Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e6RK76P18257; Thu, 27 Jul 2000 16:07:06 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 16:07:06 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <SIMEON.10007271635.B@1796.gse.harvard.edu> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Sondra Cuban <sondra_cuban@gse.harvard.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:872] Re: Excerpt from Thursday Notes X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Simeon for Win32 Version 4.1.5 Build (43) Status: O Content-Length: 2979 Lines: 65 Daphne, I hope it is OK that I add my personal opinion to the conversation. I think attentive people who are caring and take active roles, are critical for child development including mothers, fathers, grandparents or primary caregivers (ones who children identify)--all of those people in children's environments. Even teachers. Family literacy programs that promote intergenerational approaches not just for parenting techniques, but for active learning, are important because they validate diverse family structures and cultures whether or not the mother is central to this dynamic and they advocate outcomes for everyone who is involved. About abstracting rat families to human families, well, I think there is something to be said for that beyond a couple of variables. Thanks! Sondra On Thu, 27 Jul 2000 14:46:25 -0400 (EDT) Daphne Greenberg <ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu> wrote: > The following is an excerpt from Thursday Notes. I was wondering what people thought about it: > > Attentive Moms May Promote High Intelligence Offspring > > Here's a boost for family literacy programs: how parents treat children may influence which of their offspring's genes turn on, according to a new study > by McGill University scientists. Researchers found that gene activity is influenced by the environment--and the most important feature of that environment is the mother's parenting. In a series of experiments, rat pups whose mothers were highly attentive grew up to be less stressed and scored higher in intelligence and memory tests than pups whose mothers did not give them much tactile attention. The smarter rats scored high on tests throughout their lives. Scientists found extra connections between nerve cells in tissue samples as well as more growth hormones and neurotransmitters critical to learning in the actively nurtured offspring. > According to researchers, the study provides evidence of a direct relationship between maternal care and brain development, including spatial > learning in adulthood. Teaching good parenting techniques in family literacy programs promotes active parenting. > See the study reported in August issue of Nature Neuroscience or March 27 Newsweek. > ___ > A Fact Sheet from the Division of Adult Education and Literacy > Office of Vocational and Adult Education > OVAE Homepage http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/ > >From the Desk of Ronald S. Pugsley, Director, DAEL > Office of Vocational and Adult Education > Editor: Sarah Newcomb > Production: Rose Tilghman > July 27, 2000 > > > > > > > > > Daphne Greenberg > Center for the Study of Adult Literacy > Georgia State University > University Plaza > Atlanta, GA 30303-3083 > Fax: 404-651-1415 > Ph: 404-651-0400 > E-mail: alcdgg@langate.gsu.edu > ---------------------------------------- Sondra Cuban Email: Sondra_Cuban@gse.harvard.edu (NCSALL)Graduate School of Education, Harvard University Nichols House, 7 Appian Way Cambridge, MA 02138 (617)495-1712
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