Cognitive Neuroscience Foundations For School Psychologists

Cognitive Neuroscience Foundations for School Psychologists provides a comprehensive overview of brain-behavior relationships relevant to the support of students at all ability levels. Carefully attuned to the shared language between neuroscience, psychology, and education, this book covers basic neuroanatomy, brain development in student academic performance, and general assessment and pedagogical implications and interventions in the classroom. School psychologists will be prepared to apply judicious neuroscientific findings to the initial stages of instruction through assessment and intervention, clearly linking best practices for classroom instruction, formative and summative assessment, and evidence-based intervention.

Why should psychologists and educators study the brain? Can neuroscientific research advance our understanding of student learning and motivation? What do informed readers need to know to tell the difference between plausible applications of brain research and unfounded speculation? This timely volume considers the benefits of incorporating findings from cognitive neuroscience into the fields of educational, developmental, and cognitive psychology. The book provides a basic foundation in the methodology of brain research; describes the factors that affect brain development; and reviews salient findings on attention, memory, emotion, and reading and mathematics. For each domain, the author considers the ways that the neuroscientific evidence overlaps with or diverges from existing psychological models. Readers gain skills for assessing the credibility of widely publicized claims regarding critical periods of learning, the effects of stress hormones on the brain, the role of music training in boosting academic performance, and more. Also elucidated are the possible neuroscientific bases of attention deficits, reading problems, and mathematical disabilities in children. The volume concludes by suggesting areas for future investigation that may help answer important questions about individual and developmental differences in learning.

Educational Neuroscience presents a series of readings from educators, psychologists, and neuroscientists that explore the latest findings in developmental cognitive neurosciences and their potential applications to education. Represents a new research area with direct relevance to current educational practices and policy making Features individual chapters written collaboratively by educationalist, psychologists, and neuroscientists to ensure maximum clarity and relevance to a broad range of readers Edited by a trio of leading academics with extensive experience in the field

A comprehensive guide to the practice of school neuropsychology It is an exciting time to specialize in school neuropsychology, with countless theoretically and psychometrically sound assessment instruments available for practitioners to use in their evaluations of children with special needs. Yet the field faces the challenges of establishing evidence-based linkages between assessment and interventions and of broadening its approaches to culturally diverse populations. Edited by a leading expert in school neuropsychology, Best Practices in School Neuropsychology: Guidelines for Effective Practice, Assessment, and Evidence-Based Intervention addresses these challenges and their solutions and provides learning specialists and school psychologists with clear coverage and vital information on this burgeoning area of practice within school psychology. This insightful reference features comprehensive discussion of: Current school neuropsychological assessment and intervention models Best practices in assessing cognitive processes An overview of what neuroscience offers to the practice of school neuropsychology How school neuropsychology fits within a Response to Intervention (RTI) model The rationale for the importance of school psychologists’ collaboration with parents, educators, and other professionals to maximize services to children Clinical applications of school neuropsychology with special populations, academic disabilities, processing deficits, and medical disorders Unique challenges in working with culturally diverse populations Featuring contributions from internationally renowned school psychologists, neuropsychologists, clinicians, and academics, Best Practices in School Neuropsychology is the first book of its kind to present best practices and evidence-informed guidelines for the assessment and intervention of children with learning disabilities, as well as other issues practitioners working with children encounter in school settings. DANIEL C. MILLER, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology and Philosophy at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. He is a former director of the School Psychology Graduate Training Programs and past president of the National Association of School Psychologists. He is the author of Essentials of School Neuropsychological Assessment. Dr. Miller is also the President and founder of KIDS, Inc., a company that specializes in early childhood education and screening products.

"At last, a book that meaningfully links the evidence that we have so far gained from cognitive neuroscience with an understanding of learning and education. This book avoids the usual pitfalls of over-stretched interpretations of the research findings and outdated assumptions about teaching and learning. It is a catalyst for bringing together the expertise and experience of professional educators with that of professional scientists in which Geake has expertly balanced accessibility and rigour." Professor Martin Westwell, Director, Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century, Flinders University, Australia Within education there is a growing interest in neuroscience research and what it can teach us. This book focuses on what neuroscience means for education professionals - in key areas such as learning, memory, intelligence and motivation - and addresses questions such as: How does the brain enable us to learn? Why do some children have learning difficulties, such as ADHD or dyslexia? How can actual scientific research be applied to pedagogy and curriculum design Furthermore, the book explores common 'brain based' learning schemes and exposes the misunderstandings on which these are often based. The author, both an experienced teacher and cognitive neuroscientist, offers teachers advice on how neuroscience can help them in their own teaching. Each chapter includes practical classroom examples and case studies based on real life teaching experiences. This friendly book is jargon-free and no prior scientific knowledge is assumed of the reader. It is thought-provoking reading for practising teachers across all age ranges, trainee teachers, parents, head teachers, educational policymakers, academics and educational psychologists.

Now in a revised and updated third edition reflecting a decade of changes in the field, this leading text prepares new practitioners to support all students' academic, behavioral, and social–emotional success. The multiple roles and functions of the school psychologist are described and illustrated with vivid vignettes. Readers gain vital skills for planning and implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention efforts and collaborating to facilitate systems change. Guided by a problem-solving perspective, the book provides tools for effective, culturally responsive practice in today's diverse schools. End-of-chapter discussion questions and activities enhance learning. New to This Edition *Incorporates key advances in evidence-based assessment, intervention, and multi-tiered systems of support. *Increased attention to supporting the growing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse students in schools. *Addresses changes in school psychology training programs and professional standards. *New emphasis on implementation science.

The chapters in this collection illustrate how current concepts and principles from various disciplines can be viewed from the perspective of their value to educational process thinking. While not providing specific prescriptions for educational problems, the articles provide relevant experimental and theoretical knowledge has accumulated in many fields including learning theory, cognitive development, motivation, and intellectual abilities and attitudes.

This volume presents and discusses current research that makes the connection between cognitive theory and instructional application. Addressing two general issues, the first set of chapters specifies the relation between cognitive theory and the development and evaluation of instruction, while the second set deals with the questions involved in understanding and assessing cognitive skills. The outstanding feature of these chapters is that they all present in-depth discussions of the theoretical issues underlying instructional decisions. Many present specific implementations that provide examples of concrete applications of theory. In addition, the settings for implementing these examples span a broad range of instructional areas and environments, illustrating the generality and transferability of the application of theory to practice.