The effect of communication anxiety upon signing effectiveness among the profoundly hearing‐impaired

Anxiety influences and interferes with the production of messages, yet findings linking trait anxiety with communication gestures and movement have been inconsistent and weak. This may be because most studies observe the communicative movements which complement the message rather than movements which constitute the primary message. This study examined the influence of predisposi‐tional anxiety on gestures when they are the central channel of communication— the signing behavior of deaf students.

Anxiety was significantly related to signing in that more predispositionally anxious students' signs were less dear, slower, smaller, less intense, were more incomplete, and generally less effective compared to less anxious students. However compared to the general population, deaf students were not found to be more fearful of communication overall.     

30 Days to Better Thinking and Better Living Through Critical Thinking,Revised & Expanded: A Guide for Improving Every Aspect of Your Life. Elder,L., & Paul,R. (2013)

The recognition of patterns and creativity are two characteristics associated with mathematical talent. In this study, we analyzed these characteristics in a group of 37 mathematically talented students. The students were asked to find the pattern the Braille code had been built upon and reinvent it with the aim of making its mathematical language become more functional. Initially, the students were unable to identify the formation pattern of Braille, but after experiencing the difficulties that blind people face when reading it, they recognized the generating element and the regularity. The results were in contrast with those of a control group, and it is noted that the students with mathematical talent were more effective in using visualization to identify the regularity of the pattern and their invention proposals were more sophisticated and used less conventional mathematical content.     

A Tribute to Richard Paul

Recent research on the brain and how it functions indicate that education methodologies can be altered to expand a student's intellectual capacity.     

Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined. Kaufman,S. B. (2013)

Word Class is a method of modifying a spelling curriculum to meet the academic needs of gifted learners. This strategy combines a self‐selected approach to spelling instruction with thinking skills. Word Class enables gifted learners to make choices about their learning and engage in creative, high level thinking. It also teaches thinking skills and provides gifted learners with more authentic thinking and writing experiences.     

Implicit sequence learning in dyslexia: a within-sequence comparison of first- and higher-order information

The present study examines implicit sequence learning in adult dyslexics with a focus on comparing sequence transitions with different statistical complexities. Learning of a 12-item deterministic sequence was assessed in 12 dyslexic and 12 non-dyslexic university students. Both groups showed equivalent standard reaction time increments when the sequence was unexpectedly changed, suggesting that learning of the sequence took place. However, a novel analysis comparing transitions of differing complexity within the learning blocks indicated that dyslexic participants were impaired only for higher-order but not first-order sequence learning. No difference was found in the explicit awareness contribution between the two groups and this was found not to correlate with reaction time performance. This result suggests that statistical complexity of the sequence may account for intact and impaired learning performance in dyslexia.