The Child In Mind

Being understood by someone you love is one of the most powerful feelings, at all ages. For a young child, it is the most important of all experiences because it allows the child's mind and sense of self to grow. In the midst of the perennial concerns parents bring to Dr. Claudia Gold, she shows the magical effect of seeing a problem from their child's point of view. Most parenting books teach parents what to do to solve behavior problems, but Dr. Gold shows parents how to be with a child. Crises are defused when children feel truly heard and validated; this is how they learn to understand, and, eventually, control themselves. Dr. Gold's insightful guide uses new research in developmental psychology and vivid stories from her practice to show parents how to keep a child in mind and deepen this central relationship in their lives.

Full of simple mindfulness and meditation exercises for kids, this guide is “a wonderful reminder that every young person is capable of great understanding, compassion, and joy” (Thich Nhat Hanh) The interest in teaching children meditation is growing rapidly, as a number of recent stories in the mainstream media have documented, including NPR, The New York Times, and London Telegraph. Child's Mind aims to teach parents and child professionals how to integrate mindfulness into their work with children, and teach children and adolescents basics of mindfulness and meditation. Willard’s intention is to help parents pass on to their children the practices of mindfulness that they have found valuable for themselves. The book can also be a resource for those who work with children, whether it is family and children coordinators at retreat centers, religious instructors from a range of traditions, or teachers, therapists, and even medical professionals. Child's Mind aims to teach children the power that comes with the comfort of just being, and the capacity to be, be aware, and be comfortable with yourself.

A fascinating introduction to the young learner's mind for teachers, parents, and students in philosophy of education.

Entering the Child's Mind teaches a powerful technique for gaining insight into a child's way of thinking. In the tradition of Piaget and Vygotsky, Dr. Herbert P. Ginsburg argues that standardized instruments of evaluation often fail to meet the challenges of complex cognition. Understanding that interviews, like any evaluative instrument, can be improperly conducted and assessed, Dr. Ginsburg then seeks to advance the critical analysis of the interview methods and to investigate its effectiveness and reliability. He presents guidelines intended to help novices learn to conduct clinical interviews and to assist more experienced interviewers in perfecting their techniques. Dr. Ginsburg provides to both psychologists and others interested in understanding the minds of children the first comprehensive treatment of the theory and practice of the clinical interview method. -- from back cover.

Three-year old Emily greets her grandfather at the front door: "We're having a surprise party for your birthday! And it's a secret!" We may smile at incidents like these, but they illustrate the beginning of an important transition in children's lives--their development of a "theory of mind." Emily certainly has some sense of her grandfather's feelings, but she clearly doesn't understand much about what he knows, and surprises--like secrets, tricks, and ties all depend on understanding and manipulating what others think and know. Jean Piaget investigated children's discovery of the mind in the 1920s and concluded that they had little understanding before the age of six. But over the last twenty years, researchers have begun to challenge his methods and revise his conclusions. In The Child's Discovery of the Mind, Janet Astington surveys this lively area of research in developmental psychology. Sometime between the ages of two and five, children begin to have insights into their own mental life and those of others. They begin to understand mental representation--that there is a difference between thoughts in the mind and things in the world, between thinking about eating a cookie and eating a cookie. This breakthrough reflects their emerging capacity to infer other people's thoughts, wants, feelings, and perceptions from words and actions. They come to understand why people act the way they do and can predict how they will act in the future, so that by the age of five, they are knowing participants in social interaction. Astington highlights how crucial children's discovery of the mind is in their social and intellectual development by including a chapter on autistic children, who fail to make this breakthrough. "Mind" is a cultural construct that children discover as they acquire the language and social practices of their culture, enabling them to make sense of the world. Astington provides a valuable overview of current research and of the consequences of this discovery for intellectual and social development.

What exactly does it mean to be intelligent? Does intelligence manifest itself in one way or in different ways in children? Do children fit any preconceived notions of intelligence? Some theories assert a general (g) factor for intelligence that is universal and enters all mental abilities; other theories state that there are many separate domains or faculties (Fs) of intelligence; and still others argue that the g and Fs of intelligence coexist in a hierarchical relation. The Architecture of the Child Mind: g, Fs, and the Hierarchical Model of Intelligence argues for the third option in young children. Through state-of-the-art methodologies in an intensive research program conducted with 4-year-old children, Bornstein and Putnick show that the structure of intelligence in the preschool child is best construed as a hierarchically organized combination of a General Intelligence factor (g) and multiple domain-specific faculties (Fs). The Architecture of the Child Mind offers a review of the history of intelligence theories and testing, and a comprehensive and original research effort on the nature and structure of intelligence in young children before they enter school. Its focus on intelligence will appeal to cognitive, developmental, and social psychologists as well as researchers and scholars in education, particularly those specializing in early childhood education.

* How do we get from helpless baby to knowing, ironic teenager? * Is cognition a question of learning and environment or heredity? * What impact do television and computers have on cognitive development? Cognitive Development - how we learn to think, perceive, remember, talk, reason and learn - is a central topic in the field of psychology. In this highly readable book, David Cohen discusses the key theories, research and controversies that have shaped and informed our knowledge of how the child's mind develops. He shows how the questions and issues that have intrigued psychologists over the past hundred years or so relate to the child growing up in the 21st century. This book is for everyone who lives with, works with or studies children. Issues such as learning to read and write, performance in the classroom, and measuring intelligence and ability are covered, as are child crime and the development of morality. The effects on cognitive development of social change and increased exposure to television and computers are also discussed. How the Child's Mind Develops provides an integrated and thought-provoking account of the central issues in cognitive development. It will provide the professional, parent and student with an invaluable introduction to the development of the mind.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than 1 million copies in print! • The authors of No-Drama Discipline and The Yes Brain explain the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures in this pioneering, practical book. “Simple, smart, and effective solutions to your child’s struggles.”—Harvey Karp, M.D. In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth. Complete with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives. “[A] useful child-rearing resource for the entire family . . . The authors include a fair amount of brain science, but they present it for both adult and child audiences.”—Kirkus Reviews “Strategies for getting a youngster to chill out [with] compassion.”—The Washington Post “This erudite, tender, and funny book is filled with fresh ideas based on the latest neuroscience research. I urge all parents who want kind, happy, and emotionally healthy kids to read The Whole-Brain Child. This is my new baby gift.”—Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of Reviving Ophelia and The Shelter of Each Other “Gives parents and teachers ideas to get all parts of a healthy child’s brain working together.”—Parent to Parent