Did You Know Playing Jacks with Your Kids Can Help Them in School?

Jacks Skills

Many games from the 60s and 70s that children played built good underlying skills. These games allowed the players to integrate both body and mind as skills were strengthened such as visual-motor perceptual, eye-hand coordination, rhythm, logic, reasoning, strategy, timing, concentration, and attention.

We use many of those older games to help our student build new skills as well as fill in missing skills they are lacking. We find these games are very beneficial for students with a wide variety of challenges.

Sets of Jacks that were produced in the 60s and 70s were small and made out of metal. Although those jacks were easy to handle and had a good weight, they can be a choking hazard for younger children. Many manufacturers in the last 15 years or so have made larger jacks that are rubber. These jacks are safer and do not hurt if you step on them however, they are more difficult to pick up especially when trying to pick up several at a time.

Playing Jacks is very integrating and bring a lot of benefit to the students but there are several skills that need to be in place first.

 

Pre-Skills

If the child has difficulty with small motor control or catching, use a racquetball first. Otherwise use a hi-bounce ball that will come with your jacks.

·        Bounce & catch ball with dominant hand on the table 10 times in a row without missing.

·        Bounce & catch ball with non-dominant hand on table 10 times in a row.

·        Bounce & catch ball switching from dominant hand to non-dominant hand 10 times in a row.

·        Bounce & catch ball from one hand to the other in a ‘V’ on a table 10 times in a row. (left to right, right to left)

·        Bounce the ball with the dominant hand, pick up a jack with the non-dominant hand, and then catch the ball with the dominant hand 10 times in a row.

·        Bounce the ball with the non-dominant hand, pick up a jack with the dominant hand, and then catch the ball with the non-dominant hand 10 times in a row.

·        Bounce the ball with the dominant hand, pick up a jack in the dominant hand, and then catch the ball with the dominant hand 10 times in a row.

·        Bounce the ball with the non-dominant hand, pick up a jack in the non-dominant hand, and then catch the ball with the non-dominant hand 10 times in a row.

Throwing and picking up Jacks

·        Throw 4 Jacks so that they spread out but are still fairly close to one another, within an inch to three inches.

·        Teacher or parent places two jacks 1 inch apart child practices bouncing ball and picking up two jacks at the same time.

·        Repeat with three jacks.

 

Playing Jacks

Level 1

·        Toss all the jacks on the table.

·        Bounce the ball with the dominant hand, pick up one jack in the dominant hand, and then catch the ball with the dominant hand.

·        Place the jack in the non-dominant hand.

·        Repeat until all jacks have been picked up.

Level 2

·        Toss all the jacks on the table.

·        Bounce the ball with the dominant hand, pick up two jacks in the dominant hand, and then catch the ball with the dominant hand.

·        Place the jacks in the non-dominant hand.

·        Repeat until all jacks have been picked up.

Level 3

·        Toss all the jacks on the table.

·        Bounce the ball with the dominant hand, pick up three jacks in the dominant hand, and then catch the ball with the dominant hand.

·        Place the jacks in the non-dominant hand.

·        Repeat until all jacks have been picked up.

If the child misses a jack or ball you can decide if they should continue, start over with that level, or if it is the parent or teacher’s turn.

You can decide how many jacks you want to play with. The typical Jacks games used to come with twelve jacks but now many of the larger rubber Jack games come with ten.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Your Gut Microbes Can Affect Your Health

In recent years, it’s become increasingly clear that the microbes in your gut play a much more vital role in your health than previously conceived. In fact, probiotics, along with a host of other gut microorganisms, are so crucial to your health that researchers have compared them to "a newly recognized organ." Some interesting research to date includes:

1.     Behavior: A study published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility⁸ found mice that lack gut bacteria were found to behave differently from normal mice, engaging in what would be referred to as "high-risk behavior." This altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain. Researchers stated:

"Bacteria colonize the gut in the days following birth, during a sensitive period of brain development, and apparently influence behavior by inducing changes in the expression of certain genes."

2.     Gene Expression: Researchers have also discovered that the absence or presence of gut microorganisms during infancy permanently alters gene expression. Through gene profiling, they were able to discern that absence of gut bacteria altered genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control. This suggests that gut bacteria are closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior. These behavioral changes could be reversed as long as the mice were exposed to normal microorganisms early in life. But once the germ-free mice had reached adulthood, colonizing them with bacteria did not influence their behavior.

In a similar way, probiotics have also been found to influence the activity of hundreds of your genes, helping them to express in a positive, disease-fighting manner.

4.     Diabetes: Bacterial populations in the gut of diabetics⁹ differ from non-diabetics, according to a study from Denmark. In particular, diabetics had fewer Firmicutes and more plentiful amounts of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, compared to non-diabetics. The study also found a positive correlation for the ratios of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and reduced glucose tolerance. The researchers concluded:

"The results of this study indicate that type 2 diabetes in humans is associated with compositional changes in intestinal microbiota."

6.     Autism: Establishment of normal gut flora in the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of your baby's immune system. Hence, babies who develop abnormal gut flora are left with compromised immune systems and are particularly at risk for developing such disorders as ADHD, learning disabilities and autism, particularly if they are vaccinated before restoring balance to their gut flora.

 

Sources

Arnold, C. (2013, 8 21). The verge: Gut feelings:the future of psychiatry may be inside your

stomach . Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/21/4595712/gut-feelings-the-future-of-psychiatry-may-be-inside-your-stomach

Behavioural Neurotherapy Clinic. (2013). Cellular malnutrition and intestinal dysbiosis in

autism. Retrieved from http://www.adhd.com.au/Intestinal_Dysbiosis.htm

Campbell-McBride, N. (2010). Gut and psychology syndrome. Medinform Publishing.

Donaldson, S. (2013, 9 12). Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/anxiety-head-

            gut/story?id=20229136

Mercola. (2012, 12 17). “american gut” - one of the most important health projects of the

21st century . Retrieved from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/17/american-gut-project.aspx

Ross M.D., C. C. (2012, 10 23). The dirty on good bacteria. Retrieved from

            http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/real-healing/201210/the-dirty-good-bacteria

 

When Should the General Ability Index (GIA) be Administered?

WISC-IV (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) is an IQ test used with children ages 6-16. Like other IQ Tests, the WISC-IV is designed to measure skills and abilities, rather than grade-level subject knowledge. It can be given to both readers and non-readers as it is both verbal and visual. Within the WISC there are four categories of subtests: Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed.

 

The problem with using the WISC-IV to test some students is that sometimes the Full Scale IQ scores are excessively lowered by their Working Memory and Processing Speed scores, when averaging out the scores from all the subtests. This is unfortunate for gifted students, Dyslexic and Dysgraphic students, and gifted Dyslexics, all of whom may do poorly on Working Memory and Processing Speed.  

In an attempt to provide an alternative to this test, the General Ability Index (GAI) was implemented, which provides an IQ score derived only from the Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Comprehension indices of the test.

When there is a statistically significant difference between one's Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning IQ Scores, and their Working Memory and Processing Speed scores, the GAI can be calculated and reported as a representation of cognitive ability, without the influence of Working Memory and Processing Speed. This score is important because it highlights certain aspects of cognitive ability necessary for advanced or gifted placement. Thus, schools often use this score to place children in different classes (e.g., gifted or special ed.) or to predict future academic success. Processing Speed and Working Memory are both important areas of one's cognitive proficiency, however the GAI gives psychologist's an alternative method of reporting "intelligence" when these areas are weaker for many due to a variety of reasons.

The full scale IQ (FSIQ) score should not be reported if the variance from the highest to the lowest composite score is 23 or more points and if the Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning Indices vary by less than 23 points. In this case, the GAI should be used instead.

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