6. Individual Differences Differences: Big Questions Are some - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

• 6. Individual Differences

Differences: Big Questions


• Are some differences

changeable and how much?


• What effect does

community and environment play?


• What can teachers do to

accommodate differences?

6.1 The Nature-Nurture Controversy 6.2 Intelligence 6.3 Environmental Influences on Individual Development
 6.4 Identifying At-Risk Children

6.5 Teaching Strategies to Accommodate
 Background Differences Among Children 6.6 Exceptional Learners

6.7 Reading Ability
 6.8 General Issues 
 6.9 Summary

6.1 The Nature-Nurture Controversy

Heredity or Environment?


• Nature = genetic

certainties and predispositions


• Nurture = environmental

influences

• Parenting and family

• Socioeconomic status

(SES), community, culture

Nature/nurture evidence


• “Proof” on both sides

• Problem: 2 factors difficult

to separate

• Twin studies used to

control heredity factor


• Study with identical twins:
• Raised together ➔ near-

equal IQ

• Raised separately ➔ close

but not as similar IQ

6.2 Intelligence

Intelligence categories (1)


• Cattell: Fluid vs. crystallized


(creativity vs. stored info)


• Guilford: 120 areas

• Sternberg: 3 components

• Processing/analytical

(problem solving ability)


• Contextual/practical 


(apply knowledge)


• Experiential/creative

(personalized)

Intelligence categories (2)


• Gardner’s 8 dimensions

• Linguistic
• Logical/mathematical

• Musical

• Spatial

• Bodily/kinesthetic

• Interpersonal (between)

• Intrapersonal (within)

• Naturalistic

Intelligence testing


• Measures verbal and non-

verbal abilities


• “Normed” = 100 is average

with 15 pts per marking (standard deviation)


• 130+ very superior (2%)
• 116-129 superior (13.5%)
• 101-115 above avg. (34%)
• 85-99 below avg. (34%)
• 70-84 borderline (13.5%)
• 69- mentally defective (2%)

Aptitude vs. achievement


• Aptitude = functioning ability

(predictive of future success)

• Examples: IQ test, SAT
• Can be used for grouping or

tracking


• Achievement = what has

been learned specifically

• Example: Graduation test 

• Tests often “normed” to

produce bell curve results

Creativity factors


• Uses 3 types of intelligence
• Ability to analyze
• Ability to synthesize
• Ability to make practical

applications and changes


• Needs divergent thinking

to restructure problems or see multiple solutions


• Can be promoted by open-

ended activities

6.3 Environmental Influences on Individual Development

Effects of race and culture 1


• Race cannot predict

behavior or aptitude


• Every race has range of

behaviors and aptitudes


• Culture as shared values,

attitudes, perceptions ➔ somewhat predictive of behaviors and aptitudes

Effects of race and culture 2


• Cultures can have distinct

attitudes and preferences regarding 


• Value of learning/schooling
• Attitude toward teachers
• Learning modalities
• Social interactions and

gender stereotypes

6.4 Identifying At-Risk Children

Risk factors that predict failure


• Male

• Lower SES

• Retained in a grade

➔ Low motivation, low achieving, behavior problems in/out of school
 ➔Need for early and constant interventions of support

6.5 Teaching Strategies to Accommodate
 Background Differences Among Children

Teaching to diversity


• Not same as teaching about

(“honoring”) diversity!


• Know your students

• Teach success skills

• Consistency + novelty
• Relevance to every student

in every subject area


• Clear expectations and

feedback about behavior


• Respect cultural preferences

6.6 Exceptional Learners

Attention-deficit/
 hyperactivity (ADHD)


• Distractible ➔ needs help

with focus


• Impulsive ➔ needs

monitoring to complete


• Fidgety ➔ needs to move

• May show only 1-2 symptoms
• Learning disabilities likely

• Benefit from behavior

contract, stimulant drugs

Behavior disorders


• Also “emotionally disturbed”

• Externalizing = behaviors

aimed toward others


• Angry, oppositional

• Internalizing = behaviors

aimed toward self 


• Depressed, withdrawn
• Learning disabilities likely

• Benefit from high structure,

token economy, drugs

Learning disabilities


• Subject-area difficulties

• Reading/language

• Writing/communication

• Math (computing/solving)
• Emotional problems likely

• May benefit from pull-out

for specific subjects, counseling


• But pull-out can cause
• ther problems!

Autism spectrum


• Social communication deficit

• Repetitive behavior patterns

• Overall functional impairment
• Sometimes savantism

(extreme talent)


• Spectrum = range of levels of

functionality/responsiveness

• Higher IQ ➔ better

educational outcome


• Benefit from training/therapy

Mental retardation


• From genetic and/or

environmental causes


• Schooling options: determine

functionality and support needs rather than IQ score 


• Education support range:

from intermittent and limited (inclusion classroom?) to extensive and pervasive (self-contained classroom)

Speech and language communication disorders


• Expressive (speech) difficulty

• Articulation (e.g. lisp)

• Fluency (e.g. stuttering)
• Vocal (e.g. pitch, nasality)

• Receptive difficulty

(comprehending speech)


• Social, even academic

problems possible


• Benefit from therapy, surgery

Vision and hearing impairments


• Vision impairment = not

correctible with lenses 


• Hearing (auditory) impairment

= partial to completely deaf


• If young ➔ delayed language

• Social, academic problems

possible

Gifted and talented (1)


• High IQ + 1 or more of these:

• High achievement

• Persistence on task

• Creativity and/or artistry
• Leadership ability

• Other possible traits:
• Highly verbal/imaginative

• Prefer working alone

• Emotional/social problems

Gifted and talented (2)


Schools might offer programs
 (but not required by law)

• Accelerated (vertical)
• Enrichment (horizontal)

• Renzulli program model

• Exploratory activities to find

interests

• Group activities for

problem-solving/leadership


• Real-world projects

6.7 Reading Ability

Teaching reading


• Learning through meaning

• Language experience = let

child dictate and read back


• Whole language = combine

speech, listening, writing

• Learning through decoding

• Phonics = associate letters

with sounds (but so many irregularities in English!)


• Learn to read ➔ read to learn

Teaching comprehension in reading


• Focus on identifying main

characters, main ideas, plot, resolution


• Reciprocal teaching method
• Summarize main idea, clarify

points, vocabulary, then predict 


• Read in subject areas!

Special case: Dyslexia


• Difficulty with letter order

and/or phonics 


• Leads to comprehension

problems, school frustration


• Benefit from extra phonics

instruction, readable font, stress reduction 


6.8 General Issues Related to Individual Learning Differences

Laws and support


• Public Law 94-142 = federal

standards to meet needs


• Individualized educational

program (IEP) after yearly assessment/evaluation and parent conference


• Requires least restrictive

environment to meet needs


• Inclusion = special needs

students in regular class with support (trend, not law)

6.9 Summary

Individual differences


• Differences can be physical,

cognitive, economic, cultural, aptitude-based, or achievement-based


• Teachers must find ways to

accommodate diverse learning abilities and needs 


• Laws define what must be

done for individual needs – support for student/teachers