Awakening the Genius in Every Child

Discovering and Reviving the Natural Motivation that Exists in All Children at Birth

Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. (www.thomasarmstrong.com)

SmartKids Asia - 2014

Singapore Expo Hall 5

March 22, 2014

12 Qualities of Genius

• Curiosity• Playfulness• Imagination• Creativity• Wonder• Wisdom

• Inventiveness• Vitality• Sensitivity• Flexibility• Humor

• Joy

Theoretical Foundations

• Every Child is a Genius– Neurological Basis

– Evolutionary Basis

– Biographical Basis– Phenomenological Basis

Home-miliation

• Dysfunctional Family

• Disadvantaged Family

• Fast-Track Family

• Rigid-Ideology Family

Dysteachia

• Testing and Grading

• Talk and Tedium

• Textbooks and Worksheets• Tracking and Labeling

Media-ocrity

• Mind-Numbing Violence

• Trivial Content

• Insipid Language• Stereotypical Images

How to Awaken This Genius

• (Re)awaken Genius in Ourselves

• Provide Simple Experiences

• See Genius in Many Colors

• Create a Genial Climate

The Eight Intelligences Word SmartWord Smart Logic SmartLogic Smart Picture SmartPicture Smart Body SmartBody Smart Music SmartMusic Smart People SmartPeople Smart Self SmartSelf Smart Nature SmartNature Smart

Create a Genial Climate

• Freedom to Choose

• Open-Ended Exploration

• Freedom from Judgement

• Honoring Every Child’s Experience

• Believing in Every Child’s Genius

• Supporting Optimal Nutrition

Learningis a broad, holistic experience that begins early in the life course

During the first 3 years, the early foundations of learning – including language & visual development, reasoning, memory and problem solving – are established

Optimal growth and development early in the life course can serve to prepare children for lifelong learning and later accomplishments in school and beyond.

““Good health and nutrition are needed to achieve one’s full Good health and nutrition are needed to achieve one’s full educational potential because nutrition affects intellectual educational potential because nutrition affects intellectual

development and learning ability”development and learning ability”

- World Health Organization (WHO) Information Series on School Health

Nutrition Can ImpactEarly Brain Development & Learning

• Early childhood is a critical period for cognitive, Early childhood is a critical period for cognitive, social and emotional growth.social and emotional growth.

Key Contributors to Learning• Key contributors to learning impacted by nutrition include:

Perception Cognition Physical Vitality

• Described as perception through sensory development

• A child employs all 5 senses to form their perception of the world around them

• Described as the ability to think and encompasses such intellectual processes as:�̶Reasoning �̶Recognition�̶Problem-solving

• Continuous experiences support cognitive development by improving neuronal connections and memory efficiency2,3

�̶These experiences also facilitate infants to handle more complicated tasks, promote cognitive development, and ultimately help to learn4

• Described as the ability to actively engage in one’s environment and in opportunities to learn

• Supported by growth, digestive health, and immunity�̶ Optimal growth & motor development allows child to interact with the world�̶ Proper digestion and absorption ensures bio-availability of essential nutrients �̶ Healthy immune system enables greater opportunity to learn

Role of Nutrients that Support

LearningKey

Contributors Nutrient

Associated Processes

Structural Impact Functional Benefits

DHA1,2 Synaptogenesis Myelin

Global Visual cortex, retina Cortex

Supports visual and cognitive development

Lutein 2,3 Antioxidant, filters

blue UV light

Retina and macula Frontal, auditory,

occipital cortex, and hippocampus

Supports visual development and may support brain development

Choline 1

Acetylcholine synthesis

DNA methylation Myelin synthesis

Global Hippocampus White matter

Supports brain and memory development

High Quality Alpha Protein

Rich source of essential amino acids

Growth and development

Gastrointestinal tract

Supports growth outcomes and gastrointestinal tolerability similar to breast milk fed infants. Reference: Trabulsi study

Dietary Fibre (Oligofructose)6

Promotes growth of bifidobacteria

 Gastrointestinal tract

Softens stools and promotes the growth of healthy gastrointestinal bacterial

ResourcesThomas Armstrong, Awakening Your Child’s Natural Genius. New York: Putnam/Tarcher, 1991.

Thomas Armstrong, Awakening Genius in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998.

Thomas Armstrong. In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Children’s Multiple Intelligences, 2nd Ed. New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2000.

Marian Diamond and Janet Hopson. Magic Trees of the Mind: How to Nurture Your Child’s Intelligence, Creativity, and Healthy Emotions from Birth through Adolescence. New York: Dutton, 1998.

David Elkind. The Hurried Child. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1981.

Jane Healy, Endangered Minds. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.

Jonathan Kozol. Savage Inequalities. New York: Crown, 1991.

Ashley Montagu. Growing Young. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1983..

Joseph Chilton Pearce. Magical Child. New York: Bantam, 1980.

Teaching Tolerance magazine. Southern Poverty Law Center (400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104).

Contact Information

• Email: thomas@institute4learning.com

• Website: www.institute4learning.com

• Blog: http://institute4learning.com/blog/

• Twitter: @Dr_Armstrong