NurtureShock: Tools of the Mind

[Wolfwind]

I reviewed the book "NurtureShock" on the General Parenting forum because most of it wasn't directly related to early learning.  But my favorite section (other than the one based on "Mindset," which we've already discussed), was on developing self-control and focused on a program called "Tools of the Mind."  This program, in turn, is based on the work of a scientist called Vygotskian.  Unfortunately my library system doesn't have anything about or by Vygotskian, so I'll have to wait a bit to read his work.  But there is a summary of the program in the chapter.  If anyone has any more information, I'd love to hear it!

First, the things he says a Tools of the Mind preschool teaches: higher test scores (of course - the Holy Grail of all these studies and programs), but also less disruptive behavior, the ability to sustain interest in one thing, understanding symbolic thought (this chair is a truck - same thought as this word means a tree), private speech (talking oneself through an activity to help remember), recognizing the right answer or the best answer (the best-formed letter), impulse control.  These are sounding pretty good to me.

He only tells a few of the things the class uses to develop these things.  The calender is a line, not a grid.  Instead of a list of the alphabet, there is a sound map, with similar-sounding letters together (d and t, for instance, separate from s and z), "buddy reading" (one kid gets a picture of ears, one of lips; the lips kid tells a story and the ears listens and then asks questions, then they switch), and playing restraint games, like Simon Says" or drawing on paper and stopping the pencil when the music stops.

He goes into more detail on how the kids make play plans before imaginative play.  This helps them sustain interest and play the same role for half an hour, rather than getting distracted. The teacher talks them through things: learning to write C, she'll say "start at the top and go around."  All the kids repeat it as they write a page of Cs.  Eventually they only say it in their heads, but it helps them concentrate.  Kids correct each other's work so they can see the difference between right and wrong answer.  For the same reason, after writing that page of Cs they'd circle the best one.  They set weekly goals for what they're learning.

So all of these things sound great in this short overview.  I don't have any experience with it, but it sounds worth buying the book and seeing what I can incorporate into my home preschool with my kids.  What do you think?

[PokerDad]

You're looking for Lev Vygotsky. Try that in your library search. I've read some of his stuff, and the major theme is that language is the ultimate tool of the mind, and that a child's capabilities have a zone of development. On one end of the zone is what a child might be able to do unassisted, and on the other end of the zone what they can do with the maximum amount of help. Within this zone, you can facilitate learning in a more rapid pace than just relying on ratcheting up what the child can do on their own.

Another concept which is discussed in Nuturshock that you mentioned, is how "play" interacts with this zone. Vygotsky has a very narrow definition of play, and a personal observation about the definition... I asked my wife what she thought his definition would be (since her school supposedly is built around vygotskian theory) and she couldn't tell me what it was. Come to think of it, I might have to re-check out the book because I'm not positive I recall the second part of his definition... the first part was that there was a rule or rules, and the second part was that the child was making effort to follow them (but I could be wrong). This doesn't sound like the "let them play" stuff that I hear so often in educational circles - far from it.

I recently came to learn that some of Vygotsky's ideas, namely his idea that language is the ultimate tool of thought, antedates Vygotsky by at least a century... but his studies are pivotal none the less.

[Wolfwind]

Thanks for correcting my spelling, but still nothing.  :-(  Amazon has a book called "Tools of the Mind: The Vygotskian Approach to Early Childhood Education" that seems worth reading, from the reviews, but it's $25 so I'll wait a little.  It is an interesting idea of play.  I like it, though, at least as I understood it in NutureShock.  It seems to me that kids do like to set up rules for play, and my daughter throws a fit if I'm "doing it wrong."  So it makes sense to support that and use it to help her concentrate for a longer time.  Obviously, not all play needs a play plan.  But for half an hour a day, it might be useful.  I should read more detail on it, though.

[PokerDad]

I've skimmed through that book, but couldn't tell you much about it. The biggest ah-ha moment for me regarding "Tools" (of the mind) is that anything can become a tool if it helps you in some fashion. A simple empowering belief can serve as a tool. For example, a "magic pencil" that magically helps you write better... putting on a "thinking cap" to help you focus, concentrate, and think harder... and these are just examples I thought of when remembering my own childhood. There's no limit to what can become a tool except for the limits of imagination.

When I read "Bounce" - he spends an entire chapter talking about superstitions. Guess what... they're all Tools of the mind!! 

[Kerileanne99]

Wolfwind-
Thought you might enjoy this FREE Tools of the Mind Case study and overview put together for UNESCO!

http://www.ibe.unesco.org/publications/innodata/inno07.pdf

[Mandabplus3]

Here is another one that explains the point of play...
http://kidsatthought.com/2010/05/04/6-lessons-from-the-tools-of-the-mind-program/
I have read much on this "tools" program as it's used in US Kindy. It popped up when I was researching effective kindergarten curriculums and practices.  Here is a link for parents  interested in doing it at home http://www.mscd.edu/extendedcampus/toolsofthemind/parents/playgroupideas.shtml it's a bunch of ideas to implement. I actually think this one has some merit, so I think it's worth encouraging this type of play. Especially if your kids seem to be easily distracted, short on attention or " toy Pigs" who flit from one toy to the next.
Pretty sure I have the book...think it was required reading at uni...I will look.

[Wolfwind]

Thank you so much Kerilianne99 and Mandabplus3!  These are great resources!  I wonder if any of the moms in my playgroup would like to change over to a Tools of the Mind playgroup?  I'll have to suggest it.  Maybe it would go over better during the school year; summer playgroup is mostly considered a chance for the moms to talk in my neighborhood.  I don't suppose anyone has started or participated in a Tools of the Mind playgroup and has some tips?  It will be interesting to see how it goes over.

[TeachingMyToddlers]

[The biggest ah-ha moment for me regarding "Tools" (of the mind) is that anything can become a tool if it helps you in some fashion. A simple empowering belief can serve as a tool. For example, a "magic pencil" that magically helps you write better... putting on a "thinking cap" to help you focus, concentrate, and think harder... and these are just examples I thought of when remembering my own childhood. There's no limit to what can become a tool except for the limits of imagination.

I love this!! I vaguely remember reading similar things about touching and feeling the ears while asking "Where are your listening ears?" (that it improves listening and comprehension somehow) so when doing perfect pitch training/LMs with my son, I quite frequently (and very playfully) ask him while demonstrating "Where are you listening ears, are they ready? Mine are right here!" He loves it and touches his cute little ear lobes and says "Listening ears...I'm ready Momma!". These little cues work, whether it's my fantastically powerful imagination or his mental trigger to listen close, who knows, it works.

Oh, and I too skimmed through the book. we used these techniques in first teaching jigsaw puzzles and they worked fairly well (adaptations and assisting just beyond their reach, it was very effective at the time).  In the book they mention drawing children back into the play plan as they act out/"misbehave", but since it was THEIR creation they are more likely to reengage. It's a reminder like, hey, you decided YOU wanted to do it this way, remember? Come look at your neat story you wrote this morning, let's get back to that. I equate it to when kids such as my own eat their dinner much better when they help cook it, even it just means putting the vegetables in the pot, letting them psuedo stir it once in a while, and calling it Lily-dish or Owen-dish in our case. Since it's their creation, they have ownership of it and simply need to be reminded. Such is the game of life!

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