Tracy Packiam Alloway

This book would be good for primary ages. This book is about a boy with dyslexia who has trouble reading a map during a campout, but when his group loses the map he leads them back using landmarks that he remembered. I would definitely use this book in my classroom. I'm not entirely sure if I have it be available or if I would just use it for a read-aloud, but it is really simple and does a good job of describing and explaining, so I think it would be a good resource to use to start a conversation with students.… (mehr)

I got stuck early in this book because of the tests that require someone else to administer them & so my reading stalled.

There are lots of individual research events showcased. I kind of skimmed over them. They already made clear the point that working memory is correlated with effectiveness and success. I did notice a contrary opinion on Psychology Today - that reviewer did not see a correlation between working memory training & long term improvement. The reviewer mentioned 3 sites, surprisingly Lumosity was not among them. (The book mentions Jungle Memory - especially in reference to children, whereas Lumosity is oriented for adults.)

The book makes a similar disclaimer that this viewpoint is not universally accepted: "It is important to note that not everyone is optimistic about the benefits of working memory training. ... (some) argue that a number of methodological issue undermine the claims of working memory training: control groups tend not to engage in training; there are few objective measures of improvement; that working memory tests aren't reliable." (Page 180)

Chapter 9 Techniques
- Bootstrapping - this is the process of binding or joining verbal and visual information together (many memory techniques use this)
- Chunking (some memory techniques use this)

"One of the things we find most exciting about these techniques is that they aren't difficult to learn. All you have to do is practice." (Page 198)

The effect of diet
Chapter 10 recommends Foods
Sustainers
- Dairy
- Red meat
Boosters and Protectors - plant based foods including "fruits and vegetables"
- Berries
- Herbs and spices: capers, dill weed, parsley, sage, thyme
- Dark chocolate (I would avoid those with PGPR)
- Vegetables: collard greens, kale, spinach
- Black eyed peas
- Plums, raw
Sparkers
- oily fish: mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout, tuna
- Venison and lean meats
- DHA-enriched eggs (DHA-enriched - no statistical difference per http://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2003-05/view_peer-reviewed-research/-d... and if I read it correctly, http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/3/538.full.pdf found no statistical difference )

"Curb Consumption and take a periodic break from food: It's not just what you eat that affects your working memory, it's how much you eat. A growing body of research reveals that obesity, which is often caused by overeating, is associated with memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, and an poor working memory." At the opposite end of the spectrum, evidence suggests that eating less can have big health benefits ... Two strategies in particular have shown remarkable results:
- Calorie restriction
- Intermittent fasting" (Page 217)


The effect of clutter
"We desperately wanted to move to a bigger place, but the realtor took one look around and told us our Victorian apartment wouldn't sell unless we removed most of the stuff. So we gave the place a good cleaning. ... There is little hard science on the topic [of the effect of clutter on working memory], but based on everything we know about working memory and the striking difference in our own experience of living in a cluttered and then clutter-free environment, we have a hunch that the more stuff littering your living and work space, the greater the demand your living space inflicts on your working memory in all sorts of daily ways." (Page 230)

"you can learn more about Calorie restriction from www.crsociety.org ... (Author) Ross fasts for up to sixty continuous hours a week, and Tracy fasts for thirty-six continuous hours a week (food only, not water). ... We run about y miles a day when fasting, though we don't push for a top time." (Page 219)

Chapter 11: Seven Habits to Supercharge Working memory, and a few to avoid
- Sleep
- Clear clutter (in your household)
- Move (physically, on hands and feet, outdoors)
- Be creative
- Doodle
- Facebook (or otherwise keep in touch)
- Go outside

I enjoyed reading the last several chapters of this book.… (mehr)

As the children prepare for the science fair, the group that has Charlie, the autistic child, decides to do a project about trains, Charlie’s favorite subject. As they prepare for the fair and present their project at the fair, they are faced with the various behavior issues that are common to autism. They deal with it in gentle and effective ways.

This wonderful book not only informs children about autism, but it also shows kindness, acceptance, and patience through the behavior of the children. This book shows how a child may deal with a person with autism. At the end of the story, there are notes to aid in classroom discussion as well as facts about autism and ways to cope with it.

This is a helpful and compassionate book. The illustrations, however, are strange looking, and the colors are unappealing as well.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.… (mehr)