Brain Literacy for Educators and Psychologists / Edition 1

by Virginia W. Berninger, Todd L. Richards

Overview

Although educators are expected to bring about functional changes in the brain—the organ of human learning—they are given no formal training in the structure, function or development of the brain in formal or atypically developing children as part of their education. This book is organized around three conceptual themes: First, the interplay between nature (genetics) and nurture (experience and environment) is emphasized. Second, the functional systems of the brain are explained in terms of how they lead to reading, writing and mathematics and the design of instruction. Thirdly, research is presented, not as a finished product, but as a step forward within the field of educational neuropsychology. The book differs from neuropsychology and neuroscience books in that it is aimed at practitioners, focuses on high incidence neuropsychological conditions seen in the classroom, and is the only book that integrates both brain research with the practice of effective literacy, and mathematics instruction of the general and special education school-aged populations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780120928712
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	05/08/2002
Series:	Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Washington; Director of the NICHD funded Multidisciplinary Learning Disabilities Center

Professor of Radiology at the University of Washington; Principle Investigator for the Brain Imaging Project at the Multidisciplinary Learning Disabilities Center

Table of Contents

Foreward.
Acknowledgements.
Part I: What Educators Ned to Know About the Brain.
Introduction and Conceptual Foundation.
General Principles of Microstructure and Microfunction.
General Principles of Macrostructure and Macrofunction.
General Principles of Brain Development.
Part II: Linking Brain Research to Literacy Research.
Building a Reading Brain Neurologically.
Building a Writing Brain Neurologically.
Building a Computing Brain Neurologically.
Part III: Linking Literacy Research to Brain Research.
Building a Reading Brain Pedagogically.
Building a Writing Brain Pedagogically.
Building a Computing Brain Pedagogically.
Part IV: Educational Applications of Brain-Literacy Links.
Implications for Educational Policy.
Implications for Classroom Practice.
Glossary.
References.
Index.

Editorial Reviews

"The authors, respected researchers and educators in this field, have developed an excellent resource for psychologists, educators, and graduate students... Brain Literacy for Educators and Psychologists is an excellent book... The book's content and explicit and implicit messages need to be widely disseminated to 21st-century educators." —CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY

From the Publisher

A textbook for a pre-service or in-service course teaching basic neuroscience and brain imaging to teachers and other professionals who asses children with school learning problems. It is also suitable as a supplementary text in courses on literacy or numeracy. The purpose is to provide general principles rather than a plethora of facts. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR