6. Individual Differences

Differences: Big Questions •Are some differences

changeable and how much?•What effect does

community and environment play?•What can teachers do to

accommodate differences?

6.1 The Nature-Nurture Controversy

6.2 Intelligence

6.3 Environmental Influences on Individual Development 6.4 Identifying At-Risk Children

6.5 Teaching Strategies to Accommodate Background Differences Among Children

6.6 Exceptional Learners

6.7 Reading Ability 6.8 General Issues 6.9 Summary

6.1 The Nature-Nurture Controversy

Heredity or Environment?•Nature = genetic

certainties and predispositions •Nurture = environmental

influences • Parenting and family • Socioeconomic status

(SES), community, culture

Nature/nurture evidence • “Proof” on both sides • Problem: 2 factors difficult

to separate • Twin studies used to

control heredity factor • Study with identical twins: •Raised together ➔ near-

equal IQ •Raised separately ➔ close

but not as similar IQ

6.2 Intelligence

Intelligence categories (1)•Cattell: Fluid vs. crystallized

(creativity vs. stored info)•Guilford: 120 areas • Sternberg: 3 components • Processing/analytical

(problem solving ability) •Contextual/practical

(apply knowledge) • Experiential/creative

(personalized)

Intelligence categories (2)•Gardner’s 8 dimensions • Linguistic • Logical/mathematical•Musical• Spatial•Bodily/kinesthetic • Interpersonal (between)• Intrapersonal (within) •Naturalistic

Intelligence testing•Measures verbal and non-

verbal abilities • “Normed” = 100 is average

with 15 pts per marking (standard deviation) • 130+ very superior (2%)

• 116-129 superior (13.5%)

• 101-115 above avg. (34%)

• 85-99 below avg. (34%)

• 70-84 borderline (13.5%)

• 69- mentally defective (2%)

Aptitude vs. achievement•Aptitude = functioning ability

(predictive of future success) • Examples: IQ test, SAT •Can be used for grouping or

tracking•Achievement = what has

been learned specifically • Example: Graduation test • Tests often “normed” to

produce bell curve results

Creativity factors•Uses 3 types of intelligence •Ability to analyze •Ability to synthesize •Ability to make practical

applications and changes •Needs divergent thinking

to restructure problems or see multiple solutions •Can be promoted by open-

ended activities

6.3 Environmental Influences on Individual Development

Effects of race and culture 1 •Race cannot predict

behavior or aptitude • Every race has range of

behaviors and aptitudes •Culture as shared values,

attitudes, perceptions ➔ somewhat predictive of behaviors and aptitudes

Effects of race and culture 2 •Cultures can have distinct

attitudes and preferences regarding • Value of learning/schooling •Attitude toward teachers • Learning modalities • Social interactions and

gender stereotypes

6.4 Identifying At-Risk Children

Risk factors that predict failure •Male • Lower SES •Retained in a grade

➔ Low motivation, low achieving, behavior problems in/out of school

➔Need for early and constant interventions of support

6.5 Teaching Strategies to Accommodate Background Differences Among Children

Teaching to diversity •Not same as teaching about

(“honoring”) diversity! •Know your students • Teach success skills•Consistency + novelty •Relevance to every student

in every subject area•Clear expectations and

feedback about behavior •Respect cultural preferences

6.6 Exceptional Learners

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD)•Distractible ➔ needs help

with focus • Impulsive ➔ needs

monitoring to complete • Fidgety ➔ needs to move •May show only 1-2 symptoms • Learning disabilities likely •Benefit from behavior

contract, stimulant drugs

Behavior disorders•Also “emotionally disturbed” • Externalizing = behaviors

aimed toward others •Angry, oppositional • Internalizing = behaviors

aimed toward self •Depressed, withdrawn • Learning disabilities likely •Benefit from high structure,

token economy, drugs

Learning disabilities • Subject-area difficulties •Reading/language•Writing/communication•Math (computing/solving) • Emotional problems likely •May benefit from pull-out

for specific subjects, counseling•But pull-out can cause

other problems!

Autism spectrum • Social communication deficit •Repetitive behavior patterns •Overall functional impairment • Sometimes savantism

(extreme talent)• Spectrum = range of levels of

functionality/responsiveness •Higher IQ ➔ better

educational outcome •Benefit from training/therapy

Mental retardation• From genetic and/or

environmental causes• Schooling options: determine

functionality and support needs rather than IQ score • Education support range:

from intermittent and limited (inclusion classroom?)

to extensive and pervasive (self-contained classroom)

Speech and language communication disorders • Expressive (speech) difficulty •Articulation (e.g. lisp) • Fluency (e.g. stuttering) • Vocal (e.g. pitch, nasality) •Receptive difficulty

(comprehending speech) • Social, even academic

problems possible •Benefit from therapy, surgery

Vision and hearing impairments • Vision impairment = not

correctible with lenses •Hearing (auditory) impairment

= partial to completely deaf • If young ➔ delayed language • Social, academic problems

possible

Gifted and talented (1) •High IQ + 1 or more of these: •High achievement• Persistence on task•Creativity and/or artistry • Leadership ability •Other possible traits: •Highly verbal/imaginative • Prefer working alone • Emotional/social problems

Gifted and talented (2) Schools might offer programs (but not required by law) •Accelerated (vertical) • Enrichment (horizontal) •Renzulli program model• Exploratory activities to find

interests •Group activities for

problem-solving/leadership•Real-world projects

6.7 Reading Ability

Teaching reading• Learning through meaning • Language experience = let

child dictate and read back •Whole language = combine

speech, listening, writing • Learning through decoding • Phonics = associate letters

with sounds (but so many irregularities in English!)

• Learn to read ➔ read to learn

Teaching comprehension in reading • Focus on identifying main

characters, main ideas, plot, resolution•Reciprocal teaching method

• Summarize main idea, clarify points, vocabulary, then predict

•Read in subject areas!

Special case: Dyslexia•Difficulty with letter order

and/or phonics • Leads to comprehension

problems, school frustration•Benefit from extra phonics

instruction, readable font, stress reduction

6.8 General Issues Related to Individual Learning Differences

Laws and support • Public Law 94-142 = federal

standards to meet needs • Individualized educational

program (IEP) after yearly assessment/evaluation and parent conference •Requires least restrictive

environment to meet needs • Inclusion = special needs

students in regular class with support (trend, not law)

6.9 Summary

Individual differences •Differences can be physical,

cognitive, economic, cultural, aptitude-based, or achievement-based• Teachers must find ways to

accommodate diverse learning abilities and needs • Laws define what must be

done for individual needs – support for student/teachers