Thursday, March 15, 2012

Research that Benefits Children and Families

I would like to share a program from Metropolitan State College in Denver called Tools of the Mind.  I was introduced to this program in a previous course and think that the research and program show great potential for the future of early childhood education.  The program is centered around self-regulation, where the children are taught how to regulate their emotional, social, and cognitive behaviors.  According to research, self-regulation is a better indicator of academic achievement than IQ or reading level.  Many children are entering school with a lack of self-regulation which causes disruptions in learning.  The Tools of the Mind program teaches self-regulation skills to children so that cognitive learning is more effective.  The website cites several scientific studies to substantiate their claims.

Tools of the Mind can be found at http://www.mscd.edu/extendedcampus/toolsofthemind/index.shtml

2 comments:

Angela Hoguet said...

I hadn't previously heard of Tools of the Mind. It's a very interesting concept.

Great post, thanks for sharing the link! I plan to pass this on to several early childhood teachers I know.

Erica McDonald said...

Dear Christine,

Thank you for sharing your link. I enjoyed reading “The Tools of the Mind,” especially, the part when it said the research indicates that interventions at the early childhood level can have a positive influence on self-regulation and the development of executive function in the early years and beyond (MSCD, 2012). I believe that to be true because as teachers, we are that intervention at the early childhood level. We were put into place to be a positive influence on self-regulation and the development of young children.

Reference

Metropolitan State College of Denver. (2012). The Tools of the Mind: Self-Regulation. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from http://www.mscd.edu/extendedcampus/toolsofthemind/index.shtml