Customer Reviews

A Mind at a Time

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Anyone who has a child in the school system knows that the educational process does not allow for one-on-one assessment of a child's learning abilities. A child either keeps pace or in many cases, falls behind. The author has written an excellent book on what a child needs in order to grow, learn, and develop his or her full potential.

It would be wonderful if all children learned at the same rate and possessed the same aptitude for learning; however, each child is a unique individual. The educational system today does not structure its learning process around that fundamental fact. A good many of the behavioural problems we see surfacing today stem from the fact a child becomes frustrated, bored, overwhelmingly challenged, or discouraged by the educational process, and their actions are often a result of what is lacking in the education system. Some parents, as well, do not take that fact into consideration and often expect Mary to keep up with brother John, because John seems to excel in everything, while Mary struggles to achieve.

There are a variety of topics to be found in the book, including development of memory, language, and motor skills. If you are an educator or have a child who is experiencing difficulties in this area, this book provides excellent resource material. It is one parents and individuals with the authority to make changes in the system should read and take to heart. The book contains a valuable message, is well researched, and is equally as well written.

Other reviewers have discussed the pros and cons of Dr. Levine's theories in depth, so I won't go into those; in the field of cognitive psychology, I'm an interested (and, I think, fairly well-read) amateur rather than a professional.

That said, I feel that this is an important book for both parents and educators. The child's "job" of learning how to function in the world, and mastering the many tasks set for him/her by the educational system, isn't an easy one. The human mind is complex and multifaceted, but our schools tend to think of "intelligence" as a narrowly defined set of skills, and anyone who doesn't do well in those must be either stupid or lazy. (Levine notes that the moral implications of such judgments, e.g., that a student "doesn't try hard enough" or is "unmotivated," can be devastating to a child, and are often grossly unfair.) The irony is that -- as Levine points out -- the abilities that enable a child to succeed in school aren't necessarily those that conduce to success in later life; so, by rewarding performance only in certain areas, we doom many children to a low opinion of their abilities and ignore a wide spectrum of human potential.

Although the subject isn't exactly lightweight, I found the book appealing and highly readable. Dr. Levine clearly has great respect and affection for his young subjects, so his anecdotes are engaging and (often) amusing. I was especially tickled when he urged a young client not to let his teachers "catch him doing something right" because from then on they'd hold it against him. In school, I was a "divergent thinker" to the max: if a subject interested me, I'd do a brilliant job, but if not I'd blow it off. So my occasional successes turned into threats: "See how well you can do if you just TRY hard enough." Trying hard had nothing to do with it! (When I got into college and graduate school, where I could study the subjects that interested me, my GPA soared.)

Although Levine's work is often compared with Howard Gardner's, in fact they're complementary. Levine deals with cognitive skills (such as learning to filter stimuli), while Gardner deals with innate abilities or faculties in various subject areas (such as affinity for music). A child's learning difficulties could result from either one -- for example, problems with math might mean that the child can't focus on details, or has little math ability -- or they could be caused by something totally unrelated to intelligence, such as eye problems. As Levine memorably points out, every child's mind is different, and "one size fits all" solutions rarely address the real problem.

I read this book with the idea that I would get some help in knowing how to help my son with some of the learning challenges he has faced. The book was very informative about how the brain works and different learning styles and challenges. However, there really were no exercises or concrete advice about how to work on the different problem areas. Only general advice was given, nothing specific to the individual problems. It made me feel as though the author wanted us to buy the book to know all the whys, but he didn't want to undermine the therapists' ability to make a living by giving us the 'hows'. It frustrated me because I already know where the problem areas are.... what I wanted to know was how to practice overcoming them. The book did not help me here.

This book is so promising from the cover. It is filled with anecdotal information, which makes the reading more enjoyable. And the information is solid, well written and detailed. I was disappointed however, in the lack of information on how to tell which of these areas are problem areas, and what to do about it. Often, the author relates that after testing the evaluation team found... and then does not explain how a parent at home might go about doing this type of "evaluation". Then he talks about creating a plan to focus on the strengths of the child to overcome the weak points. Great plan, but again gives very little help in how a parent might go about doing it. Mostly this book is not about giving out usable information, but really about promoting his "Schools Attuned" program and one student success center in Raleigh, NC! This book describes in detail and with examples all the areas a child might have difficulty, but will give you little help in figuring out which are problem areas for your child, and what (if you manage to figure out the problem) to do about it. Wonderful information, what to do with it?

Dr. Mel Levine, Founder of All Kinds of Minds Institute and Director of the University of North Carolina's Clinical Center for Development and Learning, describes himself as "a pediatrician with a mission." He is "obsessed with helping children find success." Indeed, after three decades of working in schools and with children, Levine is receiving national attention. Not only is _A Mind at a Time_ a bestseller, Levine has recently been featured on several national talk shows and on the ... documentary _Misunderstood Minds_.

_A Mind at a Time_ is easy for the lay person to read and understand. Although Levine closely follows educational research, he does not cite research studies in _A Mind at a Time_. Rather he bases the book on "objective clinical observation." Levine writes, "For me these kids have been like textbooks on learning and mind development. I can learn more about a child by getting to know her well than by reading a list of computer-generated test scores. In fact, whenever I participate in the clinical evaluation of a child, I see some facets of brain function that I have never before seen."

A genuine appreciation of each child shines through each of the case vignettes that Levine includes in _A Mind at a Time_. This appreciation is not merely compassion for a child dealing with learning difficulties; it is a celebration of the unique combination of strengths and weaknesses that makes up each child's mind. Optimism also pervades the discussion of each child.

Levine identifies eight "neurodevelopmental systems" that work together during learning. The relationship between these systems is similar to that between the body's physiological systems (such as the circulatory system and the respiratory system). These eight systems are

 attention control
 memory
 language
 spatial ordering
 sequential ordering
 motor
 higher thinking (including problem solving, logical reasoning, critical thinking, creative thinking, and more)
 social thinking

Levine examines each of these systems in detail and includes "practical considerations" for helping children function well in each area. He says that many dysfunctions in these areas cannot be identified on any test.

Levine points out that people are expected to do well at everything only when they are children. Once they are out of school, they can select a career that is a good match to their neurodevelopmental strengths.

Levine believes that before addressing difficulties with learning it is important to examine "how learning works when it's working." This leads to an upward spiral for success as remedies for learning problems can be applied to improve learning strategies for all students.

Levine concludes _A Mind at a Time_ with chapters about the roles of the home and the school in learning. He also provides an index and an annotated list of "Helpful Readings and Other Resources."

This is a book, which addresses a particular struggle I've dealt with during much of my own life. Being more of an imaginative and dynamic learner, I continually asked the question of `why' during school lessons. If I could not understand why the information was important I would resist learning it. Fortunately, this book address different styles of learning and how each type is particularly gifted.

-- The vignettes of children who struggle with different leering situations is particularly helpful in being able to grasp the challenge different learners have.

-- He challenges the increase in attention deficit disorder diagnosis. This is something I believe needs to be addressed and I'm glad to see that author contributing positively by criticizing this trend. Medication should never be prescribed to a child for simply displaying a different learning pattern.

-- Since different minds learn differently, it would have been helpful if the author included a section on how to cultivate a child's learning strengths. That is, what areas, activities, and interests typically most appeal to children with a certain learning tendency?

-- Of course the area of the book which allows parents to work around learning weaknesses is very helpful. Simply because a child is not strong in one area, does not mean that the child cannot grow in that area.

-- In the end, it comes down to a parent's willingness to spend the time necessary to really get to know a child's strengths and weakness. This requires energy, willingness and attention, but in the end results in a child with confidence and enthusiasm for learning.

Mel Levine's A Mind at a Time is an excellent resource for any parent of a school age child. His book clearly explains his theories on the many different areas a child's mind develops as he or she grows up, and what happens if certain areas lag behind. He offers advice (although I wish there were a little more) on what to do if your child needs a little boost in any particular area. This theory behind this book reminded me very much of the Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligences theory--but I found Levine's much more practical and accessible. Levine breaks down mental development into about 6 different categories, such as memory, language, focus and social development. Each one of these categories has its own chapter and in each chapter each category is then further broken down. Levine gives you ways to recognize if and to what degree a particular child may need help in a particular subcategory and explains that in each category, particular children may be very strong in some areas and much weaker in others. (For instance, a child's memory may be strong in only in the long term, but not the short term--it's not always consistent). Levine also devotes a few chapters to an introduction to his theories and application in schools and in the home. This book is not, of course, the answer to everything--but it will direct parents to where they need to find additional answers with respect to their individual children. Levine's approach to childhood development is refreshing. He rejects labeling children (as ADD, ADHD, etc.) for the most part as overgeneralizing and negative. He reminds us that while some children may need help in certain areas, all children have their own strenghths and that we ought to focus on those in helping them develop. He provides many anecdotal evidence of how his theories have helped particular children. I recommend this book for all parents. I think it will help them to better understand, and help, their children.

This book is in its own way revolutionary given the state of the special education system in today's society. I am a principal and a parent of two ADHD kids. I have also followed Dr. Levine for almost 15 years. His professional seminars are more technical, than the text itself, but the theory is the same. Teach planning, stop telling kids they don't try hard enough, and recognize the neurodevelopmental underpinings of learning. The current proposals for changes in the IDEA (sp. ed. law) are exactly in contrast with Levine's positions. If passed,the modifications will boil down to dumping every kind of disability into one room with less financial support, no 3 year evaluations and what they call less paperwork is effectively no short term objectives. They also would remove, (which they don't uphold anyway,) the limitations on disciplining special education children with behavioral or impulsivity disorders. Middle Ages, here we come! As with mental health, the only people whose children will be able to receive an education that engages and empowers them according to their particular makeup- will be the rich.
I particularly support Levine's system for teacher training to include neuropsych. courses. In his program, teachers attend case studies, and rounds, as with medical students, where they participate in learning how to evaluate by observation and how to provide instruction, through analysis and precise conceptualization. I heard Levine once, over a 2-day seminar of which most of the audience were pediatricians. The medical research that is on-going within his 'little kingdom' down there in N.C., can even pinpoint which blends or dipthongs are more difficult to learn as they call upon a more distant area in the brain. He resists what someone mentioned to me as a passivity in special education students when faced with a problem, as they are so used to having a teacher figure things out for them. His reasoning that an accomodation should be 'paid back' with something that they do quite well, has to be one of the healthiest approaches to the quandry over fairness and personal responsibility.
The book was written for the general public, but the concepts are not at all light weight. The answer to much that is wrong with the education system is encoded here and as we anticipate vouchers and for-profit corporations or state-run local schools, (Philadelphia's current condition), it would behoove parents to return to some of these principles, and advocate, INSIST, that education keep pace with scientific evidence that has revolutionized learning theory. This is not just for special education, (which frequently, by the way, paves the way to the mainstream pedagogy.)This is the essence of psychiatry as well.
If anyone thinks that this is common knowledge for special education professionals, sorry but I have learned the hard way. ADHD has been studied more than any other condition in psychiatry- and yet, in one of the most upscale school districts in the country- Lower Merion, Pa.,they are clueless. Parents, when Mel Levine says, and I have recently seen this in a medical abstract as well, that you should go about nurturing a relationship with the school as the evidence demonstrates that children learn better that way, I would also caution, as he does, to never allow a child to be humiliated in school. He even advises home schooling when that condition cannot be overcome. Dr. Blauberg at Browne says, Never place a child in a situation where he cannot save face. Never expose through an academic experience, a child's vulnerability. (Bad paraphrasing, but good sense.)

Dr. Levine teaches that it is more helpful to understand HOW a child behaves and not WHY a child behaves in the way he does. What a brililantly simple idea - a paradigm shift. If you think in this way, then you can go to work immediately on finding the solutions that fit your child. After reading "A Mind at a Time", I saw my son's behavior in terms of HOW and was able to start to address it. (For years my wife and I had been discouraged and tried absolutely everything with little effect.)

Recently I came upon "Behavior Coaching" by Dr. Scott Hall who seems to be of the same school of thought with Dr. Levine. "Behavior Coaching" takes the theory of "A Mind at a Time" and directly employs it in a step-by-step action plan for improving your child's behavior. Great companions, "A Mind at a Time" and "Behavior Coaching", get them both to help you hone your parenting skills.

What a great book "A Mind At A Time" by Mel Levine is. I recommend it to everyone. And, I am grateful for the good advice from another reader/teacher (from California, May 27, 2002) who not only sang the praises of "A Mind At A Time" but also recommended "West Point": Character Leadership Education..." by Remick. Having now read both books, I am grateful to Mr. Levine and Mr. Remick, and grateful for the advice.