Fluid Intelligence affects the students that I work with every day. For example, a student may be able to do their math problems in your classroom in a quiet location and no distractions. However, when it is time to work at home in an environment that has distractions that is not quiet that student for the most part will have challenges. Problem solving skills are always a red flag with my students. It seems that they can only complete one step problems and then they are confused. Therefore, it takes lots of work to get them to go through each step of the skills they need to work on. When it comes to reasoning skills many of the students that I work with do not have this skill. They are very cut and dry thinkers or the behavior that the currently are dealing with do not allow them the ability to have reasoning skills. Therefore, it takes several hours of training to get these students where they are able to think through their problems and accept what other staff members and students have to say. Having these abilities is very important to students with a lower IQ. Therefore, if they are at the level where life skills are more important to them then that is where the focus needs to lye.
Poverty plays a big part in the ability to generalize. When a student comes from a home that is in poverty. They are so consumed with their basic needs that nothing else is important. They are worried about food, clothing, shelter, heat, water, staying safe and not being abused. Therefore, their ability to generalize is not a concept that they can usually possess without strict and in-depth training. Plus it is also important to remember that if the basic needs of the child are not met all the training in the world will not make a difference.
Tammi, I know what you mean about students being able to do the math problems in the classroom but not at home. It is also hard for them when you put the math problem into a word problem. Even though they know how to do something, if it is presented in a different way, it really throws them off.
I agree, many of the student I've worked with do not generalize or problem solve. I don't think they've had the opportunity to practice these skills at an early age and therefore don't know where to start. They just get overwhelmed and throw up their hands. Teaching these skills will help them have options in their lives.
The development of fluid intelligence--the ability generalize across setting and context, the ability to problem solve, the ability to think abstractly--should be the ultimate goal of education. It is ultimately what No Child Left Behind did not do well and what Common Core hopes to do better. When students leave school, they need to be able to think critically and apply what they know to an ever changing world. Many students leaving school will likely be working in jobs and careers that currently do not exist.
Many of the students we work with come from impoverished backgrounds. Children from poverty are greatly affected in their ability to generalize because they lack an environment allowing them to have experience beyond the basic. In Ulysses, we have students who don't have much experience outside of Dodge, Garden, and Liberal. I agree with Tammie that, when children are worried about their basic needs, there is little time or energy left to think about how information learned in school is connected in the overall scheme. Another aspect of poverty, the lack of hearing a higher level vocabulary at home, could affect the ability of students to make connections. It is hard to generalize and connect when you're wondering what the words mean or when you've not seen the primary adults in your life verbally model problem solving skills. This is why the modeling of teachers at school is so important and why we need public education. If America is the great melting pot, its schools are the great engine that allows students from differing backgrounds the opportunity to learn the skills to be successful.
I agree that students in poverty lack an environment of rich experiences. I also work in Ulysses and students don't seem to travel beyond GC. I also like your thoughts on higher level vocabulary at home that help students make connections in learning new skills.
Alan, I agree that home life greatly effects our students ability to problem solve or see how things "work together". Sometimes parents discourage this kind of thinking in order to justify their lifestyles and the kids have to buy in to survive. I think some parents feel threatened when their children are encouraged to make connections and problem solve. I have a student who is told what he/she sees and hears is not correct.
How does “fluid intelligence” (ability to generalize across setting) affect the children you work with?
I have found that that fluid intelligence is one of the most impacting factors within education for children. When I first began in special education, I worked with many children with autism. The fluid intelligence was a key factor with how we taught students with this diagnosis. Now as my work with students has expanded even more with different abilities, I see that explicit instruction in the main areas of reading, writing, and math needs to be done and with great repetition. The students can do work on a worksheet, but applying these skills at home and in the community is a whole different story.
What part does poverty play in the ability to generalize? Students who are in poverty may not have the exposure to situations to apply knowledge they gain from school. They are more worried about Pavlov's hierarchy of needs. Where will their food come from? Safety? Shelter? When students' brain are in survival mode, the ability to think critically and apply higher level thinking skills is difficult.
Rachel, I think one of the hardest part of our jobs is trying to help students learn when they are not getting their basic needs met. It must be so hard to concentrate on school work when a child is hungry, tired or worried about their safety. On the other hand, we still have expectations of them at school. How hard for all of us!
Rachel - and Rae Lynn, it IS hard to help students who aren't getting their basic needs meet like food, safety and shelter. One of my students had several melt downs the last week of school. Bottom line: they were not looking forward to Christmas break - too many days at home.
Tammi: I also see that my students are very cut and dry thinkers. Trying to get them to problem solve or think out of the box is very difficult. I try to model for them by doing the thought process out loud for some of those skills, but it is a daily struggle. I know with Common Core this should help start this process early with students.
Alan:I think it is important to remember our "melting pot" community. There are many positives that people from different backgrounds bring to school. It is our job as teachers to pull together positives and help students learn to appreciate them as well.
The 'melting pot' as you called it has become huge in our society. Through working with college accreditation, I see colleges are requiring students to learn how to incorporate a variety of cultures into teachiing and learning. You are right, everyone has something to offer.
I agree that seems to be one of the goals of the common core curriculum. After a few years of instruction where "regurgitation" of information is rewarded, many students will have a challenge with the expectation that they generalize, not just those with fewer opportunities to see how things all connect.
How does “fluid intelligence” (ability to generalize across setting) affect the children you work with? Oh my goodness, it affects them every day. They can often perform a skill in isolation but then cannot apply it to a word problem or if it's seen in a different context. When we practice word problems, I feel like I have to walk them through how to figure something out. One thing I have tried is having them write their own problems using a specific operation or situation. It's hard but they kind of like doing it.
What part does poverty play in the ability to generalize? Well, kids in poverty are doing all they can just to make it through the day. Their needs are not necessarily academic. They probaby don't have great models at home, simply because the parents are stressed out, have a low level of education, etc. The parents themselves may not be able to problem solve, reason or generalize information.
I was surprised at fluid intelligence and generalize across settings. Some students seem to be able to generalize and other students don’t. Some have to be taught the same skill in different situations. Students need to be able to problem solve and think abstractly to be more successful in their lives. Without the ability to problem solve I think students become victims of their situations rather than being able to take charge and manage their lives.
I am also always surprised at how easily some students can generalize and others just can't. I usually think 2nd grade is an age where many of my speech kiddos start to generalize sounds because they have pretty solid phonemic awareness skills by then but that's not always the case. Definitely something to think about!
Fluid intelligence or the ability to generalize across various settings is usually missing or not developed in the students I work with. Their life experiences coupled with their disability has not given them the tools to develop this skill. When students are struggling to survive and have their basic needs of food, shelter and clothing met they have no brain resources or even physical energy left to spend on learning. I also think this is a case where lack of role modeling exists. Parents and caregivers may lack fluid intelligence themselves or are is such a crisis mode that they are focusing strictly on survival for their family. This is where teachers and schools can provide a stable, safe learning environment where skills are purposefully taught and students are guided through using these lifeskills. I’ve recently been doing some food preparation with some of my students and that hands on experience can help them with things like measuring; as well as teaching them to think through a “problem”. We recently were short an egg for a cookie recipe and I helped them substitute a couple of tablespoons of yogurt. Another example is a math problem asking if teaspoons or pints would be used to measure the water in a fish bowl. I gave them the example of a teaspoon they eat with compared to the carton of milk they get in the lunchroom.
Fluid intelligence is the ability to apply knowledge across settings. Basic needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing need to be met before a child can be able to use fluid knowledge. It would be difficult for a child to use their skills in all settings when their home setting is full of stress and worry. Teachers can use strategies to help build children's fluid intelligence by having the students apply writing strategies - brainstorming, mind maps, and prewriting to other scenarios. Graphic organizers can also be used.
I agree with your answer on fluid intelligences. Is so important to have basic needs meet before any learning can go on. Students that come from proverty stricken homes have a greater chance and not being able to learn simple everyday tasks that will inturn help them have success in the real world. Therefore, as educators we must also be care providers and provide what the whole students needs. It is not just about the educational setting anymore.
It appears that the concept of fluid intelligence is of higher order thinking. It involves the ability to transition learned strategies and knowledge from one situation to another. It's great that it can be taught through dedicated teachers. I like that the book gives some websites to get started in the training process (pg. 54).
>Tammi is so right that generalizing concepts from one event to another is difficult in kids from poverty. Even when food, a safe environment, and understanding is provided, these kids are still consumed about what has gone on at home. Since Tuesday, I have a young lady who is concerned about getting her birth control on Thursday. Birth control for a 14 year old. They shouldn't have to be worrying about that.
>Alan, you hit a nail on the head with the level of parental language. It plays a vital component in how kids are raised and to what level of social economic status.
It does take dedicated teachers to teach the strategies and knowledge from one situation to the other. We must take into consideration that all students need that time to process and also manipulate the learning throught tactile learning. Just sitting in front of a computer or reading a book will not allow some students to learn the skills that they need to make it in the world today.
Fluid intelligence in the classroom would be the student who can take a test on written money problems because she works as a cashier on the weekends. It is using the same skills set in a different context. Poverty cans affect this in part because they have a smaller cache of experiences to pull from and they may lack the capacity to even recognize that the two different scenarios are using the same skill set.
~~Stephanie-- I agree that the websites are a very helpful addition to this book.
~~ Jamie-- I agree-- we spend so much time studyingMaslov and the various hierarchy of needs models and then so many of us do not consider them when the evidence is staring us right in the face.
I am glad that you liked the websites. I have written them down but have not had time to view them yet. I agree that generalizaation in harder for some students.
I think of fluid intelligence as being able to generalize or "carry over" a skill previously taught to a different setting/activity. This is generally one of the biggest obstacles my students face with speech services whether it be a distorted /r/ sound or using turn taking with peers. It's also more challenging to address -- working within the four walls of my room is much easier than the entire school. I also feel like it is an area that we often overlook, especially as students get older. Poverty greatly affects a students ability to generalize as they don't have as many natural life experiences. They tend to be taught to live in the present (surviving day by day) rather than looking/thinking ahead, This would apply to a new skill learned or what the family will eat the next day.
I agree that we work harder on this skill with younger children than we do with older children. I think most of us have seen how poverty for some families effect the children more adversely that other families.
So many times students in poverty are limited in the types and number of world experiences that they have. This severely limits their ability to generalize concepts learned in school over into everyday life. Think about the number of times we get frustrated over teaching a new concept to a student and just when you think they "have it" you find out they can not generalize it into other situations. That fluid intelligence just is so limited. So many times I do not think we even stop to think about how their environment may affect this.
Since we have started conducting home visits, seeing where the children "come from" helps me to understand them and know that you can't expect parents to help their child if they don't feel like they can. I feel building a relationship with parents is the most important part of my job. If they feel I respect them, they will respect me and what I have to offer them.
Regarding fluid intelligence and how it affects children, I just saw an example of this yesterday when I went in to observe a student. This kiddo is in 7th grade, and the teacher is going through a word problem up on the board for the whole class. Out of the blue this student goes, “Teacher! This is JUST LIKE the math problems (More basic, cut and dry, a + b = c type things; DEFINITELY not word problems) we’ve been going over in the afternoons!” The teacher then asked the student to explain why they thought that, how they were the same, etc. This was SUCH a big moment for this student, because it was like everything the teacher had been trying to get across to them the entire 1st semester had just clicked. I’m excited to check back in with the teacher in a couple weeks and see if they’ve noticed a difference in this student’s work since having this epiphany ☺
I feel like poverty affects individuals’ ability to generalize because if you’re living in that type of situation, I imagine your priorities are probably different from someone in a higher SES. For example, I think that if a poorer person had a couple dollars, they might know they could go to a fast food restaurant, get a sandwich, and receive a specific amount of change back. However, if you asked them to complete a math worksheet that had the problem written out (i.e. 2.00-1.87= _____), they might struggle more with it because that skill in that context probably isn’t as useful to them.
Tammi~ I completely agree with your statement about all the training in the world not making a difference if the child’s basic needs aren’t met. I know several teachers who will keep snacks, an extra jacket to borrow, etc. in their classrooms for this very type of situation. One of my teachers from a school I did my practicum at even allowed a student to take naps in her class because he would be so exhausted from the night before that he couldn’t function (He was the oldest child and had to take care of his younger siblings, then would get up at 2am to help out a farmer before school so he could earn extra money for his family).
Marcy~ In reading your comment about how poverty severely limits the type and number of a child’s life experiences, it made me think of a little kindergarten girl I use to work with. Her teacher would explain a concept and then give an example of it in a real world situation (i.e. a popular TV show, a family birthday party, a trip to the zoo, etc.), because she thought it would be easier for her students to learn if they could relate it to something. This little girl’s family was very poor (No TV), and she didn’t have any true friends because of her situation (Rarely invited to parties or other fun outings). She never seemed to understand what was going on, and I remember the teacher getting frustrated because nothing she had said seemed to have made a difference. In reading this book, I definitely think this was related to the girl’s SES and ability to generalize.
How does “fluid intelligence” (ability to generalize across setting) affect the children you work with?
Being able to generalize is a crucial skill for children who will need to apply the skills they learn today to careers we may never have heard of. I worry sometimes that a disjointed curriculum, cut in blocks of time and separate series for reading, writing, grammar, spelling, math... hinders students who have trouble generalizing on their own. Students need instructors to know them, and their current levels of performance, well enough to help them make connections and linkages between what they already know and are interested in and what they are learning today. That's part of the benefit of formative evaluation.
Kids raised in poverty may have brains conditioned towards survival, not towards thinking about how the skill they are learning in one class period relate to another, unless someone helps them make these connections.
I hadn't thought of a schedule in that manner, but it does make sense. Kids don't think in classes and time blocks, so creating disjointed blocks of time won't always be in their best interest. It also make sense that students in a survival mentality aren't concerned with the "connect the dots" of the school day. That really brings home the point of meaningful learning and teaching students to generalize.
Fluid intelligence is a goal of any education program. When I work with students, it's with the idea of what they need and how will this help them as they grow. As they grow, they need to take the information with them and be able to use it in their new situation or setting. Students from poverty have difficulty learning for many different reasons. It would make sense that it is also difficult for them to generalize information as well. Taking information from one situation and applying it in a different environment would be difficult when considering all the factors affecting them, such as chronic stress or a high rate of absenteeism.
Children that are raised in poverty situations generally lack exposure to a variety of experiences therefore their ability to generalize may be lacking. These children need to be taught specific skills, we can't expect them to just know how to behave or respond.
I work with many young children who have difficulty generalizing concepts. Often if they know the colors of their shoes, they do not know the colors in a story being read. Fluid intelligence needs to be taught with multiple activities done in a variety of ways.
Povery plays a big factor in the role of fluid intelligence. Stressed parents and unenriched environments limit the opportunities for children to practice skills in a variey of ways. Schools and teacher have a great opportunity to alleviate some of the effects of poverty.
fluidity affects students I see everyday. Many days a students will be able to do the work when learned, but once they step out of the classroom its gone. They can't retain what they just did to carry it over to later.
Poverty affects this because many students do not receive the help they need at home and do not acquire the skills needed to carry out fluidity. There families are in survival mode and have more important things to concentrate on.
Dana - I see so many students who come into my room and can't tell me things which I think are so basic. Yet there are some things they know that blows my mind. I feel that if I can build up their background knowledge maybe it will change them for the better.
Jamie - you're right the more we teach to organize and see, think and write it the more they will carry it over and remember.
Fluid Intelligence affects the students that I work with every day. For example, a student may be able to do their math problems in your classroom in a quiet location and no distractions. However, when it is time to work at home in an environment that has distractions that is not quiet that student for the most part will have challenges. Problem solving skills are always a red flag with my students. It seems that they can only complete one step problems and then they are confused. Therefore, it takes lots of work to get them to go through each step of the skills they need to work on. When it comes to reasoning skills many of the students that I work with do not have this skill. They are very cut and dry thinkers or the behavior that the currently are dealing with do not allow them the ability to have reasoning skills. Therefore, it takes several hours of training to get these students where they are able to think through their problems and accept what other staff members and students have to say. Having these abilities is very important to students with a lower IQ. Therefore, if they are at the level where life skills are more important to them then that is where the focus needs to lye.
ReplyDeletePoverty plays a big part in the ability to generalize. When a student comes from a home that is in poverty. They are so consumed with their basic needs that nothing else is important. They are worried about food, clothing, shelter, heat, water, staying safe and not being abused. Therefore, their ability to generalize is not a concept that they can usually possess without strict and in-depth training. Plus it is also important to remember that if the basic needs of the child are not met all the training in the world will not make a difference.
Tammi, I know what you mean about students being able to do the math problems in the classroom but not at home. It is also hard for them when you put the math problem into a word problem. Even though they know how to do something, if it is presented in a different way, it really throws them off.
DeleteI agree, many of the student I've worked with do not generalize or problem solve. I don't think they've had the opportunity to practice these skills at an early age and therefore don't know where to start. They just get overwhelmed and throw up their hands. Teaching these skills will help them have options in their lives.
DeleteThe development of fluid intelligence--the ability generalize across setting and context, the ability to problem solve, the ability to think abstractly--should be the ultimate goal of education. It is ultimately what No Child Left Behind did not do well and what Common Core hopes to do better. When students leave school, they need to be able to think critically and apply what they know to an ever changing world. Many students leaving school will likely be working in jobs and careers that currently do not exist.
ReplyDeleteMany of the students we work with come from impoverished backgrounds. Children from poverty are greatly affected in their ability to generalize because they lack an environment allowing them to have experience beyond the basic. In Ulysses, we have students who don't have much experience outside of Dodge, Garden, and Liberal. I agree with Tammie that, when children are worried about their basic needs, there is little time or energy left to think about how information learned in school is connected in the overall scheme. Another aspect of poverty, the lack of hearing a higher level vocabulary at home, could affect the ability of students to make connections. It is hard to generalize and connect when you're wondering what the words mean or when you've not seen the primary adults in your life verbally model problem solving skills. This is why the modeling of teachers at school is so important and why we need public education. If America is the great melting pot, its schools are the great engine that allows students from differing backgrounds the opportunity to learn the skills to be successful.
I agree that students in poverty lack an environment of rich experiences. I also work in Ulysses and students don't seem to travel beyond GC. I also like your thoughts on higher level vocabulary at home that help students make connections in learning new skills.
DeleteAlan, I agree that home life greatly effects our students ability to problem solve or see how things "work together". Sometimes parents discourage this kind of thinking in order to justify their lifestyles and the kids have to buy in to survive. I think some parents feel threatened when their children are encouraged to make connections and problem solve. I have a student who is told what he/she sees and hears is not correct.
DeleteHow does “fluid intelligence” (ability to generalize across setting) affect the children you work with?
ReplyDeleteI have found that that fluid intelligence is one of the most impacting factors within education for children. When I first began in special education, I worked with many children with autism. The fluid intelligence was a key factor with how we taught students with this diagnosis. Now as my work with students has expanded even more with different abilities, I see that explicit instruction in the main areas of reading, writing, and math needs to be done and with great repetition. The students can do work on a worksheet, but applying these skills at home and in the community is a whole different story.
What part does poverty play in the ability to generalize?
Students who are in poverty may not have the exposure to situations to apply knowledge they gain from school. They are more worried about Pavlov's hierarchy of needs. Where will their food come from? Safety? Shelter? When students' brain are in survival mode, the ability to think critically and apply higher level thinking skills is difficult.
Rachel,
DeleteI think one of the hardest part of our jobs is trying to help students learn when they are not getting their basic needs met. It must be so hard to concentrate on school work when a child is hungry, tired or worried about their safety. On the other hand, we still have expectations of them at school. How hard for all of us!
Rachel - and Rae Lynn, it IS hard to help students who aren't getting their basic needs meet like food, safety and shelter. One of my students had several melt downs the last week of school. Bottom line: they were not looking forward to Christmas break - too many days at home.
DeleteTammi: I also see that my students are very cut and dry thinkers. Trying to get them to problem solve or think out of the box is very difficult. I try to model for them by doing the thought process out loud for some of those skills, but it is a daily struggle. I know with Common Core this should help start this process early with students.
ReplyDeleteAlan:I think it is important to remember our "melting pot" community. There are many positives that people from different backgrounds bring to school. It is our job as teachers to pull together positives and help students learn to appreciate them as well.
The 'melting pot' as you called it has become huge in our society. Through working with college accreditation, I see colleges are requiring students to learn how to incorporate a variety of cultures into teachiing and learning. You are right, everyone has something to offer.
DeleteI agree that seems to be one of the goals of the common core curriculum. After a few years of instruction where "regurgitation" of information is rewarded, many students will have a challenge with the expectation that they generalize, not just those with fewer opportunities to see how things all connect.
DeleteHow does “fluid intelligence” (ability to generalize across setting) affect the children you work with? Oh my goodness, it affects them every day. They can often perform a skill in isolation but then cannot apply it to a word problem or if it's seen in a different context. When we practice word problems, I feel like I have to walk them through how to figure something out. One thing I have tried is having them write their own problems using a specific operation or situation. It's hard but they kind of like doing it.
ReplyDeleteWhat part does poverty play in the ability to generalize?
Well, kids in poverty are doing all they can just to make it through the day. Their needs are not necessarily academic. They probaby don't have great models at home, simply because the parents are stressed out, have a low level of education, etc. The parents themselves may not be able to problem solve, reason or generalize information.
I was surprised at fluid intelligence and generalize across settings. Some students seem to be able to generalize and other students don’t. Some have to be taught the same skill in different situations. Students need to be able to problem solve and think abstractly to be more successful in their lives. Without the ability to problem solve I think students become victims of their situations rather than being able to take charge and manage their lives.
ReplyDeleteI am also always surprised at how easily some students can generalize and others just can't. I usually think 2nd grade is an age where many of my speech kiddos start to generalize sounds because they have pretty solid phonemic awareness skills by then but that's not always the case. Definitely something to think about!
DeleteYes, being able to make connections opens a lot of doors.
DeleteFluid intelligence or the ability to generalize across various settings is usually missing or not developed in the students I work with. Their life experiences coupled with their disability has not given them the tools to develop this skill.
ReplyDeleteWhen students are struggling to survive and have their basic needs of food, shelter and clothing met they have no brain resources or even physical energy left to spend on learning. I also think this is a case where lack of role modeling exists. Parents and caregivers may lack fluid intelligence themselves or are is such a crisis mode that they are focusing strictly on survival for their family. This is where teachers and schools can provide a stable, safe learning environment where skills are purposefully taught and students are guided through using these lifeskills. I’ve recently been doing some food preparation with some of my students and that hands on experience can help them with things like measuring; as well as teaching them to think through a “problem”. We recently were short an egg for a cookie recipe and I helped them substitute a couple of tablespoons of yogurt. Another example is a math problem asking if teaspoons or pints would be used to measure the water in a fish bowl. I gave them the example of a teaspoon they eat with compared to the carton of milk they get in the lunchroom.
Real life problem solving skills is a great way to teach children-liked your examples!
DeleteFluid intelligence is the ability to apply knowledge across settings. Basic needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing need to be met before a child can be able to use fluid knowledge. It would be difficult for a child to use their skills in all settings when their home setting is full of stress and worry. Teachers can use strategies to help build children's fluid intelligence by having the students apply writing strategies - brainstorming, mind maps, and prewriting to other scenarios. Graphic organizers can also be used.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your answer on fluid intelligences. Is so important to have basic needs meet before any learning can go on. Students that come from proverty stricken homes have a greater chance and not being able to learn simple everyday tasks that will inturn help them have success in the real world. Therefore, as educators we must also be care providers and provide what the whole students needs. It is not just about the educational setting anymore.
DeleteFluid intelligence
ReplyDeleteIt appears that the concept of fluid intelligence is of higher order thinking. It involves the ability to transition learned strategies and knowledge from one situation to another. It's great that it can be taught through dedicated teachers. I like that the book gives some websites to get started in the training process (pg. 54).
>Tammi is so right that generalizing concepts from one event to another is difficult in kids from poverty. Even when food, a safe environment, and understanding is provided, these kids are still consumed about what has gone on at home. Since Tuesday, I have a young lady who is concerned about getting her birth control on Thursday. Birth control for a 14 year old. They shouldn't have to be worrying about that.
>Alan, you hit a nail on the head with the level of parental language. It plays a vital component in how kids are raised and to what level of social economic status.
Stephanie,
DeleteIt does take dedicated teachers to teach the strategies and knowledge from one situation to the other. We must take into consideration that all students need that time to process and also manipulate the learning throught tactile learning. Just sitting in front of a computer or reading a book will not allow some students to learn the skills that they need to make it in the world today.
Stephanie, I hadn't thought about generalization being a higher thinking skill before. It makes a lot of sense to consider that.
DeleteFluid intelligence in the classroom would be the student who can take a test on written money problems because she works as a cashier on the weekends. It is using the same skills set in a different context. Poverty cans affect this in part because they have a smaller cache of experiences to pull from and they may lack the capacity to even recognize that the two different scenarios are using the same skill set.
ReplyDelete~~Stephanie-- I agree that the websites are a very helpful addition to this book.
~~ Jamie-- I agree-- we spend so much time studyingMaslov and the various hierarchy of needs models and then so many of us do not consider them when the evidence is staring us right in the face.
I am glad that you liked the websites. I have written them down but have not had time to view them yet. I agree that generalizaation in harder for some students.
DeleteI think of fluid intelligence as being able to generalize or "carry over" a skill previously taught to a different setting/activity. This is generally one of the biggest obstacles my students face with speech services whether it be a distorted /r/ sound or using turn taking with peers. It's also more challenging to address -- working within the four walls of my room is much easier than the entire school. I also feel like it is an area that we often overlook, especially as students get older.
ReplyDeletePoverty greatly affects a students ability to generalize as they don't have as many natural life experiences. They tend to be taught to live in the present (surviving day by day) rather than looking/thinking ahead, This would apply to a new skill learned or what the family will eat the next day.
I agree that we work harder on this skill with younger children than we do with older children. I think most of us have seen how poverty for some families effect the children more adversely that other families.
DeleteSo many times students in poverty are limited in the types and number of world experiences that they have. This severely limits their ability to generalize concepts learned in school over into everyday life. Think about the number of times we get frustrated over teaching a new concept to a student and just when you think they "have it" you find out they can not generalize it into other situations. That fluid intelligence just is so limited. So many times I do not think we even stop to think about how their environment may affect this.
ReplyDeleteSince we have started conducting home visits, seeing where the children "come from" helps me to understand them and know that you can't expect parents to help their child if they don't feel like they can. I feel building a relationship with parents is the most important part of my job. If they feel I respect them, they will respect me and what I have to offer them.
DeleteRegarding fluid intelligence and how it affects children, I just saw an example of this yesterday when I went in to observe a student. This kiddo is in 7th grade, and the teacher is going through a word problem up on the board for the whole class. Out of the blue this student goes, “Teacher! This is JUST LIKE the math problems (More basic, cut and dry, a + b = c type things; DEFINITELY not word problems) we’ve been going over in the afternoons!” The teacher then asked the student to explain why they thought that, how they were the same, etc. This was SUCH a big moment for this student, because it was like everything the teacher had been trying to get across to them the entire 1st semester had just clicked. I’m excited to check back in with the teacher in a couple weeks and see if they’ve noticed a difference in this student’s work since having this epiphany ☺
ReplyDeleteI feel like poverty affects individuals’ ability to generalize because if you’re living in that type of situation, I imagine your priorities are probably different from someone in a higher SES. For example, I think that if a poorer person had a couple dollars, they might know they could go to a fast food restaurant, get a sandwich, and receive a specific amount of change back. However, if you asked them to complete a math worksheet that had the problem written out (i.e. 2.00-1.87= _____), they might struggle more with it because that skill in that context probably isn’t as useful to them.
Tammi~
I completely agree with your statement about all the training in the world not making a difference if the child’s basic needs aren’t met. I know several teachers who will keep snacks, an extra jacket to borrow, etc. in their classrooms for this very type of situation. One of my teachers from a school I did my practicum at even allowed a student to take naps in her class because he would be so exhausted from the night before that he couldn’t function (He was the oldest child and had to take care of his younger siblings, then would get up at 2am to help out a farmer before school so he could earn extra money for his family).
Marcy~
In reading your comment about how poverty severely limits the type and number of a child’s life experiences, it made me think of a little kindergarten girl I use to work with. Her teacher would explain a concept and then give an example of it in a real world situation (i.e. a popular TV show, a family birthday party, a trip to the zoo, etc.), because she thought it would be easier for her students to learn if they could relate it to something. This little girl’s family was very poor (No TV), and she didn’t have any true friends because of her situation (Rarely invited to parties or other fun outings). She never seemed to understand what was going on, and I remember the teacher getting frustrated because nothing she had said seemed to have made a difference. In reading this book, I definitely think this was related to the girl’s SES and ability to generalize.
How does “fluid intelligence” (ability to generalize across setting) affect the children you work with?
ReplyDeleteBeing able to generalize is a crucial skill for children who will need to apply the skills they learn today to careers we may never have heard of. I worry sometimes that a disjointed curriculum, cut in blocks of time and separate series for reading, writing, grammar, spelling, math... hinders students who have trouble generalizing on their own. Students need instructors to know them, and their current levels of performance, well enough to help them make connections and linkages between what they already know and are interested in and what they are learning today. That's part of the benefit of formative evaluation.
Kids raised in poverty may have brains conditioned towards survival, not towards thinking about how the skill they are learning in one class period relate to another, unless someone helps them make these connections.
I hadn't thought of a schedule in that manner, but it does make sense. Kids don't think in classes and time blocks, so creating disjointed blocks of time won't always be in their best interest. It also make sense that students in a survival mentality aren't concerned with the "connect the dots" of the school day. That really brings home the point of meaningful learning and teaching students to generalize.
DeleteFluid intelligence is a goal of any education program. When I work with students, it's with the idea of what they need and how will this help them as they grow. As they grow, they need to take the information with them and be able to use it in their new situation or setting.
ReplyDeleteStudents from poverty have difficulty learning for many different reasons. It would make sense that it is also difficult for them to generalize information as well. Taking information from one situation and applying it in a different environment would be difficult when considering all the factors affecting them, such as chronic stress or a high rate of absenteeism.
Children that are raised in poverty situations generally lack exposure to a variety of experiences therefore their ability to generalize may be lacking. These children need to be taught specific skills, we can't expect them to just know how to behave or respond.
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ReplyDeleteI work with many young children who have difficulty generalizing concepts. Often if they know the colors of their shoes, they do not know the colors in a story being read. Fluid intelligence needs to be taught with multiple activities done in a variety of ways.
ReplyDeletePovery plays a big factor in the role of fluid intelligence. Stressed parents and unenriched environments limit the opportunities for children to practice skills in a variey of ways. Schools and teacher have a great opportunity to alleviate some of the effects of poverty.
fluidity affects students I see everyday. Many days a students will be able to do the work when learned, but once they step out of the classroom its gone. They can't retain what they just did to carry it over to later.
ReplyDeletePoverty affects this because many students do not receive the help they need at home and do not acquire the skills needed to carry out fluidity. There families are in survival mode and have more important things to concentrate on.
Dana - I see so many students who come into my room and can't tell me things which I think are so basic. Yet there are some things they know that blows my mind. I feel that if I can build up their background knowledge maybe it will change them for the better.
Jamie - you're right the more we teach to organize and see, think and write it the more they will carry it over and remember.