Developing Minds

In my workspace, notes are taped to the wall, items are shoved into my desk willy-nilly, and stacks of books and papers surround my feet. Needless to say, I never developed good organizational skills as a child, and I cringe to think of the hours I've spent needlessly searching for missing items. While I like to think of myself as a functioning adult, Getting Organized/Work Habits, one of 22 titles in the Developing Minds series, argues that disorganization--if not corrected--can contribute to poor academic scores and developmental problems in students. Based on the work of Dr. Mel Levine, who for more than 25 years has pioneered programs that enhance the understanding and management of students' developmental difficulties, Developing Minds is aimed at helping parents and teachers of school-aged kids with differences in learning achieve success in school and in life. Working from the premise that children who struggle with organization ultimately make it harder on themselves, this particular volume suggests that learning to manage time, materials, and space creates an environment that will help facilitate learning. Real kids are interviewed about their real problems, with practical suggestions offered to teachers and parents on how to help students develop good habits (a teacher might use a timer to help students know when it's time to move on to the next activity, for example, while a parent might teach a child that his clothes won't get washed if they aren't brought to the laundry room at a certain day and time). The series itself is comprised of three introductory videos (an overview, as well as introductions for teachers and parents), three management videos (for parents, teachers and students), eight theme videos (including Mastering the Challenge of Reading, Getting Thoughts on Paper, Thinking With Numbers, and this title), and eight construct videos (including Attention, Language, Memory and Social Cognition). While this would be a good resource for professionals who work with children, it might be somewhat tedious for parents, and therefore is recommended primarily for school libraries. Aud: J, H, C, P. (J. Asala)