Jj is for Jottings 120. Listening: Obstacles and Good Listening.
Following on from hearing versus listening and types of listening and nonlistening, this article will discuss listening obstacles, and tips for good listening. They say that love makes the world go around, but I think good listening skills help it along a bit, too.
Listening: Obstacles and Good Listening. A big obstacle to good listening is having an argument!
Jj is for Jottings 119. Types of Listening and Nonlistening.
Following the discussion on hearing versus listening, I promised to discuss more aspects of listening in the next article. We have established that hearing is a simpler process than listening, so there is more to be said about listening. We will look at the listening process, types of listening, and nonlistening. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 118. Hearing versus Listening.
Consider hearing versus listening: hearing and listening both involve the ears, but hearing is just the first step in the listening process. Let’s compare the two.
Hearing is one of the senses, i.e. the ability to perceive sounds by receiving vibrations through ears. It is an automatic response to sound. We hear incidental sounds around us all the time, such as aeroplanes, lawnmowers, sounds of food preparation in the kitchen. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 117. Green Spaces and Children’s Mental Health.
Research into the effects of access to green spaces and children’s mental health is emerging. Of course, access to green spaces is important for adults as well, but lately the research has related to children. Let’s have a look at some of it.
“Green spaces and children’s mental health? We need our green spaces, too.”
Jj is for Jottings 116. Children Who Own Books Read More.
Children who own books are six times more likely to read. And they are more likely to read above the expected level for their age. The UK-based charity, The National Literacy Trust, did a survey of more than 56,000 children from all over the UK, ranging from ages 9 to 18. The survey revealed that 22 % of children who own books read above the expected level for their age. But only 3.6% of children who did not own a book read above the expected age level. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 115. Digital Distraction.
Digital distraction is that constant checking of phones and multi-tasking which we see going on around us all the time (or even engage in ourselves). There is a theory that our ancient food-foraging survival instinct has evolved into info-foraging. It is sort of a hijacking of the same system that was critical for our survival in terms of seeking out food. It has now been directed at seeking out information, and the result is digital distraction.
“There is no digital distraction in this paddock, thank you very much.”
Jj is for Jottings 114. Digraphs vs. Diphthongs.
Digraphs vs. diphthongs – what exactly are they and how do they differ? They both begin with the same two letters, but then they diverge (get the pun?)
It is always helpful to understand the roots of words, because then we are able to transfer that learning to other situations. It’s like teaching a man to fish rather than just giving him a fish. (“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Maimonides.) For a discussion of root words which underlie one of my pet peeves, see here. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 113. Neuroplasticity and Complaining.
Following on from the previous article on neuroplasticity, we will now be more specific – how complaining rewires the brain for negativity. Research shows that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation. Although complaining might feel good, but just like smoking or eating a whole box of chocolates in one sitting, it doesn’t do you any good. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 112. What is Neuroplasticity?
Just what is neuroplasticity? It is the term which describes a sequence of processes that take place in your brain in response to incoming stimuli. In other words, your emotions, behaviours, experiences and thoughts physically change the way your brain functions.
“What is neuroplasticity? I think it is – if I keep practising balancing, I’ll get better at it.”
Jj is for Jottings 111. Word Confusions: Ton/Tonne; Home/Hone.
For all the reasons given in the article on punctuation, clear communication is important, since that is the whole point: to get your message across to the listener/reader. Many people confuse similar words, which undermines their message. There will be articles from time to time on this topic, beginning with the word confusions Ton/Tonne; Home/Hone. Continue reading
