Poster illustrating the power of a bad habit.

An online search doesn’t reveal much about the coming attraction other than some guesses posted on Disney discussion boards.  It appears that the attraction is geared to teach children about the power of a bad habit and what it takes to make new, healthy habits.  I certainly hope this is the case and I applaud Disney in this new endeavor. 

As a cognitive behavioral psychologist, I am focused on behavioral change.  Changing study habits, eating habits, or any behavioral change for that matter often follows a similar process.  First the behavior you want to change must be identified, new behaviors must be targeted, and then your day to day behaviors must be measured in an effort to reach your new behavioral goal.  Along the way motivation and commitment are bolstered along with establishing support and developing coping mechanisms for when things fall off track. 

For example, if a student wants to raise their grades, a snapshot of the process could be:

1)      Identify the Behavior to Change:  For the purpose of this example let’s say it’s to reduce “screen time” while increasing study time.

2)      Target New Behaviors: The student identifies that he will give up 30 minutes of TV and 30 minutes of video game playing per day for an extra 1 hour of studying.  This goal is written down by the student and reinforced in a self reinforcement statement.    

3)      Self Monitor New Behaviors: The student will start a log of how many minutes they participate in “screen time” behaviors, and how many minutes they spend studying per day. 

As you might be able to surmise, the process could very well be the same for changing other habits, such as to stop smoking, to stop using swear words, or to lose weight.  However it all beings with an awareness and building the determination to do something about your bad habit.  Also, it requires the belief that you are capable of changing your behavior and that changing behavior can help you reach a targeted goal.  If this exhibit at Innoventions helps equip young people with the basic tools to change bad habits, then this is surely a good thing. 

As a father to two young children and Disney season pass holder, I am often struck by the unhealthy food choices at Disney.  In fact I am so bothered by it I started a blog on the subject here.  In this regard Disney’s efforts to educate young people about establishing healthy habits is a step in the right direction. 

One memorable experience I recently had was watching the “One Man’s Dream” movie and exhibit at Hollywood Studios.  All of the photos in the exhibit and clips of Walt in the movie were taken from the 1960’s and early 1970’s.  I was struck by how everyone looked so healthy and very thin.  When the movie was over, the doors opened up and we went outside into the park and saw obese children eating oversized sugar treats and adults on mobility scooters too overweight to walk.  The contrast from the 1960’s movie to present was night and day.

However food is not the only changes in our modern environment our children face.  When I attended graduate school the subject of computer games, X-Box, Wii, and so on was never mentioned in class.  In my practice I make it standard protocol to ask parents of children with learning disabilities or suspected ADHD how much time their child participates in gaming activities.  There has been occasion where it was apparent that if the child would put the same amount of time, energy, and determination in their schoolwork that they do at X-Box, the parent might not even need the evaluation in the first place. 

The point here is that we are living in a world full of temptations that we as parents simply didn’t face growing up.  How many of us reading this post only had 3-5 TV channels growing up depending on the time of day or day of the week?  And not only did you have to get up to change the channel, but the TV channels all went to a test pattern at a certain time of the night as if to say, “You kids have watched enough TV for today!  Now go to bed!”  I distinctly remember staying up to watch Saturday Night Live as a child at night, and after the show was over America the Beautiful played and the station pulled the plug until 6am Sunday morning.  This was the same for all stations where I lived.

Now our kids have an endless supply of TV channels, and if nothing is on the DVR has recorded more shows than we could ever possibly watch.  We have the internet, video games, our kids have Nintendo DSI’s, i-pads, cell phones, and the list goes on and on.  We are truly living in a different environment; an environment full of limitless temptations, time killers, and unhealthy outlets for kids.  As adults we need to make every effort to teach kids the process of instilling good habits- for their health, education, and financial independence. 

If your child needs help in changing a habit and you are not able to correct it on your own, please use the Contact Form or call me at (813) 774-6340.

Generally, IQ assessments I administer are for a child to be included in the Academically Gifted Program (AGP).  It’s quite an honor to have your child included in the AGP and most of us as parents want every advantage for our child.  So it’s not surprising that I get a lot of requests for outside or private testing for the Tampa area gifted programs when a child did not make the cut off when tested with the initial IQ screening.

What I commonly tell parents is that, “Yes, you are justified in seeking a second opinion.”  There are many factors that could have influenced your child’s test score on any particular day.  Really, their score is simply a reflection of how they were doing on the day they were tested.  Could they have been caught by surprise?  Did they think they would get into trouble for answering a questions wrong to an adult?  Did the examiner take the time to build rapport with the child and put them at ease about the testing? 

Here is a little known piece of trivia about the testing process for most Tampa area schools.  In general, your child will not receive one IQ test to qualify for the AGP but two tests.  The first test is generally the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test II (KBIT-2) and the second test is a more robust IQ test such as the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales which is published right here in the Tampa area by Psychological Assessment Resources.  The Reynolds is an excellent test, and the Wechsler Individualized Intelligence Scale-IV is excellent as well.    

But did you know that what is good enough to rule your child out of AGP consideration is NOT good enough to use as documentation for a learning disability at many Florida colleges?  That’s right, the KBIT-2 can stop your child from further consideration for inclusion into the AGP but is not considered a worthy enough assessment for many area colleges to document the IQ score needed to diagnose a learning disability.  See here to review the documentation requirements at the University of Central Florida which specifically lists acceptable and non-acceptable IQ tests:

Acceptable IQ Tests:

• Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (this is the full Kaufman, NOT the brief test administered in most public schools).
• Stanford Binet 4^th Edition
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - III (WAIS-III)
• Woodcock-Johnson III General Intellectual Ability (GIA)

Not Acceptable:

• Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT)
• Slosson Intelligence Test
• Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI)
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - III (WISC-III)

I know what you’ve thinking, “You can’t be serious, a test not accepted at some state universities are the first line test used in the public school?  How can this be?”  Well, it’s simple.  The KBIT-2 is a 20 minute screening tool.  It’s not made to give an actual IQ score, but an ESTIMATE of an IQ score.  There is a big difference here.  You can read the test’s description for the publisher here.  Remember, the key word used to sell the product is that you receive an IQ ESTIMATE. 

Here is some relevant information about the KBIT-2 in the form of abstracts of articles from peer reviewed academic journals calling into question the validity and use of the KBIT-2.  In a study titled, “A structural equation analysis of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised” it was found that:

The K-BIT Verbal Intelligence factor appeared to have a significant visuospatial component, calling into question the assumption that the WAIS—R and K-BIT provide equivalent measures of verbal intelligence.

In another study titled, “Relationship of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-Second Edition and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence in children referred for ADHD” researchers found that:

Results of this study indicated the WASI to be a more stable measure of ADHD children's intelligence, that the KBIT-2 Vocabulary scores were significantly lower than the WASI Verbal score, and that there was significant variability within participants. 

So there are obviously issues with the KBIT-2 as an assessment instrument.  In fact, the authors, Kaufman and Kaufman (2004b) recommend that the KBIT-2 be used as a. “screener for intellectual abilities in situations such as identification of children who are at-risk for academic problems, as part of gifted and talented selection (although full-scale assessment may be necessary to fulfill state guidelines), as part of assessment procedures for job applicants, as part of test batteries where the intellectual profile is not the primary concern, for forensic purposes, for re-evaluations, and for various similar circumstances that do not demand full-scale assessment of cognitive ability.” 

Most importantly, the test authors caution against using the KBIT-2 for the purposes of diagnosis or placement, as more comprehensive assessment would most likely be necessary for these purposes.

Believe it or not, I actually have the KBIT-2 and I do use it on occasion.  It is important that we remember to use it as a screening tool, and not the be-all end-all measure of intelligence.  Are the public schools justified in using the KBIT-2 as a screener for the AGP’s?  Absolutely.  At the same time, as a concerned parent, should you get a second opinion about your child’s IQ instead of settling for an estimate?  Again, the answer is a resounding, “Absolutely!!!”   

To schedule an assessment, please use the Contact Form or call Dr. Bishop at (813) 774-6340.



Step 1: Identification

The first step in the process is for your child to be identified as potentially Gifted.  Your child’s teacher can make this identification, or a parent can identify on their own and request that their child be evaluated.

Step 2: Testing

Testing in the Public Schools

Generally, if left to the school your child will be screened with an IQ test such as the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test II (KBIT-II) several weeks after they have been identified by their teacher as needing AGP services.  If your child scores in the 98^th percentile or higher, they are then tested again with a more robust IQ test such as the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV).  Again, your child will have to make an excellent score in this test.  The cut off is 130, or two standard deviations from the mean score of 100. 

Parents often complain about their child having to take two IQ tests.  I have heard many parents complain that the current testing process subjects their child to “double jeopardy” in that they have to make the cut off required on not one but two separate tests!

Further, the KBIT-II is a poor instrument for measuring IQ at high levels.  This is due to the brief nature of the test.  If a student experiences test anxiety, or has focus or attention difficulties, or becomes distracted, their IQ score will suffer.  The WISC-IV is a much more robust test and allows some flexibility if a child “bombs” a portion of the test.  A child can more than make up for poor performance on one subtest on the WISC-IV with superior performance on other subtests.   There are also two ways to score the WISC-IV if certain criteria are met.  The WISC-IV can be scored with the Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) or the General Ability Index (GAI).  The KBIT-II is not build with this same level of flexibility. 

Private Testing

Having your child tested by a private Psychologist is the preferred route many parents take.  A private psychologist generally can test your child quickly and often can have your child’s test results back to you in just a few days after your initial call. 

Additionally, if you go the private testing route you child can skip the KBIT-II as the prescreening tool.  There is no double jeopardy with two separate IQ tests.  Also, an experienced psychologist will take the time to match the student to the best test for them.  Finally, parents often opt to have their child tested in their home which can potentially cut down on test anxiety and put the child at ease during the testing process. 

Step 3: The Checklist

If your child scores a 130 or higher on the IQ test, the next step is usually for their teacher to complete a gifted checklist on your child.  The teacher will be asked to identify traits in your child that are common to gifted students. 

Traits on this checklist can include:

• High levels of curiosity
• Extremely verbal
• Well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis
• Quickly and easily sees relationships in ideas, objects, or facts
• Fluent and flexible thinking
• Elaborate and original thinking
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Learns quickly and with less practice and repetition
• Unusual and/or vivid imagination
• Enjoys learning new things

Step 4: Meeting with the Gifted Teacher

Generally the final step is for the parent or guardian to meet with the Gifted Teacher at your child’s school.  During this meeting the Gifted Teacher will explain what your child will be learning in the program and will go over goals, objectives, and expectations of the program.  Finally, you will be asked to sign a permission form allowing your child to participate and a confidentiality agreement. 

If you are looking for written documentation that your child should qualify for your county's Academically Gifted Program, please use the Contact Form or call Dr. Bishop at (813) 774-6340.  Dr. Bishop has completed well over 1,000 intelligence assessments and has qualified numerous children in Tampa for AGP services.  Dr. Bishop can provide the testing, support, and guidance required navigate through the qualification process.  



The question for most parents is, “Do we wait for weeks to determine if our child meets criteria, or do we go ahead and arrange for private testing now?”  There are many factors one might consider to make this determination.  With the cost of a gifted evaluation running anywhere from $300-$650, often the decision comes down to finances.  

Many parents ask, “Will I get a good return for my investment?”

Historically pull-out programs by focus area is the most common way to address the needs of gifted students at the elementary level.  Conversely, the most utilized approach for catering to the academic needs of gifted students at the secondary level is special class grouping by subject.  Special class grouping is one of the primary ways to deliver differentiated curriculum, and is an excellent way to prepare your child for more rigorous honors or AP classes later in their academic career.

Gifted instruction gives your child an opportunity to learn, grow, and be challenged in a way that is appropriate for their intellectual level.  Additionally, gifted students benefit from classroom interactions with fellow students at similar performance levels. 

Most teachers work very hard to challenge all of their students.  However, The National Research Center on Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) found that 61% of classroom teachers had no training in teaching gifted students.  Additionally, researchers at the Fordham Institute found that 58% of teachers have received no professional development focused on teaching academically advanced students in the past few years.  The unfortunate reality is that not all teachers are able to recognize and support gifted learners.

It is not uncommon for gifted students to be so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know 50% or more of the curriculum for their grade level before the school year begins.  This is especially true if as a parent you have been reading or working with your child over the summer.  Boredom or frustration experienced by the child can lead to low achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits.

The bottom line is that waiting for weeks to place your child in a gifted program may have potentially negative results.  Behavioral problems can result if a child is excessively bored in a classroom.  Children can exhibit unwanted behaviors of daydreaming, poor attention to detail, sloppy work, working quickly and not checking their work, and poor effort if they are not challenged.  These behaviors if not addressed quickly can potentially develop into longer term habits.

Don’t wait to have your child tested / assessed for the Academically Gifted Program.  Have your child tested today.



Most researchers agree that genetic factors account for about 40-80% of the variation in IQ test results. If this is true, then environmental or other factors must account for 20-60% - which is a large range.

Some environmental factors that have a large effect upon later IQ test results include prenatal ones, such as:

• Whether or not, prior to the birth, mother drank large amounts of alcohol during her pregnancy (fetal alcohol syndrome).
• The mother was exposed to large amounts of lead.
• Schooling.
• The quality of toys used.
• The amount of external stimulus the child was subjected to.
• Prolonged malnutrition also has a marked negative effect on IQ test.
• In contrast, babies who were breastfed have IQs up to 10 points on average higher than those who weren’t

According to Azar, IQ scores gains differ somewhat, depending on the particular measure used to assess intelligence. On the Raven's Progressive Matrices IQ test, which emphasizes visuo-spatial skills, the increase has been dramatic. The maximum score on this test is 60 points; people (born in 1877) tested in 1942 scored an average 24, while people (born in 1967) tested in 1992 scored an average of 54!  Because IQ is based on average score of a population, both were said to have an IQ of 100 in their respective generations. It should also be noted that these two samples were of substantially different ages when they took the test (65 and 25), but this difference is not likely to be the only cause of the IQ score discrepancy.

The increase in average IQ scores has not been as dramatic for traditional intelligence tests such as the Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. These tests, in addition to testing visuo-spatial ability, also test more verbally-acquired, school-taught knowledge such as vocabulary, general knowledge, and arithmetic. The fact that scores on traditional tests of intelligence has not increased as dramatically suggests that the increases are the product of skills that aren't particularly affected by schooling. Researchers have argued that the rapidity of the increase does not have a genetic explanation.  The increase must then be environmental.

What environmental changes might account for rising IQ scores? The article reports a number of possible factors. First, the technology boom seen since the industrial revolution has made people more adept at skills that are measured on IQ tests. Our society has become increasingly visual ever since the advent of movies in the 1920's. It is possible that this experience and practice with visual manipulation has led to an enhancement of these skills, and a corresponding rise in IQ. Some also cite the video game as a possible source of enhanced performance on visuo-spatial components of IQ tests.

Others cite improvements in social conditions as a possible cause of the Flynn effect. Better nutrition in industrialized countries has led to a decrease in low-birth-weight babies, and a decrease in cases of malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies.

Another likely factor driving increases in IQ is the level of parents education. Steven Ceci notes that the more education a parent has, the higher their child's IQ--from the mid-1970's to 1990, the number of parents who had attended college rose 70% for non-minorities, 350% for minorities.

Summary of Studies Into Factors that Influence IQ

Evidence of genetic influences:

• Twin studies suggest that identical twins IQ's are more similar than those of fraternal twins (Promin & Spinath, 2004).
• Siblings reared together in the same home have IQ's that are more similar than those of adopted children raised together in the same environment (McGue & others, 1993).

Evidence of environmental influences:

• Identical twins reared apart have IQ's that are less similar than identical twins reared in the same environment (McGue & others, 1993).
• School attendance has an impact on IQ scores (Ceci, 2001).
• Children who are breastfed during the first three to five months of life score higher on IQ tests at age 6 than same-age children who were not breastfed (Reinberg, 2008).

The Monitor article also reports that gaps between achievement test scores of Whites and African- Americans in the U.S. showed a substantial decrease from 1971 to 1990. Researchers Robert Hauser and David Grissmer note that this is a period when the federal government was investing more money in educational programs directed at equalizing opportunity for minority children. Also, the greatest gains in IQ were shown by those with the lowest scores. These findings support the promising conclusion that environmental factors, such as improvements in the educational system, can produce changes in intelligence., The Flynn effect and its probable causes demonstrate that intellectual ability is not an immutable, unchanging characteristic.

If your child attends Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, or Manatee County Public Schools and you are interested in AGP assessment or Gifted assessment for your child, or if you just live in the Tampa area and want to know your child’s IQ score, please use the Contact Form to schedule an appointment of call Dr. Bishop at (813) 774-6340



It is true that IQ scores especially among younger children can vary as they mature.  Variability within one standard deviation (15 points) is to be expected.  Factors that can influence your child’s IQ score on a particular day can include:

• Motivation to do well on the assessment
• Quality of sleep from the night before
• Whether they had a good breakfast and are feeling well
• Ensuring that they have any corrective lenses or hearing devices if required
• Whether they are taking medication as prescribed, especially for children with ADHD
• Test anxiety and rapport with the test administrator

To ensure that your child performs well on their gifted assessment, make sure that they are well rested going into the test.  Make sure they have any glasses, contact lenses or hearing devices as required, and if they take medications make sure they are taking them as prescribed.  If you child is taking an assessment where writing or working with blocks is required, they need to have full use of their hands and arms.  In other words if your child has a broken arm in a cast then it’s best to postpone the test until they have fully recovered.  

Discuss the test with your child and try to get them excited about it.  Parents might phrase their explanation of the test to their child as, “You are going to play a number of games today, like working with blocks and answering questions.  It’s going to be fun and challenging, so be sure to do your very best!”

It’s also a good idea to just take it easy the day before the test.  In other words, don’t plan the test the day after a Disney World excursion.  Make sure they are well rested and ready to go.  Also, to help with motivation you might want to take them to their favorite restaurant or play area after they take the test on the condition that, “you try your very best on all items.”  As there is no penalty for guessing on any item for many of the IQ assessments including the WISC-IV or Kaufman, children should know that it’s better to guess if you don’t know the answer rather than just saying, “I don’t know.”

If you are looking for written documentation that your child should qualify for your county's Academically Gifted Program, please use the Contact Form or call Dr. Bishop at (813) 774-6340. 

(1) Gifted. One who has superior intellectual development and is capable of high performance.

(2) Criteria for eligibility. A student is eligible for special instructional programs for the gifted if the student meets the criteria under paragraph (2)(a) or (b) of this rule.

(a) The student demonstrates:

1. Need for a special program.
2. A majority of characteristics of gifted students according to a standard scale or checklist, and
3. Superior intellectual development as measured by an intelligence quotient of two (2) standard deviations or more above the mean on an individually administered standardized test of intelligence.

(b) The student is a member of an under-represented group and meets the criteria specified in an approved school district plan for increasing the participation of under-represented groups in programs for gifted students.

1. For the purpose of this rule, under-represented groups are defined as groups:

a. Who are limited English proficient, or

b. Who are from a low socio-economic status family.

(Special Instructional Programs for Students Who Are Gifted - 6A-6.03019)

• A state mandate with funding for identification and programming exists in gifted education. (Chapter 6A-6.03019 Special Instructional Programs for Students Who Are Gifted)
• Students may be identified at any time when there is evidence that special services may be required.

Resources:

• Florida Association for the Gifted
• Florida Gifted Network



One of the tenants of self regulation is the notion that goals are effective in directing activities.  Students can be taught to become self regulated learners by acquiring specific strategies that are successful for them and that enable them to increase their control over their own behavior. 

The tools of a self regulated learner include:

1. A written goal statement detailing in measurable terms what they are trying to achieve in school.
2. A weekly planner to plan out required study related behaviors necessary to achieve their desired goals.
3. The ability to break down assignments and test preparation efforts into daily measurable tasks.
4. A self consequation statement detailing what behaviors they will not engage in until their daily goals are achieved and what rewards they will have if they successfully exhibit all required study related behaviors for the week.  
5. A variety of study related techniques including use of mnemonics, note cards, outlining and summarizing strategies.    
6. A positive attitude towards their efforts and an undying ability to focus on their behavior day after day even when they don’t feel like it.

High achieving students set more specific learning goals, use a variety of learning strategies, self-monitor more often, and adapt their efforts more systematically when compared to low achieving students.  Because one self-regulation strategy will not work for all students, the student must work to identify what strategies work for them and track their progress.  Adjustments to the student’s study behaviors must me made if current progress is not achieving their academically related goals.  

Conscious self-regulation requires a student to focus on the process of how to acquire skills that will work for them.  Some students for example are more visual, and learning techniques that require visualization skills such as the Loci strategy may work well.  The Loci Strategy is based on your familiarity with a place, such as your home.  The strategy helps you remember lists of items through organization, visualization, and association.  It can work well for you if you are good at visualizing (picturing) things in your mind.  Other students may be more verbally inclined, and mnemonics may work better.  Mnemonics is a memory enhancing instructional strategy that involves teaching students to link new information through rhymes, abbreviations, or other verbal cues.

According to Barry Zimmerman (1989), students that exhibit high levels of self-regulation strategies have good control over the attainment of their goals.  Zimmerman's found as a result of his research that successful student’s self-regulated learning strategies accounted for most of their success in school.  Self-regulated learning involves the regulation of three general aspects of academic learning:

1) Self-regulation of behavior including resources students have available to them, such as their time, use of a tutor, organizational strategies such as a calendar or computer, their study environment .

2) Self-regulation of motivation and affect including the control of motivational beliefs and learning how to control their emotions including frustration, anger, and anxiety as related to their academic goals. 

3) Self-regulation of cognition including control of various cognitive strategies for learning such as Loci versus Mnemonic study strategies, or outlining and summarizing chapters for a test. 

Students who have developed good self regulations skills have the ability to objectively self observe their study behaviors.  Keeping on organized system of tracing their behaviors and performance is a critical piece of this.  Other key components involve systematically comparing performance with pre-stated goals and adjusting study strategies as necessary.  Also important is self consequation, which is the ability to withhold distractions and focus on study behaviors in order to attain a planned reward if goals are successfully achieved.  

For more information on this article please feel free to Contact Me or e-mail me at: dr_michael_bishop@yahoo.com



So is this possible?  Are people able to remember material through song?  Well, as they say in Home Ec, "the proof is in the pudding."  However what works for one person might not work for another.  In my practice I help students identify exactly what memorization techniques work for them.  Some students have musical abilities, while others might be more visual.  A psychological assessment can help identify your child’s unique skills and abilities.  

Rhythm, repetition, melody, and rhyme can all aid memory.  Do you remember learning the alphabet?  Many children learn the letters of the alphabet to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."  In fact, a student I recently worked with demonstrated how she memorized the quadratic formula (notorious among algebra students for being long and difficult to remember) by singing it to a familiar tune!

Acronyms are another popular way of memorizing material.  Acronyms are formed by using each first letter from a group of words to form a new word. This is particularly useful when remembering words in a specified order. Acronyms are very common in ordinary language and in many fields. Some examples of common acronyms include NBA (National Basketball Associations), SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), BTUs (British Thermal Units), and LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation).

Similar to acronyms, in acrostics you use the first letter of each word you are trying to remember. Instead of making a new word, though, you use the letters to make a sentence. Here are some examples:

• My Dear Aunt Sally (mathematical order of operations: Multiply and Divide before you Add and Subtract)
• Kings Phil Came Over for the Genes Special (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, Species)
• My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas (Planets in order from the sun: Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto).

Method of Loci is a great technique was used by ancient orators to remember speeches, and it combines the use of organization, visual memory, and association.  Before using the technique, you must identify a common path that you walk.  This can be the walk from your dorm to class, a walk around your house, whatever is familiar.  What is essential is that you have a vivid visual memory of the path and objects along it.  Once you have determined your path, imagine yourself walking along it, and identify specific landmarks that you will pass.  For example, the first landmark on your walk to campus could be your dorm room, next may be the front of the residence hall, next a familiar statue you pass, etc.  The number of landmarks you choose will depend on the number of things you want to remember.

Once you have determined your path and visualized the landmarks, you are ready to use the path to remember your material.  This is done by mentally associating each piece of information that you need to remember with one of these landmarks.  For example, if you are trying to remember a list of mnemonics, you might remember the first--acronyms--by picturing SCUBA gear in your dorm room (SCUBA is an acronym).

You do not have to limit this to a path. You can use the same type of technique with just about any visual image that you can divide into specific sections. The most important thing is that you use something with which you are very familiar.



Identification of foods that can improve or hinder intelligence is an interesting concept.  Unfortunately, there is a total lack of scientific research that really PROVES one way or another the cost or benefit of any food on a child's developing I.Q.  The reason for this is that ethics prevents researchers from withholding nutrients to children.  Therefore all the studies are correlational, not causal. 

In other words we can look at children where their parents feed the a particular supplement or nutrient and discover that I.Q. was improved over their peers who did not receive the supplement or nutrient.  However there are so many other variables at play here that we cannot say for certain that the supplement or nutrient caused the difference in I.Q.  For example, parents that take care to feed their children vitamins might be the same kind of parents that take care to read to their child, or to enrich their children's development in other ways.

Children require the proper balance of nutrients and essential foods to nurture their growing minds and nourish their bodies.  Researchers have investigated possible brain boosting and brain busting effects of certain types of foods and although there is no magic pill that immediately boots I.Q., there are certain types of foods that support higher levels of attention, concentration and memory in developing minds.  Conversely, other foods in high quantities over time have been linked to long term negative effects on the body and mind. 

#1 Brain Buster: Foods high in fat

Although the brain is comprised of 60 percent fat, and fat is certainly vital to brain development, most children ages five and older consume well beyond their recommended daily fat intake.  The USDA recommends that once your child turns two, eating a low fat diet is beneficial for the short and long-term health of your child.

High fat diets are associated with a decline in cognitive ability over short and long time spans, decreased mental performance, and reduced physical stamina.  Obesity, diabetes, certain types of cancer and heart failure have all been linked to people who eat high fat diets.  Foods high in fat include fried foods, foods with high amounts of butter and oil, and dairy (except fat free dairy).  As an alternative bake, grill, or steam foods instead of frying or sautéing in oil, and use fat free milk and cheese. 

The USDA recommended daily allowance for children ages one through three is no more than 40 grams of fat per day, and no more than 35 grams per day for children ages four through eight.  For overweight and obese children, experts recommend no more than 20 grams of fat per day.  Low-fat eating isn’t advised before age two, as infants need more fat for brain development.

#2 Brain Buster: Foods high in sugar content

Recent research suggests that eating too much sugar may cause “brain decay” in the same way too much sugar causes tooth decay.  A recent study found that abnormal regulation of blood sugar is linked to an increased risk of developing cognitive impairment.  People with high blood sugar also had a smaller hippocampus, which is the memory center of the brain. 

To reduce a child’s risk for memory problems over time, get them in a routine of eating healthy foods low in sugar.  Foods high in sugar include soda, fast food, and chocolate.  Additionally, have your children participate in structured activities after school and during the summer.  Activity along with a well balanced diet is the best way to reduce your child’s risk of the high blood sugar.    

#3 Brain Buster: Empty calorie snacks

When kids eat empty calorie snacks such as potato chips, candy, and snack cakes they are filling up on empty calories.  Beyond the negative effects of high fat and sugar content, empty calories are a missed opportunity to nourish young minds with essential vitamin and nutrients critical to brain development.  Instead, have your children snack on some pumpkin, sunflower, or flax seeds.  Most seeds have Vitamin E, Omega 3 acids, and zinc which boost memory and concentration.

#1 Brain Booster: Breast milk

Human milk is the best food for brain development.  The positive effect of breast feeding on brain development has established in hundreds of research studies.  

Most researchers postulate that higher I.Q. scores of breast fed children are due to docosahexaenoic acid found in human milk and not in infant formula.  Additionally, breast milk is high in lactose, which is broken down in the body into glucose and galactose.  Galactose is known to be a key nutrient for brain tissue development

One study found that infants breastfed for nine months grew up to be significantly more intelligent than infants who were not breast fed.  An additional consideration is that mothers who chose to breast feed on average stimulate and support their infants better as a function of the breastfeeding process, and not the nutrients contained in the breast milk.

#2 Brain Booster: Antioxidants

Antioxidants have been shown to provide multiple benefits for improving memory and concentration. Antioxidants are thought to slow oxidation and improve communication between neurons.

Foods rich in antioxidants include purple fruits and vegetables such as grapes, raisins, blueberries, cranberries and prunes.  Additional foods rich in antioxidants include apples, cherries, and spinach.

#3 Brain Booster: Multivitamins and micronutrients

As malnutrition is a key cause of improper brain development, a modest dose of vitamins and minerals can help insure that your child’s brain is developing properly.  In one study school children who took a multivitamin-mineral supplement raised their non-verbal IQ scores as much as 25 points.  Pears, apples, and carrots are a good source of micronutrients, a key requirement for healthy brain development. 

A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that higher levels of vitamin B is associated with improved recall and faster processing and is critical to the formation of the brain chemicals dopamine, epinephrine, and serotonin.  Vitamin B9, also known as folic acid, can enhance alertness and improve focus.  Foods rich in folic acid include oranges, grapefruits, dark green leafy vegetables, lentils, and whole-grain cereals.

#4 Brain Booster: Don’t Miss Breakfast

Several studies have shown that eating a well balanced breakfast can improve your memory.  In one study participants who ate breakfast cereal had improved mood, felt calmer, and demonstrated better memory than those who had no breakfast.