
There are many different types of family problems that can cause stress in teens. Some common problems include divorce, financial difficulties, abuse, and neglect.
All of these problems can have a major impact on a teen’s emotional and mental health.
Divorce can be a very stressful time for a teen. They may feel like they are caught in the middle of their parents’ conflict, and they may worry about the future.
Financial difficulties can also be a major source of stress for teens. If their parents are struggling to make ends meet, it can be hard for teens to feel secure.
Abuse and neglect can also cause a great deal of stress for teens. If they feel like they are not safe or loved, it can be very difficult for them to cope.
There are many ways to help a teen who is struggling with stress. It is critical to offer them with guide and understanding. It is also important to help them develop healthy coping mechanisms.
If you are concerned about a teen in your life, reach out to a professional for help.
Sleeping problems
Many teenagers report experiencing sleep problems, which can lead to stress and other negative consequences. Poor sleep can interfere with school, work, and social activities, and it can also contribute to moodiness and irritability.
If you’re struggling to get enough sleep, there are a few things you can do to try to improve your sleep habits. First, avoid caffeine and other stimulants in the evening.
Second, set up a normal sleep agenda and keep on with it as a whole lot as possible. Finally, create a chilled bedtime recurring to help you wind down earlier than going to sleep. If you’re still having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor about other possible solutions.
Financial Problems
It’s no secret that financial problems can cause a great deal of stress in adults, but did you know that they can also have a significant impact on teenagers? According to a recent study, nearly 60% of teens say that money is a major source of stress in their lives.
There are a number of reasons why financial problems can be so stressful for teens. For one thing, they often don’t have a lot of experience dealing with money.
This can make it difficult for them to understand complex financial concepts and make sound decisions about how to use their money.
Another reason financial problems can be so stressful for teens is that they often have to make difficult choices about how to spend their money.
For example, they may have to decide whether to spend their money on necessities like food and clothing or on things they want, like a new pair of shoes or a trip to the movies.
Finally, financial problems can cause stress because they can lead to arguments and conflict within families. If parents are arguing about money, it can be very upsetting for teens.
If you’re a teen who is struggling with financial stress, there are a few things you can do to help cope. First, try to talk to your parents or another trusted adult about your concerns.
They can offer advice and support. Second, try to make a budget and stick to it. This can help you feel more in control of your finances.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. There are many organizations and programs that can offer assistance if you’re struggling to make ends meet.
Life challenges
Teens face a lot of challenges in life, which can cause stress. For example, they may have to deal with family problems, academic pressure, peer pressure, and more.
This can be overwhelming for them, and may lead to them feeling stressed. Some teens may cope with this stress by using unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as drug or alcohol use.
Others may try to cope in more positive ways, such as by talking to someone they trust, or by participating in activities that they enjoy.
It’s important for teens to find healthy ways to cope with stress, so that they can thrive in spite of the challenges they face. | https://soulandland.com/stress/causes-of-stress-in-teens/ |
How to Cope with Divorce as a Woman
Divorce is one of the most complex decisions a woman has to make in her life. The emotional and financial burdens can be overwhelming. The thought of leaving someone you once loved and envisioned a future with can be extremely difficult to process.
It’s important to remember that you are not alone in your experience. Many women have been through or are going through the same thing as you. The most important thing is to stay strong and to take one day at a time.
This article discusses some tips that can help you cope with the emotional and financial aspects of divorce. Read on to learn more.
Talk to a Therapist
Seeing a therapist or counselor is one of the best ways to deal with the emotional turmoil associated with divorce.
Having someone to talk to who has experience dealing with these types of issues can be immensely helpful in providing guidance and comfort.
Remember that it can be easy to fall into a pattern of self-criticism and negative thinking during this time. You may feel like you’re not doing enough or shouldn’t have made the decision to divorce in the first place.
However, it is essential to remember that you are doing the best you can and that the decision to divorce was entirely yours.
Your therapist will take time to listen to your story and provide you with the tools you need to heal. You only need to remain committed to your therapy and remember that healing is a process.
Seek Support from Friends and Family
Friends and family are an invaluable source of support during this challenging time in your life. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you need it. Talking about your feelings can be immensely helpful in getting through hard times.
If you feel overwhelmed by the situation, try spending time with family and friends who can provide encouragement and a listening ear.
Having close people around to help distract you from your divorce woes can make all the difference in helping you cope and regain a sense of balance.
You can also reach out and talk to others who might be going through the same thing. Whether it’s your friends, family, or even a professional counselor, talking about your divorce can help you process the experience and move forward.
Take Care of Yourself
Divorce is very stressful, so it’s crucial to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and find ways to reduce stress.
It can also be helpful to pick up new hobbies or activities you enjoy. This will help to distract you from the divorce process and give you something positive to focus on.
Make sure you also find time to relax and recharge, which is key to your emotional well-being.
Stay Off Social Media
This is not the right time to post about your divorce on social media. Not only is it unwise to air out your dirty laundry, but it can also be detrimental to your mental health.
Seeing other people’s posts about happy relationships or even getting into debates about divorce can just add more stress and negativity to an already difficult situation.
It’s better to stay off social media until you can handle seeing other people’s posts without feeling emotional.
Remember that your ex-spouse can also use your social media activity to gain insight into your life and make decisions that could affect the divorce proceedings.
Stick to a Routine
The truth is that divorce is going to turn your life upside down. So, it’s essential to try and find a sense of stability in the midst of all the chaos.
One way to do this is by sticking to a routine as much as possible. This means setting regular times for eating, sleeping, exercising, and any other activities that you enjoy.
Having a routine can also help reduce stress and give you a sense of control in the midst of such an uncertain situation. Friends and family can also be part of your routine, so don’t be afraid to ask them for help if you need it.
Manage Finances
The financial implications of a divorce can be daunting. Many women feel overwhelmed by money issues during this time in their lives. It is vital to ensure that you protect yourself financially before, during, and after the divorce process.
You may want to consider speaking with a financial adviser who can help you understand the implications of the divorce on your finances.
Doing this before you begin the process can be beneficial in helping you to make sound decisions and protect yourself from financial instability during and after the divorce is finalized.
Seek Legal Advice
It is crucial to seek legal advice from an experienced family law attorney who is well-versed in divorce law. A legal professional can help you understand the process and provide information on how to protect your interests.
Your attorney will also be able to represent you during the negotiations and mediation that are part of the divorce process.
This type of assistance is invaluable in helping navigate the complexities of a marriage dissolution as efficiently as possible.
Think Positively
Lastly, it’s important to remember that divorce is not the end of the world. While it can be a difficult and stressful process, it can also offer you an opportunity for personal growth.
Focusing on the positive aspects of divorce, such as newfound freedom and independence, can help you move forward in a healthier way.
With time and effort, you can come out of the divorce process feeling stronger, wiser, and ready to start a new chapter in life.
Final Thoughts
Remember that you don’t have to go through the divorce process alone. Seek support from friends, family, and professionals to help you through this difficult time.
Taking steps to care for yourself emotionally and financially will also go a long way in helping you make it through this trying period of your life.
With the right attitude and support, you can make it through the divorce process. You can come out of this experience stronger and more confident than ever! | http://www.theeverywomen.com/how-to-cope-with-divorce-as-a-woman/ |
The impact of suicide is far-reaching. It impacts friends, family and our communities. Some family members never recover from the effects of suicide. Anger, guilt and remorse over the loss of a loved one to suicide never subsides for some, especially if they had a close relationship with the person they lost.
Do you automatically assume that ALL people that commit suicide do so because of depression? You should know that not everyone that suffers from depression show the usual signs.
Did you also know that there are numerous medications that are used to treat illness that have suicidal tendencies associated with them? Because of the ongoing illness, many patients do not associate the way they are feeling with this side effect. They just know that they do not want to continue feeling the way that they do.
Self recrimination is a terrible thing.
“If I had only known how they were feeling, I would done more to help”
“Why did they not get help?”
“I thought they were just unhappy and complaining all of the time.”
“I did not know they were serious when they threatened to do something.”
Have you missed a cry for help?
You can reach out today, and help someone that you know is struggling. Because some suicidal people feel like they are a burden, it is up to you to inform and arm yourself with information and resources to help.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10 – 24. This month is dedicated to bringing awareness and providing resources to enable us to help someone struggling and unable to find a way out of this desperation.
How do you recognize the signs of someone who is suicidal? Do you know what you can do to try to prevent this devastating loss?
These are extraordinary times, and no one has been exempt from Covid-19. People are feeling heightened emotional distress right now. People with pre-existing mental health difficulties are having their worst fears realized, and may not be handling all of the changes to their lives very well and need help and support.
KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS!
A wonderful resource is The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Here is their list of warning signs:
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious or agitated: behaving recklessly
- Sleeping to little or too much
- Withdrawing or isolating themselves
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Extreme mood swings
If you know someone who is in crisis, and you need to know more information on how to help them, call the The Lifeline 24/7. They provide free and confidential support for people in distress, providing crisis resources for you or your loved ones, as well as best practices for professionals.
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The Lifeline provides a list of Do’s and Dont’s for communicating with a person in crisis. Whether or not you believe getting involved is the right thing to do, how you handle this sensitive situation can help to prevent a death.
Our youth are having increased mental health challenges due to Covid-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
“Symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased considerably in the United States during April-June of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019”.
Another fabulous resource for our youth is the Jason Foundation. Their website provides immediate action items to help you help a loved one in crisis. They provide essential information for parents, students, educators and professionals.
Here are a few coping tips from the Lifeline to support your emotional well-being during Covid-19, along with a link to the entire article:
Coping Tips
People that are feeling emotional distress related to COVID-19 can take actions to help support themselves and others.
- Set a limit on media consumption, including social media, local or national news.
- Stay active. Make sure to get enough sleep and rest. Stay hydrated and avoid excessive amounts of caffeine or alcohol. Eat healthy foods when possible.
- Connect with loved ones and others who may be experiencing stress about the outbreak. Talk about your feelings and enjoy conversation unrelated to the outbreak.
- Get accurate health information from reputable sources. For health information about COVID-19, please contact the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov, your local healthcare provider, or your local 211 and 311 services, if available.
- The national Disaster Distress Helplineis available to anyone experiencing emotional distress related to COVID-19. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to speak to a caring counselor.
- If you’re experiencing emotional distress related to COVID-19, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or your local crisis line.
- For coping tools and resources, visit the Lifeline website at suicidepreventionlifeline.org or Vibrant Emotional Health’s Safe Space at vibrant.org/safespace.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline has highly trained advocates available 24/7 to ensure services and continue to support survivors.
Helpful Resources
Reliable sources of information about COVID-19:
Other Helpful Resources to Support Your Mental and Emotional Wellbeing:
- CDC’s “Manage Anxiety and Stress”page provides what stress can look like and tips to manage that stress.
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a guide for parents and caregivers to help families cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
- Mental Health America has compiled a range of resources and information on their “Mental Health and COVID-19” page.
- ThriveNYC’s “Mental Health Support New Yorkers Can Access While Staying Home” page lists free mental health services for New Yorkers, regardless of insurance coverage or immigration status.
- SAMHSA’s “Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks” page outlines the signs of stress and steps you can take to alleviate stress.
- SAMHSA’s “Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health” page provides tips for social distancing, quarantine and isolation during an infectious disease outbreak.
- SAMHSA’s “Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks” page provides parents, caregivers, and teachers with strategies for helping children manage their stress during an infectious disease outbreak.
- Vibrant Emotional Health’s Safe Space provides interactive coping tools to help users when they need it.
- Through stories of hope and recovery, Strength After highlights the resilience of individuals and communities while providing a resource for other survivors and responders that may be trying to cope and move forward themselves.
- If you feel you or someone you know may need emotional support, please visit the Lifeline’s website at suicidepreventionlifeline.org for helpful resources or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Lifeline is free, confidential, and available to everyone in the U.S. You do not have to be suicidal to call the Lifeline.
- The NYS Office of Mental Health’s “Managing Anxiety in an Anxiety Provoking Situation” resource page provides tips for all on how to manage anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak.
- If you’re worried that someone in your life may be suicidal, you can use the Lifeline’s 5 steps to help someone that may be in suicidal crisis.
- Action Alliance’s COVID-19 Messaging Guidance page provides guidance for messengers speaking about mental health and COVID-19, as well as resources for specific groups.
- The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has compiled a selection of web pages and information sheets on mental health and coping with the effects of COVID-19.
- The Dulwich Centre has compiled stories to support the community amid the COVID-19 crisis, from mental health service users, survivors and former patients.
- The Action Alliance is mobilizing diverse sectors to collectively lead a coordinated mental health and suicide prevention response effort during and in the aftermath of COVID-19. Learn more here.
- Another helpful resource we recommend is the American Association of Suicidology, to visit their website here. | https://lesnuggle.com/blogs/snuggle-up-the-blog/september-is-suicide-prevention-month |
Family stress affects everyone, whether it’s due to a traumatic event, ongoing stressors, or daily events and activities that can become overwhelming at times.
For some individuals, family stress arises from caring for an elderly relative or parent, in addition to raising a family and working full-time.
Stress can develop through differences and disagreements within the family and a lack of constructive communication for other families. It’s essential to work with family dynamics and find a way to manage stress for your own personal well-being and mental health.
Stress Impacts Everyone in a Family
Everyone can experience stress, and it often comes from everyday living and the variety of challenges and commitments that require a lot of energy, hard work, and communication.
More recently, with the onset of lockdowns and health concerns, many families have experienced a heightened sense of stress and fear, which is a natural and expected response to everything that is going on in the world and often impacts everyone in one way or another.
For some people, financial challenges, experiencing a sudden death, loss, or illness can increase the intensity of stress and the need for support within a family.
While there is a limit to what can be done to control external factors and how they impact a family, there are proactive ways to handle stress when it comes into our lives.
Family Stressors
Family stress comes in different forms. Some are inevitable, and some are avoidable. Below are some common family stressors:
- Being with some toxic family members, relatives, or extended family- The family feels obliged to sustain communication despite toxicity due to relations by blood or by law, as in the case of dealing with in-laws.
- Suffering from physical or mental illness – Suppose someone within the family is suffering from illness. In that case, some members may experience fatigue or stress, due to dealing with severe symptoms or conditions, or the changed behaviors of the sick family member.
- Losing a loved one – It is one of the most painful experiences a family will face. Members will have differences in coping or recovering from this loss.
- Experiencing relationship problems or considering separation – This is a traumatic experience, especially if there are kids involved. Bad memories from constant quarrels or a failed relationship may pose trust issues and self-esteem-related concerns because of the persistent stress caused by the circumstances.
- Experiencing difficulty in raising children or having a newborn – It takes a lot of effort and patience to get used to a new phase of life. Raising a child/children is a big responsibility and is often very stressful for the parents involved, especially when they may not have planned for the new family member.
- Encountering financial problems – Unfortunately, having money is a necessity in life so that we can provide for our own needs and the needs of those we love. Financial issues can induce a high level of stress within the family and are often one of the leading stressors many families experience.
Dealing with Family Stress for a Healthier Life Together
Sometimes, difficult situations can’t be avoided, even with the best strategies and diplomatic approaches towards your family. Defining family stress is the first step to finding a solution.
Chronic stress, if left unchecked, can contribute negatively to your physical and mental health.
For some people, talking with the family about specific situations and how to resolve them or change a schedule or pattern of activity can prove helpful.
Sometimes, spending time together with family can become stressful in itself, especially when there are strained relationships and emotional reactions involved. However, strategic decisions must be made to improve family life.
1. Coping with Family Stress and Managing Conflict
Balance is critical when you are dealing with family stress. Sometimes it is best to talk to one another and find a solution that’s amicable for everyone.
However, families can often disagree or misunderstand each other, which leads to conflict and further stress in the long term.
There are some helpful ways for coping with familial situations that quickly become stressful, that can provide a powerful way to build inner strength and a better way to develop a healthier way of living together.
2. Share a Meal and Talk
For many families, sharing a meal at dinner time is one of the best opportunities to enjoy social interaction and talk about the day’s events with each other. It’s a great time to relax, talk about what’s on your mind, plan for the next vacation, or team sports practice.
Children especially benefit from sharing a family meal because it gives them a chance to open up and talk about school, their plans for the weekend, or their upcoming plans to apply for university.
While dinner isn’t the best time to unleash a heavy debate or raise an issue that may lead to conflict, it’s an ideal time for keeping discussion light-hearted and fun.
Conversation can even be centered around entertainment, such as which sports team is playing the game best, or about a new recipe, meal, or menu from a local restaurant.
You can reserve serious discussion about family matters for a time when everyone is happy to have the conversation and can be prepared to tackle a challenge or situation from a better psychological place.
3. Make Space for Personal Development and Growth
Personal development and growth can easily be pushed aside when family matters leave you overwhelmed or too involved, to the point of exhaustion.
When learning to cope with particular behavior or conflict within a family unit becomes too stressful for you, it’s important to make room for your own personal space and solitude.
Respecting personal time and privacy is vital in every family, for each adult and child. Children also experience stress, especially when they feel that a major change between their parents or within the family is out of their control.
Your family can benefit from taking time away from others, practicing meditation and deep breathing techniques when the idea of talking to one another and trying to be understood is too difficult to achieve.
Each family’s problems are unique, although everyone can also relate to common stressors from various sources, such as work, school, or financial matters.
When one family member is dealing with stressful situations, it impacts everyone else, whether they are directly involved in the process or not.
Keep an Open Mind
Keeping an open mind about the aspects of life that you can control is so important when faced with difficult situations. Learning deep breathing exercises can also help you maintain a relaxing, calm pace that allows your mind to rest and reset.
Meditation and mindfulness exercises are also excellent for children, who can practice this technique when they feel overwhelmed or anxious from school assignments or family situations that may have a negative impact on their well-being.
You can even incorporate family sessions of breathing methods that can be especially powerful in helping families improve communication and work together to improve stress management.
4. Be Candid and Transparent about Finances
Some family members develop spending habits that can get out of control or find themselves in financial situations that are no fault of their own but difficult to manage together.
During a financial crisis, it’s easy to get stressed. Often, family members blame each other, leading to harmful and hurtful behavior and strained relationships.
Instead of managing the way other people spend or making family members feel guilty about financial challenges, you can work together to create an improved, updated budget that works for everyone.
This process gives every family member a chance to contribute their thoughts and respond to any issues that arise during the discussion. It also empowers each family member to feel responsible and ensure that they are playing their part in managing the family’s resources.
Develop a Financial Plan with the Family
A proactive and transparent approach means being upfront about financial constraints between the parents while letting the children know when things are stressful and feelings are strained.
It’s also healthy to work towards a solution and that with the right resources, skills, and support, family finances will get better for everyone. It is important to remember that many negative situations don’t last forever.
However, they may seem that way within the moment, especially if the situation or issue is hard to resolve or becomes a major crisis. Working and coping together also help strengthen family bonds and create a healthy relationship between everyone.
5. Focus on the Mental Health of Family
When stress gets out of hand, some people become emotional and overwhelmed to the point of harming their own health. This can take the form of overspending, alcohol and substance abuse, or feeling depressed or anxious more than usual.
Stress can lead to serious health conditions that impact every aspect of life, and it can lead to tragedy in families when complex matters are hard to accept.
Therefore, it is important to focus on the mental health of your family as a whole. Check in with members of the family to see how they are coping and if they need help in this challenging season of additional stress.
If family members express to you that they are struggling, really listen to them and see what solutions you can come to together to alleviate some of the stress.
The Importance of Healthy Family Activities
Family stress is a common cause of many mental and physical health conditions.
Fortunately, it can be adequately treated with some lifestyle changes that include regular exercise, fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet, drinking plenty of water, and finding resources such as counseling to discuss and resolve family problems.
Getting active as a family is a wonderful way to develop coping strategies and support one another.
A daily walk around the local area or a weekend hiking or cycling trip is a great way to release stress and improve mental health while building physical strength and endurance.
Music, dancing, and playing instruments are also highly effective in improving positive emotions and reducing or managing stress in families and children.
6. Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Teenagers and children experience different emotions and feelings throughout their development, which can be stressful for them, and their parents. Most families recognize changes immediately and often react without considering the impact of their words or statements.
From toddler years to university, everyone learns to adapt to personal development in their own way. This includes changing situations around the family home and the expectations set out for them by society, family, and their own personal goals.
While child development psychology can be challenging to understand and deal with at times, it’s essential to keep communication with them open and encourage family members to talk.
Understand that they may not always respond favorably or may even start conflict for seemingly no reason. It is entirely natural for this to happen, especially during the teenage years.
Just ensure that you are constantly communicating with your children, that you love them and are there for them if they ever need you.
Preparing Children for Family Changes and Managing Expectations
Couples in a family who are going through a marital conflict or considering a divorce can help children adjust to these changes by being direct and honest from the start.
Sometimes, younger children develop feelings of sadness or a sense that they did something wrong for this to happen when they have had no involvement in the decision that has been made. They may also feel like their world is shattering and find it hard to deal with this major shift that will change their life permanently.
Communication through all sorts of traumatic events and even daily challenges can profoundly and positively impact the health of parents, children, and other family members who have close ties to everyone.
Stressful times for children can also include moving house or changing schools. Making new friends in the new place can further add stress to them.
Any significant change in a child’s life can feel overwhelming to them at that moment, so walk them through the decision. The important thing is to help them feel included in the process and that their loved ones or other members of the family will always be there for them.
Summary
While most people cannot avoid family stress and situations in most cases, it’s essential to identify how these stressors can be handled and work together as a family to address them. It’s equally important to take time away to enjoy solitude and reflect on what’s most important in life and within the family.
Families continuously face many challenges, whether it’s financial constraints and unexpected bills, work and school-related matters, the death or illness of a loved one, parental separation, and much more.
While struggling through some of the most heart-breaking situations can prove challenging to cope with, these experiences can also bring family members closer together and help them find a better support system within the family unit.
It’s vital to recognize and accept that not everyone in the family will agree on everything discussed or decided. Still, in the end, it’s important to make an effort towards resolution and working on issues that impact everyone as a team.
Even the most strained relationships between siblings, parents or other relatives may be repaired or improved to some degree when the whole family learns how to manage the effects of stress and work through their problems and differences together. | https://selfcarefundamentals.com/family-stress/ |
Over the decades, through vigorous research on early childhood literacy, an assertion that children acquire literacy skills before formal education has been made. The parents, guardians, and caregivers of the children are often the first “teachers” that the children meet. As a result, they play a critical role in the overall literacy development of children, equipping them for formal education. Standard practices such as reading a bedtime story and encouraging the children to practice reading out aloud do not only assist in preparing children for early childhood education, but it also impacts their literacy success throughout their school from early years into adulthood.
The dynamics of the community and indeed the family structure has transformed the life of the children in their homes, further affecting the acquisition of early literacy as a substantial amount of children are denied environments that support early literacy activities in their households such as reading. Thus, the shift has necessitated the establishment of various early childhood literacy programs. Nonetheless, it is critical to note that despite the early childhood education projects having a significant impact on early childhood literacy by providing early learning as well as equipping young learners for formal education, they do not cater for all students. As a result, a significant portion of the children in Southeast Asia lacks pivotal literacy skills that they require to succeed in formal education. These gaps in the society necessitate the preparation of educators to address a wide variety of challenges to ensure that all students, regardless of their academic background and ability, meet the achievement standards for each grade level. Thus, asserting the importance of implementing literacy interventions to support educators by various stakeholders, including the schools and parents, to enable them to adequately cater for the literacy needs of each of the students regardless of their literacy level when they enroll for formal education for the first time.
Table of Contents
Evidence and Impact of acquiring Literacy skills in Early Childhood on academic success
Chapter I
Introduction
When a student provided with any form of information from instructions to descriptions to corrections, it is paramount that they can read and comprehend the information so they can act on it appropriately. It is therefore crucial that young learners are taught reading and writing to facilitate literacy formation from a tender age through to adolescence, ensuring that they emerge as literate and competent adults. In the 21st century, the dynamics of society have asserted the importance of literacy, as it is the core skill required for survival. Therefore, students who are limited in their ability to read and write are bound to struggle in all subjects’ areas as they are unable to comprehend the content. The challenges result in academic frustrations for the learners who eventually develop negative attitudes towards education; in some cases, the students choose to drop out of school.
Introducing reading and writing to children long before they join elementary school can significantly increase reading comprehension, which in turn increases literacy development in the learners. Thus, scholars in literacy acquisition and development advocate for parents, guardians, and caretakers to read to preschoolers to boost their success levels when they attend elementary school (Anderson & Cheung, 2003). According to Lawson (2012), a child who lacks exposure to reading in the household by parents, guardians, and caregivers, starts school at a disadvantage compared to those who have been exposed to reading and writing before they attend elementary school. Moreover, children develop positive attitudes on reading and education in general when exposed to reading at a tender age, especially in their households where they are most comfortable. Children, who attend elementary school settings only presented to reading for the first time in a new environment with new characters, namely, teachers, are bound to take time to adjust to the unique setting and education provided. Thus, educators and learning institutions must explore and implement a wide variety of interventions in educating the children to facilitate reading and literacy development.
Furthermore, the educators need to understand and consider the needs of the families from which the students come from, long before the children attain the school-going age to ensure that all students receive the quality of education they require to facilitate academic success. Educational learners must make education equitable. For years, Scholars had conducted extensive research that has revealed and recommended pre-reading in the household, as it creates the educational advantage of young learners in early years and adulthood. In this regard, further studies conducted to determine how the parental implementation of reading affects literacy levels in students. Roberts (2005) asserts the importance of understanding the role of home literacy practices in literacy development during early years preschool as it has significant implications for the literacy success of the children.
Early childhood described as a crucial period within a child’s life at it is at this time that children develop extensively in various non-cognitive and cognitive domains. Numerous debates have been carried out to determine as to what is of more importance to a child, between nurturing and nature. Therefore, researchers in both the education and health sector have provided adequate evidence to support the arguments that children require both characters and nurturing to develop. As a result, numerous theories developed to describe the development process of children to determine what aspects are most crucial to the development of a child’s brain. For instance, Ecological theories of development argue that growth is dependent on the various environmental exposures for children. Despite the numerous methods that have been developed over the decades, there is one crucial issue in educational research and current politics, which is to determine the effects of learning in early childhood alongside the quality and quantity of early education and non-parent al care. In southeast Asia, public expectations of children’s abilities once introduced to formal education is high. Thus, enormous pressure is exerted on non-familial education settings as expected to contribute to increasing the education level of all children as well as creating an opportunity for quality for children that is associated with literacy and socio-economic status of their parents.
Furthermore, various stakeholders in the education section in South East Asian countries have initiated research on the effects of early childhood education on the development of the children. The aim is to determine if children who attend early childhood education have high cognitive abilities as opposed to children not exposed to early childhood education—further learning the importance and role of early childhood education in childhood development in the present and future. As Southeast Asia aspires to create equal opportunities for students in the region as well as attempt to compete at the same level as members of the international community, various stakeholders in the region are advocating for early childhood education. The focus is to ensure that children in the area develop cognitively at similar levels with children in the United States and European countries. In this regard, the following research focuses on “Evidence and Impact of acquiring Literacy skills in Early Childhood on academic success” while concentrating on South East Asia. The focus of the research article is to convince societies to re-evaluate the school curriculums to include early childhood education as a means of increasing literacy levels and ensure that students that pass through the education system in South East Asia can effectively compete with students from across the world. As much as the article aims at creating change in South East Asia, it is critical to note that the limitation in available data on the subject matter that relies on data from Southeast Asia is limited. Therefore, relying on global data provides more insight into the subject matter as well as increases the accuracy of the research findings.
Problem statement
Reading comprehension is defined as the ability of a student to read for knowledge and understanding. At the same time, literacy development describes the overall scope of writing and reading skills as well as skills in emergent literacy, including phoneme blending, phonological awareness, segmenting skills, and competency in print concepts such as spelling. In southeast Asia, literacy rates as still low despite continued promotion by literacy advocates to promote literacy concepts in children as early as one year old. Pre-school educators and grading systems in elementary school focus on developing emergent literacy skills and oral language skills proven to support the process of reading in early learners. Developing Emergent(2003) argues that learning practices implemented in support of findings that reveal that reading challenges are commonly identifiable in young learners. As a result, learning difficulties not detected in early childhood education as a result of the children not attending early childhood school. Later pose a major abyss in learning for the students as they may progress without receiving the specialized care they require, which needs to commence at early childhood school.
When dealing with students with learning challenges, educators must provide extra attention in the early years of education to avoid the ripple effect it has on their academic success in the future. It is critical to note that despite reading being primarily governed by cognitivist, impacted by affective functions. Furthermore, research reveals that the two are interrelated as they are not independent of each other.
With these in mind, multiple factors considered that is a crucial part of the affective domain, such as motivation, interest, attitudes, enjoyment, personal interests, self-concept, and values (Garrett, 2002). For children to develop a culture of reading for entertainment, they must make a connection with books and the reading process, hence doing the reading for pleasure a continuation of the learning process. Report (2000) argues that the extent of successful reading in children is directly related to their perceptions and attitudes towards reading. Also, environmental factors and personal attributes harm children’s attitudes towards reading.
Garrett (2002) lists the elements influencing children’s attitudes on reading as parents, instructional practices, test intelligence, gender, socio-economic status, self-concept, achievement, and persona interests. These elements are particularly essential for education to consider when developing a reading curriculum for schools and specific grades.
There is an existing relationship between the academic performance of students and the skills they possessed when they joined the elementary school. For instance, research findings have indicated that there is a ninety percent probability that a poor reader in the first grade expected to be a poor reader at the end of the fourth grade. Furthermore, children who have acquired knowledge of the letters in the alphabet as they join elementary school are a reliable indicator that they will have strong reading capabilities in the 10th grade (Boyer, 1991).
Equipping the educators with the various factors that influence the success of literacy education as well as understanding the students ‘attitudes towards reading, significantly benefits the literacy gains of individual students. Reason being that the educator does not apply a blanket strategy on the learners but rather develops specialized approaches to deal with the diverse needs of each of the learners. Educators must be equipped with the information and skills to implement literacy education best practices into the school curriculum as well as daily lessons. By doing so, the educators will not only succeed in producing literate students but also play a critical role in building a culture and love for reading, which will benefit the students in various stages of their lives. It is crucial for education leaders to make consideration for their role in the literacy development of learners as ideals of children developing literacy skills before elementary school are limited.
In Southeast Asia, early childhood learning or early childhood care and education (ECCE) influenced by various factors. Some of these factors have facilitated the development of ECCE in the region while others have acted as an abyss. In this regard, it is crucial to understand the underlying issues that influence and affect early childhood education in the region—evidence and Impact of acquiring Literacy skills in Early Childhood on academic success.
Research Question
- What is the Impact and implications of acquiring Literacy skills in Early Childhood on academic success?
- Does acquiring literacy skills in Early Childhood affect children further down the line as they progress in school
Purpose
The research project has numerous objectives as it designed to focus on significant aspects of early childhood learning and their role in the future success of students both in the education system and professionally.
In this regard, the research is crucial to various stakeholders in the Education sector across the world. Thus, the following objectives pursued in the study.
- Determine the effect of theories in early childhood literacy perspectives, design, and implementation across the world
- Determine the impact of early childhood education on children. Does early childhood literacy create a gap between children of the same age? Does early literacy skills increase the chances of educational success of the children in the future?
- Determine the evidence used to make decisions on early childhood education. Are decisions made based on facts, or do societies base their arguments on assumptions? What is the quality of evidence present? Has the proof been verified? What is the source of the evidence?
- Determine the role of theories in early childhood literacy across the world. Are the numerous approaches developed over the decades still applicable in the 21st century? Do methods encourage or discourage early childhood literacy in society? Or determine the role and effects of approaches related to literacy skills in Early childhood.
Definition of Terms
- Emergent Literacy skills: according to Roberts, Jurgens, & Burchinal (2005), the term refers to the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that are required for reading and writing literacy development and are crucial to reading success in adulthood.
- Home literacy Environment: Refers to the materials, experiences, and attitudes associated with household literacy interactions of children (Roberts, Jurgens, & Burchinal, 2005).
- Literacy: refers to a variety of reading and writing skills that enable a child to read and understand printed information (Athanasou, 2011).
- Phonological Awareness: This refers to the comprehension that language in its oral form comprises of sounds. Therefore, the phonological awareness development process commences at the instant when a child identifies the fact that speech comprises of a group of words (Pikulski, 1989). This form of understanding progresses until the child can manipulate phonemes after recognizing that words comprise of phonemes and sounds (Developing, 2003).
- Reading: is not perceived as the mastering of a combination of skills. But rather as a process where readers are required to interact with the text through problem-solving of complex syntax, challenging words, settings, and obscure references considered as the most common challenges that have been encountered and addressed by proficient readers(Codding,2001).
- Reading Aloud: the context of this term refers to the process of reading storybooks to young children and is considered as widespread literacy activity between a child and an adult. The activity commonly takes place in the household but can also be replicated in various environments by different adults, including educators, parents, guardians, and primary caregivers. The interactive process is considered as a highly productive means of promoting literacy as it is perceived as motivating, contextualized, and meaningful for young children (Aram, 2006).
- Reader’s Workshop: These refer to a book club comprising of children and young adults, which is in the form of a class that focuses on literature appreciation characterized by reading stories out loud (Follos, 2007).
Chapter II: Review of Literature
Socio-emotional development begins as early as early childhood, and for children below the age of five years old, psychological and cognitive stimulation may play a critical role in neurological and psychological growth. In the United States, Early Childhood education is considered as a norm and a requirement in some countries as they provide the children with an environment to gain a variety of skills, which are crucial in ensuring educational success in the future of the children. As much as there is sufficient evidence to assert the importance of Early Childhood Education, in developing countries, early childhood education is a luxury for most parents as it is only affordable to the affluent members of the society (Organization for Economic, 2004). To deal with the evidence gap created by economic disparities in communities, researchers must evaluate the impact of early childhood education on child development in South East Asian countries.
Most of the countries in South East Asia are divided into townships/cities and rural areas. In the rural areas, the literacy levels are below average, and as a result, affordable, quality early childhood education is a rare commodity. In many villages, early childhood centers are mainly created to offer daycare services for children whose parents are employed in the cities (Baeumer,2011). Hence the level of education provided in the centers is not measured, structured, or monitored by the education ministry as they are not classified as learning institutions. Furthermore, the staff at the daycare centers has little or no technical teacher training (Brooks-Gunn, 2005). Therefore, if a parent who would like their children to reap the benefits of Early Childhood education, they must enroll their children to private kindergartens and preschools, which are costly. Also, the literacy level in various parts of South East Asia, primarily rural areas literacy levels are minimal; hence, parents may not understand or believe the value of Early childhood education and its role in their children’s development.
According to research on the impact of early childhood education on children’s development reveals that children who attend early childhood education are better prepared when they enroll in elementary school (Linberg, 2012). Early hood education boosts their knowledge, skills, and confidence levels, enabling them to acquire more knowledge in higher classes. While children who are not exposed to early childhood education tend to struggle with numerous mental and psychological issues as they are unable to interact with the learning environment.
While measuring the quality of early childhood education, it is apparent that there is a relationship between better social and high-quality cognitive skills. Some studies argue that there is a direct relationship between high process quality and linguistic skills, which are crucial in the development of educational careers. Conclusions of international research as to what extent the quality of Early childhood education contributes to compensating for social disparities are yet to be determined. Nonetheless, it is argued that all children appear to benefit from quality levels offered in early childhood education (Green,2011). Nevertheless, various environmental factors affect the competency development levels of the children, such as family characteristics and the socio-economic status of the family. While comparing the institutional impact and the family impact, the family’s role accounts for additional variances concerning the developmental state of the children.
Continuous research conducted by various child psychologists and educators has developed different theories seeking to understand and define the process of childhood development. Thus, leading to numerous child development theories that are applied in early childhood education to deliver, evaluate, and motivate early childhood learners. The psychoanalytic theories of child development comprise two psychoanalytic theories, namely Erick and Sigmund Freud, as a means of explaining development in children. The Sigmund Freud theory asserts the importance of events and experiences that occur in our childhood. It is critical to note that the Sigmund Freud theory is more focused on psychological issues as opposed to the functioning on the functionality of the child’s brain. Freud argues that child development comprises of various psychosexual levels. Therefore, each level involves the satisfaction of libidinal desire; hence, it can play a crucial role in the development of the character of individuals in adulthood (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). The theory goes on to argue that in a case whereby the child fails to complete a stage successfully, then the child develops a fixation that could influence their behavior and personality in adulthood. In this respect, Freud’s theory is broken into Oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital phases. For instance, during the early months of a child’s life, they derive pleasure from sucking and putting things in their mouths. Freud also warns that failure to address the issue in one stage before child progress to the next may lead to fixation to a phase that acts as an abyss to development resulting in the mirage of psychological issues in teenage and adult years.
Freud influenced the works of many psychologists leading to the development of Erikson’s psychosocial theory of child development, which focuses on the importance of shaping the psychological growth of children. Like Freud’s theory, Erikson outlines various stages that individuals undergo as part of development. While Freud’s theory argues that development comes to an end at the age of five years old, Erikson argues that development through the whole course of human life from birth to death (Linberg, 2013). Thus, according to Erikson, when a child is born, it starts to deal with the conflict between trust and mistrust, therefore asserting the importance of providing children with consistent care to develop their ability to trust those in their environment. Furthermore, the failure of providing the required stimulation at specific stages may result in the child encountering issues later in life (Melhuish,2008). For instance, failure to provide children with consistent care and affection may result in them developing negative perceptions about their environment, leading to trust issues in teenage years and adulthood.
On the other hand, behavioral theories of child development focus on how children acquire knowledge through interactions with their environments. All, through the 20th-century behaviorists, argue that development and learning were a result of communications, punishments, and awards. According to John Watson, a behaviorist by profession, he explains that any behavior can be learned. For instance, if a parent wanted their child to be a teacher, they could teach them to be a teacher regardless of their abilities as the only factor that matters is what they are taught. John Watson’s arguments gained popularity as they were supported by various theorists, including B.F Skinner and Ivan Pavlov. They advocated for Watson’s cases and turning them into the basis of psychology. Thus, the theorists outlined the two crucial behavioral processes that influence development as operant and classical conditioning (Marjoribanks,2002). Classic conditioning characterized by forming an association between naturally reproducing stimuli and neutral stimuli. While operant conditioning, described by learning as a result of punishment or reinforcement. Hence arguing that the consequences of an action determine how likely the action will develop into a behavior.
The cognitive theories of development are based on the changes that occur in the thought processes of the children. In this respect, Jean Piaget argues that children perceive and process information differently from adults. Thus, proposing the cognitive development theory stage. Jean Piaget views children as “scientists “who actively develop their knowledge and understanding of the environment. Piaget dispelled previous assumptions that children thought similarly to adults, making his theory the most influential child development theory. The four stages outlined by Piaget include Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, and formal operational. While the social child development theories are founded on the argument, the role of peers, parents, caregivers, and society at the considerable influence the development of the children.
Chapter III
Methodology
As discussed above, the subject matter has been covered by numerous scholars who have conducted research relying on primary and secondary sources of data. Therefore, in this case, the focus of the study will be secondary sources of data. The secondary sources will be selected from a wide variety of online libraries. To ensure that the data articles provide accurate data that will ensure the success of the research, a criterion was developed to facilitate the selection method.
Data collection
The criteria applied in selecting the articles used in the research are as follows.
- Peer-reviewed research articles
- The topic of reports should include keywords (early childhood, education, literacy, effects, theories, and evidence). The research must focus on literacy skills
- Research articles not older than ten years; therefore, the earliest articles should have been authored in 2009.
- Use of data sources (primary or and secondary sources of data). The use of descriptive essays has also been applied due to the scope of the research question, which includes theories and evidence.
- Authored in English, the original language of the articles must be English as translations may create some anomalies due to differences in syntax and semantics.
While implementing the above criteria, the columns used in the research were collected from across the section of libraries. The articles were 30 in number, and each item met the criteria above. Once the pieces were selected, the process of extracting data from the materials was initiated. The data was removed, and the data collected represented in a chart as illustrated below in the data analysis Chart Table 1.
|Article||Data Type||Sample size||Data collection technique||Subject Area|
|1||Primary||60||Performance indicators in schools||Impact of early childhood in literacy levels in district schools in New Hampshire|
|2||Primary||100||School reports of students||Does early childhood education ensure success in elementary and primary school?|
|3||Primary||85||Observation, school reports||Is early childhood necessary
|
|4||Primary||150||Questionnaires presented to two sample groups: teachers and parents. Performance indicators in schools, performance reports of students.||Impact of Early childhood education myth or facts|
|5||Primary||281||Questionnaires to both children and parents||Six-year old’s perception of home literacy and its impact on literacy skills, literacy enjoyment, and frequency.|
|6||Primary||Communities||Observation||Early childhood education as a tool to assist in addressing transitional issues in remote aboriginal communities in Australia.|
|7||Secondary||Descriptive||Descriptive||Autonomous motivation and early childhood literacy skills|
|8||Primary||15||Observation, questionnaires||Attitudes towards education|
|9||Primary||40||Observation||Impact of early childhood education in communities|
|10||Primary||75||Questionnaires||Perspectives on early childhood education|
|11||Primary||60||Performance indicators||Skill development trends in elementary school|
|12||primary||90||Performance indicators, observation||Competency skills in institutions of higher learning and early childhood education connections|
|13||Primary||100||Performance indicators||Increasing chances of success with early childhood education|
|14||Primary||24||Performance indicators||Performance trends from early childhood to adulthood|
|15||Primary||80||Performance indicators||Long term effects of early childhood education|
|16||Secondary||10||Descriptive||History of early childhood education|
|17||Secondary||15||Descriptive||Early childhood development|
|18||Secondary||5||Descriptive||Theories supporting the importance of early childhood education|
|19||Secondary||7||Descriptive||Importance of kindergarten|
|20||Secondary||10||Descriptive||Education experience and early childhood education|
|21||Secondary||12||Descriptive||Childhood cognitive development the role of early childhood education|
|22||Secondary||5||Descriptive||Preparing for success|
|23||Secondary||10||Descriptive||Why early childhood education is recommended|
|24||Secondary||5||Descriptive||How to prepare children for lifelong success|
|25||Secondary||5||Descriptive||The race for success starts at kindergarten|
|26||Secondary||10||Descriptive||Learning disabilities and early childhood education|
|27||Secondary||15||Descriptive||Why early childhood education is important|
|28||Secondary||5||Descriptive||Early childhood education foundation|
|29||Secondary||12||Descriptive||Theories and evidence on early childhood education|
|30||Secondary||20||Descriptive||Theories on early childhood education|
Table 1: Data Analysis Chart
Data Analysis
The research comprises of 30 articles on the subject matter; therefore, to accurately evaluate the data collected, it is crucial that the data analysis technique can handle the nature of the data available. In these regards, the most useful data analysis technique would be to apply the use of the hypothesis. The concept of using a hypothesis for data analysis is characterized by creating an assumption about the data, testing the assumption, verification of the appropriation, and stating the hypothesis as either true (Null) or false (Alternative).
The first step is to create the hypothesis (Null &Alternative) the two hypotheses are assumptions about the data that we intend to confirm and deny on completion of the analysis.
Set 1
Ho: Early childhood education impacts the literacy success of students in school and employment.
Ha: Early childhood education has no impact on the literacy success of students in school and employment.
Set 2
Ho: Early childhood education has an impact on literacy skills
Ha: Early childhood education has no impact on literacy skills
To ensure that the hypothesis can be measured during verification, the Ho (Null) and Ha (Alternative) hypotheses are quantifiable. Also, the hypothesis in each set cannot be true at the same time; hence the hypothesis (Null and Alternative) is mutually exclusive.
The second step is to determine the probability distribution of the samples using three techniques mean, variance, and standard deviation.
Mean: refers to the sum of all possible measures in each sample (30 articles) divided by the number of observations in a sample using the formula; ∑x/N
Variance: σ2 = ∑ (Xi – μ)2 / N
- Xi = ith data point in the data set
- μ = Population mean
- N = Number of data points in the population
Standard deviation: Square root of the variance
Hypothesis testing formula
Z = (X – U) / (SD / √n)
Where:
- X – Sample Mean
- U – Population Mean
- SD – Standard Deviation
- n – Sample size
Alpha: refers to the level of significance; therefore, the range of values that are acceptable before the Null hypothesis is rejected, commonly referred to as the lower limit.
Alpha= 51 percent( this means the lower limit at which the Null hypothesis is acceptable anything below 51 percent would mean that the Null hypothesis has been rejected) for instance 50 percent would be low as there would be a possibility that the Null and Alternative hypothesis is true which would result in an error. Therefore, 51 percent ensuring that for the Null hypothesis to be accepted as true, it needs to surpass the middle point, which is 50 percent.
In testing the alternative hypothesis (Ha), the are two techniques that can be applied: the two-tail test or the one-tail test. In the one-tail test of the Alternative Hypothesis, unidirectional hypothesis tests are administered. For instance, when a parent is determining if the positive impact of attending early childhood education is more significant than the result of adverse effects of early childhood education to determine whether their child will participate in early childhood education or not. Therefore, in this case, the test is in one direction as it is merely testing the impact of attending early childhood education versus the effects of not attending early childhood education. On the other hand, the two-tail test for Alternative hypothesis applies bi-directional tests, which are more concerned with determining the quality of data. Therefore, the results of the data tested by the statistician can move in any direction. For instance, If the Null hypothesis (Ho) states that the average number of years that a child should spend in primary school is seven years and the Alternative hypothesis (Ha) states that a child does not spend seven years in primary school. The average number of years that a child spends in primary school can either be 8 or 6 years.
In the process of analyzing the data, a list of questions can be asked to determine the appropriate test technique to be applied either, T, Z, CHI, or F techniques. The main questions which need to be answered before deciding on the test to apply are Is the frequency of the data known? If the frequency of the data is known, then CHI squares can be used to test the data. Secondly, the variance in the data identified, If the data of the variance can be determined then the data can be analyzed using Z or T statistics.
Based on the responses to the two questions above, the research can only apply the variance formula. The reason being that the frequency of the data in the 30 research articles is known based on the sample sizes of primary sources of data, the materials that rely on secondary sources of data may create a significant challenge as the frequency of the data cannot be ascertained conclusively. Thus, it would mean that the only articles that can be used for the research would be those that rely strictly on primary sources of data. Secondly, the variance of the data can easily be acquired through calculation as all the factors required in the formula are available. Therefore to increase the quality of the research findings, the best approach would be to apply both strategies and comparing them to determine if they provide a similar outcome. Still, due to the limitations created by the use of articles that rely on secondary sources of data, these would be an issue. Therefore, once the variance is calculated as illustrated in the formula above, the data will use the Z table.
Findings
From the chart above, it is evident that the number of children who attend early childhood education is higher than those who do not participate in early childhood education before joining the elementary school. It is also noted that there is a portion of students that do not complete early childhood education for several reasons. These reasons may vary from financial resources, relocation, and parental decisions, among others.
Based on whether a child attended early childhood education, the chart above maps out the performance of the students in the first, second, third, and fourth years. The trajectory of the performance in the first four years of the child’s education success indicates the path the children are expected to follow in the future. It is, therefore, noted that children who attended early childhood education performed better compared to those who did not participate in an early childhood education as well as those who attended yet failed to complete the curriculum. It is also noted that children who attended and were unable to complete the early childhood curriculum performed better than students who did not have an opportunity to participate in early childhood school. Thus, supporting the Null (Ho) in both set 1 and Set 2.
Chapter IV
Discussion (maybe this topic can be extended)?
It is apparent from the findings of the research that an estimated 95 percent of the data supports the hypothesis, thus rejecting the Alternative hypothesis. The articles evaluated agreed in principle that early childhood education has one form of impact or another on the education of the students. The primary research conducted by various authors, despite regardless of their focus, all revealed that early childhood education had an impact on the education of the children. The variations occurred in the type of effect and impact that early childhood education had on the education of the students. In over 80 percent of the cases, it was noted that children who passed through early childhood education performed better when they joined the elementary school. The impact of early childhood education on the performance of the students in the first years of school was evident because they had an advantage as they were not being introduced to formal education for the first time. The children who had attended early childhood education were more equipped as previously encountered learning challenges had been addressed in their earlier years of education. Students who were being introduced to formal education were encountering the challenges for the first time; hence they took a long time to develop skills. As a result, these children were disadvantaged and required more attention. The need for additional work to catch up was not meet in over 65 percent of the cases, as this meant that the teacher would have to offer additional lessons. Most of the students in the class had attended early childhood education, also contributed to the teacher’s assumptions that the children who lagged may be having learning disabilities. In over fifty percent of the cases, the teachers and parents contributed to the misdiagnosis of learning disabilities in children. In contrast, in the real sense, the children only portrayed the lag because they did not attend early childhood education.
The misconceptions and misdiagnosis had a ripple effect on the educational success of over fifty percent of the students as they were treated as children with learning disabilities, which reduced their ability to catch up with children who had previously attended early childhood education. Additional issues such as student morale and frustrations were some of the issues highlighted as causes for the low success of the children. It is critical to note that over sixty percent of the educators developed learning curriculums that did not factor in children who had not attended early childhood education. Therefore, when children enrolled in elementary school, the curriculums continued from where early childhood education stops. The assumption that all children have attended early childhood education before they attend elementary school played a critical part in exuberating the issue. Since the elementary school curriculum had not factored in that some children did not attend early childhood education, the “disadvantaged “students were not provided with equal opportunities.
In the cases where the teachers accurately evaluated the cases and noted that the children’s’ challenges were as a result of not attending early childhood education, the solutions implemented were varied. Over seventy percent of the educators transferred the burden of assisting the children in catching up with the rest of the class to the children’s’ parents and guardians. In twenty percent of the cases, the solution was effective as the parents would engage their children in numerous activities such as book reading, spelling, drawing, and writing, which assisted the children in catching up. It was also noted that the main reason as to why the success rate was below 50 percent was because the majority of the parents did not understand what was required of them as they did not understand the needs of the children, techniques to be applied and mostly what their role in assisting the children in developing learning skills. The second reason as to the failure of this approach was the fact that some of the parents and guardians were limited in various skills. For instance, some of the children came from families where English was a second language, and the parents were still struggling in developing English skills. Hence the parents and guardians did not have adequate English skills to impact change in the children. “A parent who cannot read or speak fluently in English may not be able to teach a child how to speak or read English as they do not know how to do so” (who quoted this?). Teaching technique was also another issue noted, the guardians and parents did not know what techniques to use in teaching the children. For instance, when the teacher asks the parents to read to the children, that does not necessarily mean that the children will understand what has been said. Techniques applied in reading to children vary based on the literacy level, age of children, and attention levels. It is critical to note that teachers and educators have received adequate education, training, and experience on how to teach children. Therefore, they know which techniques are effective, not so with parents who do not understand the needs of the children and which techniques are effective. As a result, the lack of skills of the parents leads to frustration in parents, children, and teachers. The lack of effective communication between the various stakeholders hinders the success of the children.
Home Literacy Environment
Literacy development as a process is complex as it is characterized by multiple variables and experiences which interact with each other. Research conducted in various fields has revealed that literacy development commences at birth when a child is exposed to sounds and words and starts to interpret the meaning of the words spoken to them. Before formal education, the child’s literacy development is influenced by the parental literacy and environmental interactions of the child. Also, there is evidence indicating a strong correlation between early literacy development and socio-economic factors. As a result, the socio-economic factors are perceived as predictors that influence the overall academic success of the children across grades.
In the last two decades, research on early learning has exploded as researchers and educators search for solutions to address a wide variety of literacy development issues at every level. A significant portion of literacy experts argues that the implementation of pre-school literacy plays a crucial part in developing the overall literacy and language capabilities of children. Further research has also been conducted to determine the nature of early literacy training practices that have shown most success and how they can be incorporated in the pre-school life of the children to ensure greater success levels. In 1985, National commission on reading the report, Anderson Richard asserts that the introduction of books through the home reading at pre-school level is the single most important factor in developing a strong foundation for child’s educational success at early stages (Arnold & Colburn, 2006, p. 31).
In these regards, there are crucial implications for educational leaders and educators regarding the fact that literacy is an integral part of life, more so in the school environment. As a result, the implications raise an important question, what is the impact of early literacy on the overall academic success of a child all through school and in adulthood.
Implications of Early Literacy Development
Is this a different chapter or sub-topic? It feels incomplete; maybe it could be Implications of Early Literacy Development in Early Childhood, but is it still the topic for the section?
Home Literacy Practices and their Effect on Student Achievement
According to a 2005 research by Burchinal, Jurgens, and Roberts, which focused on determining the relationship between the literacy skills of children upon entering elementary school and literacy practices at home before joining kindergarten. To this effect, the team measured four commonly applied literacy practices in the house, including; the child’s enjoyment of the reading exercises, book reading strategies implemented by the mothers, the mother’s sensitivity levels to literacy activities as well as the frequency of shared book reading exercises. The four parameters were crucial as the extent impacted the measurement of the overall home environment. The study focused on the role of the home literacy environment, the literacy practices applied, and development indicated a relationship between literacy home practices and emergent literacy skills, especially for children between the ages of three to five years.
It is critical to note that the research relied on data collected during a child’s life between the ages of 0-5 years old. Thus, examining the child both pre-school and in kindergarten. The findings revealed that the mother’s sensitivity to literacy played a crucial role in the receptive vocabulary of the children. To effectively measure the maternal sensitivity, a list of six dimensions was applied including, elaborateness, stimulation value, warmth, tenderness, encouragement of initiative, and responsiveness. The shared book reading practice was also noted to have had a positive impact on the child’s development of vocabulary. Also, the use of multiple reading strategies by the mothers proved to be a practical approach to developing the vocabulary of children between three to five years of age. As children whose mothers relied on a single reading strategy scored lower in vocabulary development in comparison to those whose mothers applied multiple strategies.
Regarding reading enjoyment, it was noted that there was little significance in the number of times the children were read to by their mothers. Nonetheless, there was significant evidence in the research findings to support the argument that the household (an overall measure of the home environment) was the most common and consistent factor in the development of literacy skills in the children evaluated in the research. Therefore, the household was recognized as an accurate predictor in determining and measuring receptive vocabulary development between the ages of three to five years. Also, in measuring the early literacy skill levels of children preschool and upon joining kindergarten.
Thus, the researchers concluded that their home was the most reliable and most consistent predictor of the children’s literacy and language skills of the four literacy practices evaluated and measure of total responsiveness and quality of the home environment. Regarding each of the literacy practices estimates, it is noted that the home environment made the highest contribution in predicting the language and literacy development of the children at the early stages.
That said, it is essential to note that the household may also be assessed a variety of parameters of the child’s literacy and language environments such as the primary caregivers verbal and emotional responsiveness, environment organization, maternal interactions with the child, language stimulation and the primary caregivers’ acceptance of the child’s character and behavior. Combined, they have a more significant impact on the literacy and language development of the child than when isolated independent literacy practices. Hence, it may influence some of the underlying arguments of individual home literacy practices studied (Roberts, Jurgens & Burchinal, 2005, p.350)
Recent research on the impact of parental reading on literacy and language development such as print knowledge, phonological awareness, and oral language skills, Lawson (2012) hypothesized that the practice of reading aloud to children could have significant effects in the development skills such as emotional development and ability to sustain attention to complete tasks. According to Lawson (2012, p.257), continued parental reading stories aloud practices are commonly acknowledged to have a significant influence on the reading achievement, emergent literacy, and language development of children.
Therefore, children who practice literacy experience before they attend kindergarten are more likely to learn and be proficient in reading at an early stage, which significantly improves their overall success in education. On the other hand, children who have limited reading opportunities pre-school are more likely to encounter challenges that, unfortunately, have a ripple effect on their learning all through elementary and secondary school, which adversely affects their academic performance (Felton, 1998). Despite there being considerable research conducted on the relationship between parental readings around ad academic achievement, there is limited research that discusses how parental reading aloud can positively influence student emotions and behavior.
In 1998, Lawson presented arguments founded on the various research areas. Relying on the foundation of research asserting the importance of emotion in education, the multiple roles of emotions concerning literacy and language learning, the effect of language development as an internal process, and initial discourse skill development in children. Hence Lawson (1998) discusses why and how parental reading activities can significantly impact the development of complex literacy skills and catapult the student to academic success in the future.
Furthermore, Lawson argues that in speech presentation, emotions are conveyed through prosodic cues, tempo and rhythm, timbre, pitch contour, and loudness of the speaker. As a result, Prosodic cues assist the audience in comprehending spoken words as well as the emotions of the person delivering the words. Holland, Schmithorst, and Plante (2006) claims that infants are more responsive to speech patterns coupled with prosodic information. For instance, it is common to find that adults, in general, speak to infants in a prosodic manner that is characterized by singsong. An argument that is scientifically supported through Neurophysiology, which states that the prosodic sing-song interactions are significant factors in the building language development and comprehension foundation in children. It is important to note that the emotional bond that infants develop with their primary caregivers are deeply rooted in infant-directed speech, which facilitates the development of a relationship with the individual as well as the use of individual prosodic elements of speech when responding to the individual. Therefore, it is considered as an integral part of early literacy skill development in students.
The Impact of Socio-Economic Factors in Literacy Development
Multiple variables in the family environment impact literacy education in the household. The various forms of parental contribution, socio-economic status, community, and school connections and family structure influence the teaching of the children. For instance, Coleman argues that the marginal dropout rates in Catholic high schools can be partly explained by support provided by the Catholic Church to the school communities by creating and enforcing cultures against dropping out (Anderson & Cheung, 2003).
In these respects, there is much controversy about the role of cultural resources on children’s education. Some argue that children raised in families of high economic stature are exposed to numerous resources that support learning in the home. According to Anderson & Cheung (2003), the adoption of “scholarly culture” is connected to the cognitive and interest ability necessary for reading activities. The 2003 study conducted by Anderson and Cheung aimed at determining the role of family structure in educational outcomes of children and determining the relationship between social resources and cultural resources in the family.
Through the implementation of longitudinal data and chain models, the researchers consolidated data from the British NCDS (National Child Development Survey). The research outlined five hypotheses which were used as the basis of the analysis;
- The size of the family has a (-ve) negative correlation to intellectual performance
- Children raised and living with both parents have better academic performance as compared to those raised by single parents;
- The scholarly and cultural interactions between children and parents have a (+ve) correlation to intellectual performance;
- The above-average social resources for families and children influence the academic performance of the students.
- Socio-economic and cultural status is most identifiable in the early school years of the children (Anderson & Cheung, 2003).
The target group of the National Child development survey (NCDS) was children born between the 3rd and 9th of March 1958 in Britain and a single cohort. As a result, the data collected is from various realms of the children, including household social interaction, family structure, family’s social status, children’s daily activities, health and well-being, school, and parent interactions, among others. The NCDS research design aimed at representing all children in Britain hence an initial sample size of 17,414 children. The data collection strategy was characterized by six data collection periods; In 1958, immediately after birth, 1965 when the children were seven years old, 1969 when the children were 11 years old, 1974 when the children were 16 years old, 1981 when they turned 23 years old and in 1991 when they turned 33 years old.
The data to be tested was sourced directly from the schools where the children were enrolled while aged between 7 and 16 years. Once they were 16 years of age, they were interviewed directly. Due to challenges in data collection on some of the participants, the sample size was cut down to 7010.
The graphical chain model findings indicate that the social resources of the parents directly influenced the reading habits of the children, but then there was little evidence to support the argument that the cultural practices of the family-controlled children’s early academic success. Similarly, there was evidence to support that family structure had the impact of the academic performance of children while in elementary school but did not influence the children’s ability to acquire a college degree. Furthermore, the research findings asserted that there was a marginal difference in the amount of reading that children from single parents and those in two-parent homes are exposed to two, thus eliminating the effect of family structure on children’s reading patterns and exposure. Nonetheless, the socio-economic status and education level of parents influenced the amount of cultural and social resources that the children were exposed to and could access with ease. In conclusion, the research findings asserted the importance of reading outside school hours. According to Anderson & Cheung (2003), the amount of times parents read to their children as well as the support for reading exercises had a positive effect on the children’s academic success.
The above findings are not surprising in that they suggest that the socio-economic status of the family has an impact on the education outcomes of the children. The results also indicate that active parental involvement can play a critical role in creating bridges that address the gap between inequalities in education. It is essential to note that the research findings imply that aside form education policies to increase university access, governments should develop and implement initiatives that support parental roles in education. Besides, the systems should also encourage children to engage in scholarly activities outside the school environment (Anderson & Cheung, 2003, p. 420)
It is apparent that education reforms are dynamic, so are government initiatives in the education sector, focusing on academic success. In this regard, McGencey (2003) discusses the “Race to the top,” a USD 500 million, early learning challenge implemented by the Obama administration to improve the quality and demand for early childhood education programs in the United States. Besides, the problem also aimed at creating awareness on early childhood education and its impact on the academic future of children in the United States as well as the sustainability of the country. McGency asserts that to adequately provide early education for those in need, the state must develop and implement quality education programs. It was also noted that despite the early childhood education programs being crucial to all children in the society, those from low-income families would benefit the most as their parents lack the resources to cater and provide for early learning experiences. McGencey (2003) further elaborates on how children from low-income families are limited in executive functioning skills, namely, attentiveness, concentration, and impulse control, leading to low scores in cognitive tests, Pre-school.
David Berkham and Valerie Lee’s (2002) research findings indicate that children from low-income families are disadvantaged as they score lower grades in pre-school literacy skills as compared to children from affluent families. The article “Double Jeopardy: How Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation,” Donald Hernandez lists concerning statistics which require deliberation.
- For everyone in six children who have not acquired proficient reading skills by the third grade fails to graduate from high school at the expected time, a rate higher than that of proficient readers by four times.
- Below average readers have the highest drop-out rates: As the dropout rates for proficient and ordinary readers are at 4 and 9 percent respectively while the standards for the below-average readers are at 23 percent.
- The percentage of children who dropped out of school rose to 26 percent for those who, by the third grade, were not proficient in reading and were from families who had been poor for at least one year.
- The rate of poor readers was highest among low income Hispanic and black students at 33 and 31 percent, respectively, which amounts to an estimated eight times the rate of children who had acquired proficient reading skills.
- Despite children from low-income families being proficient readers by the third grade, an estimated 11 percent dropped out of school comparing to semi-proficient readers from high come families and had never been exposed to poverty, which was estimated at 8 percent. (McGencey, 2011, p. 56)
The statistical data presented in this research is crucial to all educational stakeholders as the evidence reveals the severe implications of the home on the academic success of the children in school and beyond. It is, therefore, apparent that there is an urgent need for quality learning experiences for children pre-school. As a result, educational leaders need to re-evaluate their roles in providing quality educational experiences for kindergarten attending children in the future regardless of their financial background to adequately equip them with the ability to learn and ensure academic success. The solutions to the problems indicated by the research require collaborative action among education stakeholders, including educating parents as they play a vital role in the development of the reading abilities of the children and, in turn, the academic success of the children in the future.
Most of the educators and educational leaders rarely involve the parents in ensuring that the children are sufficiently equipped for academic success. In some cases, there is much frustration when teachers find out that parents do not contribute to the academic success of the child through simple requests such as reading to the children. Despite the parents being provided with validated data and evidence on numerous occasions, that reading to children before joining the elementary school is crucial for the academic success of the children; counselors and educators raise one major question; why don’t the parents hide the advice and read to the children?
Parents are exposed to the same message by a wide variety of sources, including pre-school programs, literature after birth in hospitals, media outlets, and campaigns, among others. Also, when children are enrolled in elementary schools, the parents are requested by the teachers to read to their children. Intending to understand why the parents of early learners and pre-school children, do not read to their children despite the numerous requests and information on benefits, a teacher took it upon herself to conduct personal interviews of parents who do not read to their children despite their children being early learners and first graders. The primary role of the meetings was to understand the lack of learning in the home environment. The following are a sample of
questions posed to the parents, as well as some of the responses given.
Q1: What do you understand when asked to read to your child/children?
Responses
“My understanding is that I should assist my child in sounding out words.”
“Reading to my child means reading a book from beginning to the end, focusing on completing the task; unfortunately, my children don’t sit still as I read.”
“Could it be that I should choose entertaining books, my children?”
“I do not understand what teachers mean by, read to your child
.”
“I am not a proficient reader; hence I avoid reading to my children.”
“I do not know where to start.”
Q2: What reason can you give for the teacher giving repeated requests for you to read to your child?
Responses
“I think because it would benefit them.”
“Am told the same thing by teachers year after year, but they don’t explain to me what they mean.”
“I guess it is a comment that teachers in kindergarten and first grade say to parents, am not sure. I get so irritated by hearing the same message every year. Honestly, I don’t even know what they mean with that statement.”
“Books are crucial in assisting our children to be better speakers.”
Q3: “Read to your child,” do you understand what is meant by these words when spoken by your child’s teacher.
“No, I do not understand.”
“No, I do not know how to start reading to my child the correct way.”
“I am clueless when I open the book; I don’t know how to start, continue, or finish.”
“I wish they would tell me what to do, as I am fed up with teachers just saying, read to your child and assuming that we know what that means”
“The teachers just repeat how it would be beneficial to my child and how they would perform better if I read to them, but I do speak to children, and maybe I don’t read to them as I am a poor reader.”
Q4: Have you encountered any challenges when attempting to read to your child?
“If you aren’t comfortable reading or can’t read, then how are u going to read to your children?”
“I make an effort to read to my children, but I guess I am doing it wrong as my child is bored and disinterested in the books, I read so I give up reading to them.”
“I don’t know which books I should read to my children.”
“I pray they learn to read at school as am a poor reader; hence I do not make time to read to them.”
Q5: Do you include reading storybooks daily as an integral interaction with your children?
“No, storybook reading is not an integral part of my daily interactions with my children” (This comment was made by all parents interviewed) (Edwards, 2005, p.7-8)
The responses made by parents provided crucial and valuable information to educators as well as the parents, providing a basis for a solution to the existing issues. It is noted that most of the parents who encounter problems reading to their children, themselves have reading problems.
In most cases, it was noted that parents who cannot provide for their children through reading are frustrated by the continuous requests by teachers to read to their children. Also, The ” Read to your child” directive commonly given by teachers is vague in that it does not provide guidelines on processes and types of books; as a result, the parents are left in a dilemma as they may be willing to read to their children but do not know how to conduct the exercise. According to Edwards(2005), the reason why parents did not consider reading as an integral aspect of their daily interactions with their children was that they are unable to perceive and take up the reasonability of being there child’s primary tutor in discovering the complexities and beauty of written language. Furthermore, expecting a parent to relate the joy of reading to their children when they struggle with reading is nearly impossible.
On the other hand, Teachers are equipped to identify reading challenges as well as the specific areas that the problems may exist. These capabilities are instilled in teachers through vigorous and professional training and education of innovative and effective literacy teaching practices and principles. Regardless of teachers and parents having contact with each other, something is missing in the relationship. Equipped with the knowledge that supports literacy environments in the home as well as the education level of the parents, much can be done to develop more reliable connections between household, school, and literacy development. Therefore, instead of teachers sending a directive to the parents to read to their children,” teachers should focus on educating the parents on techniques to apply when reading to their children. Besides, a variety of challenges, as a result, diverse cultures, time constraints, economic and emotional issues it is apparent that there is a critical need for collaboration between teachers and parents to facilitate positive literacy gains for the children.
Impact of Literacy Development (feels incomplete and repetitive)
In the last decade, advances in technology have revolutionized access to “printed word,” which can be accessed through the internet on various platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, E-books, and Emails, among others. The dynamic distributions of “printed word” have asserted the need for strong literacy skills as numerous technologies that rely on reading are incorporated into the workplace. Hence, students that have encountered multiple challenges along the academic path are bound to experience difficulties in their adult life, especially the workplace, which may have ramifications on their career objectives and options.
A 20111 study by Athanasou evaluated the literacy levels of adults and the impact of reading as a foundation for development in future careers. Through the WRAT3(Wide Range Achievement Test) which analyzes the educational achievement in basic math, spelling, and reading skills as administered to 465 participants aged between 14 to 79 years of old (Median 36 years). It is critical to note that the literacy component aims at identifying and decoding words as a result does not test the comprehension levels of the readers. The tests were administered individually, and the data acquired was applied to provide a narrow focus on the working population’s reading abilities. In these respects, the research findings revealed that an estimated 50 percent of the participant’d recorded a reading level consistent with the 7th grade. It is important to note that the reading scores were varied across numerous social factors; nonetheless, high scores were reported common occupational groups with the professionals scoring more senior than the laborers.
The crucial aspects of previous data collected by Athanasou’s 1970 research on “Youth in Transition” which was tested in 1980 by the “Australian studies of school performance” is that the academic achievements of the children were tested at the age of 10 years old and in 1991 a follow up was conducted through mail surveys to acquire the occupation status of the participants. The findings of the study revealed that occupational and educational outcomes were related to the literacy levels reported in elementary school, the vocational achievements of individuals in their early 20s were predicted by their literacy levels at the age of 10 years old( in isolate cases between the age of 11 to 14 years)(Athanasou, 2011, p. 16).
The study asserts the consequences of educational instruction and theoretical issues on the elementary reading level and the relationship with future occupational success. Thus the conclusion that students whose reading abilities are poor at elementary school are less likely to venture in specific careers if the education system they are enrolled in does not include curriculums aimed at increasing the leaning and reading potential of the learners. In a highly competitive environment where literacy expectation is crucial to cope with the technological advances, students whose elementary literacy needs and challenges are not conclusively addressed will be limited in post-secondary education hence limited career options.
Early Childhood Education ( Topic/ subtopic/)?
Research conducted in the United States (maybe better if the US was not mentioned several) reveals that there are a significant number of children that are not academically equipped to begin kindergarten. In the last couple of decades (repeated), education reforms advocate for “school ready” children hence the development of programs to ensure that children are provided with the skills to facilitate their readiness. According to the 2010 article by Wat and Doggett, the focus was to collect and analyze data from various states across the United States that offered state-mandated pre-kindergarten programs as well as determine their effectiveness in meeting the programs’ objectives. The article started by listing statistical data from 2000 by Denton, Germino-Hausken, and West, illustrating the education level of children from low –income families before they joined kindergarten. The research conducted n 2000 presented data that indicated that 30 percent of the low-income children were unfamiliar with the written word until they entered kindergarten.
It was also noted that children from middle-income families and those from families with parents who had acquired tertiary level education could not recognize written word at a rate of 17 and 8 percent, respectively. Similarly, research conducted in 2002 by Coley also revealed that there was a high number of children from low-income families that did not recognize the alphabet before attending elementary school at a rate of 60 percent. Besides, over one-third of children from middle-income families also did not understand the alphabet before attending primary school. The research findings were crucial
as they indicated a significant gap between the ability and education of pre-school children in the United States. Furthermore, the research reveals that children from low-income families are the most disadvantaged group; hence efforts must be made to provide access to reading skills programs for pre-school children. Aside from low-income families, it was also noted that a percentage of children from middle-income families were also limited in their reading abilities despite their parents being highly educated. Therefore, the programs should be provided to all children from diverse backgrounds to ensure the equality of children skills before they join Kindergarten.
Doggett and Wat (2010) report that forty states in the United States offer state-funded pre-school programs. Furthermore, the pre-school programs are aligned with curriculum and state standards of elementary schools, ensuring that pre-school education is applied as a foundation for primary schools. As a result, teaching practices and professional development are developed and implemented following the curriculum guidelines approved by the state. Despite the existence of the federal pre-school program being funded and managed by various states, it is limited to children from the most impoverished families, which amount to less than 50 percent of the children who require pre-school education. Most states that initiated their own state’s programs did so intending to cater to children from low-income families. Still, as the projects progress, they realized that the plans were highly beneficial to middle-income children who attended the same programs. According to a study in Tulsa, Oklahoma that measured the overall gains of children attending pre-school state projects, indicating a higher score in the alphabet and word identification and spelling score for children from middle-income families at a rate of 41 and 17 percent when compared to children who did not attend pre-school programs. Because children from middle-income families constitute over 50 percent of all the children that drop out of school or end up requiring special attention, educational reformists must address a variety of federal and state funding issues that limit the inclusion of children from diverse backgrounds.
During the Abbott vs. Burke(1998) the supreme court in New Jersey found that the state had failed to meet the state education standards for children from diverse backgrounds as the state had to implement high quality and rigorous pre-school education programs for the thirty-one school districts that were classified as the lowest-income states. It was, therefore, noted that state-funded programs were developed and available for all pre-school education between the ages of 3 to 4 years, regardless of their socio-economic background. According to Doggett& Wat(2010)., the pre-school programs were held to the state’s highest standards which included comprehensive early learning guidelines, PreK to 3rd ” and college education levels as teaching requirements, appropriate development curriculum, low child to adult ratios in the classroom and financial resources for employing master teachers and early childhood experts.
During the first couple of years on the initiation of the programs, data was collected on the students to track their performance from pre-school up to the 2nd grade. While comparing to students that of students who did not have the opportunity to join pre-school, there was evidence that indicated that children who had attended pre-school showed significantly improved math, literacy, and language skills. Also, it was noted that pre-school students were less likely to repeat a grade after being in the pre-school program for a year by over 30 percent, the reason being that they have a better vocabulary, math, and language comprehension skills. As the children spent more time in the pre-school program their likelihood to repeat a grade decreased as it was noted
Fifty percent of the children who were less likely to repeat a grade after spending two years in the pre-school program. Over the years, the state of New Jersey has maintained its high levels of quality, resulting in high success rates; hence New Jersey’s public education plan is characterized by a robust PreK curriculum (Doggett & Wat, 2010).
As a result of the success illustrated in the state of New Jersey, as well as other states that have integrated Pre-K curriculums into state-funded education, argue that the achievement gap between the low- and middle-income groups can only be addressed through Pre-K. Therefore, educational reformers must urgently consider the role of early childhood education in the overall development of the child.
Early childhood education programs address achievements gaps
The state of Michigan differs from other states in the United States as it is committed to understanding the underpinnings of why and how student achievement data on the economic status of the students. According to the Department of education, Michigan, the primary concern is that children from low-income families begin school later than children from upper-class children. Therefore, since low-income children start late, they are expected to lag for the rest of their academic years, which leads to frustrations that end up in students repeating grades or and dropping out. T.Howard (2010), describes “achievement gap” as the discrepancy in access to education and education outcomes between various diverse groups in the United States including Native Americans, Latino students, African American, and Asian Americans performing poorer compared to children from white communities who perform better (p.3). For instance, in Michigan, an estimated 13 percent of the total 39 percent of the students who passed the Math merit exam came from low-income families. The results of the standardized exam are a clear indication that there gaps in the achievement scores between various income groups.
To address, the difference in the student achievements resulted in the development and implementation of state-funded pre-school programs to equitably assist the diverse families in Michigan. The (GSRP) Great Start Readiness program has had a positive impact in closing the achievement gap in children from various communities as the application has been instrumental in addressing significant student needs at an early stage during pre-school years.
Between 1995-2011, a longitudinal study was conducted to measure both the long- and short-term effects of the program. Furthermore, the research findings revealed that that elementary to 3rd-grade teachers ranked GSRP students higher than non-GRSP students in terms of readiness to learn, attendance, initiative, interest in school, and retaining information, among others. In the fourth grade, GSRP students performed better in literacy skills, knowledge, thinking skills, and progression to the next category as compared to their peers who did not attend GSRP.
The percentage points in grade 11 and 12 for GSRP students was higher by over 5 percent on the Merit Exam and 7 percent better in the art language in the state of Michigan. Also, the percentage of children who attended GSRP and graduated on time versus that of non-GSRP Students was at 58 and 43 percent, respectively. GSRP students from diverse cultures also have a higher number of students who graduated on time as compared to students from different communities that did not attend GSRP at a rate of 60 and 37 percent, respectively (Michigan, 2013).
The conclusions on the Michigan GSRP study provide crucial information applicable to the development and implementation of education reforms across states. It is critical to note that it is the primary objective of bridging the gap is to ensure equality in education. Then it is mandatory that knowledge is made equitable in pre-school as waiting for children to start learning in kindergarten would be too late as some children will have acquired skills before schools while those who have not attended pre-school would be at a significant disadvantage.
Interventions and Literacy Education
The most considerable capacity for education is at home, followed by the classroom, which provides quality interactions and educational experiences aimed at developing, strengthening, and supporting literacy development. According to 2012, research conducted by Van Hees aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the teacher’s verbal classroom interaction with the students and literacy acquisition effects. Since schools located and available to low-income students have the highest percentage of struggling students, the processes to transform the environment to increase the literacy acquisition and development of the students is of great concern. It is critical to note that the literacy abilities of the children affected how they acquired information in the classroom when they started formal education. In 2005, research by Moses argued that children from communities in New Zealand that were socioeconomically advantaged joined the school with an estimated 6,000 English words.
Besides, they had access to age-appropriate and well-established language resources that facilitated oral meaning (Van Hees, 2011, p.47). According to evidence presented by Hattie et al., 2005 and Goldenburg, 2001 an estimated 50 percent of children from low-income families begin school with expressive and receptive vocabulary that is less than 6,000 words (Van Hees, 2011, p. 47). When determining the future reading abilities of a child, the focus is commonly on verbal memory, expressive and receptive language, phonological awareness, and receptive vocabulary put together to describe the literacy skills of the child. A child is also required to be able to interact with the environment actively as well as contribute to learning opportunities in the classroom. To this effect, universal research focuses on determining the application of practical methods and developing learning environments that are beneficial by encouraging optimal literacy development of the children. In the 2011 study by Van Hees, the focus is on the patterns of expression an interaction in the first couple of years of public education to identify their overall effectiveness in the literacy development of individual students.
The study relies on data collected from four low-income community schools in Auckland. The teachers who volunteered as participants in the research taught years 1 and 2. Besides, the study included students at participants; the total number of the students was 80, while 12 of those were randomly selected for the case study. The research methodology included data collection from each of the teachers as well as the “CombiList” test, which was applied for measuring participation and expression of the students in the classroom. The “CombiList” test was administered twice, firstly at the beginning of the study, and later after six months had elapsed. The six month period between which the two assessments were taken was significantly crucial to the investigation as it is during this time that the teachers implemented specific interventions in each of their classes for ten weeks relying on skills they had to acquire from five workshops they had previously attended. The “British Picture Vocabulary Scale Assessment” was also administered to the students simultaneously with the “CombiList” test. Also, three teaching lessons, thirty minutes each, were recorded for the four classrooms during the data collection procedure (Van Hees, 2012).
The workshops attended by the teachers combined the interactional and linguistic theory practices with a particular focus on student expressions within the classroom environment. The workshops were highly beneficial as they encouraged teachers to implement behaviors and practices aimed at enhancing the expressive characteristics of the students. The research revealed that two of the four teachers that were evaluated exhibited micro analyzed vocal interactions with the students who were parallel with the case study analysis of exploring patterns of classroom expressions and interactions. It is critical to note that before the teachers attending the five workshops, they controlled a significant portion of the verbal communications, which were characterized by the teachers doing much of the speaking as the students hardly spoke and spent their time listening to the teachers. The interventions that were presented to the teachers in the five workshops encouraged the teachers to create environments that supported dialogues in the classrooms, thus prompting discussions that were initiated and supported by the students. The application of the dialogue intervention transformed the classroom interactions through complex conversations between the students and the teachers, and between the students as peers. Most importantly, dialogue encouraged the students to express themselves at a much higher level.
Furthermore, the teachers also acquired training during the workshops, which prompted them to apply different techniques when posing questions to the students. Therefore, instead of asking closed-ended questions that required YES /NO answers and single/precise answers, the teachers were encouraged to ask questions which required the students to express themselves by applying contributory statements in the presentation of the issues.
The findings 12 case study students’ data analysis illustrated that there was a significant rise in vocabulary development of the 12 random students as 75 percent of the participants had below-average scores for their age groups at the beginning of the study. Also, 50 percent of the students in the case study were critically analyzed in areas of verbal fluency, confidence, and expression levels. The results of the study revealed that indeed there were significant rises in the use of compound words, fluency, confidence, and overall expression. Hence the study argues that the shift in the teacher’s practices and knowledge as well as their commitment to creating optimal environments for expression and interaction in the classroom were the main contributing factors of the change in the outcomes noted in the research findings (Van Hees, 2011, p. 56).
Limitations
It is critical to note that the probability of conducting research that considers all possible factors are very low; hence each study is limited in one aspect or another. Similarly, in these cases, the research conducted is not absolute, as some factors were either assumed or unaccounted for. Also, it is critical to note that despite the focus of the article is to transform the education sector in South East Asia, the data available is not limited to the region. Therefore, the data analyzed is from various parts of the world as the subject matter is not limited to children in South East Asia. Thus, the findings should be implemented about South East Asia while considering factors such as religion and socio-economic factors. In these regards, it is crucial to note the following limitations as they are essential to the implementation of the research findings.
- The occurrence of errors in the analysis is probable, hence the need to consider two types of errors in the hypothesis testing. The first type of error referred to as Type 1 is as a result of the Null hypothesis (Ho) being correct, but the analysis proves otherwise. The second type of error referred to as Type 2 is as a result of the Null hypothesis being wrong, but the report fails to verify that the Null Hypothesis is false adequately. In Set 1, there was a Type 2 error in the second part of the hypothesis as there was limited evidence to sufficiently prove that students who did not attend early childhood education did not excel in high levels such as university and employment. The case is that despite the students who did not participate in early childhood education, struggling in first years, a significant portion of the students was able to catch up and develop valuable skills that boosted them in upper classes which in turn had an effect on their success in university and professionally.
- It is assumed that all children who attended early childhood education progressed to elementary school, high school, and college. Therefore, students who dropped out of school at any level were not considered as they would affect the research findings. It is critical to note that, being that the research relies on secondary sources of data, there is no access to the primary causes of data for verification. Also, the assumption that all students who attended early childhood education progressed to various stages leaves out students who attended early childhood education and dropped out after primary or secondary for a variety of reasons. Since the focus on not dropping out the data on such students is irrelevant.
- The research does not factor in students with learning disabilities such as ADHD, Autism, and Dyslexia, among others. The subjects of the study were students without learning disabilities.
Areas for further research
As discussed earlier, the scope of the research limits studies on various areas that are like the subject matter of “the impact, evidence, and theory of early childhood education and success.” Therefore, the need to research the impact of early childhood education on the development of cognitive skills in children with learning disabilities. (I think it should be the Impact of acquiring Literacy skills in Early Childhood on academic success in children with learning disabilities). Secondly, since not all children who enter the education system at early childhood education complete school or even qualify for university. Research to determine the reasons as to what factors contribute to the decline in academic performance or failure of the children to foremost the trends would be very enlightening as it would provide insight on education trends in communities as well as offer viable solutions to addressing drop out rates across the world.
Chapter V: Recommendation and Conclusion
The implementation and application of standardized tests as a measure of schools’ accountability and student’s academic success is commonly relied upon across the world, including South East Asia, regardless of the student’s capabilities before they join the school. It is apparent from various studies that children’s literacy skills and preparedness for learning in a formal setting such as a school classroom are developed during the children’s first years from birth. Therefore, children who are exposed to literacy activities and practices at a very young age are more prepared for school settings as compared to those whose first contact with literacy is a school.
Simple literacy experienced between children and parents, such as reading books aloud to the children, has been proven to be extremely crucial to the development and success of literacy skills acquisition in children, which has a ripple effect on the success of the children in their future as adults. Therefore, various stakeholders in the education sector, including educational leaders and educators, must promote the implementation of early childhood programs aimed at facilitating pre-school literacy. Furthermore, the educators need to make connections with the parents, guardians, and primary caregivers of the children to equip them with the resources and skills to facilitate literacy interactions with the children before they join the school.
Regarding the school curriculum, educational leaders must develop and implement effective literacy interventions that are proven to be successful in generating the literacy skills of the children. The southeast Asia communities are of different classes, including low, middle, and upper classes. As a result, the literacy skills of the families in the region vary due to socioeconomics and demographics of the area. In this case, the governments should initiate programs that cater to the literacy needs of the children across varied socio-economic backgrounds. In that children from the upper class and those from the low-class families receive similar interventions ensuring that when they join a school, no child is disadvantaged due to their geographical, cultural, or economic status.
It is critical to note that the process of implementing intervention programs for communities is not a simple task, as multiple factors need to be considered. The children come from various backgrounds, and despite the need to standardize the interventions, they must also be designed to address specific challenges in multiple communities across South East Asia. Hence, the interventions implemented need to be critically evaluated and accessed to determine their success in particular communities. Furthermore, to ensure the success of specialized interventions for various cities, the various education stakeholders must engage each other to decide on the best approach. For instance, implementing interventions that require numerous reading practices by parents in a low-income community where most of the parents are not educated would not be sufficient. As the parents would lack in skills to implement the practices.
Often the assumption that teachers are expected to be skilled in all areas and to deal with diverse students; some teachers are limited in their abilities. Hence the need to offer the teachers support as well as training on various interventions that they can apply to improve literacy skills of the students from diverse backgrounds. It has been noted that the training and support of teachers are crucial to the success of literacy interventions. Also, the development and implementation of effective communication channels between the teachers and parents are essential. As it is through the nurturing of these relationships that the teachers and parents can rely on each other and work together to successfully develop literacy skills in children through the implementation of various interventions.
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Achievement gap starts early, so CT’s pre-K must, too.
Connecticut has some of the nation’s largest achievement gaps between white students and students of color. That’s the lesson from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results released during the last week of October. These results provide Connecticut residents a clear picture of how the state’s schools perform, for different student groups, compared to other states, and over time.
To close these gaps, Connecticut’s schools must do a much better job of serving low-income, black, and Hispanic students. But, because one-third to one-half of the achievement gap exists before children start school, efforts to close those gaps must also start earlier, in the preschool and early childhood years.
Research shows that high-quality pre-k programs can help to narrow achievement gaps for low-income students, improving their school and long-term outcomes. This is crucial for a state like Connecticut that has struggled with persistent achievement gaps between student groups for decades.
Children who participated in New Jersey’s Abbott Preschool Program, which provided universal pre-k in 31 of the state’s highest poverty districts, gained nearly four months in vocabulary growth compared to non-participants, and also made significant gains in math and early literacy skills. Follow up studies found that these gains lasted through at least 5th grade.
Studies of large scale, quality preschool programs in Boston and Oklahoma have also found evidence of significant and lasting gains. Longer-term studies that followed children who attended preschool or Head Start in the 1960s and 1980s found that at-risk children who attended preschool are more likely to graduate high school and less likely to drop out, be arrested, or be unemployed than those who did not.
Yet, as a new ConnCAN report shows, Connecticut is falling short in preparing our youngest students to succeed in school. No more than half of entering kindergarteners consistently demonstrate school readiness, and the percentage is much lower in the highest-poverty districts.
Although Connecticut has made investments in expanding access to preschool, nearly 20 percent of low-income preschoolers still lack access to these programs. In some of the state’s highest poverty communities, the share of unserved children is higher. High parent co-pays, lack of coordination between the state’s multiple preschool programs, and confusing eligibility standards prevent some of the neediest children from attending preschool.
Even worse, many preschool programs do not provide quality early learning experiences that prepare low-income children for success in school and life. The state and district preschool programs that produce lasting results employ qualified teachers with bachelor’s degrees; pay them similarly to K-12 public school teachers; provide job-embedded coaching to improve teacher practice; use research-based, age-appropriate curricula; and regularly collect and analyze data on child outcomes and program quality to support ongoing improvement.
While some Connecticut preschool programs—such as the Friends Center For Children, Elm City Montessori School, and ELLI Lab School—do many of these things, Connecticut’s current preschool policies do not ensure this level of quality across all programs, nor does the state fund preschool at the levels sufficient to support them.
When Connecticut is facing a difficult budget crisis, investing in early childhood can seem impossible. But research shows that preschool makes good economic sense. Children who attended preschool are less likely to be held back in school, placed in special education, go to jail, or receive public assistance as adults. In short, preschool actually saves government money over the long-term.
Given the benefits of a quality early childhood education Connecticut must continue efforts in expand access to high-quality pre-k and infant and toddler programs, while also improving quality in existing programs.
In the near term, the state can improve quality and access by reorganizing and streamlining its fragmented early childhood programs—at least 8 different funding streams currently support preschool—into a more integrated, coherent, and efficient system. It must also raise expectations for quality and learning in preschool, shifting focus from compliance and inputs to the kinds of teaching practices support children’s learning. And it must develop a statewide strategy to recruit, prepare, and retain qualified preschool teachers.
The work ahead is significant. But research shows that the potential benefits are even greater. The path to narrowing Connecticut’s achievement gap begins in early childhood.
Sara Mead is a partner with Bellwether Education Partners and has advised ConnCAN on early childhood education.
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Free to Read. Not Free to Produce. | https://ctmirror.org/category/ct-viewpoints/achievement-gap-starts-early-so-cts-pre-k-must-too/ |
The goal is to have children with pre-reading and foundational math skills and school-appropriate behavior by first grade. More specifically, the goals for all early childhood education programs, with parental inputs and reinforcement, are to create a “mobility mentality” consisting of a growth mindset (the belief that success is learned, not preordained), instilling confidence in children to succeed, and raising their aspirations, as well as those of their parents. They also need the grit and character development to see setbacks as hurdles to overcome, not impenetrable walls, and the persistence, if they confront a closed gate, to find ways to open it or discover other paths. Fostering these characteristics in children from disadvantaged backgrounds, along with instilling in parents the ability to take these lessons home with them and apply them, are crucial elements.
It is well documented that there are large gaps in early childhood education and school readiness by parental education and income, which were most pronounced in the U.S. compared to other Anglo nations and which only recently have begun to stabilize (Bradbury et al. 2012). These gaps are larger now than in the past, in part because parents at the top spend vastly more in time and money on developmentally oriented goods and activities than those at the bottom (Kaushal et al. 2011; Kalil et al. 2012). We know that high-quality early childhood education programs are critical for development. Quality programs include productive teacher-child interactions, encouragement from teachers, and opportunities to engage with varied materials. Teacher quality and retention are also key ingredients for producing better outcomes for disadvantaged children. But these conditions are hard to establish or maintain in low-income areas (Duncan 2014).
President Obama's national drive to improve early childhood education for these children is central to the effort to overcome these gaps but is hampered by differential state take-up rates in expanding preschool to all children (Duncan and Magnuson 2011). Cross-national research in Denmark and France, where universal early childhood education is the norm, shows that effective high-quality preschools do reduce the slope of the relationship of achievement to family education background. But even so, the remaining differences in both cognitive and behavioral outcomes are still significant when outcomes are ranked by parental education (Bingley and Westergaard-Nielsen 2012; Dumas and Le Franc 2012). This suggests that while early childhood education can improve opportunity and mobility from the bottom, it is not by itself the “magic bullet” for achieving desirable levels of IGM.
In many ways, the U.S. system of supports and institutions performs well enough to maintain but not reduce SES-related outcome gaps once school begins (Ermisch et al. 2012; Duncan and Magnuson 2013). Hence, the gap at the beginning of elementary school is key—assuming smaller gaps upon the start of grade school would in fact be maintained and not exacerbated. We do know from longitudinal studies that there are large gaps at 9 months that widen by 24 months. This is worrisome because cross-sectional studies reveal wide gaps based on pre-K assessments at ages 4–5 (see Bradbury et al. 2012). Thus, we need effective, scalable, and replicable interventions before preschool, as well as through the preschool period, if we are to make progress in improving mobility for children coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.
See OECD (2014) and figures in the section entitled “What Makes a Difference Early in Life?”.
Whereas the data we have on young children follows the same children from ages 9–24 months, we do not have follow-up data on the same children as they exit preschool or enter elementary school. | https://m.ebrary.net/16147/education/transition_preschool_early_childhood_education_ages |
# Early Childhood Education Act
The Early Childhood Education Act is the name of various landmark laws passed by the United States Congress outlining federal programs and funding for childhood education from pre-school through kindergarten. The first such act was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaiʻi in the 1960s. The theory behind the act is that the years before a child reaches kindergarten are the most critical to influence learning. Many children do not have access to early education before entering kindergarten. The goal of the act is to provide a comprehensive set of services for children from birth until they enter kindergarten.
## Legislative history
Since the Early Childhood Education Act was initiated in the 60s, various laws have been passed and continue to be passed as part of the Early Childhood Education Act to better prepare young children for school. These programs were intended to help children in the pre-kindergarten years to be more successful once starting school.
### Head start
Founded in 1965 by Jule Sugarman, Head start was one of the first programs initiated as a result of the Early Childhood Education Act. Its goal is to enhance the social and cognitive development of children offering services in the area of education, health, social and nutrition. This program was originally intended to be a "catch up summer school" that would teach the children from low-income families everything that they need to know before starting school in only a few weeks span. The program has since been redefined and acts have been passed for Head Start programs to keep progressing towards providing better services to pre-kindergarten children from low-income families.
### National Academy of Early Childhood Programs
In 1985 the National Association for the Education of Young Children established the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs for voluntary accreditation according to health, safety and education standards. This program was intended to create a more reliable standard of accreditation for early childhood education programs. The program's goal is to promote quality and excellence in early childhood programs across the United States. There are NAECP located all across the country that offer classes in order to become an accredited ECE program.
### Even Start Program
In 1988, The U.S Department of Education established the Even Start Program to improve parent and family literacy at home. This program was designed to improve parents literacy so they can ultimately help their children become literate and reach their full potential as learners. It integrates early childhood education, adult education and family literacy.
### No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act was proposed by George W. Bush and passed by United States House of Representatives in 2001. The Act requires that all public schools receive federal funding to administer a standardized test annually to assess if students have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Schools must provide services to students who do not meet AYP in order to help them succeed and pass AYP the following year.
### Preschool for All Initiative
In 2013, President Obama proposed the Preschool for All initiative. The goal of this program is to expand funding in all fifty states to allow low and mid-income families the opportunity to provide their four-year-old children with high quality preschool.
## Provisions of the act
Laws under the Early Childhood Education Act offer comprehensive services for children from birth through age five. Programs should meet one the following goals: ·Provide access to high-quality infant and toddler care
·Expand voluntary home visit early learning program s
·Develop partnerships with states to provide high-quality preschool for low and middle-income families
## Current programs
Early Reading First was established as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. It provides competitive grants to fund the development of model programs that aim to prepare children for school. The Special Education Preschool Grants program provides grants to states to fund special educational services to children 3 to 5 with disabilities. The Special Education Grants for Infants and Families grant program assists states in implementing services for children with disabilities from birth to 2 years old. The Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program is a competitive grant program that gives the opportunity to professionally develop skills to educators and caregivers working in low-income areas.
## Research and evaluations
### Research
The Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research program evaluates the efficiency of current preschool curricula in order to address the lack of systematic evaluations currently used. The data collected includes child assessments, parent interviews, teacher interviews and classroom observations. Evaluations were made to commonly assess the types of assessments that preschool programs across the country were giving their children before they left and went to kindergarten. These evaluations were focused on the fact that preschools were not assessing children on a rigorous scale that efficiently prepared them to enter grade school. What children learn and the skills they gain in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten determine how well they will succeed academically in the next few years that follow.
The National Institute for Early Childhood Research is an institute that concentrates on using research to support and enhance Early Childhood programs in the United States. This institute has been using research to promote a higher education for young children since 2002. They are currently doing research on several projects.
### Evaluations
The 'Even Start Classroom Literacy Interventions and Outcomes Study is a controlled study that assesses the contribution of the enhanced parenting component of the program. This program was created in 1989. The focus of this program was to help the parents of low-income families in order to improve the literacy skills of their children. By increasing the parents' knowledge and skills needed for reading and writing, the literacy skills of their young children would most likely increase as well. It focuses on evaluating whether focused literacy instruction combined with parent education will provide better outcomes than current programs.
The Early Reading First National Evaluation assesses the impact of the program on children’s language, literacy outcomes and preschools’ literacy instruction. The main focus of this study was to give the children of low-income families the opportunity to gain the necessary academic skills need to succeed in school. The study compares schools’ programs who received funding from the Early reading grant and those who did not. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Childhood_Education_Act |
Washington, D.C. — As students, parents, and teachers across the country prepare for another school year, an issue brief released today by the Center for American Progress finds that many of our nation’s youngest students—approximately 57,000 children—won’t be going back to school this year due to the mandatory budget cuts from sequestration. Specifically, these drastic cuts have slashed more than $400 million in Head Start program funds, shutting down classrooms and limiting high-quality learning opportunities for low-income families nationwide.
The Head Start program—which was founded in the 1960s to combat poverty—reaches nearly 1 million children across the country, the majority of whom live at or below the federal poverty level. Cuts to early childhood education such as Head Start, however, have left families scrambling to find alternative programs that offer both learning opportunities for children and safe, affordable child care for parents. In many cases, parents who have lost access to Head Start are forced to quit their jobs because child care costs far exceed what low-income families can pay.
“Head Start is oftentimes an essential program that prepares children for school and helps working families who are trying to keep afloat,” said Katie Hamm, Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress and author of the issue brief. “By arbitrarily cutting these programs, many families are forced into an impossible choice—choosing between substandard child care so that they can continue to work or quitting their jobs to provide their children the quality care they deserve.”
In addition to the immediate implications of Head Start cuts, the long-term ramifications also undermine sequestration’s intended effect. With a return on investment of $7 for every $1 invested, early childhood education is a long-term investment that pays for itself and prepares our nation’s future workforce for success. Furthermore, early childhood education such as Head Start is linked to improved academic performance, reduced need for special education and grade retention, a higher number of high school graduates, and, ultimately, higher wages. Yet because of sequestration, reduced services and shorter programs compromise the effectiveness of early childhood programs for some of America’s neediest children.
Cuts to Head Start not only impact the children and families who rely on the program, but early childhood educators have also been thrown into economic hardship due to job loss or salary cuts resulting from sequestration. Of the estimated 18,000 Head Start staff members who have either lost their jobs or seen a reduction in their salaries, a significant amount of these cuts have fallen on low-income women, who comprise the majority of the early childhood workforce. In a profession that is already notorious for high turnover rates due to low wages and lack of professional development and advancement, sequestration’s deep cuts have only further intensified job insecurity in the early childhood field.
Too many children do not receive the high-quality early childhood education needed to ready them for school and put them on a path to future success. Put simply, sequestration—including cuts to Head Start—is moving our country away from economic recovery. Rather than across-the-board cuts, Congress and the administration should focus on strategic investments, including those in early childhood education. By expanding access to high-quality early childhood programs, we can reduce poverty and prepare children for lifelong success.
Read the issue brief: Who’s Not Going Back to School? by Katie Hamm
Related resources from the Center for American Progress:
- Sequestration Threatens to Further Exacerbate Educational Disparities in America by Juliana Herman and Kaitlin Pennington
- Sequestration Nation: Cutting Off Access to Pre-K Education and Child Care by Kwame Boadi
- Access to Public Preschool Matters by Juliana Herman
- Interactive Map: The Preschool-Access Gap by Juliana Herman, Sasha Post, and Melissa Lazarín
- Federal Investment Can Help Close the Preschool-Access Gap by Juliana Herman and Melissa Lazarín
For more information or to speak to an expert on this topic, contact Chelsea Kiene at 202.478.5328 or [email protected]. | https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-sequestration-forces-57000-head-start-children-out-of-school/ |
With much of the national focus on improving the economy, strengthening the middle class, and reducing the deficit, some people concerned about government spending might look at programs like Head Start and wonder what the long-term benefits are from these programs. How do we know low-income children benefit from these programs and how long do the benefits last? With all of the competing priorities in state and federal budgets, why is it so important to invest in these programs?
It is not only important for those professionals who advocate for strong government investments in early learning programs to be well-informed on the research that justifies their cost, but it is also important for parents, particularly those who are low-income, to have access to this information so that they may understand why it is so important that their children attend a high-quality program. Additionally, low-income families empowered with this information and first-hand knowledge of the benefits they see in their child’s progress and development can make powerful advocates for early learning programs at the local, state, and federal levels.
There is one academic researcher in particular who has been recognized for outstanding work in the area of early learning, Nobel Laureate economist Dr. James Heckman, of the University of Chicago. Dr. Heckman has studied the benefits of early learning programs and characteristics of quality programs for years, publishing numerous peer-reviewed academic papers and gaining national attention for his work. Dr. Heckman takes a broad view of the benefits of quality early learning programs, looking at the benefits of these programs to society as a whole as well as to individual familes, and looking at those benefits across the lifespan of the children who attend these programs.
The premise behind Dr. Heckman’s work is the Heckman Equation:
1) if we, as a society, invest in quality early education for disadvantaged children, thereby developing their cognitive skills, social abilities, and healthy behaviors early in life…..
2) and the benefits from that early learning program are sustained through effective education as disadvantaged children go through school….
3) the result will be a more capable and productive workforce once those same children enter adulthood.
Dr. Heckman has spent decades researching children and families who participate in high-quality programs such as the Abecedarian Project, the ABC/Care program, Head Start, and the Perry Preschool Program, and comparing the outcomes with those children who do not attend a high-quality program. He has looked at a wide range of outcomes for the child as well as the family, including skill development, social-emotional development, academic outcomes, high-school drop-out rates and college completion, health outcomes, income and workforce participation, and spending on government programs in health, remedial education, social services, child welfare, juvenile justice, and adult incarceration. Across this research, he has produced some remarkable findings about the value of quality early learning programs:
- A critical time to shape productivity is from birth to age five, when the brain develops rapidly to build the foundation of cognitive and character skills necessary for good health, success in school, career, and life. Early childhood education fosters cognitive skills along with attentiveness, motivation, self-control, and sociability—the character skills that turn knowledge into know-how and people into productive citizens.
- Many assume that boosting long-term IQ is essential for boosting achievement test scores throughout schooling. Research on the Perry Preschool Program shows this is not the case. Unlike IQ, character skills can be more easily shaped in early childhood education to boost achievement test scores. Enhanced character skills promote learning that boosts achievement test scores. Furthermore, these character skills have a greater effect on later-life outcomes than do cognitive skills.
- Gaps in cognitive and non-cognitive (social-emotional and character) skills between disadvantaged children and their peers emerge early on in life( in the first three years), and these gaps can persist through school and into adulthood. Skill gaps between low and middle income children that researchers can see at age 18 are often present as early as age 5. However, quality early learning programs and investments in parenting can help reduce or eliminate these gaps between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children before they enter school.Once disadvantaged children enter school and as they get older, it becomes more and more difficult to narrow this “achievement gap.” Programs such as remedial education are much less effective than quality early childhood programs at narrowing this gap.
- Likewise, gaps in health and mental health among disadvantaged children can be much more effectively addressedif this intervention happens in the early years. As children get older, health and mental health programs become less effective. Research on the Abcedarian Project early childhood program found significantly better health among children who participated in the program when they reached their 30s, including better health behaviors as well as lower blood pressure, lower obesity rates, and better cholesterol levels.
- A high-quality birth-to-five program for disadvantaged children can have a return on investment of 13%, meaning that for every dollar invested by the government in these programs, the government can expect to save $13 (after factoring in the cost of the program) because they will not have to spend on social programs for that person (for example remedial education and juvenile justice) later on in the child’s life. This is a much higher return on investment than K-12 education or adult job training programs. Additionally, that child will go on to earn more over the course of their lifetime, accruing benefits to society through increased productivity.
- Those children will be more likely to enter school with the social and school readiness skills they need to succeed, complete high school, attend college, and earn more in adulthood. Across the whole lifespan of that child, the total savings in government spending will be significant.
- These benefits and outcomes are not just theoretical – they have been measured by following individual children through early learning programs, as they entered school, and into adulthood.
- For example, a 5% increase in male high school graduation rates is estimated to save California $753 million in annual incarceration costs and crime-related expenditures. | https://www.chs-ca.org/blog/entry/the-benefits-of-early-learning-programs-in-reducing-inequality-and-promotin |
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newsletter here.
I want to take this opportunity between the
Thanksgiving and the New Year holidays -- and near the end of my term at ED --
to say THANKS. I myself am so thankful for each of you and the work you do
every day to improve the lives of our nation’s youngest children and their
families. Sometime this work is very rewarding. Funding falls in place and the
implementors take off with few mistakes or problems. Other times this work can
be frustrating: elected officials don’t see the value of programs for young children
or refuse to find the funding in tight state or local budgets. Other times,
those working to put programs in place hit one bump after another. But
each of you trudge on through the good and bad times because we all know that
we must fight for every child. If we miss helping an infant, the next year she
is a toddler, then a three year old, and soon enters kindergarten behind her
peers. The first five years fly by quickly, and we know the loss of opportunity
may be irreversible if we don’t act.
I want to thank the
staff at ED and HHS for the amazing work they have done. We were fortunate to
have had the best of circumstances: a President, two Secretaries of Education,
and two Secretaries of Health and Human Services who value our work. We also
have had a whole team of lawyers, researchers, budget and policy analysts,
congressional affairs experts, and P-12 experts to back us up. But the day to
day work was done by a small team from ED and HHS who helped us get the money
out the door; provided technical assistance and savvy advice to states each
day; and supported me, each other and you. I am thankful for each of them.
I also want to
acknowledge our partners at Applied Engineering Management (AEM) and the Center for Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO), who make sure every state is respectfully
asked what help they need and then provided that technical assistance (TA) in a
creative and effective way. We were fortunate to get some of our country’s best
experts to serve as your TA providers. I think the results speak for
themselves. In fact the most recent example of the quality of their work was
the wonderful grantee meeting that many of you attended.
And there are two people
I owe a particular thank you to: Linda Smith and Steven Hicks. Linda as my counterpart at HHS has a hug portfolio overseeing
all of child care and Head Start. She is a class act and one of the smartest
people I know. While we didn’t always agree on everything, we always ended up
on the same page, and I always felt I had her support. We were always able
to come to agreement because we both valued the children more than the policy.
And as most of you know
Steven Hicks has been my right and left hand for the past three and a half
years. I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to do this work if Steven hadn’t
pushed my name forward. And I wouldn’t have been able to do the work if he
hadn’t picked up the pieces I dropped along the way and suggested directions we
needed to go. Steven is a multi-talented person who is always in a good mood
and has a wicked sense of humor. So no matter the challenge we faced it with a
laugh!
I hope each of you have
a wonderful holiday season with family and friends and come back refreshed and
ready to face the challenges we have ahead. In my next and final letter in
January, I will touch on those challenges and reflect on what we have
accomplished together.
Voice from the Field: Susan Perry-Manning
“I think some of the
biggest challenges that remain for the next administration going forward is how
are we going to – at scale – address affordability of high-quality early
learning for all families.”
Interview with Susan Perry-Manning
Executive Director, Early Care and Education Consortium
by Senior Policy Advisor Steven Hicks
Susan Perry-Manning assumed the role of Executive Director for the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) in October 2016. ECEC is a national
non-profit alliance of the leading site providers, key state child care
associations, and educational services providers across the country advocating
for strong federal and state policies that bring quality to scale and support
families and children from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Prior to this role, Susan served as Executive Director for the state of
Delaware Office of Early Learning – working with public and private partners
across Delaware to create, fund, coordinate and implement the state’s early
learning services and policies. Read more here.
Spotlight on Connecticut Family Engagement Program
The Preschool
Development Grant (PDG)programs in Connecticut benefit from a strong
family engagement focus. A Family Engagement Project Manager works with
subgrantees to design meaningful, culturally appropriate approaches and
practices through 13 localized family engagement teams. Guiding principles that
assure community-specific, strength-based and family-centered practices, linked
to learning, form the foundation for teams’ efforts. Local teams, supported by
the Project Manager, identify strategies and promising practices for and
recruitment of eligible children, issues of inclusion for children with
disabilities and supporting a seamless birth-to-third grade continuum to
promote smooth transitions for children and families.
Georgia
– Quality Rated Child Care
Finding the right child care or preschool is so
important, and families want useful, reliable tools that help them make the
best choices for their child. With that in mind, using their Early Learning Challenge funds, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
(DECAL) revamped the state’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System,
Quality Rated, and improved the functionality of the online child care search
tool. DECAL launched a statewide public relations campaign to spread the word about Quality Rated and
the way it supports children and families and strengthens the overall education
pipeline for Georgia.
Watch
for Preschool Development Grant’s December Newsletter
Inclusion is the focus of PDG's December Newsletter.
This quarterly issue features articles on the resources and strategies for
including children with special needs in preschool classrooms. The newsletter
highlights the work Illinois is doing to support children and families with
special needs and summarizes Preschool Development Grant states’ efforts in
this area.
Preschool Development Grant Community of
Practice Webinars
Visit PDG’s Community of Practice webpages to
watch the fall’s archived webinars. View: A Deeper Dive into the Dual Language Toolkit; and Supporting Young Children and Families Experiencing
Homelessness, Part II to hear what experts have to share about these topics.
2016 Annual Meeting of RTT-ELC Grantees
The 2016 Annual Grantee
Meeting of the RTT-ELC and Preschool Development Grantees was held
on November 16-18, 2016, in Arlington, VA. The theme of the 2016 meeting
was Leading Change for Equity and Excellence. Over 240 participants attended the
meeting, which included representative teams from all eleven Phase 2 and Phase
3 RTT-ELC States, as well as representatives from six Phase 1 RTT-ELC States.
A Better Start: Why Classroom Diversity Matters in Early
Education. This resource summarizes what we
know about racial and economic diversity in Head Start and state pre-K
classrooms, discusses how diversity and quality are linked, and recommends
steps policymakers can take to increase diversity in preschool
classrooms.
Developing a Comprehensive State
Plan Pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act: A Supplemental Tool for
Structuring Your Plan for Preschool to Third Grade is intended
to encourage states in moving beyond the traditional compliance-oriented
approaches for responding to federal requirements. Rather, developing ESSA
state plans can serve as an opportunity for chiefs to frame their work within
an overall vision for education and demonstrate how different components in
that system are part of a coherent approach toward achieving the overall goals
of success in college, career, and life. Untangling the Terms and Skills Related to Executive Function
and Self-Regulation in Early Childhood outlines key differences and similarities
among various executive function and other regulation-related skills in
research. The purpose of the framework is to help stakeholders in early
learning and child development consider and articulate research, program, and
policy recommendations regarding executive function and other
regulation-related skills with more accuracy and transparency.
The Center on Technology and Disability funded by the Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP), hosted the Technology
Solutions for Early Childhood...The Future is NOW Symposium which brought
together thought leaders, researchers and practitioners in early childhood
development and assistive technology (AT). Participants learned about
evidence-based practices, current research, and ways in which families are
successfully using technology to support the developmental and learning needs
of their children
ED
and HHS Award $247.4M in Preschool Grants to 18 States
U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. announced that 18 states will receive $247.4 million
for their third year funding awards under the Departments of Education and of
Health and Human Services jointly-administered Preschool
Development Grant program to continue
their work in expanding access to high-quality preschool. King visited an
inclusive Preschool Development Grant program in Baltimore, Md., to see first
hand how early education is preparing our most vulnerable children for
success in school and beyond. King also announced that release of the Preschool
Development Grants Annual Progress Report and 18 individual state reports, which detail how states are
meeting the high-quality standards and improving access for our country's
children from low- to moderate-income families.
Integration of Early Childhood
Data: State Profiles and a Report from ED and HHS
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human
Services (HHS) and Education (ED) announced the release of a report that will help states refine their capacity
to use existing administrative data from early childhood programs to improve
services for young children and families. The report covers key considerations
when states integrate data and highlights progress in eight states that are
actively developing and using early childhood integrated data systems (ECIDS).
The report discusses technical assistance and other resources available to
states as they develop their ECIDS.
The Integration of
Early Childhood Data
(PDF, 1.5MB)
IES Announces New Executive Function Research
Paper
The Institute of Education Sciences released a paper, which
provides a selective overview of recent research on executive function and
explores its implications on education practice and research. This paper,
entitled Executive Function: Implications for Education,
was sponsored by the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the
National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER).
Expanding Opportunities for the Next Generation,
Early Childhood Development in the Middle East and North Africa
The report fills
a critical research gap by providing the first comprehensive analysis of the
state of early childhood development (ECD) in the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA).
Working on early
childhood development in Mali
An evaluation measuring the impact of daily
micronutrient supplements combined with parent education on children’s
development is underway. (Photo by: Curt Carnemark / World Bank)
Hispanic
Children’s Participation in Early Care and Education: Type of Care by Household
Nativity Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Child Age
ECE programs, especially those that are high
quality and center-based, have been shown to promote school readiness and
early achievement for children in low-income families. Several studies
have shown that low-income Hispanic parents, especially those who are
foreign-born, are less likely than other parents to access some types of
ECE services, particularly center-based arrangements. Read
more here.
Washington, D.C.— At a groundbreaking summit at the World Bank
Group-IMF Annual Meetings, nine countries today pledged to make a range of
major investments designed to dramatically reduce childhood stunting and equip
tens of millions of young children with the abilities they need to succeed in a
fast changing world. Today’s commitments are expected to help create future
economic growth by preparing people – in the early years -- for the jobs of the
future. Read more here.
Only 43 percent of
Maryland’s youngest students were ready for kindergarten when they entered
school this August, according to state test results. The Kindergarten
Readiness Assessment, given this past year to a sample of children in most
school districts, showed that 51 percent of Carroll County students
demonstrated skills they needed, the highest performance in the Baltimore
region. Read more here.
Arts programming may help lower stress in economically disadvantaged preschoolers.
Previous research has determined that poverty
can harm children’s educational, social-emotional, and physical health, in part
by damaging the bodily systems that respond to the chronically high levels of
stress that children in poverty are more likely to experience. A new study has
found that intensive arts programs–music, dance, and visual arts–may address
this phenomenon by lowering the stress levels of economically disadvantaged
preschoolers, as measured through cortisol.
Read more here.
K-3
Policymakers’ Guide to Action: Making the early years count
The early elementary years are when children best acquire the academic and
non-academic skills on which long-lasting educational success depends. As a
result, experts argue that meaningful improvements in student academic outcomes
depend on improving the kindergarten through third-grade (K-3) continuum. This new special report from Education
Commission of the States, K-3
Policymakers’ Guide to Action: Making the early years count, summarizes the top
policy components 12 of the nation’s top content experts convened by Education
Commission of the States prioritized for a high-quality K-3 system.
New P-3 Resources from ECS
This 50-State
Review explores the different methods that states use to fund both
full-day and half-day kindergarten and examines the spectrum of full-day
kindergarten program requirements across the country, and a 50 State comparison
on quality can be found here.
This report
highlights an increase in early learning programs for the fourth-straight year,
and this report
serves as a reference guide for policymakers, members of the media and others
on the most commonly requested topics to Education Commission of the States
Information Clearinghouse on early learning
Taking
Action on Early Learning: 17 Executives Actions for Governors
In this issue brief, the Center for American Progress outlines
17 nonlegislative actions that support early learning programs. While not every
recommendation is appropriate or feasible in every state, all are intended to
present options for state executives who are committed to taking action on this
critical issue. Read more here.
In the Final Rule on Head Start, one of the significant and
positive changes was the extended duration of services. Full-day programming
prepares children for different types of school settings as they get older. Evidence shows that participants in
full-day Head Start programs perform better in the areas of language, math,
social-emotional development, and physical health when compared to their
part-day peers. Additional evidence shows that nonwhite, Hispanic
students in full-day kindergarten perform significantly better than their peers
in a half-day program, as do full-day kindergartners who are eligible for free
or reduced lunch.
2017
May Be Indiana's Year for Pre-K
Abbie Lieberman and Aaron Loewenberg offer
advice to help state lawmakers expand access to pre-K without sacrificing
program quality. Read more here.
It Matters – Early School Readiness
School readiness, a
multi-dimensional concept, conveys important advantages. Children who enter
school with early skills, such as a basic knowledge of math and reading, are
more likely than their peers to experience later academic success, attain
higher levels of education, and secure employment. Absence of these and other
skills may contribute to even greater disparities down the road. Read More
The Center for Early Childhood Education is committed to
sharing useful resources with early childhood teachers, administrators,
researchers, trainers, and policymakers. The Center is developing a large
archive of video footage young children, early childhood professionals engaged
in teaching, and interviews with experts that can be used for specific research
or training uses. See videos here.
If you have
questions or comments regarding the newsletter please contact: [email protected]
Office of
Early Learning
Newsletter
Editor: Sheila Proctor
For more
information regarding the Office of Early Learning, visit our website HERE.
For ED's Early
Learning Initiative and to sign up for our newsletter, visit our website HERE.
Early Learning
at ED refers to and contains links to other external websites and news
articles. These links represent just a few examples of the numerous reference
materials currently available to the public. The opinions expressed in any news
articles or website pages do not necessarily reflect the views, positions or policies
of the U.S. Department of Education. The inclusion of these resources should
not be construed or interpreted as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of
Education of any private organization or its business, products or services
listed herein.
Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.
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Early childhood education helps children prepare for school and also gives low-income students and other disadvantaged groups an opportunity to begin kindergarten on equal ground. It helps children build foundational skills in core academic areas and, the report suggests, may do the same for technology skills and literacy.
Research has proven that people with technology skills have more workforce potential and tend to earn more, and much emphasis has been placed on the fact that today’s students will be competing for technology-centered jobs that don’t even exist today.
Debates also exist over how much technology use and screen time are appropriate for young children and in early education settings.
And while technology access, supported by high-speed internet and appropriate software and apps, is important, what is most important is that a highly-trained educator is able to help young students use technology as a tool to develop their early learning.
The report includes five questions that educators should ask when it comes to integrating technology in early education settings:
- What is the goal for information and communication technology in early childhood education?
- How do we define appropriate use of technology in early childhood education?
- Once defined, how do we support effective use through devices, connectivity, software, and other components of ICT infrastructure?
- How do we ensure that ECE providers are prepared to address the digital divide?
- What relationship should parents and families have to the integration of technology into early childhood education? | http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/04/18/early-education-technology-783/2/ |
Exposure to high-quality early childhood education (ECE) is the foundation for future academic success, especially for children from low-income families. Increasing access to subsidized child care is one of the many pathways that Texas is utilizing to provide affordable early educational supports for children from low-income families. Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Workforce Commission recognize that focusing on quality early care and education provides a promising path forward for our children’s educational and economic success and our state’s economic competitiveness.
However, increasing access alone is not enough. The quality of these programs is the key to building a child’s brain that is primed for future learning. Investing in children from low-income working families is the cornerstone of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). CCDBG is the primary federal funding mechanism, intended to support a system of high-quality child care, focusing on meeting the needs of low-income children and families. In 2018, Texas received an historic amount of funding — $230 million, a 45% increase in funding.
Among many initiatives, the 2018 CCDBG funding was used to raise reimbursement rates, increase access to quality child care, and invest in innovative solutions to care. While many of these efforts accelerated Texas’ path towards quality, the destruction of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the child care industry is likely to diminish such progress if targeted actions and polices are postponed or abandoned.
In this report, CHILDREN AT RISK examines the utilization of CCDBG before and during COVID-19, specifically by focusing on the disbursement of the 2018 funding and the $371,663,374 in supplemental CCDBG funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and the Economic Security (CARES) Act. The report also describes how CCDBG funding was used to increase reimbursement rates and access to quality child care. In addition, the report explores investment in initiatives such as: shared services, public-private partnerships, contract agreements, an infant toddler network, and the workforce as innovative solutions to stabilize the child care industry. Within each section, we offer policy recommendations essential to improving the quality of affordable child care.
MORE LIKE THIS
Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care is Scarce
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TX Prenatal to Three Collaborative Speaks out on Proposed Budget Cuts
Now more than ever, Texas children and families need essential health services and programs. The recent budget cuts proposed by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), if enacted, would put more families at risk and could undermine the development and...
Are you looking for more? Join our Early Childhood Education mailing list to get our latest research and policy resources in your inbox. | https://childrenatrisk.org/invest-innovate/ |
MDRC, Ascendium Education Group, and Rural Matters partnered to present an audio series about higher education that aired on the Rural Matters podcast. This special supplement presents summaries of all four installments in that series.
A Statewide Education Collaboration That Centers on Rural Communities
A West Virginia campaign to double college degree attainment by 2030 includes five evidence-based strategies proven to help students succeed and is customized to suit the particular needs of rural communities. This paper summarizes Part II of a four-part podcast series coproduced by Rural Matters and MDRC.
College Access Strategies in Rural Communities of Color
Education strategies that consider the local context, needs, and desires of rural students of color, who have historically been shut out of equal access to a college education, are getting increasing attention. This paper summarizes Part III of a four-part podcast series coproduced by Rural Matters and MDRC.
Rural colleges are using technological advantages to try to boost enrollment as well as their local economies through infrastructure development and workforce training in advanced fields. This paper summarizes Part IV of a four-part podcast series coproduced by Rural Matters and MDRC.
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, early care and education providers faced challenges attracting and retaining qualified, well-trained, and diverse early educators — and staff turnover can affect children’s early progress. Three approaches may help improve these workers’ access to professional education, their overall economic well-being, and their sometimes difficult working conditions.
In this commentary, originally published in Community College Daily, President Marcia Ballinger of Lorain County Community College describes how Lorain’s comprehensive student success program, SAIL, has persevered during the pandemic — and offered lessons for school’s overall response to COVID-19.
Children in low-income communities are less likely than others to attend programs that improve kindergarten readiness. MDRC has identified two ways to promote more equitable access: Make information about existing high-quality programs easier to understand and improve quality by investing in curricula and professional development.
More children spend time in preschool now than a decade ago, but not all of them get educational programs of the same quality. This brief explores how to put new classroom curricula in place across multiple schools to bolster classroom quality, instructional practices, and children’s skills.
What We Know and What We Are Learning
MDRC is leading several studies that measure the quality of early childhood education classrooms in innovative ways. This policy brief focuses on instructional quality, highlighting promising practices that seek to promote school readiness and sustained academic success among low-income children.
In this commentary, which originally appeared in Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, MDRC’s Alex Mayer and Alyssa Ratledge describe evidence-backed strategies that colleges can employ this fall to help students stay engaged. | https://www.mdrc.org/publications/118/policybrief.pdf?f%5B0%5D=field_focus_population%3A7023&f%5B1%5D=field_focus_population%3A7026&%3Bf%5B1%5D=field_focus_population%3A7020 |
The first 2,000 days of a child’s life have a lasting impact on later learning, health, and success. A child’s earliest experiences determine how his or her brain will be wired, lay the groundwork for future health, and form the foundation of the social and emotional skills needed for academic and workplace success.
High quality early care and education programs help prepare children for school and life academically, socially, and emotionally. NC Child promotes access to high quality early care and education, and works to make such programs accessible to all children. While children from all backgrounds benefit from the availability of high quality, affordable child care, at-risk children (such as those from low-income families or with disabilities or limited English proficiency) often show the greatest gains in cognitive, language, and social skills.Specifically, NC Child works to protect and strengthen the key components of North Carolina’s early childhood care system, which includes Smart Start, NC Pre-K, and child care subsidies. | https://www.ncchild.org/what-children-need/a-strong-start/ |
The Department will pass a majority of the money to 13 school districts to create 33 new classrooms for 4-year-old students and expand 23 others
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education has been awarded $14.8 million to expand public preschool opportunities in 10 counties.
Over the next four years, the Department will pass 95 percent of the funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to 13 school districts with high percentages of low-income students so they can establish or expand preschool programs in partnership with local early childhood program providers.
In total, 33 new classrooms will be created with the funding and most will open next September, adding to Maine’s existing 205 classrooms serving 4-year-old students. Another 23 classrooms already in operation will be expanded so students can attend five days a week for the full day.
With up to 16 students per preschool classroom, the award can potentially allow access to early childhood education to more than 500 additional Maine children.
Participating districts include Lewiston, Millinocket, Sanford, Westbrook, SAD 58 (Phillips, Strong and Kingfield) and RSU 3 (Brooks, Liberty, Monroe and Unity), 12 (Chelsea and Somerville), 13 (Rockland), 37 (Addison, Harrington and Milbridge), 39 (Limestone), 49 (Albion and Clinton), 53 (Pittsfield) and 74 (Anson, North Anson and Solon).
All have more than 50 percent of students at the elementary level who qualify for free or reduced priced lunch and either have no existing public preschool or do but are unable to meet community demand for more student seats.
“Quality early childhood education – whether provided by parents or private or public programs – can set students up for future success,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher, but the classrooms created with this funding will give parents in these 13 districts additional access to opportunities that can help children overcome challenges and develop the strong foundation needed to reach their full potential.”
Maine has been a leader in expanding access to early childhood education and provided $13.8 million this year in State funding to support programs, matched by $17 million locally. Enrollment is entirely voluntarily and there are currently more than 5,000 4-year-olds participating in public preschool programs in the state, more than double the number enrolled just a decade ago.
Additionally, while districts are not required to offer public preschool the Maine DOE has been working to ensure those who choose to do so are providing high-quality programs. The Department is currently in the midst of a rulemaking to put in place quality standards that a school would be required to meet in order for the State to approve their public preschool program.
“As access to public preschool increases, it’s critical we keep a focus on ensuring the quality of new and existing programs,” explained Maine DOE Acting Commissioner Rachelle Tome. “To truly give kids the strong start they need for success in kindergarten and beyond, preschool programs must be high quality, where instruction is intentional and grounded in research-based learning standards and proven best practices. That said, setting high expectations early on does not compromise the fun that children at that young age deserve. As those of us who have been fortunate to work with young children know, it’s impossible not to have fun with 4-year-olds and learning activities can be created that are both rigorous and promote play so that social, emotional, physical and intellectual development is fostered.”
The Maine DOE’s grant application earned the second highest number of points among the 36 states who applied for the federal funding, with 18 states ultimately receiving awards.
For more information about public preschool in Maine, visit www.maine.gov/doe/publicpreschool/. | https://mainedoenews.net/2014/12/10/maine-doe-awarded-14-8-million-to-expand-public-preschool-access/ |
What are the 10 causes of poverty
Here are four of the root causes of poverty in Nigeria.Government Corruption.
Since its founding, government corruption has plagued Nigeria.
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Lack of Economic Infrastructure.
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Poor Access to Education.
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Poor Access to Healthcare.Aug 1, 2017.
What is poverty essay
500+ Words Essay on Poverty Essay. “Poverty is the worst form of violence”. … We can define poverty as the condition where the basic needs of a family, like food, shelter, clothing, and education are not fulfilled. It can lead to other problems like poor literacy, unemployment, malnutrition, etc.
What is poverty summary
poverty is living life in despairity where we feel lack of various things. Poverty is living life without hope, better foodstuffs, medicinal care, proper sanitation and proper education. It is like an acid that destroys pride, honour, health and future.
Is poverty necessary for society
But the Government’s measure of “poverty” is in fact a measure of inequality. … It is not trying to eradicate poverty, but inequality. In new Labour-land, poverty covers anyone living below 60 per cent of median (in effect, average) disposable (that is, post-tax) income.
Is poverty a social problem
In fact, poverty and other social miseries are in large part due to social structure, which is how society functions at a macro level. Some societal issues, such as racism, sexism and segregation, constantly cause disparities in education, employment and income for marginalized groups.
Why is poverty such a big problem
Nearly two in three Americans (64 percent) agree that “Most people who live in poverty are poor because their jobs don’t pay enough, they lack good health care and education, and things cost too much for them to save and get ahead.” By contrast, only 25 percent of Americans agree with a competing idea that “Most people …
What are the causes poverty
Notable primary causes of poverty Inadequate food and poor or limited access to clean water- relocation in search of food and clean water drains limited resources (especially in poor economies), causing the poor to get poorer as they seek basic necessities for survival. … Illiteracy fosters poverty.
What are the 3 types of poverty
On the basis of social, economical and political aspects, there are different ways to identify the type of Poverty:Absolute poverty.Relative Poverty.Situational Poverty.Generational Poverty.Rural Poverty.Urban Poverty.Apr 11, 2018
What is poverty in your own words
Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money. The World Bank Organization describes poverty in this way: “Poverty is hunger. … These are all costs of being poor.
What is poverty example
Poverty is said to exist when people lack the means to satisfy their basic needs. … Poverty has been associated, for example, with poor health, low levels of education or skills, an inability or an unwillingness to work, high rates of disruptive or disorderly behaviour, and improvidence.
Why is poverty so important
Poverty is associated with a host of health risks, including elevated rates of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, infant mortality, mental illness, undernutrition, lead poisoning, asthma, and dental problems. …
Is poverty a hindrance to success
Poverty is not a hindrance to ones’ success. If you will work very hard, nothing is impossible. … When you are poor, that does not mean that you will never succeed. When you are poor, and you don’t have anything to pay for your education, make an action.
Is poverty a choice
Those who say that poverty is a choice, especially those who were once poor, are lucky to have had access to various opportunities that allowed them to move further up the social ladder. But it is not a choice, it is a product of the conditions formed and perpetuated by society.
What are the two factors of human poverty
The following points are the factors of poverty:Access population.High growth rate.Low economic development.Unequal development/ distribution.Low investment made by the government.Landlessness.Unemployment/lack of job opportunities.Size of families.More items…•Jan 6, 2018
How do you define poverty
What is the definition of poverty? Essentially, poverty refers to lacking enough resources to provide the necessities of life—food, clean water, shelter and clothing. But in today’s world, that can be extended to include access to health care, education and even transportation.
What are the causes and solutions of poverty
Social – The various social issues that contribute largely to poverty are: a. Education and illiteracy – Lack of education and growing illiteracy is majorly responsible for poverty in India. Due to the increase in the illiteracy rates, unemployment rises and resultantly poverty rates increase.
What are the issues of poverty class 9
Study the above cases of poverty and discuss the following issues related to poverty (i) Landlessness (ii) Unemployment (iii) Size of families (iv) Illiteracy (v) Poor health/malnutrition (vi) Child labour (vii) Helplessness.
Is poverty man made
Poverty is a human-made phenomenon. The causes of poverty in every country are deeply rooted in the global system, which has been programmed over thousands of years to benefit the richest and most powerful – from colonialism, to structural readjustment and the global spread of neoliberalism today. …
What is poverty Class 9 short answer
Answer: A person is considered poor if his or her income or consumption level falls below a given “minimum level” necessary to fulfil the basic needs. This minimum level is called the poverty line.
Who is responsible for poverty
About half of men and nearly two-thirds of women say society is responsible for poverty. Older Americans are more likely to fault the individual, while younger people are more likely to regard poverty as the product of inequity.
What are the main issues of poverty
Poverty entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.
Who is called poor
According to chapter poverty, a poor is described as any person, who is deprived of the basic necessities i.e. the one who cannot afford to have food, shelter, cloth, education, and health care facility along with economic activity is called a poor person. Thus, they come under the poverty line.
What are 5 causes of poverty
Five Causes of PovertyUnequal Distribution of Wealth. All over the world, the rich continue to get richer and the poor continue to get poorer. … Colonization. … Discrimination. … Poor Governance. … Environmental Degradation.Nov 11, 2014
How we can solve poverty
9 Ways to Reduce PovertyIncrease employment. … Raise America’s pay. … Sustain not cut the social safety net. … Paid family and sick leave. … End mass incarceration. … Invest in high quality childcare and early ed. … Tackle segregation and concentrated poverty. … Immigration reform.More items…
What are the social causes of poverty
Social causes of poverty consist of lack of education, the family, too low of wages, immigration, and minimal job opportunities. In nearly every society today the male is the dominant figure over the females and whites are believed to be dominant over all other races.
What is poverty very short answer
Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can’t be met. | https://fieldofstudyofsociology.com/qa/what-is-poverty-in-sociology.html |
Many children are forced to withdraw from school because of attendance. Crime is also committed to have fun or have something to do to occupy an individual's time Agnew, 1992. There then is the debate of whether violent crime is associated with environments struck with poverty. © 2000 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technolog In this paper we will discuss some of the economic factors and their impact on the level of criminality causes that lead to economic crisis, adding unemployment and poverty, and the consequences of this phenomenon, especially in connection with the crime. Global poverty has been cut in half over the last 30 years.
Two general conclusions can be drawn from the research on the effects of immigration on crime. It depends at what stage of time we are in and how we perceive things. Theories have suggested the link between delinquency and poverty is due to unemployment, family disruption, lack of education, marital disruption, female- headed households, teenage pregnancy, isolation of poorer neighborhoods, lack of role models in the communities, less supervised youth programs, and no formal community networks to deter potential criminal Anderson, 1993; Hannerz, 1968; Liebow, 1967, Rainwater 1970, Sullivan, 1993, Sutles, 1968. This leaves less job opportunity and less chances for work and thus salaries and thus poverty. Can we believe the data? The two dependent variables in this study are based on this data.
One indicator of community deterioration is a high level of unemployment. This is because people are easily lured into criminal activities due to poverty, frustration, and hopelessness. Copyright 1999 by the University of Chicago. The economic theory of crime shows a direct correlation between poverty and crime. Read more: Wealth and Poverty: What's the Government's Role? They consist of the personal income received by, or on behalf of, all members of the area less personal contributions for social insurance. Well of course you do, we all do. There are three components that must be looked at before carrying on.
Often times, many people have to commit crimes such as robbery or burglary as a mean to have financial gain in order to feed themselves and their children or to be able to maintain their household expenses. Poverty and Crime Research Papers Poverty and Crime research papers discuss the affect that poverty has on crime. This type of poverty is known as persistent poverty. Some members of the isolated would like to move to a more their families to a more affluent neighborhood to decrease the chances of their young children engaging in delinquency Ludwig, 1998. The ln Violent Crime model shows that a 1% increase in poverty leads to a 2. Within the opinion piece is missing the question of the chicken or the egg: whether it was first crime or poverty. The interactions and values are then internalised.
Both of these men have looked into the changes in age-specfic homicide arrest rates. Massey and Denton 1993 believe that segregation is more important than race related factors. To elaborate on this, unemployed persons lack access to legal income resources hence the pressure to gain income from unlawful activities. Tharackan, Bulcke and Plasschaert 1998, p. On the other hand, the elderly, because of their possessions and vulnerability, are believed to be the most frequent victims of crime.
Crime presents them with a way of making money quickly and without having to pursue an education which they feel is unavailable anyway. He believed that the cut off threshold was 40% of poor residents, and other researchers such as Wilson, 1996 used 30% threshold to represent poverty. The reasons why people who are living in poverty commit criminal acts vary from crime being the only opportunity to achieve a higher level of socioeconomic status to enhance financial ability. So what's the point of even having universities like Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge and whatnot? They believe that the breakdown of the family and social conditions have changed too dramatically to mean that full employment would eradicate poverty and crime in the process. The rate of violent crime per 100,000 persons in cities outside metropolitan areas is 399. One common belief among crime researchers and sociologists is that there is a strong connection between poverty and crime.
In an effort to understand, and therefore reduce or eliminate crime, studies are conducted that examine the many factors that influence or affect it. Most statistics will show you that poverty and crime go hand in hand. Study showed inadequacy of the systems of disposals in terms of need for new infrastructure and technology. This is by no means a succinct topic and for a comprehensive overview to be sought, the report needs to be broken down into several areas. Law enforcement is often viewed as not being helpful; therefore, we see many retaliatory crimes committed in these areas. This is due to a higher focus of research in the past half-century by criminal psychologists into the relationship between mental illness and violence. More accurate information on the repercussions of crime could guide our legal, political, and cultural stance toward crime and allow informed prioritization of programs that curtail criminal activity.
Underestimation All in all, the official counts of unemployment and of poverty are almost certainly significant underestimates, but so are the crime figures. Previous study mainly focused on segregation and isolation. The current lack of moral education is troubling. Children will have more opportunities, better education, better job networks, and will be able to achieve the American Dream. It can be concluded from the various studies that people living in poverty commit greater amounts of crime than others not living in poverty.
More unemployment and poverty coincided with less crime. As a society the United States of America as well as, other tier one nations have been able to effectively deal with such things as looming national economic meltdown, international terrorism and other sources of great social discontent. And they are the most frequent victims of violence and sexual violence. When these factors are controlled for, how much does poverty affect crime? For years, researchers that have studied urban sociology. There are three components that must be looked at before carrying on. The following information summarizes the various ways that drugs and crime are related. But there are significant issues with the crime figures, too. | http://seikyusho.jp/poverty-and-crime-relationship.html |
Applying a Positive Youth Development (PYD) Lens
Youth are often characterized by the relative “assets” that they possess, defined as “the necessary resources, skills, and competencies to achieve desired outcomes.” External assets include the ownership of or access to natural resources (water, land, energy, etc.), physical assets (equipment, inputs, facilities, housing, technology), financing, education and skills training, information, personal support systems (family, community members, peers), and networks. Moreover, research shows that youth with relatively high developmental assets—soft skills such as positive self-concept, self-control, higher order thinking skills, communications, and social skills—are more likely to achieve positive outcomes in the workforce, in violence prevention, and in sexual and reproductive health. Many of these assets are interlinked; for example, when women have lower literacy rates, limited mobility, or limited membership in associations, they also have disproportionately lower access to agricultural inputs, technology, and information.
The relative assets of the target youth cohorts must be compared to those that are necessary to achieve intended activity results. For example, a young person likely to make a meaningful contribution to an agribusiness competitiveness activity must have the capacity to easily acquire entrepreneurial or technical skills (or both) and productive assets such as land, capital, vehicles, or machinery; he/she must also have the soft skills and personal agency necessary to take advantage of these resources. Such requirements are distinct from a poverty reduction activity where the youth may lack experience, soft skills, and/or access to external resources to succeed in a competitiveness activity. Youth sub-groups with relatively few assets need more support in order to succeed. It is also important to recognize the external factors that limit the attainment of assets, such as exposure to conflict and/or violence (personal or community-based) that threatens physical safety, disrupts education, causes health and psycho-social problems, or breaks down personal networks and supports. Poverty also creates similar limitations.
Importantly, youth must also have “agency” to exert and take advantage of these assets to achieve desired outcomes. Sometimes simply being considered “youth” can inhibit participation because of cultural norms that limit the role of youth in society. Young people—particularly girls—are often excluded from household level and/or economic decision-making. Exclusion due to gender, race, religion, or other social and cultural factors can also prohibit youth from attaining assets or exercising agency.
“Contribution” means that youth are engaged as a source of change for their positive development and that of their community. Efforts to increase youth contribution to the agri-food system often promote youth-led community service (such as 4H or environmental volunteerism), youth-led advocacy, or youth microenterprises. Meanwhile, a supportive “enabling environment” is one in which peers, families, communities, institutions, laws/regulations, and norms support youth success. Volume II of this guide provides greater detail on the salient factors promoting an enabling environment for youth in the agri-food system.
Building off of these four PYD domains, research shows that activities that intentionally include youth can magnify youth outcomes when they address seven key PYD features. Several features help to define which activities can be incorporated within each of the four domains. These features, organized by domains, are as follows:
• Assets and Agency
›› Skill building
• Contribution
›› Youth engagement and contribution
• Enabling Environment
›› Healthy relationships and bonding
›› Belonging and membership
›› Positive norms, expectations, and perceptions
›› Safe space
›› Access and integration among services
Check out the latest curated resources on What Works in Youth and Agriculture, Food Security, and Nutrition
Download the Feed the Future Project Design Guides for Youth-Inclusive Agriculture and Food Systems Volume I and Volume II. | https://www.youthpower.org/feed-future-project-design-guide-youth-inclusive-agriculture-and-food-systems-applying-pyd-lens |
The Social Determinants of Health and Type 2 Diabetes Management
Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires ongoing self-management. Despite one’s best efforts, diabetes control may falter. A patient with suboptimal glycemic control (i.e., an elevated A1C) may be unfairly labeled as non-compliant.
What is important for all of us to recognize is that diabetes control is much more than taking medication and going to the doctor. When helping a person with diabetes, it is important to consider the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and how these factors impact diabetes management, control, outcomes.
What does Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) mean?
“The conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.”1 Combined, the SDoH accounts for nearly 50 to 60 percent of health outcomes. While just 20 percent of health outcomes are tied to medical care.2
Healthy People 2030 has divided the SDoH into 5 categories:3
1. Education access and quality
This category includes early childhood education, literacy, graduating from high school, and overall level of educational attainment. There is a connection between one’s educational attainment and health and well-being. For example, a lower level of education is associated with having a higher A1C, while achieving a college education is protective against developing type 2 diabetes.
2. Healthcare access and quality
This category includes having access to quality healthcare that is affordable, having health insurance coverage, and understanding basic health information (i.e., health literacy).
An individual who has health insurance is more likely to have access to diabetes screenings and care. This is of vital importance because timely interventions may reduce the risk of chronic diabetes complications. A person’s education level also influences their health insurance status. For example, if someone has a lower education level, they may not have the employment opportunities that provide health insurance coverage.
Additionally, the cost of diabetes medications and supplies can be an immense expense, leaving an individual with diabetes without health insurance coverage to decide what medications/supplies they can go without.
In certain areas such as low-income inner cities and remote rural areas, there is often a lack of healthcare providers, limiting access to healthcare. As a consequence, care may be absent or inadequate, potentially worsening long-term conditions associated with diabetes.
3. Economic stability
This category includes issues of poverty, employment, food security, and housing stability. There is a connection between one’s financial resources and their health. For example, individuals with a lower income level have an increased prevalence of diabetes compared to those with higher incomes.
Approximately 20 percent of patients with diabetes have reported food insecurity which is a risk factor for poor diabetes management. For a family living in a food-insecure household, financial resources may need to pay for food with a little leftover for payment of diabetes medications and supplies.
4. Social and community context
This category includes the relationships and interactions people have within the community (i.e., family, friends, neighbors, co-workers) surrounding them, all of which can have a major impact on one’s health and well-being.
An individual living in a neighborhood with high social cohesion (having strong relationships with community members) has been associated with a 22 percent decrease in the incidence of type 2 diabetes. The greater the amount of social support a person with diabetes has, the greater their glycemic control and quality of life.2 While, a lack of social support has been linked with an increase in diabetes-related complications and mortality.2
5. Neighborhood and built environment
There is a connection between where one lives and their health and well-being. This category addresses quality of housing, access to healthy foods, air quality, safe water, transportation, and neighborhood crime.
A person living in unstable housing is more likely to face difficulty in engaging in diabetes self-care and self-management, have a harder time affording medications and supplies and have limited access to healthy foods.2 Unstable housing may be the key barrier to achieving diabetes care among low-income individuals.
A person living in an area of high crime may not feel safe leaving their home for a routine appointment or may also not feel comfortable going outside for physical activity.
If a person lives in a food desert with limited access to healthy food choices, they are left choosing less nutrient-dense foods that may negatively impact their diabetes management.
The overall impact on diabetes management
As you can see, all 5 categories of the SDoH are intertwined and can negatively impact diabetes control. Each one has the ability to affect patients’ adherence, the effectiveness of a treatment plan, and overall health outcomes.4
To make forward progress, we must recognize that for diabetes outcomes to be improved, the SDoH needs to be considered in diabetes management. All future healthcare providers (and current healthcare providers) need training on the SDoH and how they influence diabetes management.
For additional resources, check out Findhelp.org.
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Issues like hunger, illness and thirst are both causes and effects of poverty. Not having access to water means that you are poor, and being poor also means that you may not be able to afford water or food either. In other words, poor health, lack of water or housing, child abuse or violence fuel a cycle of poverty in which so many end up trapped for life.
About the Poverties Project
This article is part of what was originally the 'Poverties project' which I ran from 2011-2016. It aimed to make social and economic research on poverty accessible to everyone. It focused on presenting evidence-based causes and solutions as much as possible, although with a pinch of sarcasm or dark humor at times. Hopefully, it helps make the description of certain (horrible) situations more bearable.
Issues like hunger, illness and thirst are both causes and effects of poverty. Not having access to water means that you are poor, and being poor also means that you may not be able to afford water or food either. In other words, poor health, lack of water or housing, child abuse or violence fuel a cycle of poverty in which so many end up trapped for life.
The causes and effects of poverty are often interrelated in such a way that one problem hardly ever occurs alone. Bad sanitation, for example, makes it easier to spread around old and new diseases, and hunger and lack of water make people more vulnerable to them.
Impoverished communities often suffer from discrimination and end up caught in cycles of poverty. Let's find out just what this means concretely.
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Poverty and crime
Crime varies over time and space; it’s high in specific areas and low in others, usually with huge differences in wealth. This has always led experts to study why and what happens in those places where there is a concentration of crime.
It’s unquestionable that crime ranks high among the effects of poverty, and those impoverished neighborhoods or entire cities show the same problems with uneducated adults and kids that nurture more unemployment and crime, and then leading to chronic, long-lasting poverty.
Different types of poverty for different crimes
But to solve these issues, it’s fundamental to have a more detailed and in-depth vision of the poverty cycle here, and what the precise impact of poverty on crime are in different communities and environments.
For example it’s been proved that unemployment is a bigger factor for specific types of crime than income inequality is. Low incomes on the other side tend to spur property-related crimes (burglary and all that) but reduce violence. Overall studies have shown very different effects of poverty, for different types of poverty: from income inequalities, to social exclusion and unemployment.
- Read more about poverty and crime.
Effects of poverty on society
Consequences on people
The vicious cycles of poverty mentioned before mean that lifelong handicaps and troubles that are passed on from one generation to another. To name just a few of these hereditary plagues: no school or education, child labor to help the parents, lack of basic hygiene, transmission of diseases.
Unemployment and very low incomes create an environment where kids can't simply go to school. As for those who can actually go to school, they simply don't see how hard work can improve their life as they see their parents fail at the task every day.
Other plagues associated with poverty:
- Alcohol & substance abuse, from kids in African slums to adults in the US, this is a very common self-destructing habit often taken as a way to cope with huge amounts of stress and... well, despair;
- Crippling accidents due to unsafe working environments (machinery in factories or agriculture) as well as other work hazards such as lead poisoning, pesticide poisoning, bites from wild animals due to lack of proper protection;
- Poor housing & living conditions, a classic cause of diseases;
- Water and food-related diseases, simply because the poor can't always afford "safe" foods.
Effects on society as a whole
In the end, poverty is a major cause of social tensions and threatens to divide a nation because of the issue of inequalities, in particular income inequality. This happens when wealth in a country is poorly distributed among its citizens. In other words, when a tiny minority has all the money.
The feature of a rich or developed country for example is the presence of a middle class, but recently we've seen even Western countries gradually losing their middle class, hence the increasing number of riots and clashes. In a society, poverty is a very dangerous factor that can destabilize and entire country.
The Arab Spring is another good example, in all of the countries concerned, the revolts started because of the lack of jobs and high poverty levels. This has led to most governments being overthrown).
Effects of poverty on children
Powerless victims
Ever since the 1960s, the share of children affected by poverty has only got bigger and bigger. Children are those who have the least choice and ability to change what happens to them. There isn’t much they can do to help their families, nor should they have to. Until they can stand firmly on their two legs, usually by the age of 6, then they can be enrolled willy-nilly in child labor.
Nearly all possible consequences of poverty have an impact on children’ lives. Poor infrastructures, unemployment, lack of basic services and income reflect on their lack of education, malnutrition, violence at home and outside, child labor, diseases of all kinds, transmitted by the family or through the environment.
- Read more about children in poverty.
- Read more about child labor.
Children antisocial behavior
One of the effects of poverty on children’s development is to lead them to build an antisocial behavior that acts as a psychological protection against their hostile environment. Discrimination and social exclusion often push them to more aggressiveness and less self-control and nuance in reaction to stressful events. Having often been taken advantage of in their early childhood, they rarely come to a constructive way to deal with conflicts.
As they grow up, these behaviors are more and more entrenched in their personalities and often considered unrecoverable. This highlights the importance of taking action as early as possible to improve children’s living conditions. Policymakers should understand that not just income but a child’s social environment at large (parenting, school violence, housing, but also sanitation, uncontaminated food and water) play a big role in creating new effects of poverty.
Impact of poverty on health
Life is short(er)
A universal and simple measure of poverty consists in looking at different populations’ health and life expectancy. It’s no surprise that anywhere on earth, poorer communities fare worse than richer ones. But people's health is affected not only by material poverty but also by social exclusion. No matter if poverty affects someone's mental or physical health, the end result is the same: on average the poor live shorter lives than the rich.
This is all the more true of ethnic minorities in whichever country, where they’re often the first groups to suffer from discrimination and unfair treatments. This implies that the impact of poverty is not exclusively physical but also very much psychological: it affects in many ways mental health and human behavior. Every form of poorness, every form of social exclusion – be it material or racial – has its impact on people’s health.
After all, philosophers and sociologists often agree that man is but a social animal. So, living without a society or a group you belong to can have a huge impact on your mental health (though we wouldn't know for hermits). This has massive consequences for policymakers concerned not just about poverty but also about reinforcing social cohesion.
Overcoming differences
A nation-building effort should shift from nationalism to uniting a people around a society that represents and acts according to a common set of values. In particular, it should be a society that nurtures an environment that will enable all of its citizens to best use or develop news skills, to best express their potential and participate in the development of society. An enabling and empowering society (that’s what experts and politicians often mean by those words).
Women and poverty
If in absolute terms (i.e. concerning most basic needs) less women live in poverty than fifty years ago, in fact there has been an increasing share of women in poverty in the global worldwide. This trend is also known as the feminization of poverty. This is yet another of the clear-cut effects of poverty.
The trend toward more single-parent families has only made things worse and women have become more and more vulnerable to their environment. They find themselves forced to feed the poverty cycle by living in poverty with their children.
Feminization of poverty
Almost everywhere in the world, women are segregated, have very limited access to education (for political, religious or social reasons) and are sometimes forbidden to work or restricted to tedious ones. There are obvious (political & social) interests in keeping women in this state, and it’s always recommended when fighting against poverty to start with empowering women in every possible way to solve a great deal of problems.
Being the cornerstone of the family, women can have a great impact not only on the household income, but also on the education of children (including sanitation), and avoiding early child deaths due to bad habits, sanitation or improper food or water.
- Read more about family poverty.
Poverty and the environment
Backward industry and lifestyle issues
There is no proof that poverty, especially in cities, has an impact on the environment. On the other hand, backward (or not so developed) technologies and an industry’s energy efficiency (how much energy it needs to produce an amount of goods) will greatly affect the environment.
On the whole, the middle- and upper-classes lifestyles are also greatly responsible for the depletion of natural resources and the production of (toxic) waste. Or at least lifestyles based on over-consumption are the true responsible, which is often disregarded in public debates (as humans it is kind of hard to resist to so much temptation).
No consequences for the environment?
If there is any common association of poverty with bad environment, it's probably because of those pictures of children running around in waste dumps. In fact there is no link between any of the consequences of global poverty and the environment, quite the opposite. Those toxic places prove very harmful to the poor, who actually tend to reuse, recycle or resell whatever they can find in there, thus getting us rid of that dangerous garbage.
Good governance and good management of resources remains the best way to tackle both problems of environment and poverty. It’s in fact quite ironic that thanks to poverty and the very low levels of consumption it implies, the extent of the damage done to the environment and the depletion of natural resources have been relatively limited. It’s only with the rise of China, India and other BRICs that rich countries have started worrying about limited resources for everyone and problems of over-consumption and energy efficiency.
Effects of poverty on terrorism
A problem of unemployment... or a more complex issue?
It’s become a commonplace in newspapers to blame poverty of fueling terrorism by creating a state of misery and frustration that pushes people to join terrorist organizations. While this doesn’t seem a totally groundless accusation – it makes sense and feeds the riches’ tormented conscience – more and more research shows that the effect of poverty on terrorism is not that straightforward.
It’s important to note that most of the time terrorists do come from poorer countries with high unemployment, and that terrorist organizations often provide much higher salaries than any other job, if any other job is available at all. In fact, a lot of different factors interact with the decision to become a terrorist. Personal and cultural ideals, values, and principles are just as important as material and social gain (reputation & fame for fighting the imperialists) of entering terrorism.
A cocktail of education and poverty
What's more, it seems that very low levels of education and wealth do not drive people to join a terrorist movement. It may sound counter-intuitive, but if you think about it for a minute, the very poor and uneducated usually:
- Do not know about the outside world, or have extremely limited knowledge of it. So how could they be angry at how the rich live ("decadence", "liberal behavior",...)? A good deal of arrested or identified terrorists were students in European universities;
- Are illiterate. Given the extent of manipulation and ideological indoctrination, people usually need some educational basis to understand it. In the case of Islamism, one would need to know literary Arabic in order to understand the Qur'an and the very special "version" of it that they use.
Literary Arabic is a very elaborated language, of great beauty and poetry. Not something that everyone can grasp, even for a simplified or weirdly interpreted version of the Qur'an. The problem with most ancient languages is their hazy-misty style that, if you ignore the context and original way of thinking, makes anyone free of interpreting them the way they want.
A poverty of stability
So terrorism isn’t a direct or solid effect of poverty, and it usually implies a minimum of education. What then is the source of frustration and anger? Studies have showed that countries with weak governments, institutions and personal civil rights are a great environment to nurture the production of terrorists.
In countries undergoing a profound transition (e.g. from authoritarian to democratic regime), this sort of political instability often comes along with a blurring of rules and laws.
These periods of change come with a transformation of the social order, values, ways of doing things that can become very distressing and unsettling for the people. It’s in such moments that the craziest rumors, cults and other conspiracy theories best spread around.
Rumors appear to reassure people in thinking that there is still an order of things (e.g. government conspiracy), and that all things are in fact under somebody’s control… rather than just totally out of control. You could call this a poverty of stability.
It's sort of an unforeseen effect of poverty on people’s minds or mental resistance to change. Stabilizing and empowering political institutions is therefore a crucial aspect of fighting against the consequences of poverty. For more information on the different impacts on society, read this article about the effects of poverty in Africa submitted by one of our readers. | https://www.restlessstories.com/poverties/effects-of-poverty |
Older adults are at the center of the nation's housing affordability and homelessness crisis. Older adult renters are more likely to pay a large proportion of their income for rent than the population as a whole, and this extreme rental cost burden places them at increased risk of housing instability and homelessness. In many parts of the U.S., low-income older adults are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Due to discrimination and higher rates of poverty, Black and Latinx older renter households are more likely than white older renters to face severe rent burdens. The pandemic has made the situation worse. Justice in Aging and the National Low-Income Housing Coalition co-authored a new issue brief, Low-Income Older Adults Face Unaffordable Rents, Driving Housing Instability and Homelessness, that dives into the data behind what's driving this crisis and offers policy solutions that will help ensure no older adult is pushed into homelessness. Solutions include investing in more affordable, accessible housing for seniors; increasing income supports for lower-income seniors; and making health care more affordable and accessible. These investments, combined with integrating affordable housing with community-based health and social supports, will go a long way toward solving the problem. Click "Download" to access this resource.
Inhabiting Change: Roles for Philanthropy and Reducing and Redressing Housing SegregationAugust 31, 2020
Racial segregation in housing is a root cause of inequalities in health, safety, education, employment, wealth and income that have long concerned US grantmakers. This brief provides the historical and policy context to inform funding for nonprofit organizations working to redress and reduce housing segregation. We outline several ways for funders to support work in this overlooked field.
Integrated Care in a Fast- Changing and Slow-Moving Environment: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the Health Neighborhood ProjectJuly 23, 2020
Health Neighborhood, a pilot project within Heartland Alliance Health (HAH), intended to create a population-based approach of improving integrated care among people with experiences of homelessness, who were housed in permanent supportive housing (PSH). The program was built on through intensive partnerships between HAH and five Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) providers: Chicago House, North Side Housing and Supportive Services, Deborah's Place, Housing Opportunities for Women, and Heartland Human Care Services (HHCS). The program was implemented from 2016 – 2019, and served 46 participants.
Centering Community in a Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on East Bay Nonprofits and the Community They ServeJune 10, 2020
With the rapid acceleration of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, it was imperative to understand the immediate impact on local nonprofits in the East Bay and the communities they serve. The East Bay's diversity is one of its strengths. However, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens residents who have built community, but not wealth, for generations. It also threatens to further erode a strained and fragmented nonprofit ecosystem. Maintaining a healthy and viable nonprofit community is essential to create a Bay Area in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.
Estimate of Homeless People in Chicago 2018May 1, 2020
This report shows 76,998 Chicagoans experienced homelessness in 2018, per an annual analysis by CCH that relies on the most current U.S. census data.Though the city's aggregate homelessness count decreased from the prior year, Chicago saw a nearly 2,000-person increase among those who lived on the street or in shelters. It is a development with troubling connotations today: The city's shelter system is a hotspot for COVID-19 infections and homelessness is expected to climb dramatically during the worsening economic downturn triggered by the pandemic.Per our analysis, the number who experienced homelessness decreased by 4,282 people, or 5.9% from 2017. This net decrease was concentrated exclusively among homeless people in temporary living situations, also known as living "doubled-up" or "couch-surfing." The number who doubled-up in 2018 remained massive, at 58,872 Chicagoans.
Motivational Interviewing: HIV-Related Health Outcomes and Social Determinants of HealthJanuary 14, 2020
For individuals experiencing housing insecurity—and other hardships associated with poverty, such as low rates of health literacy, food insecurity, lack of transportation, and restricted access to quality health care—an HIV diagnosis exacerbates an already burdened quality of life. These larger structural barriers may inhibit HIV+ participants from feeling able to change individual-level behaviors which may complicate their HIV status. One counseling intervention that addresses obstacles to change is Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is a collaborative, client centered approach that fosters communication between a service provider and their recipient with the goal of identifying and resolving the change goals identified during the counseling session. Studies on healthcare outcomes for chronically ill individuals who received MI interventions indicate that, when followed properly, MI can effect long-term, positive behavior changes. This paper defines MI, explores it's applications among HIV+ participants, describes an MI fidelity monitoring tool, and situates MI relevance while acknowledging the influence of social determinants of health.
Illinois and Chicago Region: Poverty, Income and Health InsuranceSeptember 26, 2019
Millions of people in Illinois experience poverty or are living on the brink. That societal position keeps opportunities out of reach and nearly guarantees worse outcomes in every quality of life domain—making ALL of us worse off. The poverty rate for the United States was 11.8% in 2018, a decline of 0.5 percentage points from 2017. There were 38.1 million people in poverty nationwide. In 2018, 1.5 million Illinoisans were in poverty—a rate of 12.1%. Additionally, 2.0 million Illinoisans are near poor and economically insecure with incomes between 100% and 199% of the federal poverty threshold. This year marks the first time that the U.S.poverty rate is below pre-recession levels; Illinois lags behind this trend,with its poverty rate just returning to pre-recession levels.
Project Recovery Evaluation Report: 2018-2019 EvaluationAugust 1, 2019
Project Recovery serves individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders in Ramsey and Dakota counties through drop-in and case management services, linking them to appropriate housing, treatment, and health care supports. This report presents evaluation results for the second year of grant activities. It includes data from interviews with participants, evaluations of a training session provided to housing providers, and surveys with stakeholders who work with the chemical dependency and homelessness systems.
Win-Win: Equipping Housing Providers to Open Doors to Housing for People With Criminal RecordsJuly 12, 2019
In Illinois, nearly 5 million adults, 50% of the population, are estimated to have an arrest or conviction record. Housing is foundational for employment success, family stability, and overall well-being. Unfortunately, criminal history checks are a typical part of the housing application processes, and many people with records are declined housing opportunities they would otherwise be a good fit for, but for the criminal record. Our goal for Win-Win was to develop user-friendly guidance about the use of criminal records in screening and housing applicants, and to provide recommendations that housing providers can adopt and adapt, in whole or in part, to increase housing opportunities for people with criminal records.
Solos in Minnesota and the United StatesFebruary 1, 2019
This report summary provides characteristics of solos in Minnesota and the United States based on Wilder Research analysis of data from the 2017 single-year sample and 2012-2016 5-year aggregate sample of the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series of the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Estimates were assembled separately for three generational cohorts: Generation X, Baby Boomer, and Silent/Greatest.
Success in Housing: How Much Does Criminal Background Matter?January 1, 2019
Using data from the Research Collaborative organizations, Wilder Research conducted a quantitative analysis that looked at the relationship between a resident's housing outcomes and their criminal background.
Jacksonville Block by Block: Our Homes, Our Neighborhoods, Our Opportunities Second EditionOctober 1, 2018
The BLOCK by BLOCK study is based on what Reinvestment Fund calls a "Market Value Analysis" -- a tool designed to help private markets, government officials and philanthropy identify andcomprehend the vitality of local real estate markets.By using the analysis, public sector officials, non-profits/philanthropy and private market actors can more precisely craft intervention strategies in weak markets and support sustainable growth in stronger market segments.The Market Value Analysis (MVA) looks at communities at the Census block group level to discover the variations of housing market health, stability and opportunity in neighborhoods. It is based fundamentally on local administrative data sources.The analysis focuses on residential real estate because, neighborhoods are – first and foremost – places where people live.The analysis then overlays other elements – job clusters, mortgage financing, rental evictions, resident displacement risk, life expectancy, etc. – to provide a more complete picture.The analysis is done at the Census block group level because even within discreet neighborhoods there can be significant variation. By identifying pockets of opportunity or concern early, communities can effectively "draft" on market forces or act before problems expand. | https://abfe.issuelab.org/?issue_area=housing_and_homelessness |
The past decade has brought significant developments in efforts to close equity gaps for young men of color—but additional progress must be made. This report tracks 10 years of progress on increasing economic opportunity for young men of color. It highlights the voices of young men and lifts up seven new and promising approaches: changing narratives, intervening early, empowering young men of color to lead, promoting mental health and well-being, preparing for higher education and careers, building wealth, tailoring interventions to the local context. It also presents recent federal, state, and local policy reforms that show promise for increasing economic opportunity by dismantling structural barriers faced by young men of color. Written for practitioners, policymakers, philanthropy, and advocates, the report concludes with opportunities for action for all audiences.
This paper is focused on racial, ethnic, and gender patterns in children's lived experiences that, based on research, seem to contribute to developmental disparities. Studies cited in the paper indicate promising ways to help address race and gender differences in home-based learning activities beginning from birth. To reveal school-related patterns and to measure students perceptions of the quality of teaching they experience, the paper uses student survey results from thousands of classrooms. The author briefly describes some school-improvement approaches that can improve educational outcomes for students of color, with examples of alternatives to out-of-schools suspensions.
Among the region's residents, Pittsburgh's African American men have historically and disproportionately faced unprecedented barriers to economic opportunities. This study, supported by The Heinz Endowments, focuses on structural barriers that contribute to persistent racial disparities in the Pittsburgh region. Structural barriers are obstacles that collectively affect a group disproportionately and perpetuate or maintain stark disparities in outcomes. Structural barriers can be policies, practices, and other norms that favor an advantaged group while systematically disadvantaging a marginalized group. A community touched by racebased structural barriers can be identified by the racial and economic stratification of its residents; Pittsburgh, like many large cities in the United States, fits that description.
This essay provides a framework for understanding how various settings influence lives of boys and young men of color. Failure to take these environments into account treats the problems experienced by this group as entirely of their own making and ignores the role that external forces play in contributing to poor outcomes. This essay provides a context for future research and analysis, in hopes that it will examine the lives and circumstances of boys and young men of color using more complex and nuanced perspectives.
This report talks about boys and young men of color who are at risk for poor health and developmental outcomes beginning at birth and persisting through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. As a result of household poverty and residence in segregated neighborhoods of concentrated disadvantage, they are disproportionately bombarded by environmental threats -- often without the benefits of supportive systems of prevention, protection, and care. This exposure to chronic stress undermines cognitive, social-emotional, and regulatory human development as well as the immune system. The parents of boys and young men of color are similarly affected, which affects boys directly in utero and interferes with their parents' abilities to promote their health and development and to protect them from harm as they mature.
This paper reviews systemic, institutional, and community policies and practices that greatly impact the life chances of boys and young men of color. Policy and practice changes that would reduce criminal justice engagement and that would reduce the harms caused to communities of color from criminal justice engagement are identified and suggestions are made for developing more evidence of effectiveness for initiatives in this area.
Young men of color have long experienced lower earnings and higher unemployment compared to young white men. Many factors have contributed to these negative outcomes: persistent discrimination, hiring practices of employers, geographic and social isolation, substandard secondary education, lack of career and postsecondary educational guidance, inadequate career and technical education, and higher incarceration rates. This paper focuses on promising strategies for improving the labor market outcomes of low-income young men of color. It outlines an employment-focused approach to improving economic opportunities and outcomes for these young men, highlighting potential policy, system and institutional reforms as well as program investments.
The controversial 1965 Moynihan report focused on the roots of black poverty in the U.S. and the decline of the black nuclear family. This report examines the state of black families today, gauging how their circumstances have changed since the 1960s and how they compare with other racial and ethnic groups.
Fatherhood is crucial to child development and presents challenges to poor unmarried men. Yet services addressing these problems are not highly developed or widespread, and program results so far have been mixed. This paper analyzes five programs that support low-income noncustodial fathers and presents takeaway lessons.
From 1980 to 2000, incarceration levels and enforcement of child support policies -- both of which disproportionately affect young, poorly educated African American men -- increased significantly. The authors performed a quantitative study using state-level data to test the effects of these factors on employment and labor force participation. Indeed, incarceration and child support policies contributed to declining employment among this demographic. | https://bma.issuelab.org/?publisher=Urban+Institute |
North Country Public Radio —
The pressure to keep billions of humans fed can have a transformative impact on amimal populations. Overharvesting that targets the largest animals can result in reduction of the average size of species, as seen in Caribbean conch snails. And sport-fishing pressure on large mouth bass can winnow out the most agressive in the gene pool, resulting in a “lazier,” more passive remnant population.
Martha Foley and Curt Stager talk about the human factor in animal evolution.
Martha Foley: We have now competitive fishing, fishing tournaments, a lot of heavy pressure on fisheries on top of people who just like to fish. Is all that fishing changing the nature of the fish or the fishery? Is it too much?
Curt Stager: Well, when we do that we are acting as predators in the ecosystem, and predators have always been in ecosystems and they certainly change the nature of their prey, and vice-versa. It’s sort of an arms race, a co-evolution thing as the predators get more effective at hunting the prey get better at avoiding being eaten, and back and forth. The same thing can happen with fish, too. It’s all a matter of degree and what the situation is, but fisheries managers have to think of this evolutionary process of natural selection, only done by people, to watch for these effects which actually do become visible sometimes in some circumstances. | https://fishbio.com/news/natural-selections-couch-potato-bass-evolving-response-human-predation |
- Common Name:
- Cubera Snapper
- Scientific Name:
- Lutjanus cyanopterus
- Type:
- Fish
- Diet:
- Carnivore
- Group Name:
- School
- Size:
- 3 feet
- Weight:
- 40 pounds
- IUCN Red List Status:
- Vulnerable
- Current Population Trend:
- Decreasing
From May to August lunar cycles prompt throngs of Cubera snappers to come together en masse at shallow offshore spawning sites, the outer reef slopes and sandy drop-offs found around the Caribbean.
Reproduction
At these select spots, teeming masses of up to 10,000 snappers may gather. Females release their eggs into the sea, where they produce larvae within a day—and provide a subsequent feast for any nearby whale sharks.
Young snappers seek protection among inshore sea grass beds or mangroves and have even been known to enter freshwater. Those fish that survive to adulthood prefer to move offshore to suitable rocky ledge and reef habitats in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic.
Predators and Prey
These biggest of all snapper species feast on fish, shrimp, and crabs and are easily able to tackle even tougher fare because of large strong teeth. Some prominent choppers are visible even when the fish’s mouth is closed.
Cubera snappers are certainly able to hold their own but these predators do become prey for larger animals, including sharks, moray eels, and barracuda.
Overfishing
Humans are another, perhaps more formidable threat. The fish are targeted by fishermen and provide a particularly easy mark during spawning aggregations because they are found in numbers at predictable places and times. Protection of these sites is considered essential, so that a time-honored reproductive process can continue to replenish populations with each succeeding generation. | https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/cubera-snapper |
In the last 40 years, carp have become widespread and abundant in Australia’s river systems, becoming a potential food source for birds, fish, reptiles, invertebrates and mammals. Relative decreases in numbers of native prey fish1 coupled with increasing carp numbers means that carp are now a readily available food for Murray cod and possibly other native fish predators. However, the extent to which these predators influence carp populations is not well understood.
One study found Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) predation on carp was relatively common as carp were found in 35% of Murray cod gut samples. Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) were also reported to consume carp as a small proportion of their diet. It has been suggested that stocking native fish predators known to prey on carp, combined with conventional control methods, may be a potential carp management option.
Native predators, such as Murray cod and golden perch, are stocked in waterways in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria — mainly to enhance populations for recreational fisheries. Little is known of the impacts of these stocked fish on carp populations. A major concern with enhancing the abundance of native predators for carp management is that they may have detrimental impacts on native prey species through over-predation.
To examine the utility of using native fish predators in controlling carp, we need to understand the following attributes of native fish predators and their prey, which may influence carp predation potential:
- habitat preferences
- behaviours
- size and shape.
Aims
An Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IA CRC) project, in partnership with the University of Queensland5, looked at predation on carp by native fish in laboratory tanks, in enclosed ponds, and in the wild. The research aimed to determine whether:
- native predatory fish (Murray cod, golden perch and Australian bass) have a size preference for carp in tank trials
- native predatory fish have a preference for carp when other native species are available in tank trials
- the relative abundance of carp influences the preferences of native predators when native prey is also available in tank trials
- prey (including carp) have behavioural responses to predators in tank trials
- native predatory fish have a preference for carp under semi-natural enclosed conditions in pond trials
- habitat types influence predators’ preferences of native fish in pond trials
- overlapping habitat preferences of carp and native predators results in carp being vulnerable to predation by native predators in the wild
- native predatory fish have any dietary preferences in the wild.
Research results
In the tank trials
- Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) preferred small carp (20–60 mm) over large carp and had no preference for either carp or shrimp when offered native prey and carp at the same abundance.
- Murray cod did not show any size or other type of preference for carp when carp were offered with native prey, or offered at a high abundance.
- Golden perch had a preferred small over large carp and did not show any preference for carp when carp were offered with native prey, or offered at a high abundance.
In the ponds
- Murray cod did not have a significant preference for carp over native prey.
- The type of a habitat in which a predator foraged influenced its prey selection, but no particular habitat type increased a Murray cod’s preference for carp.
In the wild
Fish were sampled using a range of methods including electrofishing, fyke netting, and bait traps set in lagoons, anabranches and main river channel habitats. Juvenile carp that were at the right size for a predator to consume tended to be found in warm, shallow and slow flowing backwaters and lagoons. In these habitats, food was abundant and there were no, or few, predators, so carp could grow rapidly. Native predators were found in the deeper pools of the main river channel. By the time carp were ready to enter areas where predators were abundant, they were generally too large to be consumed.
As a result, native predators were unlikely to have a significant effect on overall carp populations. Stomach contents of native predators caught in the wild showed high proportions of yabbies and shrimp, and only a small amount of carp. These results were consistent with the findings of the tank and pond trials.
Implications for pest fish management
Small carp that are vulnerable to predation tend to prefer shallow, inundated plants, often in lagoons and backwater habitats. Their predators tend to be located in the deeper sections of a river. Enhancing the abundance of predatory fish populations through stocking is likely to be ineffective and other carp control methods that work in the habitat of small carp, such as wetland drawdown, targeted poisoning, physical removal or wetland screens should be used.
Predators’ prey preferences suggest that crustaceans are their prey of choice, with occasional consumption of fish including carp. Increasing native predator populations in rivers is unlikely to reduce carp populations, and may in fact pose a risk to non-target species. Therefore, native predatory species should be managed in such a way that their populations remain stable for recreational and commercial fishing purposes. The occasional opportunity for predation on carp should be regarded as a complimentary side-effect. | https://www.pestsmart.org.au/native-fish-predators-as-a-biological-control-for-carp/ |
Responses of freshwater fish to fluorescent lures at daylight
Many companies manufacture fishing lures and baits of bright fluorescent colors and position these products in the consumer markets as effective tools to attract and catch fish. However, numerous scientific, technical and applied investigations and recreational fishing practice show that these assertions are, as minimum, exaggerated.
In general case, fluorescence is an optical phenomenon when molecules of some substances absorb light in the ultraviolet or visual parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and immediately re-emit it with the longer wavelength. Because the falling light is partly reflected by these substances and the reflected light is mixed with the light of fluorescence, the eyes of human and animals (if they have color vision) perceive the total colors of these substances as “more bright”.
Spectral sensitivity
Fresh waters are optically more turbid than sea waters, so the maximum of spectral sensitivity in freshwater fish is shifted to the red part of the visual spectrum. In bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, for example, the maximum of spectral sensitivity is shifted to 620-640 nm (orange part of the spectrum) (Hawryshyn et al., 1988). According to Kawamura & Kishimoto (2002), the maximum of spectral sensitivity in largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, is shifted even to 673 nm (red part of the spectrum). It means that for freshwater fish red and orange colors are brighter than other colors, in full contradiction with the perception of saltwater fish and human.
This red or orange shift of the maximum of spectral sensitivity is typical for other freshwater fish (Protasov, 1978).
Turbidity
Turbid waters decrease overall intensity of ambient light, decrease via scattering an ability of receivers to resolve silhouettes and more (for review, see Utne-Palm, 2002). In particular, turbidity affects color perception of freshwater fish, their color patterns and communication with the assistance of color signals.
For example, with an increase in turbidity of habitat males of red shiners, Cyprinella lutrensis, develop more intensive red fins (Dugas & Franssen, 2011). According to Kelley et al. (2012), rainbowfish, Melanotaenia australis, in the dissolved organic matter treatment show an increase in the area and brightness of their orange striped patterns.
More generally, turbidity weakens color signals in inter-sexual selection (Seehausen et al. 1997), even limiting species recognition in mate choice.
Fluorescent colors underwater
Overall, fluorescent colors are brighter than ordinary colors and are more visible underwater (Kinney et al., 1967). In turbid water (like Thames river), orange fluorescent color is most visible for the human’s eye than other colors.
Other animals
For fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa, traps of orange fluorescent color are more attractive than traps of ordinary orange color (Greany et al., 1978).
Dull males versus bright males
Accustomed to think that females, in fish and other animals with the sexual dimorphism, prefer to mate with bright males than with dull males. In turn, generally recognized that bright males are more vulnerable to predation risks than dull males. However, special and most detailed investigations of these questions reveal that these “generally accepted rules” are not universal.
For example, Breden & Stoner (1987) have shown that females of guppy, Poecilia reticulata, from high-predation populations show genetically determined, lower preference for brightly colored males than do females from areas of low predation. In turn, predatory pike cichlid, Crenicichla alta, prefer to attack in sex-mixed schools of guppy dull and most profitable females than bright and less profitable males (Pocklington & Dill, 1995).
In other words, detection of potential prey even from the longer distance and the real attack on prey need the different decisions making and are separated in time.
Transgenic fluorescent zebrafish
The development of transgenic zebrafish, Danio rerio, and other fish with green, yellow, orange, red and other fluorescent colors has opened an opportunity to study the role of fluorescence in intraspecific and interspecific relations in fish and their predators under the control conditions. Note that under the day light transgenic zebrafish have slightly more intensive colors than wildtype zebrafish (usually with the longitudinal bluish and yellowish stripes), but under the special ultraviolet illumination (invisible for human) they become extremely bright (for example, see photos given by Gong et al., 2003).
In our context, Cortemeglia & Beitinger (2006) have found that under the day light predatory largemouth bass, M. salmodes, consume red fluorescent zebrafish and wildtype zebrafish approximately in an equal proportion. According to Jha (2010), snakehead, Channa striatus, consume under the day conditions both red fluorescent zebrafish and wildtype zebrafish, but try to avoid red fluorescent zebrafish. However, Hill et al. (2011) have found that largemouth bass consume under the day conditions about two times more red fluorescent zebrafish than wildtype zebrafish and concluded that transgenic fish are more susceptible to predation.
In boreal countries (like Ukraine), wildtype and transgenic zebrafish are not survive in the nature due to the cold winters. So, in our experiments we used common perch, Perca fluviatilis, as native predators (about 5-7 cm total length) and aquarium forms of wildtype and red fluorescent zebrafish as popetial prey.
An experimental aquarium was located near the large laboratory windows and was illuminated with the ambient light, which varied from daylight to twilight and nightlight. Because perch were not familiar with both forms of zebrafish, they learnt to hunt novel prey (note, perch are diurnal and crepuscular predators). Briefly, perch passed from the first observations for prey to approaches, chases and the first prey captures (about mutual learning in predators and prey, see Lescheva & Zhuykov, 1989). Under the day and crepuscular illuminations, no preferences of perch towards wildtype or red fluorescent zebrafish (relatively dull under these illuminations) were observed. However, under additional ultraviolet illumination red fluorescent zebrafish became very bright, and perch avoided them (during 3 days of observations none of bright prey were eaten).
Fig. 1. Transgenic fluorescent danios (http://shop.glofish.com/products/glofish-danio-package).
According to our abservations, pike, Esox lucius, another diurnal and crepuscular predator, does not avoid dull red fluorescent zebrafish but avoid bright (UV illuminated) prey.
In the wild nature, visually guided fish may include in their diets new and brightly colored prey but only after long-term testing of these prey and formation of search image in respect to these prey. For example, Hope (1984) has informed that wild trout included in their diet an invasive species of beetles with bright coloration only through about month of acquaintance with this new prey and their testing.
Large fluorescent objects versus small fluorescent implants
It is necessary to distinguish large fluorescent objects and small fluorescent implants used to tag fish. It is shown (e.g., Catalano et al., 2001; Roberts & Kilpatrick, 2004) that small but bright fluorescent implants may attract predators and thus decrease the recapture rate of tagged fish in the nature.
Fluorescent fishing lines
It is shown that largemouth bass may distiguish white, yellow and green fluorescent fishing lines but only after several trials with attached worms to these lines (Miller & Janzow, 1979).
Fishing practice. Part 1
There are fish habitats that allow to confirm the attractiveness of red or orange fluorescent lures at the stati
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Read more »
Computer modeling: how freshwater fish perceive some colored baits underwater
The Dynamite Baits company (one of the brands of the Rapala company) offers to catch carp and other freshwater cyprinid fish feeding baits containing the fluorescent colorants.
Pink fluorescent pop-ups are ones of the typical examples:
http://www.dynamitebaits.com/products/p/the-crave-fluro-pop-ups
However, in the development of these baits the Dynamite Baits company does not consider achievements of the sensory ecology, which studies, in particular, the optical properties of water environments and how fish perceive different colors (if the fish have color vision) underwater. Therefore, the Dynamite Baits company does not correctly determine the palette of suitable fluorescent colors and does not correctly positioned in the consumer market baits with such colors as exceptionally attractive and successful to catch carp and other freshwater cyprinid fish.
It is known that fresh water absorbs short-wavelength rays and transmits long-wavelength rays, so the maximum of spectral sensitivity of eyes of freshwater fish is shifted to the orange and red parts of the optical spectrum (e.g., Tamura & Niwa, 1967). Therefore, the “white light” for freshwater fish is enriched with the long-wavelength rays (we name this light as “worm light” or “warm white”). In contrast, marine water absorbs long-wavelength rays and transmits short-wavelength rays, so the maximum of spectral sensitivity of eyes of saltwater fish is shifted to the blue and green parts of the optical spectrum (Tamura & Niwa, 1967). Therefore, the “white light” for saltwater fish is enriched with the short-wavelength rays (we name this light as “cool light” or “cool white”).
For more information how fish perceive colors, see Vorobyev et al. (2001).
It means that baits with pink color, which is one of the numerous combinations of red, green and blue colors, are not suitable for the freshwater environment. Baits with pink color loss mostly blue color, when observed through yellow-and-green water column (see Fig. 1), and, in final sum, baits with pink (or similar) color become in the eutrophicated water (where carps live) dirty shade.
Fig. 1. Baits of the Dynamite Baits company with pink color observed through the yellow-and-green optical filter.
Color coordinates are given in Table 1.
Color and its location in Fig.1
Hex Code
# RRGGBB
Decimal Code
R,G,B
pink,
upper part of pop-up
without filter
# FAC8E3
RGB (250,200,227)
dirty,
lower part of pop-up
with filter
# E0C8B3
RGB (224,200,179)
Table 1. Color coordinates of pink color observed without and through yellow-and green filter.
It is necessary to add that many freshwater fish have in their nuptial coloration various combinations of short wavelength (violet, blue) and long wavelength (red) colors. An example is rosy bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus (Fig. 2). However, short wavelength colors are used at short distances in the private interspecific communication channel relatively inaccessible to predators.
Fig. 2. Coloration of freshwater rosy bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus. | https://stopfake.ucoz.com/news/?page2 |
We’ve known for decades that mammals in the animal kingdom lead complex and varied emotional lives.
Whether or not hamsters, monkeys, and elephants experience human like emotions is a largely redundant question today.
However, there’s still a great deal of mystery surrounding the inner lives of fish and their ability (or inability) to be motivated by moods, impulses, and personal quirks.
This article discusses some interesting discoveries from scientists investigating fish cognition and emotion.
In 2014, an Australian professor released details of a study that claims to show evidence of memory making, group learning, and cultural traditions in many fish species.
Culum Brown’s study compared fish behaviors, particularly in group scenarios, with those of primates and discovered surprisingly few differences.
Though fish don’t learn through imitation as primates do, they can teach other things, pass on their skills, develop unique family habits, and thrive in complex social communities.
Brown emphatically rejects the premise that fish don’t feel and suggests we’d treat them much differently if we could recognize their emotional states.
The Search for Emotion Under the Sea
In 2017, a team of Portuguese biologists took Brown’s research on fish emotion further and studied the behaviors of sea bream in various conditions.
The biologists taught ‘tricks’ to several groups of bream, all in the exact same way but in differing environments.
Some fish were trained in favorable conditions, while others were introduced to stressors while they attempted to learn.
The biologists measured the levels of cortisol – a stress hormone – secreted and used sophisticated equipment to determine which areas of the fishes’ brains were active in different conditions and scenarios.
They also monitored the sea breams’ interactions and social behaviors to better assess their responses and determine the impact of safe, calm conditions compared with more stressful or uncertain ones.
According to the biologists, the results of their study support the existence of emotion like responses in fish that are closely related to and uniquely influenced by each individual’s perceptions of external stimuli.
Fishing for Signs of a Complex Underwater Life
The difficulty of studying emotions in animals is, of course, strongly associated with an inability to verbalize.
Human emotions aren’t always easy to identify, but we don’t have to rely on guesswork. We can describe our own feelings.
While fishes’ emotional states aren’t demonstrated with verbal or visual cues like ours, by monitoring their physiologic, genetic, neurologic, and behavioral responses.
Marine biologists have realized that certain ‘moods’ appear in relation to certain stimuli. There’s a predictability to these responses that mirrors our own and those of other complex beings.
Do fish experience human like emotions?
Science seems to think so and, what’s more, it is creating some of the clearest maps of fish cognition, and intelligence to date in a bid to understand the emotional lives of our underwater ancestors. In a related paper, Brown claims to have discovered that fish feel pain just as much as larger vertebrates do and that they’re motivated by fear in much the same way humans are.
He believes that the reason we don’t see this evidence in “fishy behavior” is because our studies tend to look at fish behavior in extreme situations rather than the routine.
Brown also argues that if fish had hands, they’d be able to pick up their own food and wouldn’t have to rely on mouth-to-mouth feeding or seize prey at risk of being eaten themselves.
He says “that’s more convenient for us, but it’s not natural behavior. The fact that they can’t reach out and grab things means they miss out on a whole range of interesting or stimulating events. I want to know what causes anxiety in fish, like when you see teenagers hanging around on street corners – nothing is happening, but they wait for something to happen.
How Fish Show Their Emotion.
Fish can show emotions with their behaviors in combination with external stimuli. For instance, if you want to study the emotions of fish, you can train different groups of fish to “learn” different tricks and monitor their behavior during these tasks for indications of anxiety. The more anxious the fish becomes, the clearer it is that they are feeling an emotion like fear or stress.
“When fish are in unpleasant situations they swim around more to look for changes in their environment that might help them escape,” Brown explained. “You see similar behavior in stressed-out dogs or rats.”
This is an example of how the physiology and behavior of animals can give insight into their emotional states. While it’s easy to be skeptical of this line of research, evidence is emerging that suggests fish can experience complex emotions not unlike those experienced by other mammals.
“We know that the part of a fish’s brain that deals with fear and anxiety is very similar to the part in our brains,” Brown said. “The idea has always been that because fish are so different to humans neurologically and because they have such different behaviors to us, what goes on in a fish’s brain is not relevant to how we feel. But if it’s the case that the structure of that bit of the brain looks similar in all vertebrate animals – including fish, reptiles, birds, mammals and humans – then it means something must be retained throughout that sequence that relates to fear and anxiety.”
Fish have a distinct advantage over other animals, however. While it’s true that fish brains do not contain the same neurological structures as those found in humans or primates, some of their neurons have been shown to be remarkably similar to ours – so much so that experiments on some fish species could provide us with information about how neurons work.
Fish intelligence is quite different from the larger-brained mammals and, of course, human intelligence in many ways. Fish aren’t equipped to carry out complex reasoning tasks like humans and other mammals can and don’t possess the cognitive abilities that we take for granted. However, when it comes to emotional intelligence, fish can’t be overlooked.
In fact, as study after study has shown, some fish are actually quite intelligent and have been known to form complex social structures in their natural environment. In a 2013 review of the existing evidence for fish cognition, a group of researchers even concluded that many fish species possess high levels of intelligence, with some species having demonstrated the ability to use tools, form complex social structures and learn from one another.
Fish don’t have hands, which means they can’t directly manipulate their surroundings or pick things up in the way that humans do. However, this doesn’t mean that fish are unintelligent or unaware of their surroundings. In fact, fish have been shown to possess a number of impressive cognitive abilities compared with other animals.
For example, many fish species are capable of distinguishing between different shapes and colors. Some can learn from one another and some have been known to play tricks on each other in the wild. For example, cichlid fish have been found to engage in a behavior called “carousel feeding,” where they form a ring around a clam or other hard-shelled prey, making it impossible for their prey to escape. Then, the fish begin swimming in opposite directions, grinding the clam up and digesting it.
The secret behind cichlids’ ability to evade predators lies in their incredibly dynamic visual system.
Fish can also communicate with one another through a wide range of sounds and visual cues. They use these signals to find mates, warn other fish about predators and establish complex social structures.
Fish intelligence may be underestimated, but this doesn’t mean that their emotions are any less complex. In fact, fish have been known to experience a range of emotions including fear, anxiety and stress. When it comes to these types of feelings, there is no difference between fish and other animals – in fact, the only differences are the way in which they express their feelings and the scales they’re covered in.
For example, fish can use body language to communicate with one another and it is well documented that fish such as trout change color when exposed to new environments or different temperatures. When stressed, some fish have even been known to turn the color of the substrate on which they’re standing or swimming. When this occurs, they become less visible to predators and blend into their surroundings.
Fish can also experience emotions such as fear and stress in much the same way we do – through chemical signals known as neurotransmitters. For example, when a fish is stressed it will release hormones that have an effect on its immune system. This in turn increases the number of disease-fighting white blood cells in its bloodstream, which gives it an advantage when fighting off infections. | https://favopets.com/do-fish-feel-emotion/ |
Communication between animals can be thought about through signals they send to each other. A signal occurs when the action of one animal leads another to change its behaviour voluntarily (because of the action of the first). Untruthful communication usually occurs when the signallers and receivers interests conflict, such as rivals competing for a mate, an example; a bird displaying it is stronger than it actually is to make the other retreat, so the first will get the mate, or when defending territory. Other common situations include, offspring-parent relationships, mate-to-mate relationships, competition for resources, and predator prey relationships. Mimicry and Crypsis play important roles especially in the latter.
I will discuss how through the evolutionary stable strategy and common sense, truthful information is usually given, and how de-valuing of false signals aids this. The driving force for all behaviour is to increase ones Darwinian fitness, to leave the greatest number of one's own genes in the next generation.
Truth Vs Lie
Evolutionary stable strategies (ESS) show that there are natural equilibriums between, liars and honest animals, usually the liars being in the minority. If the liars become the majority the lie will become devalued, all would learn that it is a lie and won't respond, in this situation the non-liars would be at an advantage (Lecture notes). Also the signal is likely to be costly in energy terms because the receiver would need to be convinced, again lying can be disadvantageous.
Physical constraints may mean lying can't occur (Lecture notes). House finches feather colours result from the type of food they eat. The females know by seeing a variety of bright vivid colours that a male is good at finding food, meaning he is fit and will find plenty of food for their offspring.
In some cases when the disadvantage to the receiver is slight enough, the ESS is not affected and the liar effectively "gets away with it". There is a constant, arms race between signallers and receivers, signallers as manipulators, and receivers as mind readers.
Evolution of signals
There are two perspective for the evolution of signals, the efficacy based theory which entails that due to selection pressures the signaller has evolved to induce a response at all times as efficiently as possible. The strategic theory contrastingly, describes how selection pressures on receivers mean that displays evolve so that they are difficult to be corrupted by deceit. Both serve as good answers in different situations, though the efficacy based theory to date has been more successful, in more situations. (Book 2 Pg 173)
Batesian mimicry
When a harmless edible species adopts the warning signs of another species (the model) which is not eaten by predators, because it may be dangerous distasteful, or for some other good truthful reason, it is called Batesian mimicry. The warning signs of the model species tells the predator not to eat them. The warning signs used by models are often bold contrasting colours such as yellow and black, these warnings are called Aposematism, Wasps are Aposematic.
Batesian resemblances are evolutionarily unstable, because the model will try to change, so it can be identified by the prey, meaning it will survive better. The original copied signs would be doing the job of keeping predators informed so the evolution of change of these signs is slowed. Obviously the mimic would benefit if the prey can't distinguish them. (Book 5 Pg 374)
Moths are masters of mimicry, some mimic wasps/bees. The tropical lo moth, supports the eyes spots which appear on so many of it's relatives wings as well, it will open out the wings when threatened, appearing to be a much larger animal.
Their aposematism and mimicry doesn't stop there. It is possible state Blest Collett and Pye (book 3 Pg 86) that the ultra sonic sound produced by certain moths when they are around bats, may be to conceal the moth from the bats. As the frequency of the ultra sound produced by the moths are in echo-sound range used by bats to locate their prey. The other and more likely possibility is that the sound are Aposematic or Batesian mimicry depending on the species. Dunning (1968) found that moths, mainly arctiids
and ctenuchids which emit these sounds where eaten less, by bats in a cage, than the control group which didn't emit the sounds. He concluded for these species the sounds where genuinely Aposematic and that Pyrrharctia a species which is edible, made these sounds as well showing it is using Batesian mimicry.
The Xylophanes caterpillar has such tiny eyes that you would need a hand lens to see them. The red markings appearing as eyes and pointed "stinger" on it's body are both fake.
The sphingid moth Leucorampha orntus, caterpillar acts like a snake. Its large thorax and fake shiny eye spots mimic the head of a snake; to make the display as believable as possible it sways its body snake-like, this is thought to discourage predators. (Book 5)
Crypsis
Another type of mimicry is crypsis, the mimicking of plants and other inedible objects. The classic example of this would be the stick insect, as it's name implies it resembles a stick. Members of this family also resemble leaves. A Gravid Katydid blends amazingly well, their wings mimic the mottling of the surrounding leaves, they even hold the long antennae still and mimicking such fine detail as the vein of the leaf. Resembling a partly dead leaf it blends in with the surroundings for a longer period of time (from the fresh leaves to the dead and dying ones in autumn)
In the rain forest of the Peruvian Amazon, a "bird dropping" on a leaf turns out to be a caterpillar. (Web site)
Crypsis can be behaved as well as anatomical. The Pauraque uses both, to stay hidden whilst nesting, on the ground. Its cryptic behaviour consists of keeping its eyes partly closed, remaining immobile, and being as flat as possible. (Web site)
A Lonomia moth resembles a dead leaf on the forest floor, the detail to which this mimicry is followed is remarkable, there is a simulated leaf vein running from wingtip to wingtip. (Web site)
When predators mimic and lie
Camouflage can work from the predators point-of-view as well, being termed aggressive mimicry . The zone-tailed hawk, Buteo albonotatus, has plumage which resembles harmless vultures. Gliding with these birds, when spotting prey it breaks free and goes for the kill, the unsuspecting prey has little or no time to react. The family Mantidae, sometimes appear as gorgeous colourful nectar bearing flowers; attracting nectar seeking insects (Book 5).
The scorpion fish, rests immobile on a coral reef, 60 feet below the surface, camouflaged against the colourful embroidery of the reef. Using its crypsis to keep it hidden from smaller fish which may become a meal if they come in range. (Web site)
Even more remarkably some predators mimic their preys prey. Alligator snapping turtles and angler fish, can wriggle fleshy outgrowth's near their mouth's attracting small fish, who think it is a tasty meal, when in fact they are the tasty meal! A species of smaller carnivorous fish feed on larger fish. These fish, the Aspidontus taeniatus mimic another small species of fish, a wrasse, which feed on parasites and damaged tissue of larger fish aiding their recovery. The model fish is characterised by its shape, brilliant blue and black stripes, and its distinctive swimming behaviour, the mimic, copies all these qualities. The larger fish which require the services of the wrasse, let the mimic approach thinking it is going to be of use to them, when Aspidontus taeniatus, get up close behind the larger fish it sinks its sharp teeth in the unsuspecting fish biting huge chunks off. (Book 5 Pg 383)
Other creatures' use bioluminescence to attract prey. Some of the female firefly attract mates by flashing, the genus, Photuris , exploits this by mimicking these flashes, having attracted a male it devours him. The p. versicolor can go one step further it can change the pattern of its flashes in response to passing males, it can mimic two or three prey species. (book 5, pg 383) In the deep oceans where little or no light gets through, predatory fish have glowing bulbs dangling above there mouths, other fish attracted to the light swim to it and are eaten.
Parasitic and deceitful birds
Beau gesta "broken wing mimicry"
The ringed Plover which nests on pebbly beaches, has eggs which are camouflaged to resemble the pebbles. If the bird is approached by a predator it will run from the predator, pretending to have a broken wing, the predator thinking it will easily get a larger meal, as the bird appears to be injured. Having taken the predator well away from its eggs it flies off. The eggs being camouflaged are very difficult to find, the bird would have saved her eggs. If this is done too often the predator would learn that the bird is faking and wouldn't go after the bird, the behaviour would be de-valued.
(lec notes )
Another example of deceitful distracting, is the Tasmanian native Hen. It runs fast in a zigzag pattern, across the open ground looking like a small mammal, such as a bandicoot or rabbit. The predator is distracted and goes after the hen. (book 5 Pg 382)
The Cuckoo bird is a very deceitful bird. The adults lay their eggs in nests of other birds, the eggs are similar to the host eggs, and then departs leaving the host bird to care for the cuckoos offspring. The deceit does not stop there, when the fledgling hatches, it will beg harder for food, lying about how hungry it is. Consequently it will receive more food from its foster parents (Book 2). The parasite chicks also look like the hosts chicks.
In other types of these brood parasitic birds, the resemblance's with the host chicks are exceptionally detailed. The melba finch Pytilia melba chicks have species-specific mouth patterns of black spots on their tongues, palate and lower mandible. Their parasites
Isteganura paradisaea have exactly the same gape patterns and vocalizations. The vocals of the honeyguide go one step further, its offspring can sound like a full brood of bee eater nestlings (the host), it can even elicit feeding from neighbouring bee eaters! (BOOK 5, Pg 383)
Conclusion
Evolutionary stable strategies evolve between truth and lie, through de-valuing of false signal and physical constraint most signals evolve to be honest signals. Batesian mimicry and Crypsis both of which miss-lead the receiver, play important roles for predators and prey. Courtship, rivalry and prey-predator relationships are often subject to deceit, as the signallers and receivers interests conflict. Untruthful communication between animals occurs because each individual wants to increase their own Darwinian fitness. This is done by increasing ones own and its' offspring's survival. Having plenty of food, living a for a long time, having fit and large number of offspring all increase survival and ultimately Darwinian fitness, all this is bought about which ever tactics are the best whether truthful or not.
Bibliography
Books
1) Ridley M, Animal Behaviour, Blackwell Scientific Publications, USA
2) Krebs and Davies, Behavioural ecology, Blackwell Scientific Ltd, GB
3)Sales and Pyes, Ultrasonic communication by animal, Chapman and Hall, GB
4)McFarland, D, Animal Behaviour, Longman, Singapore
5) Smith, The behaviour of communicating, Harvard University Press, USA
6) Halliday and Slater, Animal Behaviour Communication, | https://www.sciences360.com/index.php/when-animals-communicate-with-each-other-why-dont-they-always-communicate-truthful-information-17932/ |
In both the control and fertilized reaches, fish grow th, energy storage, and reproductive response of females declined with increased fish density, and fish growth and energy storage were more closely correlated with per capita insect availability than with per per capita algal standing stock.
Effects of seasonality and fish movement on tropical river food webs
- Environmental Science
- 1998
Migratory herbivorous fishes originating from eutrophic, productive ecosystems may subsidize resident predators of oligotrophic river ecosystems, which may result in cascading direct and indirect eVects on other species in local food webs.
Predator driven changes in prey size distribution stabilize secondary production in lacustrine food webs
- Environmental Science
- 2017
Compensatory stability of herbivore production in response to size selective predation by fish may be a common phenomenon in aquatic food webs and explain the commonly observed failure of predation pressure by primary consumers to cause an increase in biomass of primary producers for trophic cascades with three levels, even when invertebrate biomass is reduced by predation.
Effects of Disturbance on River Food Webs
- Environmental ScienceScience
- 1996
A multitrophic model integrating the effects of flooding disturbance and food web interactions in rivers predicted that removing floods would cause increases of predator-resistant grazing insects,…
TROPHIC INTERACTIONS AMONG DETRITUS, BENTHIC MIDGES, AND PREDATORY FISH IN A FRESHWATER MARSH
- Environmental Science
- 1998
This study supports emerging concepts on the integrated influences of top-down and bottom-up trophic interaction on food web function and emphasizes how life history phenol- ogies of predators and prey can contribute to temporal variation in food web structure and function.
FISH INVASION RESTRUCTURES STREAM AND FOREST FOOD WEBS BY INTERRUPTING RECIPROCAL PREY SUBSIDIES
- Environmental Science
- 2004
Evidence is reported from a large-scale field experiment in northern Japan that invasion of nonnative rainbow trout interrupted reciprocal flows of invertebrate prey that drove stream and adjacent riparian forest food webs and led to a 65% reduction in the density of riparian-specialist spiders in the forest.
Diurnal bottom feeding of predator fish strengthens trophic cascades to benthic algae in experimental flow-through pools
- Environmental ScienceEcological Research
- 2013
The combination of two fish species enhanced the per-capita strength of trophic cascades, probably because one of the two species, the benthic feeder, preyed on more invertebrates than in the single-species pools.
Trophic cascades in seagrass meadows depend on mesograzer variation in feeding rates, predation susceptibility, and abundance
- Environmental Science
- 2012
It is found that the fastest consumers of all 3 primary producers were the least susceptible to predation, found to be due to predator avoidance strategies; fish consumed visible caprellids at a higher rate than the larger consumers, which were either better camouflaged or able to avoid predation by building tubes within the macroalgae.
The role of trout in stream food webs: integrating evidence from field surveys and experiments.
- Environmental ScienceThe Journal of animal ecology
- 2006
The findings suggest that small-scale experiments will be useful only if the experimental results are evaluated carefully against natural history information about the experimental system and interacting species across a wide array of spatial scales, and that for most lotic prey, small- scale experiments do not reflect fish impact reliably at stream-wide scales.
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Unlike previous experimental studies in stony streams, this experiment shows that foraging fish can significantly alter the behavior, population structure, and community structure of stream benthic invertebrates.
Grazer Control of Algae in an Ozark Mountain Stream: Effects of Short-Term Exclusion
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Diatom turfs exposed to grazing minnows are stripped off in 3-5 min, and when left exposed to grazers, are replaced by cyanobacterial felts within 11 d, suggestingBasal regeneration of Calothrix trichomes may contribute to their persistence under intense grazing.
Effects of the Removal of the Fish Population on the Fish-Food Organisms of a Lake
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The present report is concerned with a study of the composition of the invertebrate fish-food population for a period of three years and of the responses of these organisms to the removal of the fish population.
THE EFFECTS OF REDUCTION IN TROUT DENSITY ON THE INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITY OF A MOUNTAIN STREAM
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It is concluded that removal of trout had no significant effect on the prey community, and two explanations are offered.
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A reasonable fit between predictions and observations is found, although the sparsity of data and methodological uncertainties weaken the corroboration in several cases.
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Bluegill sunfish restricted to experimental ponds varying in vegetation density grew better and consumed more prey at intermediate Macrophyte density than fish held at either low or high macrophyte densities, suggesting that feeding rates of predators may be maximized at intermediate structure. | https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Effects-of-Fish-in-River-Food-Webs-Power/3b60fa3a2d5f894ed267a395ca1371bd24189449 |
Notothenia coriiceps neglecta Nybelin, 1951
Notothenia neglecta is a species of fish found in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica. They are omnivorous, and are found in both benthic and pelagic regions of the ocean. Their diet includes krill, bivalves, and gastropods. They have evolved unique behaviors and morphological features in order to thrive in the cold and harsh Antarctic climate. N. neglecta is also commercially fished, although not in high numbers.
Members of N. neglecta have 3-7 dorsal spines, 37-40 dorsal soft rays, and 3-7 anal soft rays. Younger fish have a black patch located near the tip of their pectoral fin. N. neglecta vary in both size and weight. Sampled N. neglecta typically measure between 20 – 40 centimeters in length and typically weigh between 200 – 1600 grams. Notothenia neglecta has gut flora composed almost exclusively of the bacteria Vibrio, reflective of the ability of N. neglecta to tolerate high saline conditions and frequent ingestion of Antarctic krill, which is composed of high amounts of chitin. Vibrio in N. neglecta may also play a role in osmoregulation via regulation of sodium ions. N. neglecta possess an inflammatory response pathway that has made the fish suitable for the cold Antarctic environment. Additionally, N. neglecta synthesizes eight antifreeze proteins to combat the freezing temperatures of the environment.
Notothenia neglecta is an Antarctic fish species that typically lives at a depth of 50 meters, but has also been found living a depths from 0 – 450 meters. Young N. neglecta are typically found at depths of 1-10 meters, and adults are typically found in deeper water. In the Antarctic, they have been found in Antarctic peninsula waters, South Georgia Island, and Peter I Island. It is the dominant fish species in Potter Cove, King George Island, and the South Shetland Islands. N. neglecta display a wide and diverse diet. They are an omnivorous species, and feed on both benthic and pelagic species. Benthic N. neglecta most commonly feed on krill, but in the summertime, heavily prey on salps. N. neglecta has also been shown to feed on a variety of isopods, amphipods, algae, and bivalves.
N. neglecta engage in unique behaviors that have allowed them to thrive in the harsh Antarctic climate. They typically feed at night, which may be attributed to avoidance of larger predators who tend to feed during the day, and also because many of the creatures they feed on are nocturnal. Aggressiveness in feeding has been linked to photoperiod, or availability of light throughout the day. They are less aggressive in their pursuit of prey during the day, but at night, the highest level of aggressiveness and pursuit are observed. N. neglecta has also demonstrated evidence of social hierarchy. Scientists have observed fish become less reactive to availability of prey in the presence of another member of their species. This suggests that these less reactive members may be the less dominant members of their groups. Once the other fish were removed from the environment, the original member would hunt prey as normal.
N. neglecta only spawns once a year. Females usually have their first spawn between the ages of 6 and 8 years old. | https://antarctickrill.net/notothenia-neglecta/ |
“For example, we ought to be able to save the Baltic cod if we fished herring and sprat. Likewise, the salmon trout in depleted lakes could be revived if we culled the char, which is what the salmon trout preys on,” says Lennart Persson, professor of aquatic ecology at Umeå University. The latter is precisely what has been done in a 26-year experiment in Lake Takvatn in Norway.
Thanks to this experiment and a mathematic model, Lennart Persson and his collaborative partners at the universities of Amsterdam and Tromsö have been able to show that it is actually possible to favor predators by fishing their prey.
The more prey, the more predators, says a time-worn ecological theory. However, this is not necessarily true. When there are few prey, the remaining prey grow more rapidly. This, in turn, can lead to more sexually mature individuals, which leads to more small prey, which the predator fish prefer. Paradoxically, a predator fish can therefore increase the amount of small prey fish by eating them. If there aren’t enough predatory fish, owing to increased harvesting, for instance, the reverse situation ensues. The number of prey that the predators live on will decline.
“We will then see a downward spiral leading to the collapse of the predator stock. Since the growth of the prey fish is impaired, it can become impossible for the predatory fish to recover if we introduce a total embargo on fishing. Instead, we should harvest the prey fish in order to bring about more individual prey of the size the predators feed on,” explains Lennart Persson.
In this way the predatory fish stock can recover and thereafter improve their own situation by eating their prey.
By harvesting char in the lake in Norway, Lennart Persson and his colleagues have managed to increase the number of small char individuals that predator fish prefer. The number of salmon trout, in turn, has burgeoned. Before restocking started, the salmon trout had largely disappeared from the lake; the char were not growing properly, and there was too little food for the salmon trout. The restocking was completed 16 years ago, and since then the salmon trout have been able to maintain the entire ecosystem of the lake in a state with rapidly growing char and thereby plenty of prey for the trout.
Both the model prediction and the large-scale lake experiment indicate that harvesting prey fish can be an effective way to restore collapsed stocks of predatory fish. The article is titled “Culling prey promotes predator recovery-alternative states in a whole lake experiment” and is published this week in the journal Science, see http://sciencemag.org.
The findings are based on collaboration with researchers at Tromsö University and Amsterdam University.
Lennart Persson | alfa
Further information:
http://www.emg.umu.se/forskning/index.html
Despite government claims, orangutan populations have not increased. Call for better monitoring
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Increasing frequency of ocean storms could alter kelp forest ecosystems
30.10.2018 | University of Virginia
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have captured a difficult-to-view singular event involving "magnetic reconnection"--the process by which sparse particles and energy around Earth collide producing a quick but mighty explosion--in the Earth's magnetotail, the magnetic environment that trails behind the planet.
Magnetic reconnection has remained a bit of a mystery to scientists. They know it exists and have documented the effects that the energy explosions can...
Biochips have been developed at TU Wien (Vienna), on which tissue can be produced and examined. This allows supplying the tissue with different substances in a very controlled way.
Cultivating human cells in the Petri dish is not a big challenge today. Producing artificial tissue, however, permeated by fine blood vessels, is a much more...
Faster and secure data communication: This is the goal of a new joint project involving physicists from the University of Würzburg. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research funds the project with 14.8 million euro.
In our digital world data security and secure communication are becoming more and more important. Quantum communication is a promising approach to achieve...
On Saturday, 10 November 2018, the research icebreaker Polarstern will leave its homeport of Bremerhaven, bound for Cape Town, South Africa.
When choosing materials to make something, trade-offs need to be made between a host of properties, such as thickness, stiffness and weight. Depending on the application in question, finding just the right balance is the difference between success and failure
Now, a team of Penn Engineers has demonstrated a new material they call "nanocardboard," an ultrathin equivalent of corrugated paper cardboard. A square...
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“3rd Conference on Laser Polishing – LaP 2018” Attracts International Experts and Users
09.11.2018 | Event News
On the brain’s ability to find the right direction
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European Space Talks: Weltraumschrott – eine Gefahr für die Gesellschaft? | https://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/environment-sciences/report-86279.html |
Yes, different species of birds prey on mosquitoes. As mosquitoes have numerous predators, including birds, it drastically contributes to reducing their population.
However, in this article, learn about all the bird species which prey on mosquitoes. Stay glued
Which birds eat mosquitoes?
Many birds eat mosquitoes and other flying insects, and these predators are swallows, woodpeckers, yellow warblers, purple martins, waterfowls, including ducks, geese as well as other migratory birds.
Moreover, these birds eat the most mosquitoes at both their adult and aquatic stages.
Related Read: Which birds eat mealworms? | How do birds find worms?
The birds which prey on mosquitoes usually feed themselves in the daytime during flight. There have also been claims that purple martins can prey on thousands of mosquitoes in one day.
However, predatory birds don’t really contribute a lot to reducing the mosquito population as they prove to be a small portion of their daily diet.
Besides different kinds of birds, other predators that prey on mosquitoes are bats, fish, frogs, and tadpoles, dragonflies, turtles, spiders, etc.
Birds that eat Mosquitoes
Purple Martins
The biggest members of the swallow species are considered one of the biggest mosquito consumers. Besides mosquitoes, their diet includes flies, wasps, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, flying ants, etc.
They mostly prey during the flight, which is usually higher than the mosquitoes.
Related Read: Do crows eat rats and mice? | Will they attack or prey on them?
According to some studies, purple martins eat around 2000 mosquitoes in a day. These birds are still not believed to be an effective method of mosquito control.
Blackpoll Warblers
These are small migratory songbirds, which migrate to different parts of America and Canada. Songbirds mainly consume arthropods such as lice, millipedes, centipedes, and spiders. They feed on flying insects like gnats, mosquitoes, and flies, along with fruits and seeds.
However, still, a bulk of their diet doesn’t include mosquitoes, and they don’t contribute largely to mosquito control. A large part of their diet includes culling insects thriving under the leaves or branches.
Waterfowls
Waterfowls like ducks and geese feed on a large number of mosquitoes. Ducks eat mosquitoes and feed on their larva even before their eggs hatch.
The two species of waterfowls that feed the most on mosquitoes are Indian Runner and Muscovy Duck. If you stay near a lake or pond, attracting these birds there will help to reduce the insect population.
Barn Swallows
Barn Swallows also consume mosquitoes besides other insects. They create flight patterns where they dive and swoop while they prey, and they fly with their mouths open so they can catch whatever they can during their flight.
These birds follow a style of catching one insect at one time, and therefore they are called ‘Aerial Acrobatics’ by bird watchers.
Unlike Purple Martins, Barn Swallows fly at a lesser height and are able to catch more mosquitoes. These birds also feed on other insects, including dragonflies, flies, and flying ants.
Cardinals
Cardinals feed around 51 different types of insects. These are ground feeders and make their nest about 3-12 feet above the ground in bushes and evergreens.
These birds prefer staying around water bodies and are first to feed in the mornings, whereas last to eat at night. Cardinals also feed on different kinds of seeds and nuts.
These are known to feed on some of the most harmful agricultural pests like cotton cutworms, codling moths, grasshoppers, snails, slugs, etc.
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds eat a lot of insects and mosquitoes are one of them. These birds can easily catch mosquitoes to eat them. The diet of hummingbirds is usually nectar-dependent but when nectar-rich foods are not available in their surroundings they can easily eat smaller insects.
The way hummingbirds catch mosquitoes is quite amazing, they can grab them while flying in a span of seconds. The ability to fly in both directions makes them sharp predators and can trick the mosquitoes easily with their lighting fast speed and small size.
How to attract mosquito-eating birds?
Keeping bird seed in your backyard or other outdoor space can attract such types of mosquito-eating birds while helping in reducing the mosquito population in the area.
Also, here are a few tips to attract birds, which feed on insects and mosquitoes:
- Avoid using chemicals or pesticides for your lawn or kitchen garden and let the birds do their work.
- Try planting native species, especially the ones which are indigenous in the area.
- Avoid raking leaves under the trees as these are home to hundreds of insects.
- One of the most productive ways of attracting mosquito predators is to plant some birdhouses in your area. Most birds need a comfortable and safe place to lay eggs and to hide from bad weather conditions. A birdhouse can give them a place to dwell and they will eat the mosquitoes in the surroundings as food.
- Fill up the free space or areas in your garden with small plants or trees and keep some water-filled pots along with them. This will attract many birds in the months of summer as they need both shade and water. Eventually, the birds will eat the insects and mosquitoes present in your garden as food.
- Another way of attracting mosquito predating birds is by planting bird feeders in your yard or garden. Birdfeeders attract a lot of birds in your area and help in eliminating the mosquito population and other deadly insects as well.
- The last method is known as the hiding method, here in this method you need to create small places where birds and mosquito predators like bats can easily hide from the eye of humans or anybody else. These places provide a sense of protection and attract many birds.
Who else can eat mosquitoes apart from birds?
Bats
Bats are predominantly mosquito predators. They have amazing skills of identification of their prey and can easily catch them with their quick movements. Apart from birds, these are the major threat to mosquitoes.
Different Fishes
A large number of fishes eats the mosquito larvae present in the water bodies. Some of the common fishes that feed on mosquito larvae are catfish, bluegill, bass, guppies, and Goldfish.
But, one of the most feared mosquito larvae predators is the Gambusia affinis. The fish because of its higher rate of eliminating mosquito larvae from water bodies is also named mosquitofish.
Many pest control and health agencies use this fish to eliminate mosquitoes from water bodies.
Amphibians like Frogs and Tadpoles
Generally, amphibians do not feed on the mosquitoes or their larvae. Mosquitoes made up a very small portion of the dies of many frogs and tadpoles.
But, there are three types of North American tadpoles that feed heavily on the larvae of mosquitoes, these are-
- The spadefoot toad
- Green tree frog
- Giant tree frog
Turtles can eat mosquitoes
Many turtles do not heavily depend on mosquitoes for their diet but the red-eared slider turtle is a predominant mosquito predator that mainly feeds on the mosquito larvae.
Dragonflies
Dragonflies are one of the most common insects to feed on mosquitoes. They do eat mosquitoes but in smaller proportions and do not cause any harm to the wild population of mosquitoes.
Due to mosquito-eating behavior, they are also known as “mosquito hawks”.
Mosquitoes can feed on mosquitoes
Well, you may find it surprising, but in some situations, mosquitoes can feed on other mosquitoes. The predatory mosquitoes from the genus Toxorhynchites are known to eat the larvae of mosquitoes of other species.
Beetles eat mosquitoes
Beetles are commonly known to eat mosquitoes in the form of larvae and pupae. The adult and larval stages of aquatic beetles can feed on mosquitoes. Some of the common species of beetles that feed on mosquitoes are-
- Predaceous diving beetle
- Water scavenger beetles
Spiders can eat mosquitoes
Spiders can eat mosquitoes in close proximity. They generally do not eat mosquitoes but if they are troubling with their webs or are trapped in the webs then spiders can easily eat them.
Conclusion
We hope the above information has helped you in learning what birds eat mosquitoes and other insects too. Let us know if you’ve any further queries regarding the different natures of birds through the comment box below. | https://www.backtobirds.com/do-birds-eat-mosquitoes/ |
Conspecific boldness and predator species determine predation-risk consequences of prey personality
Department/s:
- Division aquatic ecology
Abstract english
Abstract: Individual variation in the behavior of prey can influence predation risk in complex ways. We ran individual roach (Rutilus rutilus), a common freshwater fish, through a standard refuge emergence protocol to characterize their boldness, a key animal personality trait. We then paired a bold and a shy roach and exposed the pair to one of two predator species that have contrasting hunting modes to ascertain how personality traits shaped their survival during predator encounters. When a paired bold and shy prey fish interacted with a perch predator (active foraging mode), bold and shy prey were consumed in almost equal numbers. However, pike predators (ambush foraging mode) selectively consumed more shy prey, and prey body size and boldness score both contributed significantly to which prey fish was eaten. Our findings support the idea that multiple predators with different foraging modes, and hence differential selection on prey personality, could contribute to maintaining variation in personality in prey populations. Furthermore, for social species, including shoaling fish, the ultimate consequences of an individual’s personality may depend upon the personality of its nearby conspecifics. Significance statement: Animals of the same species often look similar, but individuals show differences in their behavior that can have important consequences, for instance when these individuals interact with predators. The common roach is a freshwater fish that shows inter-individual variation in its propensity to take risks, a key personality trait often termed boldness. Variation in boldness may affect the outcome when roach interact with predators, i.e., if they get eaten or survive. However, we found the impact of roachs’ personality type depends on what species of predatory fish they face. When we put a shy and a bold roach together with predatory perch, the roachs’ personality did not significantly affect which individual was eaten. But when the predator was a pike, the predators selectively ate more shy roach, and the likelihood an individual would be eaten depended on their body size. | https://www.biology.lu.se/christer-bronmark/publication/b7a605c0-704b-4cf0-8c2a-8a6e390290cb |
Source:
Project Manager:
Project Number:
334996
Application Type:
/
Project Period:
2023 - 2027
Funding received from:
Organisation:
Location:
Subject Fields:
Partner countries:
Coastal waters are some of the most productive of marine ecosystems. In a changing climate, coastal waters are getting warmer and darker, and the ecological implications are unknown. In this project we will study how the foraging opportunities for pelagic fish (herring, sprat, mackerel etc.) may change as a result of these two climate change associated stressors.
Pelagic fish are visual foragers, and the size and visibility of their prey (zooplankton) may be more important than prey abundance for fish foraging efficiency and production (Aarflot et al. 2020 MEPS). Both warming and coastal water darkening are expected to alter the size structure within plankton communities that have rapid life cycles and respond fast to changes in the environment. In this project we will expose historical zooplankton samples to new technology for revealing community size structures, and incorporate plankton size in an existing ecosystem model for Norwegian coastal waters. With this we aim to enhance our understanding of how temperature and light affects the size structure within planktonic communities along the Norwegian coast – both historically and in the future. If fish become less efficient predators, jellyfish may gain a competitive advantage as they do not rely on vision or prey size to localize their food. We will therefore also assess the competitive relationship between fish and jellyfish in selected Norwegian fjords, and the potential for regime shifts towards more jellies and less fish in the future.
Coastal waters are some of the most productive marine ecosystems. Ocean warming and increased light attenuation (reduced penetration of light into the water) are two climate change associated stressors impacting coastal waters, and the ecological implications are unknown. Both stressors may affect the size structure and dynamics within planktonic communities, which is important for fish foraging efficiency and energy transfer from primary production to higher trophic levels. Also, the optical foraging environment for fish may be impaired, potentially leading to ecosystem regime shifts. In PELAGIC, we will utilize stored zooplankton samples collected over a 30-year period and expose them to modern technology, establishing a novel dataset on the size structure of zooplankton in coastal waters. The data will be used to advance our understanding of how the quality of prey for pelagic fish (e.g., herring, sprat, mackerel) varies over spatial and environmental gradients and is affected under climate change. Furthermore, we will collect new light observations from Norwegian fjords and perform a theoretical assessment of the potential for increased dominance of jellyfish (at the expense of fish) as these waters gets darker. Ecosystem models are vital tools for assessing potential future states of marine ecosystems under climate change, but existing large-scale global and regional models do not resolve plankton communities in realistic dimension. With PELAGIC, we will develop an ecosystem model with more realistic plankton size structure and dynamics, and an improved light environment necessary for modelling plankton dynamics in coastal waters. Using this tool, we will assess how future plankton communities will be affected by ocean warming and coastal water darkening and potential consequences for the energy transfer to higher trophic levels in the ecosystem. | https://prosjektbanken.forskningsradet.no/en/project/FORISS/334996?Kilde=FORISS&distribution=Ar&chart=bar&calcType=funding&Sprak=no&sortBy=date&sortOrder=desc&resultCount=30&offset=0&ProgAkt.3=KLIMAFORSK-Stort+program+klima&source=FORISS&projectId=338150 |
A backyard gazebo heated with a fireplace sounds to be the best idea to make it more comfortable and inviting.
You can spend colder evenings outside with your family or friends if you have a reliable source of heat.
But is it safe to use a fire pit under the wooden gazebo in the first place? And should you really put a fireplace there?
The short answer is yes; with proper precautions, you can have a fire pit under the gazebo with no risk to the structure.
But as I said, there are a few risks involved – let’s take a closer look at all those risks and how to avoid them.
In the article below, I will give you all the necessary tips on how to do it right and enjoy the fire’s warmth without stressing about your gazebo’s safety.
In this article we will cover:
Risks Associated with Fire Pit Under a Pergola
With an outdoor fire pit pergola combo, you get the best of both worlds – the protection from the rain as well as the sun during the day and the source of heat during chillier evenings.
But as with any other type of open fire, a backyard fire pit has certain risks you must be aware of before installing one under your gazebo.
The most common risks include:
1- Fire
If not correctly extinguished, the fire from the pit can easily spread to the structure of the gazebo and damage it beyond repair.
Especially if the ceiling is too low, the sparks from the fire can damage the materials and potentially cause a collapse.
Canopy, curtains, and other materials can get singed or even catch on fire if they are too close to the source of heat.
2- Heat & Smoke
If the pit is placed too close to the gazebo, the heat from the fire can damage the fabric or even melt plastic parts of the structure.
When you have a lot of smoke rising from the fire pit, it can become a nuisance not only to you and your guests but also to the neighbors.
And if the smoke is too dense, it can also be a health hazard.
How to Build an Outdoor Gazebo Over a Fire Pit Safely?
When you’re planning to install a fire pit under the gazebo, there are certain precautionary tips you should follow to make sure it’s done safely and without any risks.
1- Regulations
Always start with checking the local regulations and building codes in your area.
There might be some limitations on the firepit size, type, and location you’re allowed to have outdoors – especially if you also have a canopy attached to the gazebo.
2- The Right Location
While you choose the location for placing your fire pit, ensure it’s at least 10 feet away from the gazebo. Ideally, there should also be enough space for the smoke to dissipate.
This way, you’ll minimize the risks of heat damage to the structure.
You should also not use any accelerants such as gasoline, kerosene, or alcohol to start the fire in your selected location. And also, avoid using too much wood as it can cause the fire to get out of control.
In addition, don’t ever leave the fire unattended on the location, especially if children or pets are around.
3- Proper Ventilation
When installing a gazebo or pergola over the fire pit, make sure there’s enough airflow in the area where you’re going to have the fire pit.
You can achieve this by placing the pit in the open or by creating an opening on the roof of the gazebo.
This way, you’ll also prevent the buildup of smoke inside the structure.
If required, you can also consider installing a screen around the fire pit to prevent sparks from flying out.
4- The Right Materials for the Firepit
For the fire pit itself, choose materials that won’t spark or produce too much heat.
Some good non-flammable options include concrete, stone, and metal which are also much easier to clean and maintain than wood.
When it comes to the type of fuel, choose something that burns clean and doesn’t produce a lot of smoke.
A few good options for pergola with fireplace include gas, propane, or ethanol. These are also the safest options when you have a fire pit under the gazebo.
You can also use the type of firewood that burns slowly and doesn’t produce a lot of sparks, such as cherry, oak, or maple.
5- Consider the Gazebo Pillars and Type of Flooring
Ideally, the pillars of a gazebo should be made of materials that can withstand high temperatures.
And when it comes to the type of flooring, avoid anything that’s flammable or can be easily damaged by heat.
Concrete, stone, and tile are all excellent options that can withstand the heat from the fire pit.
Avoid using carpets or rugs as they can easily catch fire.
When building, do not forget to inspect the gazebo structure for any damage regularly. If you happen to notice any cracks, holes, or other structural damages, make sure to repair them right away to avoid any accidents.
Other safety precautions and tips
In addition to the tips I have outlined above, there are a few other things you can do to make sure your backyard fire pit is highly safe to use:
- Don’t wear loose clothing that can catch fire
- Do not allow anyone in your family or friends to stand too close to the fire pit
- Always keep a fire extinguisher, a water hose, or a bucket of water close by in case of any emergency or if you need to put out the fire quickly
- Make sure the fire is completely extinguished before you leave it for the night
- Don’t use the gazebo storage for flammable materials such as propane tanks or firewood
- Avoid using the gazebo if there’s strong wind, rain, or snow on the roof – it can cause the fire to spread and can be hazardous
- Make sure there is no wood furniture nearby, and nothing is hanging above the fire pit that can catch fire
Final Thoughts
A fire pit in a yard is an excellent addition to any property, especially if you have a wooden gazebo or pergola. But it’s important for you to take the necessary precautions to ensure it’s safe to use for your family.
By following the tips and ideas above, you can be sure that your fire pit is safe to use and enjoy for many years.
Hi, I am Mark Garner a professional carpenter, woodworker, and DIY painter. I live in the small city of Peoria, Arizona as a semi-retired woodworker. I have started this blog with a simple motive to help you with my wood experience in this sector. If you like to know more about what I love doing and how it all got started, you can check more about me here. | https://woodthrive.com/putting-a-fire-pit-under-the-gazebo/ |
Weekend Project: Lay a Stone Path
A random stone path is a lovely way to add vintage appeal and a practical element to the garden—not only does it create a charming focal point for your yard, but walking on stones decreases dirt tracked into the house.
Step 1
Consider where your path should lead (to a bench or special grouping of plants?) and whether it should be straight or meandering. Avoid getting too close to large trees (and their roots). Walk the course to see if it feels right, then lay out the path in 3-D using stakes and twine, or even a garden hose. Do some spots seem too high now? Would an adjustment right or left work better? Live with your mockup for a few days before installing.
Step 2
Lay stones atop the grass along your route. Pay attention to how shapes fit together, overall appearance, and spacing between them—24" on center accommodates most strides, and 3' is a good standard width. (You want the path to be wide enough for two people to walk side by side.)
Step 3
Once you’ve arranged the stones in a pleasing pattern, it’s time to install them. Start by cutting around the edge of the stone with a utility knife or a spade. Next, move the stone and cut laterally beneath the turf. Take a trowel and dig out some additional soil—your hole should be 1" deeper than your paving stone.
Step 4
Place a ½" layer of soft sand into the hole, then compact it. The sand will help keep the stones from heaving. Finally, set the stones one at a time, checking for level as you go. Placing them ¼" below the surface of adjoining grass will allow for easy lawn mowing. | https://www.oldhouseonline.com/repairs-and-how-to/weekend-project-lay-stone-path |
Triandro is played by placing stones on the empty points of board. Game play starts with an empty board. The first player begins by placing a stone on any point on the board. The second player places a stone next, and play continues with players alternately placing stones on unoccupied points on the board or capturing stones. Stones are placed on the board in an attempt to create triangles and capture opponents' stones.
Object of the Game
The object of the game of Triandro is to be the last player able to make a move.
Placing Stones
Select the appropriate unoccupied point on the playing board to place a stone. When a point is selected, the player's stone will appear on that point. The top stone on each player's stack will be highlighted as it is about to come into play.
Rules to place the balls are as follows:
1. You can place a stone only
on an unoccupied point.
2. You may not place your stones
on all three points of a perimeter (marked by double lines).
You may place stones on both or one of the end points of
the perimeter, or only on the center point.
3. You may have a maximum of six stones in total on all points of the double lines. The placed stone on the board cannot be moved. The only way a stone will be moved is if a capture is involved. If a player makes a capture, all of the player's stones are retrieved of the triangle and can be used to play further. Any of an opponent's stones that have been captured by a player are permanently out of the game.
Creating Triangles
A triangle is created when one player's stones are positioned on three points (the corners of the triangle) that can be connected with straight lines (the borders of the triangle) which contain one or more points. A triangle must contain a minimum of six points.
There are empty and full triangles in the game of triandro. Empty triangles don't contain any of an opponent's stones (but they may contain a player's stones). A full triangle contains one or more of an opponent's stones. Only a full triangle can be removed (captured) from the board. Triandro provides you with the feature of outlining triangles that have been created. If there is an opponent's stone within a triangle, the triangle is shaded to show that it is a full triangle. The outlining and shading of triangles
matches the color of the player's stones. In the situation where two or more triangles overlap, the colors will merge to create a shaded area that shows where the two triangles overlap. After a triangle has been captured, the outlining or shading will disappear.
Capturing
When you create a triangle which has an opponent's stone(s) within it or on its borders, you can capture all the stones contained in that triangle. On each subsequent turn, the CAPTURE button will appear on the screen.
The capture sign which is shown on the top right end corner, will tell you that you have the choice of capturing the triangle or placing another stone. (The only time you will be forced to capture is if you have no more stones to place.) If you continue to place stones, you can create more than one full triangle, and the CAPTU RE button will continue to appear until all your full triangles disappear.
If you choose to capture, select the CAPTURE button. If you have only one full triangle, it will be automatically removed from the board. If you have two or more triangles on the board which contain an opponent's stone, you must indicate which triangle to capture. This is done by selecting enough corner s-tones which make up the desired triangle, such that the triangle is differentiated from your other full triangles. A capture is treated as a turn in Triandro. When a capture is made, the player removes all of his, as well as his opponent's stones from within the triangle and along the borders of the triangle. The player's stones that were recovered can then be reused in game play. The opponent's stones that have been captured are out of the game.
Three or Four Players
Triandro allows up to four players per game. Each of these player's stones are displayed in a different color. The players decide among themselves which color of stones they will use who will start first. three- or four-player game is played almost exactly like a two-player game (the computer is not involved in these games), but there is one difference. During play in a two-player game, if a player runs out of stones, that player has lost. In a game with more than two players, this is not always the case. If, for example, the second player is out of stones, but still has an empty triangle on the board, and an opponent places a stone within that triangle, the triangle can be captured on player two's turn. The stones that are recovered from that capture can then be brought back into play. The winner is the last player who has a stone to place. When playing a game with more than two players, you may capture more than one player's stones within a triangle.
STRATEGY
Once you have learned to play
the game of Triandro, you will want to improve your playing
strategy. The following section offers a few suggestions
to help you improve your playing strategy and to make Triandro
that much more fun to play.
• It is not always the best idea to capture full triangles too quickly. When you capture a triangle, you will weaken ur board position. If you have a large, full triangle which controls quite a bit of territory, you can fill it with stones, create other triangles, and at the same time control a majority on the board.
• When you have full triangles on the board (triangles which are eligible for capturing), it is often a good idea to fill these triangles with your stones. When you do finally capture the triangle, you can recover more of your stones and have them available for further use in the game.
• Try to avoid placing stones in the center of the board on points which will not be occupied by your full triangles. The points in the center of the board are the weakest positions to place your stones. Also, try to avoid creating triangles which will be destroyed when a capture takes place.
• Try to force your opponent to take full triangles as soon as possible. This is done by creating your own full triangles which contain the corner stone’s of your opponent's full
Triangles. | http://triandro.com/rules.htm |
How to Decorate Over a Curved Fireplace
That same curved fireplace that seemed like a feature when you chose your home could turn into a problem area once it's time to decorate. You can't hang the usual oversized framed mirror or painting above the mantel because it won't rest flat against the outward curving wall. Depending on the fireplace design, you may not even have a mantel. Instead of longing for a more traditional design, work with the shape to turn your curved fireplace into a focal point.
Hang a Textile
A curved fireplace doesn't prevent you from hanging a single, large-scale decoration. You just need a piece that conforms to the curve, such as a textile. Your options include tapestries, rugs and quilts, as well as lighter-weight pieces decorated with dye, applique or embroidery. Opt for a textile that suits both your decorating style and the fireplace material. For example, a thick rug or tapestry looks better against rough brick or stone than an embroidered silk suzani. Hang light- to medium-weight textiles from hook-and-loop tape affixed directly to the wall above the fireplace. For heavier pieces, such as rugs, affix heavy-duty hook-and-loop tape to a flexible plywood strip called a bender board, and then attach the bender board to the fireplace wall.
Prop Framed Artwork
If your fireplace has a mantel, you can still use a painting, print or mirror as the primary decoration. Opt for a vertically inclined piece, and prop it on the mantel instead of hanging it. When the frame leans against the curved wall instead of hanging on it, the difference between the flat and curved surfaces isn't as jarring, especially if the frame is sufficiently narrow.
When selecting the size, make sure that the bottom corners of the propped frame don't extend past the mantel's edge. Ideally, choose one where the bottom corners sit far enough back on the mantel to place other items in front of it. Affix adhesive, non-skid squares to the bottom center and corners of the frame to keep it from sliding out of position.
Hang a Grouping of Smaller Objects
Hanging a collection of smaller objects lets you fill the space above the fireplace without fighting the shape. Because the individual pieces are small, they rest flat against the curved wall. Keep the look cohesive by choosing objects with at least one common element, such as subject matter or construction material. Possible options include wood carvings, metal sculptures, plates, masks or architectural fragments.
Arrangements that radiate out from a central object complement the curving fireplace shape better than asymmetrical or grid-like groupings. Mount them with hangers suitable for both the surface of the fireplace wall and the objects' weights. Avoid permanent damage to brick, stone or metal surfaces by using removable adhesive hangers.
Accessorize the Mantel
If your fireplace has a mantel, adorn it with a handful of well-placed accessories. Flanking your hanging or propped artwork with a matching pair of objects results in a classic, symmetrical look. Good options include vases, statuary, branched candelabra or tall, slender lamps. With propped artwork, place each object in your pair so that it slightly overlaps its respective edge of the propped frame. With textiles and hanging arrangements that span the width of the fireplace's curve, place each object in the pair at least one-quarter of the way from the mantel's end. Finish the look by placing a single large object or a cluster of complementary objects in the center of the mantel.
Asymmetrical arrangements also look good on curved mantels, but you need to balance the visual weight on each side. With a propped mirror, for example, prop a smaller framed painting against the left half of the mirror, and then place a slightly taller vase to the left of the painting. Balance the arrangement by placing a tall candelabra to the right of the mirror. Though the candelabra is taller, the painting and vase combination is wider and more solid, which makes the visual weight on each side roughly equal.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Leah James has been a full-time freelance writer and editor since 2008. With more than a decade of experience in interior decorating, she frequently writes about home design. She studied English literature at Lyon College. | https://homeguides.sfgate.com/decorate-over-curved-fireplace-34484.html |
Motor vehicle accidents are one of the top causes of unintentional injury deaths in Arizona and throughout the United States. According to data from the Arizona Department of Transportation, 1,057 people lost their lives in fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2020. Driver behavior causes more than 90 percent of car accidents. Understanding the leading causes of fatal accidents in Arizona could potentially save your life in a Phoenix car collision.
Speeding can mean exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions. If a road is wet and dark, for instance, a driver may need to reduce his or her speed to below the posted limit to avoid speeding. Speeding is the most common driver violation involved in fatal car accidents in Arizona.
Speeding took 337 lives in Arizona in 2020. Driving too fast can make it impossible for a driver to stop in time to prevent an accident. It can force a driver to swerve or veer off of the road to avoid a crash – often causing an accident. Speeding can result in rear-end collisions, head-on collisions and deadly high-speed accidents.
Operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol is another deadly driver error. Impaired drivers took 274 lives in 2020. Driving under the influence accounted for 25 percent of all fatal car accidents in Arizona. These fatal traffic accidents can involve impairment by alcohol, illegal drugs, marijuana or prescription medications.
An intoxicated driver cannot make sound decisions behind the wheel. He or she will be more inclined toward reckless driving behaviors that often cause fatal accidents, such as swerving in and out of traffic, speeding, racing, running red lights, and wrong-way driving. Drunk drivers may also fall asleep behind the wheel.
Driver distraction has become a larger issue in recent years. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,142 people were killed in distracted driving accidents nationwide in 2020. State data reported at least 39 deaths directly related to distracted driving behaviors in Arizona in 2020, including talking on a cell phone, texting and driving, or eating and drinking. Driver inattention removes a driver’s eyes from the road and/or hands from the wheel. This can delay reaction times and increase the risk of car accidents.
Another leading cause of fatal Arizona car accidents is improper lane-keeping. A driver is responsible for staying inside of his or her lane at all times except when passing or changing lanes. To change lanes, a driver must reduce his or her speed, check the destination lane to make sure it’s clear, signal the intent to change lanes, and perform the maneuver safely. Weaving between lanes, cutting drivers off and making unsafe merges can lead to sideswipe accidents and serious collisions.
Traffic laws are in place in Arizona to keep drivers safe and separate from one another. It is a driver’s responsibility to know and obey all traffic laws, roadway rules, traffic control devices and traffic signs. Violating any of these rules can result in a preventable fatal car accident. Every year in Arizona, fatal collisions are caused by the following infractions:
If your family has suffered the tragic loss of a loved one in a fatal car accident in Phoenix, Arizona, help is available. Consult with a Phoenix wrongful death lawyer from Stone Rose Law to discuss your rights and legal options at no cost. We can help you go up against the driver responsible for causing the fatal collision in pursuit of justice and maximum financial compensation. | https://www.stoneroselaw.com/what-are-the-leading-causes-of-fatal-arizona-car-crashes/ |
Ironing board covers can help protect your ironing board from constant exposure to heat as well as provide a smoother ironed finish.
Total Project Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour
I will admit, I have been in a sewing mood lately. There are so many fun projects to explore and discover and I wanted to dive deeper into that world. But I noticed something interesting happening to some of the fabrics when ironed. I would see the pattern of the iron grate getting imprinted onto the fabric. After doing a little research, I decided that a cover for the ironing board would help with this problem. One of the great things about this project is the large surface are which is great if you have a design you want to display.
Check out the Craft section of MCG for more fun patterns in forever fabrics or more unlimited ideas.
Supplies
There aren’t many supplies needed for this project. I would suggest have the ironing board you plan to cover on hand. What you’ll need for this project is:
- Fabric
- Elastic
- Safety Pin
Process
Having the ironing board on hand can help get the exact fabric pattern. The fabric should be cut to have approximately 3 inches of fabric around the outlines of the ironing board. This doesn’t have to be exact, but you’ll want some fabric to wrap around the sides and pull together at the bottom.
Most of this project is spent pinning the fabric. To get a clean edge, you’ll want to curl the fabric under itself to hide the raw edge. The edge should then be pinned about half an inch in from the outer edge of the fabric. I used half and inch (ish, I was not very precise on this project) because that’s was just over the width of the elastic that I had. This step is creating a pocket around the outside of the fabric to pull the elastic through.
And now, we sew! The curves of the ironing board are the only really “tricky” part of this pattern. But since everything should be pinned in place before starting, you just need to follow the pin line. Leave a small, half inch gap or opening somewhere along the project because otherwise you’ll have no way to get your elastic inside!
Pulling the elastic through proved particularly challenging for me as I first tried this process without a safety pin. Threading a plastic needle and pulling worked well for about 1/3rd of the process but because it wasn’t fastened to the needle, it slipped off. I tried this method way too many times before switching to a safety pin. And then I learned you can’t have the safety pin too close to the end of the elastic or it could potentially put through the elastic and rip off.
Eventually, I finished pulling the elastic through. Now I didn’t want to put too much elastic into the piece because I wanted the cover to fit tightly over the board. So what I did was placed it over the board and pulled the elastic tight – mimicking the results that I wanted. This gave me a good idea of how much elastic I was supposed to use. Then all that’s left is to fasten the elastic to itself and close the gap that we left open to thread the elastic. All in all, it’s a pretty simple project with gorgeous results!
Lessons
Pinning Perpendicular
Using pins for sewing can prove to be a little challenging, especially with a sewing machine. The pin heads can get stuck in the machine if you fail to move them out of the way. Or, the worst-case scenario, the needle on the machine could break due to the impact with metal. It wasn’t meant to handle that. This hasn’t happened to me recently. Nope. Definitely not. Anyway, there are two ways to pin fabric while sewing. One is to pin the fabric in the same direction that you plan to sew. This will, generally, mean you must take out the pins as you sew to avoid an accident. The second method is to place the pins perpendicular to your desired sewing line. This method gives the sewing needle minimal contact with the pins which results in you not having to remove them while you sew. I will be looking more into these methods to find more comparisons in future projects for sure! I am lazy so I always want to streamline everything I do.
Quick Recipe
Instructions
- Cut fabric to be the shape of the ironing board with a three-inch boarder around the original ironing board shape.
- Create a clean edge around the project and pin to leave a ½ inch pocket.
- Sew along the edge to create the pocket. Leave a small gap as an opening.
- Thread the elastic through the piece using a safety pin.
- Sew the ends of the elastic together.
- Close gap to encase the elastic completely.
- Put piece around your ironing board and enjoy! | https://makecraftgame.com/2021/07/07/ironing-board-cover/ |
We see a lot of PDFs come through the MagCloud site, and while most of them look great, there are some avoidable issues that pop up every so often. Below are ten common PDF problems that can stand in the way of a great looking print publication.
1. Content is too close to the outside edges.
We see a number of great PDFs that have text placed dangerously close to the trim line. As we discussed in our design series blog post on trim and bleed, it’s important to keep your content within a safe distance of the trim line to avoid having it cut off in your final print publication. Remember that the trim line is 8.25″ x 10.75″ so you need to design to those dimensions NOT the PDF size of 8.5″ by 11″ that you upload to MagCloud. This 8.5″ x 11″ PDF includes a bleed area that will be trimmed off: 0.125″ on the top, 0.125″ on the bottom and 0.25″ on the outside. Since this trim can vary slightly in either direction, we recommend leaving 1/4 inch of extra space between the 8.25″ x 10.75″ trim line and your content, particularly any text content. This will ensure that even if the trim is slightly off, your content will not get cut off, nor will it appear to have been placed too close to the edge of the page.
2. Images are not extending into the bleed area.
Similarly, we see a lot of PDFs where images that the publisher wanted to extend to the edge of the page stop at the trim line. If the trim is even slightly off in the opposite direction in this case, there will appear to be a thin white edge on the image, as shown in our trim and bleed blog post and below. With that in mind, be sure that any images you want to extend to the edge of the printed page, go all the way to the edge of your 8.5″ x 11″ PDF, filling the bleed area (again, 0.125″ top and bottom, 0.25″ on the outside edge).
3. Content is too close to the spine.
Another “edge” to keep in mind is the inside edge of your PDF, where the spine will be on your printed publication. We often see PDFs with text that starts right next to the spine, and becomes lost when printed with a perfect binding. As we described in our design series blog post on designing for perfect binding, up to 1/4 inch of the inside edge of your page may be lost into the spine on a perfect bound publication. It is important to keep this in mind when designing your PDF, and ensure that none of your content is placed close enough to the inside edge that it is in danger of being lost in the final print.
4. Images are distorted across perfect bound spines (especially faces).
In addition to text disappearing into a perfect bound spine, we also see PDFs that have images going across the center spine such that the resulting print appears to be missing up to a half inch in the center of the image due to the perfect binding. As described in our perfect binding blog post, as well as on our Getting Started page, this can be avoided by making the two halves of one image into two separate images within the document, then moving them both out from the spine slightly and duplicating the opposing image within the resulting gutter space. Another trick is to avoid placing the focus of an image on the spine, which will draw attention to this disappearing act and make it more obvious to the viewer. If the focus is moved away from the center spine, any loss of content into the spine area will be less noticeable.
5. PDF uses low resolution images.
While the placement of images is one thing that can cause problems in a print copy, the image itself can be the problem. We often see are PDFs that use lower resolution images, and although they look good on screen, they end up looking pixelated in print. As we describe in our design series blog post about getting the most out of your images, screen resolution is 72 pixels- or dots-per-inch (dpi) but print resolution is 300 dpi. Therefore, when selecting images for your publication, they should be at least 300 dpi to ensure a quality print out. As a test to see if your images will look good in print, open your PDF on your computer screen and zoom in to 300%. If the images still look crisp then, they will look good in your printed copy. On the other hand, if they look pixelated (like they are made up of little blocks of color) then your image is too low res, and will end up looking fuzzy in your final printed copy.
6. Color profiles are not embedded.
Another common image problem we see in PDFs deals with the color of the resulting print copy. As we explained in our design series blog post on working with color, HP Indigo presses print MagCloud publications in a 4-color CMYK process, but most images that get used in the PDF have an RGB colorspace. To help guide this conversion from RGB to CMYK, it is important that the color profiles for these images are embedded in the PDF. Without them, the color of the printed images may appear to be slightly off. To make sure that you are using the best color settings possible when creating your PDF, we encourage you to follow the program-specific instructions that are available for download from the bottom of our Getting Started page.
7. Fonts are not embedded.
Of course, color profiles aren’t the only things that need to be embedded in your PDF – any fonts you use also should be included. A common error that occurs in our PDF upload validation is non-embeddded fonts. This can again be avoided by following the downloadable instructions on our Getting Started page for the software you are using to design your PDF. Each of these guides provides settings that will ensure your fonts are properly embedded in your final PDF, and help you avoid this upload error.
8. Fonts are too small or illegible.
In addition to the technical issue of non-embedded fonts, in some cases the problem with a PDF stems from the fonts themselves being too small or illegible, making the text difficult to read in the final print. For body copy we recommend 9-12 point type and for headlines 18 points or higher. As we discussed in our design series blog post on typeface dos and don’ts, you also want to avoid hard-to-read fonts, particularly for large blocks of text. Decorative fonts are great as headers, but can detract from your message when they become difficult to read.
9. Dark text is used on a dark background, or light text is used on a light background.
Even in cases where the font is legible, we’ve seen PDFs where the color of the text doesn’t provide enough contrast with the background. Placing navy blue text on a black background or light yellow text on a white background, as shown below, becomes very difficult to read. When there is not enough contrast between the text and the background like this, the text seems to blend in and disappear from view, taking the message it was intended to convey with it.
10. A light spine is used with a dark cover, or a dark spine is used with a light cover.
Finally, while you want your text to stand out, it’s a whole other story when it comes to your spine. We occasionally see PDFs that have dark covers and light spines, or vice versa, which makes the slightest shift in the spine placement become glaringly obvious. As we discussed in our perfect binding design blog post, we encourage you to pick a spine color that is close to the color of your front and back covers. Doing so will give a more seamless appearance to your final print publication, and ensure a more polished look with every print.
To help avoid these problems in your PDF, be sure to follow the program-specific instructions available for download on our Getting Started page when designing your publication. For some more resources to help design your PDF, check out our design series blog post on layouts and templates, or browse through some of our featured publications on the MagCloud website for inspiration.
Does your publication successfully avoid these ten common problems? Share a link to it in the comments below! | https://blog.magcloud.com/2015/10/20/pdf-101-ten-common-pdf-problems/?replytocom=19094 |
Place a pizza stone in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°(C). Once the oven has reached 450° F (230°C), let the stone continue to heat for 15-30 minutes longer, without opening the door.
In a small bowl, toss the onion with the vinegar,½ teaspoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the pork and beef, the garlic, and the 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Season well with salt and pepper and mix gently with your hands. Form into mini meatballs, using a scant 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture for each and placing the finished meatballs on a plate as you work. Set aside.
On a floured pizza peel, stretch or roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) oval, with even thickness across the oval. If the dough springs back, let it rest for about 10 minutes before continuing. Leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) border, spread the sauce over the dough and top with the mozzarella and the¼ cup (1 oz/30 g) Parmesan.
Distribute the meatballs evenly around the pizza and finish with the marinated onions. Brush the outside edge of the dough with olive oil and season the whole pizza lightly with salt and pepper.
Carefully slide the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the crust is golden brown. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board and scatter basil all over the top. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve right away. | http://louisiana.kitchenandculture.com/recipes/mini-meatball-and-red-onion-pizza |
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Patios are a great addition to any backyard. They can be used for entertaining, dining outside, or just lounging around in the sun.
If you’re considering putting one in your yard but aren’t sure how it should be level with your grass, then this article will help shed some light on the subject!
Should A Patio be Level with The Grass?
Patios should be a consistent height with the surrounding landscape, but typically a few inches above grade. A patio that sits several inches above the adjacent soil will tend to collect water, especially if there are no planters or other features in place to divert that runoff.
The exception would be sites where the terrain is flat enough that no extra vertical space is required to create a level patio. In that case, the patio surface might be bedded at the same grade as the adjacent landscape.
Read More: Can You Grow Grass Between Pavers? [And How]
How High Should Your Patio Be From Grass?
You should aim for your patio to be .5 to 1.5 inches above grade. What exactly does that imply? Even if your yard isn’t sloped, it usually has a slope of some sort.
A 1% slope is when your yard descends 1 inch for every 100 feet traveled. You don’t want the level of your lawn and the level of your patio to be the same.
You need there to be a slope so that water can run off without pooling around your patio. If you have this situation, it will defeat the purpose of using concrete for your new outdoor space.
Should Lawn Be Higher Than Patio?
The answer: in most cases, you will want your lawn to be lower than your patio. This is mainly due to the fact that the lawn provides drainage of surface water away from your patio or home.
Water drains down toward the lawn instead of pooling up on top of it – this prevents soil erosion and can help prevent weed growth.
How High Should Pavers Be Above Grass?
When setting pavers for a path or patio, there is a general rule that should be followed. The paver stones should be approximately 1/2 to 2 inches inch above the grass level.
This will allow for adequate drainage to protect against erosion and eliminate accidents from trips and falls due to wet feet/grass after rain or morning dew.
By following this tip, you can avoid killing your grass by not watering frequently enough because the water won’t drain well beneath the pavers blocking off the area from receiving moisture it needs.
This will also ensure a happy base for your newly laid patio. You don’t want any sinking or shifting occurring as time goes on either because that could cause major problems with your foundation as well as uncomfortable tripping hazards.
What Do You Put Around The Edge Of A Patio?
The edge of a patio is the space where it meets with another surface, such as a deck or path. In order to use your patio most effectively, you want to have some sort of “curb appeal”.
This is designed to create an attractive area that draws people in and makes use of the whole space. To do this well, a variety of options are available.
- Stones & Rocks
- Plastic Edging
- Bricks
- Wood Edging
- Flagstone
Read More: Patio Pavers And Blocks Weight (And Cost)
Stones & Rock
Another popular option for patio edging is to use larger stones or rocks that are sometimes referred to as landscaping boulders.
They’re available at home improvement stores like Home Depot in different shapes, sizes, colors, etc. Generally, you’ll want to get ones that are big enough to stand out from the surrounding ground by about two inches or so.
The downside to this type of patio edging is that it requires either purchasing three-dimensional stone pieces which can be very pricey when done correctly…or using two-dimensional pavers that are meant to represent stone.
These can be found at places like Lowes or Home Depot and they’re relatively inexpensive, but they don’t look quite as realistic.
Plastic Edging
Plastic edging is another popular option for patio edges because it’s easy to install and usually comes in a variety of shapes and colors.
The downside is that it isn’t real stone or wood so after time the color fades, chips off, etc…and you have the added problem of trying to keep garden weeds from growing through it.
A more expensive option for plastic edging is a rubber product that has a more realistic look but some people find this type of patio edge less flexible than others when attempting to do curves.
Stones & Brick
One of the more popular options these days is to use a combination of stones and brick for patio edging.
This can be done by either using bricks as pavers or by laying them on the ground with landscaping fabric underneath for grass to grow through (see option 1 above).
It’s also possible to create curves with this type of patio edge, but they do require additional paver pieces which you’ll need to purchase. The upside though is that you end up with a very natural-looking result and it will cost you less than if you went out and got real stone cut into pieces.
Plus bricks are often available at home improvement stores in colors that might not otherwise be found in nature so your new “stone” patio edge will look a little more unique.
Wood Edging
For a more economical option, you can use wood edging around the edge of your patio too. The primary benefit to this approach is that you get a similar appearance to that of real stone or brick while being able to avoid some of the negatives associated with them (e.g., weeds growing through).
However, if you want curves in your patio edge plan on buying additional two-dimensional pieces from a home improvement store because wood isn’t flexible enough to do it on its own.
Note: If you go this route though make sure not to apply any type of sealant to the wood because it’ll eventually damage and/or discolor it over time.
How Do I Stop Dirt From Running Into My Patio?
It’s almost inevitable that dirt, grass clippings, and other debris will find their way to your patio.
The best way to deal with this is before it happens. If you have an uncovered patio, placing some sort of fencing or weed barrier on the soil around its edge can help keep unwanted substances away from the surface.
If you already have a patio cover, however, there are still things you can do to stop the run-off of debris onto your outdoor living space.
Place a brick or stone path around your covered area so that when it rains the water flows over these materials rather than through them.
This also helps increase drainage in general if done correctly. Also, try planting drought-resistant greenery near the edges of the patio to help absorb some of the substance.
If you do find that your patio is already full of dirt or other substances, simply getting them out will not be enough to keep it clean in the future.
You may have to actually seal the concrete itself with a quality concrete stain. Doing so can make future clean-ups much easier and even give your outdoor living space a fresh, new look!
Should Concrete Patio Be Flush With Grass?
You have a choice of whether to lay the concrete patio so that it is flush with the ground or to leave a small lip in front of it.
If you choose not to create a lip, grass and other plants may occasionally grow up through cracks in the concrete or cause trip hazards.
Because of this, I recommend leaving between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch lip ahead of your concrete patio if at all possible. This will help keep grass from growing onto your patio surface but still allow water to drain off the backside.
Depending on how tightly packed your soil is, even just laying down weed blocking fabric can help prevent grass & weeds from coming through later on.
Be advised that leaving an exposed edge like that also leaves it open for damage from stepping stones or tools, so be aware of the risks and have a good system in place when laying your patio so you can keep it looking nice.
Grass & weeds growing through cracks in concrete is generally not a problem until they start to affect the surface quality of your concrete patio.
If that’s happening, you can use weed killers just like on any other type of lawn grass. Once the grass is dead, pull up all of it by hand and treat any bare spots in the concrete with a color-matched concrete bonding agent before re-laying new square pavers or poured concrete as needed.
This will seal those small areas to prevent weeds from returning.
Conclusion
So remember, patios should be level with the ground surrounding them so as not to create issues for drainage. Also, carefully consider your grading around patios and other surfaces to maintain proper drainage. | https://www.cleverpatio.com/should-a-patio-be-level-with-the-grass/ |
BoardGameArena uses the American Go Association's rules for this adaptation.
Contents
Basic rules
White has just placed their stone on c3 and captured black's stone on d3. Black cannot play on d3 again (capturing c3) because it would be the same position with the same player turn.
White can place their stone where it is surrounded only because this move captures the black stones.
A summary loosely based on "The Rules and Elements of Go" (1977) by James Davies:
- Black moves first.
- Black and White alternate placing one stone of their own colour on an empty intersection on the board.
- A stone or connected group of stones of one colour is captured and removed from the board when stones of the opposite colour occupy all the intersections directly adjacent to it.
- Only cardinally adjacent intersections connected by grid lines matter when considering whether stones are connected, and when considering whether a group of stones is captured. Diagonals and intersections 2+ away do not count.
- Any move that results in the immediate capture of the placed stone is not allowed (self-capture).
- Capture of the opponent takes precedence over self-capture: placing a stone into a position where it would be immediately captured is allowed if the move captures opposing stones.
- No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position. If a stone is played anywhere else on the board, this creates a "different board position" for that player's next turn.
- A player may pass their turn at any time.
- Two consecutive passes end the game. All "dead" stones that inevitably can be captured are removed from the board at this time. If players cannot agree whether a group of stones is dead or not, play will resume to determine the status of the group.
- The player with more area at the end of the game wins. A player's area consists of all grid intersections they have either occupied or surrounded in their colour. Score can also be counted by territory: intersections surrounded + prisoner stones captured.
Tiebreaker and first move compensation
If players have equal points at end of game, then white wins by +0.5 points. White is sometimes given additional points as komi to compensate for going second (see Komi and handicaps under Game options below).
Game options
Grid size
Game board size. Available values are:
Playing on 9x9 for a while is recommended for beginners before moving up to the bigger sizes, or if you just want a shorter game.
Method of counting
There are situations (Japanese seki) in which a region of empty points is left at the end of the game which is not entirely surrounded by stones of a single colour, and which neither player would fill because to do so would lead to the capture of their own stones.
Method for counting the score. Options are:
- Japanese (territory scoring: each surrounded intersection is worth one point, and each stone captured from an opponent is worth one point)
- Chinese (area scoring: each surrounded intersection is worth one point, and each stone remaining on the board at the end of the game is worth one point)
If AGA Rules are on (See "AGA Rules" below), no matter which counting method is used, the difference between the two players' scores, and the game result, is the same (territory scoring gives points when a player captures stones, and area scoring takes away points when a player's stones are captured).
Some people find area/Chinese scoring more intuitive. Territory/Japanese scoring is faster to mentally check during a game, but beginners usually do not need to count score in the middle of a game.
Komi and handicaps
Komi are extra points given to White to compensate for Black's first move advantage. Current Go theory states that an even game for strong players is around 7 komi points on all board sizes.
A game may be played with a handicap to compensate for differences in player strengths. On BGA, the administrator of the table plays White, and the other player plays Black. The stronger player in a handicap game should create the table and play White. With "Handicap: 1 stone," Black moves first, and gives only 0.5 compensation points to White (to break ties). With the other handicap options, Black begins the game with 2 to 9 stones on predefined intersections, White gets only 0.5 compensation points, and White moves first.
Options are:
- Without komi (without compensation)
- Normal komi (4 points for 19x19 and 5 points for 9x9, 13x13)
- Big komi (for strong players: 7 points for 9x9, 13x13, 19x19)
- Handicap: 1 stone
- Handicap: 2 stones
- Handicap: 3 stones
- Handicap: 4 stones
- Handicap: 5 stones
- Handicap: 6 stones
- Handicap: 7 stones
- Handicap: 8 stones
- Handicap: 9 stones
AGA Rules
A yes/no option for using the American Go Association rules. AGA rules specify that a player who passes must give the opponent one point, and that White must pass last at the end of the game (passing a third consecutive time if necessary). This ensures that area/Chinese counting and territory/Japanese counting always give exactly the same result. If AGA rules are turned off, playing a stone within your own territory loses one point under territory/Japanese counting, but does not affect the score in area/Chinese counting.
When set to "No", players still pay one point for passing when playing out after the end of the game to determine the life/death status of disputed groups. | https://en.doc.boardgamearena.com/index.php?title=Gamehelpclassicgo&oldid=10806 |
5 Tips for How to Keep Your Kitchen Knives Sharp and Avoid Dullness.
As a home cook or professional chef, having sharp kitchen knives is essential for efficient and safe food preparation. Dull knives require more force to cut through food, increasing the risk of accidents and resulting in uneven or poor-quality cuts. On the other hand, sharp knives make clean cuts and make cooking tasks faster and more enjoyable. In this article, we'll discuss practical tips for keeping your kitchen knives sharp and preventing them from turning dull.
5 Easy Tips for the Ideal Kitchen Knife Maintenance:
1. How to hone or sharpen your kitchen knife:
Use a sharpening stone or honing rod regularly. A sharpening stone, also known as a whetstone, is a flat stone with a rough surface that is used to sharpen the edge of a knife. Honing rods, also known as steel rods or sharpening steels, are cylindrical tools with a fine surface that is used to straighten and refine the edge of a knife. They often come in either a carbon steel version, a ceramic version, or a diamond coated version. A whetstone and a ceramic/diamond coated honing rod both work by removing a small amount of metal from the blade to create a sharp edge. Meanwhile the carbon steel honing rod works by simply straightening out and realigning the existing edge of the blade.
To use a sharpening stone, wet the stone with water and place it on a stable surface. Hold the knife at a 20-degree angle to the stone and make long, smooth strokes along the length of the blade, starting at the heel and moving towards the tip. Repeat on the other side of the blade. If you're using a honing rod, hold the rod with the handle in one hand and the blade of the knife in the other hand. Place the blade against the rod at a 20-degree angle and draw the blade down the length of the rod, repeating on the other side of the blade.
It's recommended to hone or sharpen your knives every one to three months, depending on how often you use them. If you use your knives frequently, you may need to hone or sharpen them more often.
2. Storing your knives to avoid dullness:
Store your knives properly. Proper storage is crucial for keeping your knives sharp and preventing them from getting damaged. Avoid storing your knives in a drawer with other utensils, as they can knock against each other and dull the edges. Instead, use a knife block or a magnetic strip to keep your knives organized and safe, always attaching the knife to the strip by the spine-side of the blade first and then carefully tilting inwards towards the blade side.
3. The best cutting board to take care of your chef's knife:
Use the right cutting surface. Chopping on a hard surface such as a granite countertop or a glass cutting board can dull your knives quickly. Instead, use a wooden or plastic cutting board to protect the blade. Avoid using a serrated knife on a hard surface, as this can damage the teeth.
4. Is it safe to cut hard items with my kitchen knife?
Avoid cutting through really hard or frozen foods. Very hard or frozen foods can dull your knives quickly, as they require more force to cut through. Instead, thaw frozen foods before cutting them, or use a cleaver to chop through hard ingredients such as bones.
5. Can I put my kitchen knife in the dishwasher?Avoid dishwashers. While it may be tempting to toss your knives in the dishwasher for easy cleaning, the high heat, harsh detergents and the high velocity of the machine can damage the blade and cause it to become dull. Instead, hand wash your knives with a soft sponge or brush and mild dish soap, and dry them immediately to prevent rust.
Conclusion
By following these tips, you can keep your kitchen knives sharp and in good condition for years to come. Regular sharpening and proper care will not only improve your cooking experience, but it will also help you save money on expensive knife replacements. | https://kumaknives.com/blogs/blog/5-tips-for-how-to-keep-your-kitchen-knives-sharp-and-avoid-dullness |
Method 3: Reset Microsoft Edge to Fix not Closing Issue Resetting this browser can help you a lot. It will restore all settings, options to default state and clear all of your local data.... Some websites display better in the Compatibility View of Internet Explorer. The Compatibility View displays a page as if it were in an earlier version of the browser. The Compatibility View displays a page as if it were in an earlier version of the browser.
Notes Starting in Firefox 46.0.1, Window.close() can no longer close windows that weren't opened by the same script. This is a security precaution.... In previous versions of FireFox I was able to have the browser window set to full screen (either by F11 or under the FF settings menu) and Firefox would remember that setting on closing the browser. On opening it again it would open in full screen mode with toolbar hidden (what I wanted).
FireFox - Set a default zoom level for all websites. If you want to have the same zoom level for every visited website: Open... Read more. Mozilla Firefox . July 9, 2018 at 04:36 AM. How To Speed Up Google Chrome Page Loading . The Google Chrome web browser can, sometimes, take too long to load a page... Read more. Google Chrome . January 1, 2018 at 11:14 PM. How To Search for a Word �... Session Restore is a useful feature in Firefox that remembers certain information about your previous browsing session so that you can continue work right where you left off the last time.
In previous versions of FireFox I was able to have the browser window set to full screen (either by F11 or under the FF settings menu) and Firefox would remember that setting on closing the browser. On opening it again it would open in full screen mode with toolbar hidden (what I wanted).... From the When Firefox starts drop-down, select Show my windows and tabs from last time. Click OK to close the Options window . Please see Restore previous session - Configure when Firefox shows your most recent tabs and windows for more details.
Change back to the old default behavior. Aha! As this blog post documents (inspired by this podcast): It appears that for a while now, both Firefox and Chrome have, for the convenience of their users, restored session cookies between browser shut down and restart.
11/01/2016�� Firefox displays small animations when opening or closing tabs. This is usually not an issue, but you can avoid some hang-ups if you tend to open or close many tabs at once: Set browser.tab.animate to False. | http://jholdendesigns.com/australian-capital-territory/how-to-make-firefox-remember-websites-when-closing-and-opening.php |
Obsessive perfection is synonymous with the Japanese way of life and sharpening a blade is no different. Japanese knives are renowned the world over for their durability and craftsmanship. So it makes perfect sense if we picked up a few nuggets of knife wisdom from a third-generation master Japanese knife sharpener, Mamoru Morimoto.
- A flat stone is critical to proper knife sharpening. Always check to see if the stone is perfectly flat all the way through. You can do that by placing a ruler over the stone’s surface and checking if any light passes through. Use a lapping tool to flatten the stone. Lapping/flattening plates made out of aluminum are a good choice for flattening your stones.
- Locating the correct angle. It is usually a bit tricky to locate the correct sharpening angle for a double beveled knife. You can do so by placing a couple of quarters on the sharpening stone’s surface.
- The pressure matters. If you don’t use adequate pressure while sharpening, you’d be just running the knife on the stone rather than actually sharpening it. Apply about 4-6 lbs. of pressure on a knife that’s relatively sharp and about 8 lbs. for a knife that needs more work. Press on the scale to get a feel for what the correct pressure feels like.
- Pay attention to the burr. The burr is the hair like particle-formation that forms along the edge while sharpening. It indicates whether the knife is being sharpened properly. You should strive to ensure burr uniformity along the edge i.e. it should be roughly the same size from the knife’s tip to the heel.
- Check if your knife is sharp. There are plenty of ways to check your blade’s sharpness. Slicing through paper is a very reliable way to do so. If the knife slices through paper effortlessly without any tugging that means your knife is in good working order.
Knife care after sharpening
Proper knife care goes beyond a few strokes over a whetstone. Here are a few important tips to maintain your knife once it’s sharpened.
- Keeping it rust free. Rust and corrosion can destroy even the most expensive blades. The best way to avoid it is to keep them dry. The easiest way to do it is by wiping them dry with a clean cloth once you’re done using them.
- Be careful when oiling. People often oil their knives before they store them. Avoid using oils that have salt because salt accelerates corrosion. Also, stay away from vegetable oil or animal fat because it can cause a foul smell. A few sprays of camellia oil should do the trick.
- Wooden handle care. If you use knives with a wooden handle, a handy tip to keep your knife handle moisture-free is to store your knives blade down. It will prevent moisture from seeping into the handle.
- A nifty storage tip. You may not know this but wrapping your knife in the newspaper will keep it rust free. The oil in newspaper ink is known to prevent the corrosion process. Do this when you’re about to put away your blades for a longer time period.
We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a PM on our Facebook or Instagram. For more useful tidbits on sharpening be sure to visit our blog. | https://sharppebble.com/blogs/blogs/secrets-of-a-japanese-master-knife-sharpener |
Richmond Cemetery - Richmond, KY - Section "L"
You are here: Rules and RegulationsSection "L"
1. All other rules, regulations, and bylaws applicable to the Cemetery pertain to and shall be enforced for all gravesites in Section L of the Richmond Cemetery unless otherwise modified or further restricted by these specific rules and regulations. To the extent that any of these specific rules and regulations may be ambiguous with other Cemetery Rules and Regulations, the Board of Trustees may clarify the interpretation of the ambiguities.
2. Flowerbeds or planted flowers will be allowed in Section L only to the extent that they do not extend more than 14” from the stone or marker. The 14” flowerbed must include a stone border and all must be well maintained by the gravesite owner. Any flower beds or other plants must be first approved by the Director of Grounds. Any flowerbeds or plants that become unsightly or overgrown with weeds will be removed by the Cemetery personnel without consultation with the gravesite owners. The Cemetery shall incur no responsibility for removing flower beds or other prohibited plants.
3. Any flags placed by the gravesites must be placed in approved flag holders and the appropriate flag etiquette must be followed concerning the display of any flags so placed. Any flag holder must be placed directly next to any stone memorial marker, and any event, no further than one inch from the edge of the stone. Only one flag is permitted per gravesite. If, in the opinion of the representative of the Board of Trustees, the size and placement of the flag is not in keeping with the aesthetic setting of Section L, then the flag may be removed and stored appropriately until it is retrieved by the person placing the flag. The decision to remove a flag is solely within the discretion of the Board representative and their decision is final.
4. Memorial markers shall all be made of stone and there shall be no raised foot markers permitted at all. Any foot marker shall be placed either flush with the ground or below grass root level. Any foot marker that is raised above ground level shall be removed by the Cemetery staff and stored subject to being picked up by the appropriate person or, if requested and approved by the Board, the foot marker may be replaced with the marker being flush with ground level, in the Board’s discretion.
There shall be no slanted stones permitted as either footstones or headstones.
g. Any other things, items, decorations, or materials that may detract from the aesthetic appearance of Section L. Such items as incorporated herein may be removed by Cemetery personnel if the Board deems such items as being contrary to maintaining the aesthetic integrity of Section L.
7. The decision of the Board of Trustees shall be final and not subject to appeal beyond a ruling by the Board of Trustees on the interpretation of these rules.
8. It is expressly understood by all purchasers and subsequent owners of any burial site in Section L that these rules and the general rules and regulations of the Cemetery may be subject to change and that any future rules and regulations shall apply to all the gravesites located within Section L. | http://richmondcemetery.com/pages/rules-and-regulations/section-l.php |
Kidney stones are formed when salts, minerals, and other substances normally found in the urine clump together. They can be as small as grains of sand. In rare cases, they can be as large as golf balls.
For most children, passing a stone takes at least 24 to 48 hours. While the stone is traveling through the ureter, which is the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder, your child will probably feel pain. The pain may be mild or very severe. Your child may also have some blood in his or her urine. As soon as the stone reaches the bladder, any intense pain should go away.
If a stone is too large to pass on its own, your child may need a medical procedure to help pass the stone.
Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if your child is having problems. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.
How can you care for your child at home?
- Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids.
- Be safe with medicines. Give pain medicines exactly as directed.
- If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.
- If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.
- Do not give your child two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.
- Your doctor may ask you to strain your child's urine so that you can collect the kidney stone when it passes. You can use a kitchen strainer or a tea strainer to catch the stone.
- Have your child take medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think your child is having a problem with a medicine. You will get more details on the specific medicines your doctor prescribes.
- Apply heat to sore areas on your child's back or stomach for 20-minute periods. Moist heat (hot pack, bath, shower) works better than dry heat.
Preventing future kidney stones
Some changes in your child's diet may help prevent kidney stones. Depending on the cause of your child's stones, your doctor may advise your child to:
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Avoid coffee, tea, and grapefruit juice.
- Do not take more than the recommended daily dose of vitamins C and D.
- Avoid antacids such as Tums, Gaviscon, Mylanta, or Maalox.
- Limit the amount of salt (sodium) in the diet.
- Eat a balanced diet that is not too high in protein.
- Avoid foods that are high in a substance called oxalate, which can cause kidney stones. These foods include dark green vegetables, rhubarb, chocolate, wheat bran, nuts, cranberries, and beans.
When should you call for help?
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- Your child has symptoms of a kidney infection. These may include:
- Pain or burning when he or she urinates.
- A frequent need to urinate without being able to pass much urine.
- Pain in the flank, which is just below the rib cage and above the waist on either side of the back.
- Blood in the urine.
- A fever.
- Your child has pain that is not controlled by pain medicine.
Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- Your child does not get better as expected.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter M345 in the search box to learn more about "Kidney Stone in Children: Care Instructions". | https://www.healthwise.net/osumychart/Content/StdDocument.aspx?DOCHWID=bo1406 |
“A place for everything, everything in its place” are profound words by the incomparable Benjamin Franklin that are especially applicable when applied to component placement on PCBs and in your Altium library loader. Let’s see how to use Altium Designer to put these words into action for your PCB design
Whether you are creating a relatively simple printed circuit board or adding to an existing design, you can save time by adding components directly to the board layout. The following describes how to use Altium Designer to place file and a component are as follows:
Step 1: Open the PCB where you will be placing the part.
If using an existing board, locate the correct *.PcbDoc in your file tree.
Step 2: Locate the component library for your part. A few ways to access the libraries are:
Click on the Panels tab in the lower right corner
Click on Component under the Place drop-down menu.
3. Click on the Place Component icon on the toolbar at the top center of the window.
Step 3: Place the part on the board in the desired location.
Click on the desired part and move the component over the board with the mouse.
Left click to component the part (continue this for multiple parts).
Right click to stop placing components.
For most PCB designs, it is advisable to begin by creating a schematic. The schematic serves as an easy to follow circuit diagram where you can verify your interconnections or netlist. The schematic can also serve as a sort of sketchpad of your PCB layout and help you determine where you may need vias.
Although, starting from the schematic is a longer process to arrive at your PCB layout there are some advantages that may make the actual placement of components faster. Chief among these is that you begin with all components placed, albeit probably not in their final locations on the board. However, Altium Designer provides tools that allow you to easily lay out the board as desired.
The process of placing components when you start from the schematic begins with converting your schematic to a PCB layout. This will provide you with a board outline that contains your components. From here, you need to arrange your components within the board outline.
Your component designators may be hidden for easier viewing during placement
Altium Designer provides you with the flexibility of placing individual components (as shown in the video above) in a desired location within the board layout or having them arranged automatically by the program. Automatically or manual arranging of components can be done for a single component, select group or the entire board. In most situations, you may want to use a combination of these options to optimally place your components.
Selecting multiple components (highlighted) for rearrangement
Beginning with a schematic component placement can be fast since each component does not have to be added to the board individually. The capability to select and move groups of components simultaneously makes this rearrangement even easier and quicker. In most cases, group movement will need to be combined with individual placement to ensure that your components are placed optimally for functionality, reliability, and even manufacturability.
The actual placement of components on the PCB layout is quick and easy using Altium Designer. The determination of the best location to place components requires some consideration. Where your component is located on the board can impact the board’s functionality, reliability, and manufacturability.
For example, placing analog and digital components close together can create signal integrity problems, loading an area of the PCB with parts that generate high temperatures as opposed to evenly distributing them over the board area make it difficult to adequately remove heat and placing components too close to other surface elements may prevent your manufacturer from performing essential fabrication tasks, such as solder masking, or assembly tasks, such as soldering, without first redesigning the PCB.
To help you mitigate these potential problems, you can apply the following guidelines as you place your components:
The above list provides you with a good set of guidelines for placing your components that if followed will help you minimize signal integrity problems on your traces, make it easier to remove heat from your board and minimize the likelihood that you will need to make any changes to have your PCB manufactured.
Whether you are starting from a schematic or directly from the PCB layout, component placement can be quick and easy using Altium Designer. The wide range of capabilities and advanced functionality of Altium Designer offers you several ways to orderly layout your board and efficiently put every component in its place.
For more information on component placement for your PCB, contact an Altium Designer expert. | https://resources.altium.com/p/how-use-altium-designer-quickly-place-components |
Please follow the simple instructions below to get most of your investment and enjoy this beautiful cutting board for many years.
Care
1. Wash with hot water and a sponge
2. Let it dry on its edge for 3-5 hours
3. Apply one ounce of food-safe mineral oil using a clean rag on both sides and edges
4. 20 minutes later, wipe off every trace of oil.
DON’Ts
– Avoid keeping the board near the sources of heat like microwave
– Avoid leaving the board wet or, even more so, soaking it in the water for longer than needed for cleaning. Doing so will cause the board to crack, twist, warp or bow.
– Avoid putting hot teapots, pans or other kitchenware on the board. Placing steaks and other cooked meat is totally fine.
– Avoid using olive or vegetable oil as it will give a bitter taste to the food very soon.
– Avoid placing the board in the microwave or a dishwasher. | https://wood-inlays.com/recommendations/ |
How much of a child’s educational attainment is determined by her genes? New research is shedding light on variations in the genetic code that explain some of the differences in educational outcomes. But these findings also underline the huge role environment plays in shaping a child’s success or struggle in school.
Having recently become parents, my partner and I have entered a world that requires decisions we had never before had to consider. One question in particular looms large, and will probably continue to do so for the next few years: What can we do to help our daughter get the best education possible? Should we move to a different part of town with better schools? Or should we trust that we, her parents, have passed down to her the intellectual capacities that will allow her to succeed under practically any circumstances?
It is mind-boggling to imagine that our daughter may someday have her genetic make-up analyzed – as millions of people already have – and to think of how that knowledge may affect her life. It might help her choose a healthier lifestyle, as she takes into account whatever health risks she may have inherited. But might a DNA test also predict her chances of educational success?
A study published at the end of July 2018 has raised precisely that question: How much of a person’s potential for educational attainment is inherited, and how much is shaped by the environment? In this study, the Social Science Genetics Association Consortium (SSGAC) discovered gene variants in the human genome that correlate with educational attainment. Does that mean that our daughter’s educational destiny is already fixed, immutably written in her genome?
This topic is a minefield: Throughout human history, discrimination has too often been justified with arguments referencing genetic differences. So it is important to understand what the SSGAC study and others can – and cannot – tell us about a genetic predisposition to success in school.
A bit of background: Our genomes consist of a sequence of the letters A, G, C and T – which stand for the nucleotide bases in our DNA – for a total of over 3 billion letters. This equals the letter count of 585 copies of all seven Harry Potter books. Most of the sequence is the same for all humans, but in about 10 million positions in this code, one individual will differ from another: you may have an A where your neighbor has a G.
We’ll call these variable letters “variations”. By comparing thousands and thousands of genomes, scientists are trying to identify variations that are associated with an increased or decreased risk of developing a certain disease. For example, they are seeking to identify the small number of variations, out of a total of 10 million, that may make you more prone to developing heart disease or Alzheimer’s. This type of study is called a “genome-wide association study” or GWAS.
Such studies can provide important insights into the inner workings of a disease and thus help to create new therapies. They may also reveal which individuals might profit from preventive measures. But GWAS seek to understand not only diseases, but also the genetic basis of any other human trait, such as height.
Educational attainment was one of the first areas social scientists focused on when they began to use GWAS to study the heritability of behavior. In 2013, a comparison of the genetic sequence of roughly 100,000 individuals revealed three variants that appeared to be connected – albeit weakly – to educational success. Five years later, with genomic data from 1,1 million individuals to compare, the SSGAC was now able to identify 1,271 variants that appear to be associated with educational attainment as measured by the number of years of completed education.
On its own, each variation has almost no impact, but the picture is very different when we look at all these variations taken together. The researchers used them to calculate a score. The more variations you have that are favorable to education, the higher your score. And this score explains about 11 % of the differences in educational attainment across the population. This is quite high from a geneticist’s point of view, but ultimately, it means that genes are a relatively poor predictor of educational success. So most of the explanation for why some individuals complete more years of education than others can probably be found in environmental and other non-genetic factors.
Even before this study, we knew from other research that genes play only a minor role in a child’s success in school. So why go to the trouble of analyzing genomic data from over a million people? Will the identification of these 1,271 variations help to provide a confident prediction of a child’s predisposition for educational success or struggle?
The simple answer is no. Given the many environmental variables that affect performance in school, it is impossible to predict an individual’s future based solely on that person’s genome. The SSGAC study shows that on average, individuals with the highest score are more likely to graduate from college than those with the lowest score. But any one individual may deviate enormously from that average.
So our educational destiny is not dictated by our genes. But identifying these genetic variations is important, as this can help to disentangle the effects of genes and environment. Further study of these variations may help us gain a better understanding of the brain, shedding light on how environment shapes the way these genes play out to affect educational attainment. And in a more practical sense, future studies might reveal whether individuals with certain genetic variations profit more from specific educational interventions than from others.
As for the question we, as new parents, are facing, namely whether or not we should move to an area with better schools in the interest of ensuring our daughter’s educational success: This study doesn’t really give us any answers. Our child’s upbringing, friends, and teachers will all have a huge impact on her development. All we can do is provide support where it is needed, and make sure that she grows up in a safe environment in which her talents and potential can be fully realized. | https://bold.expert/growing-up-in-the-age-of-genomics/ |
Is Alcoholism Genetic or Cultural?
Is alcoholism genetic, or is it the result of a person’s upbringing? Or, perhaps, is the broader culture in which an individual is raised is to blame as much as individual household variables? Some may think it’s a foolish question, while others are curious as to why this disease affects them or somebody they love. As a loved one attempts to recover from an addiction such as alcoholism, the question becomes increasingly relevant. Genetic issues usually manifest themselves over multiple generations.
Problems involving the nurturing of a person’s surroundings appear to be more manageable. It is possible to alter one’s habits and actions. Our genetic code, on the other hand, is unchangeable.
The nature vs nurture question applies to many more behavioral questions than just excessive alcohol consumption, and is never simple to answer. However, science can shed a bit of light on the question surrounding what “causes” someone to be an alcoholic.
Is There a Genetic Predisposition to Alcoholism?
Research has indicated that genetics do play a role in addiction. However, there isn’t simply an “alcoholism gene” that conclusively causes an individual to struggle with alcohol use disorder. Rather, like many other complicated behavioral patterns, a 2019 study that sampled over a million individuals’ DNA found that there were “over 400 locations in the genome and at least 566 variants within these locations” that influence a person’s alcohol use. But while scientists have yet to fully uncover the mechanism by which the alcoholic tendency is inherited, there is plenty of evidence that genetics play a role.
According to University of Rochester Medical Center, having a parent or other close family member with a drinking problem makes a person about 400% more likely to struggle with alcohol use disorder themselves.
Nature AND Nurture: Environmental Factors for Alcoholism
One way researchers are able to separate genetic influence from environmental influence is through twin studies. Identical twins are genetically insdistinguishable from one another, so when these twins are separated at birth as a result of adoption or other kinds of intervention, they provide an opportunity to see how the environment in which each child was raised contributed to them being similar or dissimilar to their parents. These kinds of studies have suggested that between 45% and 65% of an individual’s liability to develop alcoholism is due to genetic factors. There are many environmental factors that contibute to a person’s likelihood of developing a drinking problem including:
- How an individuals is raised
- What an individual’s social circle is like
- The level of stress in an individual’s life
- How accessible alcohol is to an individual
- The age at which an individual begins drinking
How to Avoid Alcoholism if it Runs in Your Family
If you believe you are at danger for developing an alcohol problem, take the following actions to help you avoid it:
- Don’t start drinking while you’re young. If you start drinking at a young age, your chances of becoming an alcoholic are increased. This is due to both societal and genetic causes.
- As an adult, drink in moderation. Even moderate drinking should be approached with caution since it may be difficult to maintain. Better better, abstain from consuming alcohol entirely.
- Be mindful of your mental well-being. People who are stressed, anxious, or depressed may use alcohol to self-medicate. If you’re nervous or depressed, talk to your doctor.
Getting Help for Alcoholism at All In Solutions
If you or somebody you love have a drinking problem, don’t wait to seek help. All In Solutions offers a number of individualized substance abuse programs that can help individuals with alcoholism and alcohol use disorder get sober and begin their recovery. If you have any questions about alcohol addiction, or would like to learn more about All In Solutions treatment programs, don’t hesitate to reach out. One of our experienced drug and alcohol admissions coordinators is available to speak 24/7. | https://www.allinsolutions.com/genetics-of-alcoholism/ |
“My name is Mo, and I am an alcoholic and a drug addict” are words that I never thought I would need, or want, to string together. I am also a physician, a son, a brother, a friend, a dog-owner and an active participant in several communities. I have an amazing family, wonderful friends, a passport with extra pages full of stamps and degrees from top universities. Despite this, I found myself homeless, destitute and with very little will to live.
In the long-form definition of addiction published by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we learn that “about half of the likelihood that an individual will develop addiction” is genetically predetermined. Genetics, alone, are not enough to produce an addict or an alcoholic. The other half of the formula has to do with environmental factors and how these factors dance with an individual’s genetic predisposition.
Much to our misfortune, genetics are far less modifiable than environmental factors.
Any cardiologist would tell a child of a parent with a history of premature death due to coronary disease to quit smoking, eat healthy and exercise. The genetics are unquestionably there. Optimization of environmental risk factors as related to coronary artery disease, in addition to treatment of co-morbid conditions and preventative medication as indicated, is paramount in this patient population to best protect individuals from their unique genetic predisposition.
As non-researchers in the field of addiction and members of society at-large, these environmental factors are where our attention should be.
“Environmental factors” is not a euphemism for “access to drugs or alcohol.”
While drugs and alcohol are at the core of the destruction and incomprehensible demoralization that addicts and alcoholics so profoundly experience, they are not the problem. In fact, drugs and alcohol were the solution to my problem. They numbed the pain and flattened the fears I experienced from my perceived inability to live authentically.
My main goal in my lifelong journey of recovery is to live authentically. Wray Herbert, an award-winning journalist and writer on the psychological sciences, writes, “authenticity [is] acting in accordance with one’s thoughts, desires, and needs. This commitment is essential for self-regulation, and violating this commitment leads to feelings of inauthenticity, which taint one’s moral self-concept and lead to emotional disregulation. In short, being an imposter to oneself leads to moral and psychological distress.”
On September 30, 2017, The New York Times’ Editorial Board published an opinion piece titled “America’s 8-Step Program for Opioid Addiction” suggesting steps to be taken on a large-scale to address the current and growing pandemic.
On a far smaller, and perhaps more impactful and meaningful scale, let’s work to reduce the prevalence of addiction and alcoholism together by fostering safe environments for all members of our society to live authentically without fear or shame, such that an individual’s genetic predisposition matters less.
This would also help anyone without the genetic predisposition to addiction and alcoholism who may struggle with the ability to be authentic, and therefore happy.
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Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time. | https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2018/01/180124-guest-addiction-pandemic |
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Definition: People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) tend to have communication deficits, such as responding inappropriately in conversations, misreading nonverbal interactions, or having difficulty building friendships appropriate to their age. In addition, people with ASD may be overly dependent on routines, highly sensitive to changes in their environment, or intensely focused on inappropriate items. The will have unusual, restricted, or repetitive interests or behaviors. The symptoms of people with ASD will fall on a continuum, with some individuals showing mild symptoms and others having much more severe symptoms. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder will show symptoms in early childhood even if the symptoms are not recognized until later in life.
Symptoms: People with Autism Spectrum Disorder often have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. Many people with ASD also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things.
Children or adults with ASD might:
- not point at objects to show interest (for example, not point at an airplane flying over)
- not look at objects when another person points at them
- have trouble relating to others or not have an interest in other people at all
- avoid eye contact and want to be alone
- have trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings
- prefer not to be held or cuddled, or might cuddle only when they want to
- appear to be unaware when people talk to them, but respond to other sounds
- be very interested in people, but not know how to talk, play, or relate to them
- repeat or echo words or phrases said to them, or repeat words or phrases in place of normal language
- have trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motions
- not play “pretend” games (for example, not pretend to “feed” a doll)
- repeat actions over and over again
- have trouble adapting when a routine changes
- have unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound
- lose skills they once had (for example, stop saying words they were using)
Causes: There is no one cause of autism just as there is no one type of autism. Over the last five years, scientists have identified a number of rare gene changes, or mutations, associated with autism. A small number of these are sufficient to cause autism by themselves. Most cases of autism, however, appear to be caused by a combination of autism risk genes and environmental factors influencing early brain development.
In the presence of a genetic predisposition to autism, a number of environmental stresses appear to further increase a child’s risk. The clearest evidence of these autism risk factors involves events before and during birth. They include advanced parental age at time of conception (both mom and dad), maternal illness during pregnancy and certain difficulties during birth, particularly those involving periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain. It is important to keep in mind that these factors, by themselves, do not cause autism. Rather, in combination with genetic risk factors, they appear to modestly increase risk.
Many studies have been conducted to determine if a link exists between immunization and increased prevalence of autism, with particular attention to the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal. These studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. It remains possible that, in rare cases, immunization might trigger the onset of autism symptoms in a child with an underlying medical or genetic condition. Treatment: Studies have shown that early intervention treatment services in childhood can greatly improve a child’s development. Services include helping the child learn how to walk, talk, and interact with others.
- The different types of treatments can generally be broken down into the following categories: Behavior and Communication Approaches- provide structure, direction, and organization for the child and includes family participation
- Dietary Approaches- based on the idea that ASD symptoms can be caused by food allergies or lack of certain vitamins/minerals
- Medication- can help some people with related symptoms to help manage high energy levels, inability to focus, depression, or seizures. Medication cannot cure ASD. Complementary and Alternative
- Medicine- treatment outside of what would typically be recommended by a pediatrician or other health care professionals. | https://arborcounselingcenter.com/autismaspergers/ |
Staff: Camella Rising, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.N.
Camella Rising, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.N.
Cancer Research Training Award Fellow
[email protected]
240-276-5262
Camella Rising, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.N., is a Cancer Research Training Award fellow in the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch.
Dr. Rising's research is focused on health, family, and lifespan communication in the context of prostate cancer, breast cancer, and hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes. She has a strong research interest in the way individuals and families navigate and integrate offline and online health information and social support into cancer preventive behaviors and family communication about cancer, risk, and prevention.
Dr. Rising earned a Ph.D. in communication from George Mason University. Her dissertation used a mixed-method design to investigate fathers' and adult sons' communication motivations, challenges, and approaches in response to prostate cancer diagnosis and familial risk.
Dr. Rising is a registered dietitian nutritionist (R.D.N.). She holds a master's degree in nutritional sciences from San Diego State University and a bachelor's degree in biology from University of California, San Diego.
Current and/or past BRP mentors include Robin Vanderpool and April Oh.
Research Areas
- Family health and cancer communication across the life span
- Communication and uncertainty management
- Nutrition and physical activity behavior
- Digital health
- Social support
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Wright K, Fisher C, Rising C, Burke-Garcia A, Afanaseva D, Cai X. Partnering With Mommy Bloggers to Disseminate Breast Cancer Risk Information: Social Media Intervention. J Med Internet Res 2019 Mar 7; 21(3).
- Rising CJ, Bol N, Burke-Garcia A, Rains S, Wright KB. Perceived Stress in Online Prostate Cancer Community Participants: Examining Relationships with Stigmatization, Social Support Network Preference, and Social Support Seeking. J Health Commun 2017 Jun; 22(6):469-476.
- Rising CJ, Jensen RE, Moser RP, Oh A. Characterizing the US Population by Patterns of Mobile Health Use for Health and Behavioral Tracking: Analysis of the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey Data. J Med Internet Res 2020 22; 5(e1629).
- Fisher CL, Roccotagliata T, Rising CJ, Kissane DW, Glogowski EA, Bylund CL. "I Don't Want to Be an Ostrich": Managing Mothers' Uncertainty during BRCA1/2 Genetic Counseling. J Genet Couns 2017 Jun; 26(3):455-468.
- Fisher CL, Wright KB, Rising CJ, et al. Culturally Appropriate Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Messages: Targeting Racially and Ethnically Diverse Mothers. J Cancer Educ 2019 Dec 9. | https://staffprofiles.cancer.gov/brp/prgmStaffProfile.do?contactId=31160387&name=Camella-Rising&bioType=flw |
Stuttering or stammering is a complicated multidimensional communication problem. The overt or visible side of which is marked by hesitant speech which has abnormal interruptions like repetitions, prolongations, pauses and blocks. These disruptions in fluency are sometimes accompanied by secondary features like eye blinking, head jerking, facial grimaces or heavy breathing. Some people who stutter show a great deal of muscular tension and forcing while they try to speak. The covert side of the problem revolves around what the person actually feels. Shame, embarrassment, frustration and avoidance are just a few feelings that a person with stuttering experiences. While talking the PWS ( People who stutter) may substitute words, talk indirectly around a topic, or reply with incorrect information to avoid certain struggle words. The problem of stammering can impact the person’s life severely.
Phenomena associated with stuttering:
There are several conditions or speaking where in stammering is absent or reduced
- Singing
- Speaking to a rhythmic beat
- Reading in chorus or unison with another person
- Speaking at a whisper
- Communicating with Young Children
- When you’re under the impact of a loud masking noise, you’re speaking in hushed tones.
- While Speaking at a higher or lower pitch than normal
- Speaking in monotone
- Speaking under the influence of delayed auditory feedback
All of the aforementioned fluency enhancing conditions facilitate a physical change in the way of speaking. Speaking slowly gives more time for the complex processes of respiration, vocalization and articulation. Other conditions generate an increase or decrease in loudness and pitch. Such a physical change which is consciously brought about by the speaker overrides the stuttering trigger, otherwise evident in normal speaking conditions.
Stuttering occurs more in males than females
- Ratio is 3-5 males to every one female who stutters
- This could be due to an inherited genetic predisposition
- Or due to high environmental expectations on males than females
- Or maybe because males have more language and articulation problems than females.
Stuttering occurs more in children who are twins
- Identical twins show higher chances of stuttering in children
- Fraternal twins show more of a tendency for only one child to stutter
- This can be attributed to either genetic preponderance of stammering or due to slowness in maturation in early development
Onset of stuttering is in early childhood when the child is learning to string words together into phrases and sentences.
- When a child starts stringing words into sentences there is increased stress on the child’s cognitive and motor systems.
- The cause of stuttering or stuttering trigger may already be present but is not pulled until the stress is introduced during the complex stage of speech development.
- Another possibility can be the child’s negative reaction to otherwise more common mistakes he makes while attempting complex speech strings.
- The child’s stress reactions to normal non fluencies may further tense the complex muscles of respiration, phonation and articulation. This results in even more tension, frustration, and subsequent stammering. It’s like a viscous circle
Stuttering tends to run in families
- 40%-60% of cases have either maternal of paternal positive family history
- This can be either due to genetic pre disposition or due to parent’s awareness and their negative reaction to normal non fluency. Stuttering may develop from parental over-concern and subsequent reaction
Situations in which stuttering increases
- Speaking on telephone
- Speaking in front of large audiences or to authority figures
- Telling jokes
- Saying one’s name
- Speaking in a situation when speaking fluently is of utmost importance to the person who stutters
- Such situations increase stress and muscular tension which exacerbates and maintains stuttering. | https://1specialplace.com/reading-corner/disorders-and-delays/stuttering/ |
Early life Experiences and the Development of Personality Disorders (Nurture):
As mentioned in the prior section, babies' temperaments are generally assumed to be genetically determined. However, babies' biologically determined temperaments are just a starting point. Clearly, babies do not grow up independently. Instead, babies are quite dependent upon their caregivers for their very survival. These frequent interactions with parents or other caregivers have special significance. It is the emotional tone of these social interactions with caregivers, shaped by the "fit" between babies' temperaments and parents' personalities, that further influences the development of babies' personalities. This interaction between baby and caregiver provides a good example of how natural and nurturant forces interact with one another to influence personality development. Let's examine this bi-directional interaction a little more closely.
Infants demonstrate different temperaments from the moment they are born. Some infants are highly sensitive. They react swiftly and sharply to environmental stimuli, such as a bright light in their eyes, or a loud noise. Other infants react to these same stimuli more slowly, and without much interest. It is these sorts of differences that enable researchers to conclude that babies are born with different, genetically-determined, temperaments.
Children's temperaments will also influence how their caregivers respond to them. You can imagine that the highly sensitive, reactant babies will elicit a different response from their environment (caregivers) than will less reactant, more even-tempered babies. For example, a calm and placid baby is more likely to get picked up and cuddled more affectionately than an anxious and irritable baby. Of course, these different environmental responses will, in turn, affect the emotional development of each child. Many child development specialists agree that healthy personality development has a lot to do with the match between infants' temperaments and their caregivers' dispositions.
Well-matched sets of infants and caregivers are characterized by an abundance of positively-toned interactions between caregiver and child. These pleasant emotional exchanges are thought to produce fewer negative personality outcomes. In contrast, poorly-matched sets, characterized by an abundance of negatively-toned interactions, with unpleasant emotional exchanges, predict a more negative effect on personality development.
A large body of research and clinical observation additionally supports the idea that childhood experiences play an important role in the development of personality traits and personality disorders. Traumatic childhood experiences, such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect, have been identified as risk factors that increase the likelihood a personality disorder may develop (Johnson, Bromley, & McGeoch, 2005). Other adverse experiences in childhood may also heighten people's risk for developing features of a personality disorder. Some examples are: the death of a parent; the separation or divorce of parents; the lack of parental affection; poor family communication; a harsh and controlling parenting style; or exposure to assaultive bullying.
The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and personality disorders is complex. While exposure to these events does heighten the likelihood that a personality disorder will develop, it is not the case that all abused, or otherwise stressed children go on to develop personality disorders. This observation suggests that multiple risk factors (both genetic and environmental) must occur in some specific combination so as to overwhelm a child's system and cause them to later develop a personality disorder. It also suggests that various protective factors may exist that function to limit the negative effects of significant trauma and adversity. Access to social support and social involvement are the primary factors that appear to serve this protective function (Johnson, Bromley, & McGeoch, 2005). Generally speaking, abused or otherwise stressed children tend to have better outcomes when they have access to nurturing and supportive relationships with secondary caregivers who demonstrate the affection, warmth, and empathy that is lacking in their home (e.g., grandparents, neighbors, teachers, coaches, clergy, etc.). | https://www.mentalhelp.net/personality-disorders/early-life-experiences-and-development/ |
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a condition that affects 1 in 59 children. As the number of people diagnosed with autism continues to increase, it’s becoming more and more difficult for parents of these affected children to find affordable, qualified treatment. As a result, it’s becoming easier for parents to turn to technology for assistance in finding an autism specialist who can help their child. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at five useful ways to find an autism therapist – all without leaving the comfort of your own home!
Contents
What is Autism?
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects every person differently. It typically manifests itself as early in life and can lead to a variety of symptoms, which can range from moderate to severe. Autism is characterized by problems with social interaction and communication skills. This can lead to difficulty with forming and maintaining relationships. The symptoms of Autism spectrum disorders can range from mild to severe, with symptoms including:
- Extremely strong attachment to routine
- Difficulty making friends or engaging in social interactions
- Repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping
- Repetitive speech patterns such as echolalia and/or a lack of speech at higher levels of language (e.g. No spoken words)
Difficulty in understanding or responding to requests, e.g. giving up toys or playing with others difficulty in maintaining eye contact and/or understanding facial expressions difficulty in communicating feelings or understanding emotions (e.g. having a meltdown if they don’t get their way)Repetitive use of self-injurious behavior (such as self-biting, head banging or hair pulling) or excessive sensation seeking children, who have autism-like symptoms, are given a diagnosis based on the severity of their symptoms, the age
Causes of autism
Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects a person’s social, communication, and behavior skills. There is no known cause of autism. The causes of autism are still unknown, but doctors believe it has multiple factors. The causes of autism could include:
- Genetic (hereditary) disorders
- Brain injury or illness
- Environmental toxins, such as certain pesticides or heavy metals
- Some viruses and bacteria can cause some health problems
How to tell if your loved one has autism A person with autism may have trouble communicating. He or she might not understand facial expressions and body language. Your loved one might not be able to hold eye contact, listen carefully to others, or respond to questions or directions. He or she might not seem to understand the cause of an illness or injury. Some people with autism are able to learn a new skill, such as riding a bike, by memorizing the steps. Parents of children with autism may notice other problems in their child’s behavior and development: They might notice that he or she doesn’t play with other children his or her same age.
Trouble forming Social Interactions
He or she might be very sensitive to sound, touch, or smells. He or she may not have a very good sense of time and space (for example, he or she might bump into things repeatedly, can’t tell the difference between left and right, or doesn’t know how to read). He or she may seem to be too interested in certain subjects, such as dinosaurs, math, music, and/or monsters. Parents also report that children with autism tend to repeat their questions over and over again.
RAI for autism
Children with Autism can benefit from robots that are programmed specifically to work with them. This is a popular idea because it allows children to learn about their emotions and social interactions by interacting with a robotic character.
A recent study found that nearly a third of children with autism are not being treated due to expense. For those that struggle with regulating their emotions, many therapists recommend using an NAO robot. An NAO robot is designed to simulate the calming effect that often comes when someone is speaking with an emotionally intelligent therapist on the phone.
This robot is designed to be a great way for kids to explore their surroundings and engage in conversations with the people they meet. It has the ability to look at its owner, respond to vocal commands, and follow them through different rooms. The robot can also talk, move around on its own, and hide when needed.
Signs and symptoms of autism
Signs and symptoms of autism can be difficult to pinpoint if you don’t know the basics. For example, one sign of autism is the early age of toilet training. Children who are diagnosed with autism can often be seen as not having a strong understanding of numbers, which is why some parents might keep track on a calendar when their children move from diapers to underwear. Others may watch for repetitive behaviors like hand flapping or rocking that happen during periods of frustration or in anticipation of being disruptive.
Treatment Therapy
Finding treatment and therapists who can help with autism may be overwhelming, but there are things that you can do to narrow down your search. First, you want to find a therapist that has experience in treating children with autism. Next, you should ask the therapist about their training and education, what methods they use, and if they have any special certifications that are specific to this type of therapy.
Finding an autism treatment therapist is difficult because there are not many people who specialize in this particular disorder. Some therapists will only treat children, others will only use talk therapy, and others have other treatments. It can be hard to find a therapist that specializes in this specific area of the field. However, it is possible to find someone who will help you get the treatment you need.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that hampers people in their ability to communicate, develop relationships, and make sense of the world. There are many ways to treat Autism symptoms, from medication to therapy. There are also different types of autism treatment therapies depending on what the person’s needs are.
There are many resources to find a treatment and therapist who can help with autism. The first step is to figure out what type of therapy you would like. There are five types of autism therapies:
1) Applied Behavior Analysis,
2) Occupational Therapy,
3) Early Childhood Special Education,
4) Private Behavioral Health Clinics,
5) Integrative Healthcare.
Finding the right treatment for autism can be a struggle. Once it’s found, the next step is finding the right therapist to help give you and your child support along the way. There are many different types of therapists out there, and these five steps will help you find one that works for you and your kid. | https://minibighype.com/ways-to-find-a-treatment-and-therapist-who-can-help-with-autism/ |
Neurological diseases are disorders that affect the nervous system. Structural or functional problems in the brain, brain stem, spinal cord and nerves, which are part of the nervous system, cause neurological diseases. There are hundreds of neurological diseases that have been described, and depending on which region of the nervous system is affected, physical, behavioral and mental symptoms may occur separately or together.
Neurological problems can be caused by many different reasons such as congenital anomalies, infections, injuries and genetic disorders.
Genetics in Neurological Diseases
It is known that many of the neurological diseases have a genetic basis. Many diseases such as epilepsy, autism spectrum disorders, learning difficulties, hearing loss and movement disorders are included in this group. Most neurogenetic diseases occur early in development and can be diagnosed early. However, there are also neurological diseases that occur in advanced childhood or adulthood.
Genes in the human body provide the information needed for the synthesis of proteins that are responsible for regulating vital events in the body. Neurological diseases can occur as a result of some harmful changes (mutations) in genes. In most cases these mutations are inherited and passed from generation to generation. In some cases, a mutation occurs spontaneously in a family member and is not passed on to the next generation. Genetic testing and genetic counseling provide information about the inheritance pattern of the mutation that causes the disease.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy affects 50 million people worldwide.
Genetic factors play a role in 70% of epilepsies.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. It manifests itself with recurrent seizures and is a group of diseases mostly caused by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. In suitable patients, genetic testing may be helpful in identifying the underlying causes of epilepsy.
Neuromuscular Diseases
Neuromuscular diseases affect 1 out of every 1000 people worldwide and are mostly of genetic origin.
Neuromuscular diseases are a group of diseases that affect the muscles and nerves and cause problems of many different types and severity, such as movement and balance problems, muscle weakness, swallowing and breathing problems. Many neuromuscular diseases have been described and these diseases may show similar symptoms. Comprehensive genetic tests, which are frequently used in the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases, allow the examination of many genes at the same time. Thus, it helps to distinguish diseases with similar findings, to confirm the diagnosis, and to determine the most appropriate treatment plan for the current disease.
Neurogenetic diseases may be caused by a problem in a single gene, or in some cases, they may exhibit a complex structure associated with dozens of genes and environmental factors. There are many different methods and types of tests to detect genetic problems. The application of the correct test in the correct order is very important to reach the most accurate and fastest diagnosis. The tests to be applied should be determined by a detailed evaluation of the patient and family history, accompanied by genetic counseling.
Genetic testing helps identify the underlying cause of neurological diseases.
What does genetic testing do?
- To diagnose or confirm the diagnosis.
- Referring patients to appropriate treatment and care services.
- To ensure that patients are protected from complications by identifying possible symptoms in advance.
- Identifying at-risk individuals in the family.
- Identifying risks and options for the unborn child for families planning to have children.
What Do My Genetic Test Results Mean?
Positive result from test:
It means that a mutation has been detected in at least one of the tested genes.
A positive test result may have a different meaning depending on the reason you had the test. If you have had the test to determine your cancer predisposition, a positive result does not necessarily mean that you will get cancer. However, to reduce your risk, your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes or preventive interventions and treatments. Testing can be recommended for your family members at risk of carrying the same mutation. If the test is performed for treatment planning, appropriate and unsuitable treatments can be determined.
Negative result:
It means that no mutations were detected in any of the tested genes.
The negative result applies only to the genes included in the test administered to you. It does not mean that you are not at risk of cancer.
Indeterminate conclusion:
The effect of the change detected in the tested genes means that there is not enough information yet about whether it is harmful or not.
The next steps should be determined in line with your health condition and family history. Your test results should be re-evaluated at intervals to be determined by your genetic counselor, in the light of current information. | https://www.clionix.com/neurological-diseases/ |
Recently, there has been more research on the indicating that (more commonly known as ) may be biologically based. When a genetic variant indicates the possibility of development of a mental illness, this information can be used to direct positive (nurturing) behavior in such a way that the condition may not develop or may develop with less severity. Social environment - the way in which the child is treated by the parents. One twin by the mother and the other by the grandmother, aunt or other relation. However Mead's work has been criticized for the validity of her study and whether the findings she reported were not made, so they can support her theory.
Nature and, nurture, debate - Genes or Environment?
History of the Nature. His experiment seemed successful in the beginning but ultimately was a failure. Skinner's early experiments produced pigeons that could dance, do figure eights, and play tennis. That debate may now be over, thanks to a sweeping analysis of studies conducted around the world for more than five decades. Nurture Over Nature: Mental Illness and Traumatic Life Events. The Nature Theory takes things a step further to say that more abstract traits such as intelligence, personality, aggression, and sexual orientation are also encoded in an individual's DNA. Nature, or genetics, has been proven to be an important factor in the development of some mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, bipolar, and major depression : Bipolar, for example, is four to six times more likely to develop when there is a family history.
Did you learn these from your parents or was it predetermined by your genes? On the other hand nurture refers to the idea that gender differences are a result of cultural and social factors. When an individual commits a terrible it may be psychologically easier to think "he must have had terrible parents!" than it is to think that at any moment a child could be born who grows up to commit such a crime, regardless of the parents. These facts have made many to ask the question whether psychological characteristics such as intelligence, gender, personality and behavior are product of our genes or they are influenced by the environment. The search for "behavioral" genes is the source of constant debate. Another area where researchers may place more emphasis on nature than on nurture is that of addictions. The case of heredity (nature) as an argument to the debate can be traced back to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and the idea of "survival of the fittest" influencing the Biological approach in Psychology which focuses on genetic and hormonal explanation of behavior and. Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select. A genetic predisposition to alcohol addiction may be far more significant if one is routinely exposed to binge drinking or other forms of alcohol abuse and comes to view this as normal alcohol use. F argued that if the mother or the father behaved in an unappropriate for their gender model the child respectively would not acquire appropriate gender role. It's an age-old debate: do our genes make us who we are, or is it the environment in which we were raised? | http://teclado.info/72137-the-nature-or-nurture-debate/ |
The number of situations associated with parenting and families is endless, but common conflicts can include in-laws sticking their nose your relationship, difference in opinion when it comes to raising children, and even trauma, such as domestic violence, or alcohol and drug abuse. It can be challenging to watch family members struggle, and in most cases, you may not know how to resolve the problem. Seeking support from a mental health professional can help parents and families develop acceptance and skills to repair relationships that may seem unsalvageable.
Other parenting and family issues may include:
- Being a single parent
- Divorce
- Infidelity
- Problems caused by divorced parents entering new relationships
- Fewer opportunities for parents and children to spend time together
- Deployment
Parenting and family issues are oftentimes intertwined. Treatment methods vary and will depend on an individual or family situation. The healing process may focus on improving communication between family members, as well as finding healthy ways of resolving a conflict. Setting clear boundaries and communicating effectively as a parental unit can set a good example for your children and/or your spouse. If a child is suffering from a genetic disorder or a mental health condition, these are topics that can be addressed with family or individual counseling. Couples counseling is effective at supporting parents in child-rearing.
You don’t have to face parenting and family challenges alone. Seek help from a qualified therapist or a professional support group to gain some much-needed perspective that will allow you to effectively work through the problems at hand. | https://www.wellspringmft.com/parenting-and-family-issues |
For most families, getting a diagnosis remains just as important to them as their child grows up. Without one families can struggle to access the right support. They have no idea what the future holds for their child or if other children they may have in the future could be affected.
Getting a diagnosis
Although parents generally know that having a diagnosis will not significantly change their child’s life, they hope it will give them a greater sense of what to expect.
‘Wanting a diagnosis is not about expecting a cure or a magic wand … but knowledge is power.’
SWAN UK member
Families of children who have been given a genetic diagnosis of a very rare chromosome condition, where the child may be one of only a few in the world known with that condition, can sometimes feel disappointed with the information given to them. Families generally hope that a diagnosis will give them an indication as to what the future holds for their child but this is not always the case.
‘I wasn’t expecting a cure, I knew a genetic condition was lifelong, but I was expecting an understanding of what it meant for my son’s life. What I got was a string of letters and numbers.’
SWAN UK member
Although families are usually glad they can now explain what is wrong with their child, the technical description of the genetic change in their child’s genes or
chromosomes does not give them much idea of what to expect from the future. If their child is the only one, or one of a few in the world with this known genetic change, they can still feel quite isolated. Many members of SWAN UK who have obtained a diagnosis have remained part of our community as their child’s diagnosis is so rare there isn’t any obvious other support group for them to join.
However, while these rare diagnoses do not always tell the family much about what they can expect in their child’s future, it does at least give them a reason for their child’s problems – even if it is unlikely to be understood by many people outside of the field of genetics. Many families say that without a diagnosis they feel like they are treated like a ‘neurotic parent’ or told that their child will ‘catch up’ or ‘grow out of it’. Having a diagnosis gives them a way to respond to this kind of comment. The support group Unique offers information and support to families with rare chromosome disorders and, where possible, will link together families whose children have the same rare condition.
How important is having a genetic diagnosis?
Having a diagnosis is really important to families on a practical and emotional level. Here are some of the main reasons for needing a diagnosis:
To have a sense of what the future holds
‘No diagnosis means no prognosis.’
SWAN UK member
Without a diagnosis families have no idea what the future holds for their child – will they walk? Will they talk? Will they have a shorter life expectancy?
‘I hate not knowing if my Swan’s problems will be life-limiting or just how bad the regression will be.’ SWAN UK member
Having a diagnosis could help identify potential treatments or health issues that need to be monitored in future. Without a diagnosis it is hard to know whether new symptoms are something to be worried about.
‘Every time she is feeling unwell, has a sore head or has a pain somewhere … I wonder, is there something more serious going on inside her than just the “norm”. Fear caused by not knowing what to expect in her future is the hardest thing.’
SWAN UK member
To have the child’s or young adult’s needs taken seriously
Many families, even those whose child has significant disabilities, can find it hard to get people to take their needs seriously. Sometimes people assume that because the condition is undiagnosed it isn’t as serious as a named condition or that it will improve in the future.
‘I want an answer to stop the “maybe he will grow out of it” comments.’
SWAN UK member
Some families are met with disbelief when they say their child is undiagnosed, and it is very difficult to explain the impact it has.
‘Not having a “set” of expected impacts from a diagnosis means constantly having to explain what the issues are. It can be exhausting.’
SWAN UK member
To know if other children in the family will be affected
‘I want another child but without any answers it seems like such a gamble.’
SWAN UK member
Without a diagnosis it is impossible to know if the condition is inherited or just a one off. This means families don’t know if future children will be affected by the same unknown condition. This affects not only the parents of the undiagnosed child, but also their siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins.
To access service and support
‘I had to almost beg for [a] hospice place – no diagnosis so no prognosis, and this is despite the amount of times he’s been resuscitated.’ SWAN UK member
Families often find it hard to access services without a diagnosis. Forms or assessment criteria often have a box that asks for the child’s diagnosis and families struggle to know what to write.
‘When you have the “diagnosis” box on the endless paperwork you have, you end up listing all issues but there’s no room for them all! With a diagnosis you can just pop that down and it’s done!’ SWAN UK member
‘Accessing any kind of support or professionals is always a fight as she doesn’t fit into the criteria.’
SWAN UK member
In a SWAN UK survey 53% of respondents said they have struggled to access social care support because their child is undiagnosed.
A Rare Disease UK report found that:
- 7 out of 8 respondents affected by undiagnosed genetic conditions did not feel they had been provided with enough information and support throughout the diagnosis process
- 73% of respondents without a diagnosis felt it had been a barrier to accessing treatment
- 4 out of 5 respondents felt that being undiagnosed had been a barrier to receiving appropriate coordinated care.
Why does genetic testing take so long?
If the laboratory knows exactly what genetic change it is looking for, because somebody else in the family has the same condition, or because the laboratory knows which area of the gene to look at, it has a much easier task. The test may then only take a week or two. However, if no genetic change has previously been found in the family, or, if there are a number of genes associated with the condition, it will need more work to get a result.
Instead of focusing on one area of a gene the laboratory may need to analyse the whole gene or more than one gene. This can be a very long process and can take many months. Exactly how long will depend on a number of factors such as how big the gene is and the facilities available at the laboratory. For example, the condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by changes in a gene called dystrophin, one of the longest genes known. There are thousands of different possible genetic changes that can occur, and therefore finding a family’s particular change can be a very long and laborious process. On the other hand, in the case of Huntington’s disease, changes in the crucial gene always occur in the same small region. Therefore scientists know exactly where to look in the gene and so the test is fairly easy and much quicker.
The quality of the DNA is also an important factor. Sometimes laboratories first have to check the DNA of someone who is deceased in order to identify the particular genetic change. If the DNA from the deceased person is poor quality, this can double or triple the time it takes to find the mutation. In some cases it may not be possible to complete the analysis because there is not enough DNA.
What if my child doesn’t get a diagnosis?
A significant number of children having genetic testing will not receive a diagnosis. This can be very difficult and it is important you have support. By joining the SWAN UK community you will be able to talk to other families in the same situation who understand how challenging it can be. | https://www.undiagnosed.org.uk/support-information/what-does-getting-a-genetic-diagnosis-mean/ |
The hypothenar eminence is the mound located at the base of the fifth digit (little finger). The eminences at either side of the hand are made up of muscles. The muscles located in the thenar eminence function primarily to control the thumb. ... All these muscles contract and create specific movements to the little finger.
What is the thenar eminence of the hand?
The thenar eminence is the muscular bulge on the radial side of the palm of the hand due to the thenar muscles. Two are innervated by median nerve, and flexor pollicis brevis is innervated by the ulnar nerve. Together the muscle group primarily acts to oppose the thumb.
What causes wasting of the hypothenar eminence?
Some examples of conditions that may affect the thenar eminence include: Carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition is caused by a compression or pinching of the median nerve as it runs through the wrist. Common symptoms include numbness, tingling, and weakness.
What is hypothenar?
Hypothenar refers to the group of muscles that control the movement of the little finger. ... This artery goes through the hypothenar area of the palm and supplies blood to the fingers. Damage to the ulnar artery results in a reduction of blood flow to the fingers.
What is the difference between thenar and hypothenar?
Thenar eminence - fleshy part at the base of the thumb, made up of 3 muscles which control the movements of the thumb. Hypothenar eminence - fleshy part at the base of the fifth digit (little finger), made of 4 muscles which contract to manifest motion through the little finger.
Muscles of the hand - Hypothenar muscles (preview) - Human Anatomy | Kenhub
Why does my hypothenar eminence hurt?
The hypothenar eminence is the fleshy mass at the medial side of the palm. Hypothenar eminence pain or tenderness is quite common. Acute pain may be due to a fracture or dislocation of the pisiform bone or a fracture of the hook of the hamate.
What are the three muscles of the hypothenar eminence?
The hypothenar eminence is made up of four muscles, but there are only three primary muscles. The four muscles are the abductor digiti minimi muscle, the flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle, the opponens digiti minimi muscle, and the palmaris brevis muscle.
How is hypothenar eminence pain treated?
...
Medical treatments
- immobilizing your thumb with kinesiology tape.
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen.
- steroid injections.
- acupuncture, acupressure, or dry needling.
Where is hypothenar muscle?
The hypothenar muscles are intrinsic muscles of the hand located within the medial side of the palm. They span between the medial aspect of the carpus to the carpal and metacarpal bones of the little finger.
How do you palpate hypothenar eminence?
Palpate the thenar eminence from the base of the thumb medial to the central aspect of the hand at the base of the carpal bones, then inferior and lateral to the base of the forefinger (Fig. 8-2). Look for hypertrophy or atrophy in comparison with the opposite hand.
What is Guyon's canal syndrome?
Guyon canal syndrome is a relatively rare peripheral ulnar neuropathy that involves injury to the distal portion of the ulnar nerve as it travels through a narrow anatomic corridor at the wrist. The ulnar nerve originates from C8-T1 and is a terminal branch of the brachial plexus.
How do you strengthen your hypothenar muscles?
To strengthen the hypothenar muscles, you can apply resistant to the pinky towards the ring finger while trying to move the pinky away from the ring finger. Another way is grabbing round objects while emphasizing the cupping of the hand (Schreuder, Brandsma & Stam, n.d.).
What is the fat part of your thumb called?
Thenar and hypothenar are two terms that describe the fleshy mass of skin, fat, and muscle on the thumb side (radial) and the small finger side (ulnar) of the hand.
Why is the thenar eminence spared in carpal tunnel syndrome?
Fixed sensory loss is usually a late finding characterized by a distinctive clinical pattern that involves the median-innervated fingers and spares the thenar eminence. This pattern occurs because the palmar sensory cutaneous nerve arises proximal to the wrist and passes over, rather than through, the carpal tunnel.
What causes ape hand?
What causes ape hand? Ape hand is usually the result of median nerve palsy, which is commonly caused by deep injury to the wrist or forearm. This can impair the function of the thenar muscles.
What are the 4 thenar muscles?
The thenar musculature consists of four short muscles located on the lateral (radial) aspect of the hand. These muscles include the adductor pollicis, abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis.
What is the difference between lumbricals and Interossei?
The lumbricals are deep muscles of the hand that flex the metacarpophalangeal joints and extend the interphalangeal joints. ... This is especially true when the lumbrical is compared to the interosseous muscle, which has a similar function but is considerably stronger.
How do you test thenar muscles?
The thenar test assesses any weakness of the thenar muscles, which are located in the palm of the hand. Patients place their thumb and small finger together while the physician pushes on the thumb. If the patient shows weakness, the sign is considered positive for CTS.
Which muscle is most superficial to the Hypothenar eminence?
- Abductor pollicis brevis abducts the thumb. This muscle is the most superficial of the thenar group.
- Flexor pollicis brevis, which lies next to the abductor, will flex the thumb, curling it up in the palm.
- Opponens pollicis lies deep to abductor pollicis brevis.
Which carpal bone is felt on the deep Hypothenar eminence?
The pisiform bone is a sesamoid bone that is enveloped within the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon and that is superficial to the triquetrum on the volar surface.
What are the intrinsic musculature that makes up the thenar eminence?
What intrinsic muscles make up the Thenar Eminence? Abductor Pollicis Brevis, Opponens Pollicis, Flexor Pollicis Brevis, and Adductor Pollicis. ... Muscles that have their muscle bellies between the elbow and the wrist, and their tendinous insertions are in the hand.
Why does the thumb only have 2 bones?
The thumb digit has only two phalanges (bones) so it only has one joint. ... The terminal extensor tendon in the thumb comes from the extensor pollicis longus muscle. The radial and ulnar collateral ligaments are important to provide stability of the fingertip during pinching.
What is a pinky finger?
The little finger, often called the pinky in American English and pinkie in Scottish English (from the Dutch word pink, meaning little finger), is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.
Do we really need thumbs?
Having opposable thumbs helps in grasping things more easily, picking up small objects, and eating with one hand. ... Opposable thumbs help monkeys and apes climb trees and gather and eat their food. Opposable thumbs help humans operate tools to make use of resources in our environment. | https://moviecultists.com/what-is-hypothenar-eminence |
The muscle structure of the hand is intentionally complex and intimate considering the vast variations of movements and the remarkable fine motor movements that the hand is responsible for initiating and completing. The flexion and extension as it relates to the fingers and the hand are taken care of by the muscles describe din the previous segment.
The small intrinsic muscles of the fingers and the hand are those which allow for the more intricate and detailed movements that require more than mere flexion and extension. Abduction and adduction and precise control enable the hand to perform these intricate and detail oriented tasks.
Hand muscles are segregated into three basic categories; thenar, hypothenar, and intermediate.
The base of the thumb that appears additionally fleshy and larger than the rest of the hand is created by three individual muscles known collectively as the thenar eminence. The opponens pollicis, the abductor polis brevis, and the flexor polis brevis each make up the collective base of the thenar eminence. The opponens pollicis is considered to be the most vital out of this group for its aoppositional effect on the thumb to the palm of the hand.
At the base of the little finger there is an additional fleshy bulge that creates and elongated pad down the side of the palm. This is known as the hypothenar eminence and is also created by the merging of three separate muscles. The opponens digiti minimi, the abductor digiti minimi, and the flexor digiti minimi all converge to create thie hypothenar eminence.
The muscles which belong to the intermediate group exist more or less between these two fleshy bulges in the region of the palm of the hand. They can be pinpointed in between the metacarpal bones in the palm. The intermediate group of muscles is made up of the lumbricales, the adductor pollicis, the palmar interossei, and the dorsal interossei muscles. | http://www.medicalook.com/human_anatomy/organs/Hand_muscles.html |
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