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IT'S NOT NATIONAL DYSLEXIA WEEK, but you wouldn't know that from the news items that came our way from a variety of sources. A Science Daily report covered an fMRI study showing differences in brain activation in dyslexic versus non-dyslexic readers. And LD Newsline Weekly pointed us to several items: a two-part report from a Vermont television station on a school for dyslexic children and a profile of a skilled, dyslexic carpenter with an IQ in the 99th percentile who can "memorize just about anything"; and a link to an audio from World Radio on dealing with dyslexia -- recognizing symptoms and how to address them.
DYSPRAXIC ACHIEVERS. LD Newsline Weekly also pointed us to an article in a Dublin, Ireland, newspaper about dyspraxia, a difficulty in planning and executing certain movements. The article notes that the young male lead in Harry Potter movies suffers from the condition, and goes on to profile how a young Dublin theater professional deals with dyspraxia. Read it.
HOW MANY MIPS FOR GIFTEDNESS? Computer scientists measure processing speed in millions of instructions per second (MIPS), the number of commands a processing unit can handle. Neuroscientists have now found that neural processing speed is linked to the speed with which axons transmit signals, which is in turn determined by the thickness of the myelin "insulation" on the axons, which is in turn genetically influenced by genetics. Find out more.
DOES MUSIC MAKE YOU SMARTER? In some ways, apparently. Children exposed to a multi-year program involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music and reported in Science Daily. Find out more.
TRANSITION PLANS FOR COLLEGE. An article in Education Week covers IDEA and planning for the transition from high school to college for students with disabilities. Find out what's supposed to happen in high school -- and how things are different once the student gets to college. Read the article.
GIFTED ACHIEVER IN NEW ZEALAND. Let's see -- according to the New Zealand Herald, an 18-year-old young woman has achieved the highest scores in national scholarship tests for three different subjects; gained scholarships in three more subject areas; received a national award for a renewable-energy research project; and was the top-scoring Kiwi at a worldwide chemistry Olympiad. She is also a musician, debater, and writer. Read the article.
EQUITY FOR GIFTED STUDENTS has popped up in Pennsylvania recently, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The article notes a past trend to pay more attention to struggling students than to gifted students in Pennsylvania schools, and says that many blame NCLB for that. However, a recent state law will help emphasize special programs for the gifted. The article describes the way various schools attempt to meet the needs of the gifted, including with differentiated instruction. One gifted ed advocate is quoted as saying, "Many people believe that gifted kids can take care of themselves." Sound familiar? Read the article.
BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR GIFTED KIDS. That's the topic of Tamara Fisher's most recent post at "Unwrapping the Gifted." See the blog links to the right.
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