Jj is for Jottings 124.  Neuroplasticity, Power and Children. This article follows on from the previous article on neuroplasticity and power.  However, I just want to mention a couple more points before moving on to the subject of neuroplasticity, power and children.  These points include people’s differing needs for power, and avoiding the negative effects […]

Jj is for Jottings 113.  Neuroplasticity and Complaining. Following on from the previous article on neuroplasticity, we will now be more specific – how complaining rewires the brain for negativity.  Research shows that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation.   Although complaining might feel good, but just like smoking or eating a […]

Jj is for Jottings 151.  Daily Reading Time. Daily reading time for children is much more important than just reading books leading to a longer life.  It makes sense that children who read more have better vocabulary, reading skills, fluency, reading comprehension and overall literacy. It can also strengthen family relationships and helps children to […]

Jj is for Jottings 146.  Social Stories. Social Stories were developed to explain social situations to autistic children and help them learn socially appropriate behaviour and responses.  The terms Social Story™ and Social Stories™ are trademarks originated and owned by Carol Gray in 1991.  There are many stories “out there” purporting to be Social Stories, […]

Jj is for Jottings 150.  Reading Books=Longer Life. Research – some but not all – is now telling us that reading novels leads to a longer life.  On the other hand, it is well known that long periods of sitting increases health risks and reduces life span.  Researchers from Yale University set out to investigate […]

Jj is for Jottings 131. Learning Vocabulary. Learning vocabulary – the words a person knows and uses – is a lifelong process. Talking to and reading with your child right from the start is a good recipe for a child to develop a rich vocabulary.  I have talked about vocabulary in previous articles, mainly in […]

Jj is for Jottings 144.  Place of Articulation. We classify the spoken aspects of consonants across 3 dimensions: Place of articulation. Manner of articulation. Voicing. The voicing dimension specifies whether or not the vocal folds (or cords) are vibrating.  It has already been discussed in Voiced vs voiceless minimal pairs.  And I have outlined the […]

Jj is for Jottings 109.  8 Types of Intelligence. Most people know about the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test, and you may have taken an IQ test at some stage.  Some scientists argue that tests like these favour people with logical and mathematical abilities, and ignore other areas like artistic, linguistic, musical or interpersonal skills. Harvard […]

Jj is for Jottings 97.  Reading-Aloud Games. Following on from interactive reading with children, here are some ideas for “reading-aloud games” which you can play with children while reading stories with them.  The idea is to be spontaneous, just playfully engaging in banter whilst actually providing wonderful learning opportunities as a bonus.  It may sound […]

Jj is for Jottings 150.  Reading Books=Longer Life. Research – some but not all – is now telling us that reading novels leads to a longer life.  On the other hand, it is well known that long periods of sitting increases health risks and reduces life span.  Researchers from Yale University set out to investigate […]

From the colour I thought it was Geisha on the shearing table (she’s medium fawn), but when I saw her face on the next frame it turned out to be Nina – white! I should add that the alpacas are not suffering whilst on the shearing table – not keen, but not suffering, and the […]

Jj is for Jottings 112.  What is Neuroplasticity? Just what is neuroplasticity?  It is the term which describes a sequence of processes that take place in your brain in response to incoming stimuli. In other words, your emotions, behaviours, experiences and thoughts physically change the way your brain functions. “What is neuroplasticity? I think it […]

I promised a better photo of Marshmallow. This time she has taken over Sam’s basket when he was busy doing something else. She would sometimes lay an egg in his basket. Once I found an egg underneath Sam. Perhaps he was hoping it would hatch! Jj is for Jottings 25. Handwriting Boosts Brain Power. When […]

Jj is for Jottings 149.  Poor Neglected Adverbs. Unlike the dreaded apostrophe, which many people underuse and many people overuse, the poor neglected adverbs are in danger of disappearing altogether.  (Although I still have no idea whether the same people underuse as overuse apostrophes, if they’re different people, or a bit of both.  I suspect […]