Tuesday, January 24, 2012

For Kids, Self-Control Factors Into Future Success : NPR

For Kids, Self-Control Factors Into Future Success : NPR:

'via Blog this'



Story:
February 14, 2011

Self-control keeps us from eating a whole bag of chips or from running up the credit card. A new study says that self-control makes the difference between getting a good job or going to jail — and we learn it in preschool.

"Children who had the greatest self-control in primary school and preschool ages were most likely to have fewer health problems when they reached their 30s," says Terrie Moffitt, a professor of psychology at Duke University and King's College London.

Moffitt and a team of researchers studied a group of 1,000 people born in New Zealand in 1972 and 1973, tracking them from birth to age 32. The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the best evidence yet on the payoff for learning self-discipline early on.

The researchers define self-control as having skills like conscientiousness, self-discipline and perseverance, as well as being able to consider the consequences of actions in making decisions.

The children who struggled with self-control as preschoolers were three times as likely to have problems as young adults. They were more prone to have a criminal record; more likely to be poor or have financial problems; and they were more likely to be single parents.

This study doesn't prove that the lack of self-control in childhood caused these problems, but the large size of the study, and the fact that it followed one group of people over many years, makes a good case for an effect.

Teaching Control

Economists and public health officials want to know whether teaching self-control could improve a population's physical and financial health and reduce crime. Three factors appear to be key to a person's success in life: intelligence, family's socioeconomic status and self-control. Moffitt's study found that self-control predicted adult success, even after accounting for the participants' differences in social status and IQ.

Cathie Morton, a teacher at the Clara Barton  Center for Children, leads the kids in a clapping exercise to signal that it is time to shift gears and start cleaning up.
EnlargeMaggie Starbard/NPR

Cathie Morton, a teacher at the Clara Barton Center for Children, leads the kids in a clapping exercise to signal that it is time to shift gears and start cleaning up.

IQ and social status are hard to change. But Moffitt says there is evidence that self-control can be learned.

"Identical twins are not identical on self-control," she says. "That tells us that it is something they have learned, not something they have inherited."

Teaching self-control has become a big focus for early childhood education. At the Clara Barton Center for Children in Cabin John, Md., it starts with expecting a 4-year-old to hang up her coat without being asked.

Director Linda Owen says the children are expected to be responsible for a series of actions when they arrive at school each morning, without help from Mom and Dad. The children sign in, put away their lunches, hang up their own clothes, wash their hands before they can play, and then choose activities in the classroom.

"All those things help with self-management," Owen says.

Mediating Conflict

Of course, not all 4-year-olds are ready to manage that, so the classroom is loaded with cues and clues to help the preschoolers make their own decisions and be responsible.

Liya Pomfret and Rowan Miller demonstrate how they use the "solutions kit" to resolve conflicts.
EnlargeMaggie Starbard/NPR

Liya Pomfret and Rowan Miller demonstrate how they use the "solutions kit" to resolve conflicts.

A series of seven photos over the sink shows the correct sequence for hand washing. A "solutions kit" poster shows techniques the children can use to resolve disagreements themselves, like sharing or playing with another toy. The two teachers give the children multiple cues when it's time to clean up: Lights flash, a bell rings and the children clap and count to 100. That makes it easier to switch gears without a meltdown.

If a child has problems with self-management, the teachers make a customized "visual cue" card, with photos of the four play choices in the room, to make the decision easier.

And teachers Cathie Morton and Daniela Capbert don't just supervise — they're in the thick of the children's play so that when the inevitable conflicts arise, they can redirect the children into other activities or help them talk through their feelings.

When things do go wrong, there are consequences. Timeouts and apologies don't mean much to children at this age, Owen says, so the teachers try to match consequences to the deed. When one of the children accidentally knocks over a 2-foot-tall tower of blocks that several children had spent half the morning building, the teachers ask the builders what should happen next. "Help fix it," one boy says. And, with a little prompting from the adults, they all pitch in and rebuild.

Self-Control At Home

Parents can help their children learn self-control. Mary Alvord is a clinical psychologist in Silver Spring, Md., whose new book, Resilience Builder Program for Children and Adolescents, teaches self-control strategies. Take small steps, she says. For example, preschoolers can learn that they don't always get what they want immediately; they may need to wait for that treat.

"I call it Grandma's rule," Alvord says. "No dessert until you finish your dinner."

Parents can help teenagers learn self-control by making sure the family has clear rules for things like curfew or finishing homework before they have screen time. Teenager who have problems with impulsivity may benefit from special driving classes that let them practice controlling the car in difficult conditions on a racetrack. For all teens, clear rules such as curfews help them regulate themselves.

Though self-control can be improved throughout life, Moffitt says the earlier children can learn these skills of self-discipline and perseverance, the better. "The later you wait in life to try to learn self-control skills, the more problems you have to reverse and overcome."

All the more reason to start picking up blocks when you're very young.


Transcript:

Copyright ©2011 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

text size A A A

February 14, 2011 - RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

OK. Let's move beyond the dinner table. A new study says that self-control in childhood makes the difference between getting a good job or going to jail in adulthood. And we learn it back in preschool. NPR's Nancy Shute reports.

NANCY SHUTE: Four-year-olds aren't known for the self-control, so when you walk into this classroom at the Clara Barton Children's Center in Cabin John, Maryland, you'll hear 16 very young children very busy playing. And you won't hear hitting or whining or yelling. They've got it under control.

Unidentified Child: But by accident I did it.

SHUTE: Social scientists say three things matter for success in life: I.Q. family socio-economic status, and self-control. Only one of those things is easy to change, and it's self-control. A child who has self-control at age four is more likely to be happy and healthy as an adult. That's what Terrie Moffitt says. She's a professor of psychology at Duke University. She studied a group of 1,000 young people since birth.

Professor TERRIE MOFFITT (Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University): Children who had the greatest self-control in primary school and preschool ages were most likely to have fewer health problems and least likely to be addicted to any kind of a substance when they reached their 30s.

SHUTE: But the children who struggled with self-control had problems as young adults.

Prof. MOFFITT: We found that they were more likely to have a criminal conviction record.

SHUTE: They were also more likely to be poor or to be single parents.

Prof. MOFFITT: And finally, we found that the children with low self-control had great difficulty in their 30s with financial planning.

SHUTE: That means they were more likely to be in debt, have bad credit or have declared the bankruptcy.

Moffitt's study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the best evidence yet on the payoff for learning self-discipline early on and it can be taught.

Prof. MOFFITT: Identical twins are not identical on self-control. And that tells us that it is something that they have learned, not something that they have inherited.

SHUTE: Teaching self-control has become a big focus for early childhood education. At the Clara Barton preschool, it starts with expecting a four-year-old to hang up her coat.

Linda Owen is the center's director.

Ms. LINDA OWEN (Executive Director, Clara Barton Center for Children): The very fact that they have to put away their lunches, hang up their own clothes, then choose where they're going to play, all those things help with self-management.

SHUTE: Of course, not all four-year-olds can manage that, but this classroom has been setup to help them manage themselves. They are all sorts of cues and clues to help them make independent decisions.

(Soundbite of children talking)

Ms. EDEN ARANOFF: The first step.

SHUTE: When Eden Aranoff washes her hands, she sees seven pictures that show her just what to do.

Ms. ARANOFF: Soap on your hands, turn on the water, scrub.

SHUTE: When the children disagree, they can turn to the solution kit. It's a poster that shows them 10 different ways to end the argument. Rowan Miller and Miles Gordon name a few.

Mr. ROWAN MILLER: Sincere.

Ms. OWEN: Yeah.

Mr. MILES GORDON: Of sharing.

Ms. OWEN: Good, good one.

Mr. GORDON: Play together.

SHUTE: And when things do go wrong there are consequences.

Linda Owen points to a group of children building a huge tower of blocks.

Ms. OWEN: If one of our children who we know has impulse control problems, came by and kicked that over right now, the consequence would be they would need to come back and help rebuild it.

(Soundbite of building blocks)

Unidentified Child: Oopsie.

SHUTE: Sure enough, those blocks get bumped over and with a little prompting, the children work together to rebuild it.

Unidentified Child: Okay, how do you want me to build it?

SHUTE: Parents also can help their children learn self-control.

Mary Alvord is a clinical psychologist in Silver Spring, Maryland. She says start with one simple thing...

Dr. MARY ALVORD (Clinical Psychologist; Author, "Resilience Builder Program for Children and Adolescents"): Learn delay of gratification, which means simply that you don't get what you want immediately and you may have to wait a little while.

SHUTE: Teenagers can learn better self-control too.

Dr. ALVORD: You can't have any screen time until your homework is done.

SHUTE: But researcher Terrie Moffitt says the earlier children can learn these skills of self-discipline and perseverance, the better.

Prof. MOFFITT: The later you wait in life to try to learn self-control skills, the more problems you have to reverse and overcome.

SHUTE: All the more reason to start picking up blocks when you're very young.

Nancy Shute, NPR News.

(Soundbite of music)

MONTAGNE: You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News.

Copyright © 2011 National Public Radio®. All rights reserved. No quotes from the



Friday, January 20, 2012

Baked Ziti III Recipe

Baked Ziti III Recipe - Allrecipes.com

From Allrecipes.com
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Ziti-III/Detail.aspx?prop24=etaf

Prep Time:20 Min
Cook Time:30 Min
Ready In:50 Min


Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender. Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Spread on a layer of half the spaghetti sauce mixture and sour cream.
Cover with remaining pasta, cheese and sauce; sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.

DETAILED NUTRITION
Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving

Calories 761
Calories from Fat 310

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 34.4g
53 %
Saturated Fat 17.3g
86 %
Cholesterol 96mg
32 %
Sodium 1258mg
50 %
Potassium 954mg
27 %
Total Carbohydrates 74.9g
24 %
Dietary Fiber 7.9g
32 %
Protein 36.2g
72 %
Sugars 19.4g
Vitamin A
32 %
Vitamin C
9 %
Calcium
55 %
Iron
45 %
** Thiamin
44 %
Niacin
153 %
Vitamin B6
36 %
Magnesium
34 %
Folate
80 %


*
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**
Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

Monday, January 9, 2012

NFL Recap - Texans oust Bengals for first playoff win

NFL Recap - Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans - Jan 07, 2012 - CBSSports.com Game Recap:

'via Blog this'

I'm so glad I didn't watch this. I would have been revved up after the first half, then mostly pissed from that point on when the started messing up.

Time for the mantra:
"Oh well, there's always next year."

From the CBSSports.com website


Texans oust Bengals for first playoff win

HOUSTON -- Andre Johnson hugged his coach at the end of Houston's first playoff victory -- a moment a decade in the making.

"This is something not just for me, but for the whole organization," the Texans star receiver said. "It's a very special feeling. That's probably the most I've smiled in a long time."

As well he should.

Johnson, the face of this 10-year old franchise, scored on a 40-yard pass that powered the Texans to a 31-10 victory over the bungling Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday in an AFC wild-card game.

Johnson had plenty of help, too, from rookies J.J. Watt and T.J. Yates to running back Arian Foster's two touchdowns and 153 yards.

Watt came through with a leaping interception return for a touchdown late in the first half, Yates threw a pinpoint pass to Johnson in the third quarter and Foster followed with his second touchdown -- a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter -- to finish off the Bengals (9-8).

More on Bengals-Texans
Column
Postgame reports
NFL coverage on the go

Houston will play at Baltimore (12-4) next Sunday, a rematch of a regular-season game won by the Ravens.

"I'm just very proud of all the guys, and the job they did," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "Hopefully, there are some more to come."

The Bengals were in the playoffs for the third time in seven seasons, but haven't advanced since beating the Houston Oilers following the 1990 season. They were done in this time by mistakes and a lack of pass protection.

Watt returned the first of rookie Andy Dalton's three interceptions 29 yards for a score that broke a 10-all tie with 52 seconds left in the half. It sent the full house of 71,725 fans at Reliant Stadium into a tizzy, and the Texans into the locker room with all the momentum.

Dalton was 24 of 42 for 257 yards, while Yates was 11 of 20 for 159 yards in the first playoff game in the Super Bowl era matching two rookie quarterbacks. Foster scored on an 8-yard run in the first quarter.

The Texans' second-ranked defense had its best performance in several weeks, sacking Dalton four times. Houston also forced four turnovers.

"We got back to our type of football," Kubiak said, "and that was the key."

Houston used six draft picks on defensive players. The Texans took Watt with the 11th overall pick, a cornerstone for the reconstruction of the defense. He started all 16 games and led the team with 13 tackles for loss.

But he'd never picked off a pass.

CBSSports.com Grades
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
D-
There were chances to take control of the game, all of which disappeared (along with their season) when Andy Dalton's interception to J.J. Watt gave the Texans the lead for good and deflated the offense, which had no run game to speak of. The run defense, which was a disaster last week, cratered in the second half under the weight of Pro Bowler Arian Foster's performance.
Houston Texans
Houston Texans
A-
Feeding off their crowd, the Texans shook off the early jitters of playing in their first postseason game and looked a lot like the team that ripped off seven straight wins at one point. RB Arian Foster (153 yards, two touchdowns) powered the offense, while the "Bulls on Parade" defense gored the Bengals with three interceptions and four sacks.
By Brandon Williams
RapidReports Correspondent

Watt saw this one coming, measuring his jump when Dalton dropped back and snatching the ball with both hands. He sprinted to the end zone as the capacity crowd erupted, and he raised both hands after reaching the end zone.

"I was really just trying to put my hands up and get in the way of the passing lane," the 6-foot-5 Watt said. "It happened to kind of stick. I realized I had the ball so I just ran to the end zone just trying not to fall down."

Watt became the sixth defensive linemen to return an interception for a touchdown in postseason history - excluding the Super Bowl - and the first rookie to do it.

"It changed the momentum of the game," Houston linebacker Brian Cushing said.

Dalton rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked to the Cincinnati bench and watched the replay on the giant scoreboard. It was just his second interception in his last seven games.

"We feel like we have a bright future," Dalton said. "It's still unfortunate that it ended this way."

The Bengals outplayed the Texans for most of the first half before that, holding down Houston's offense and controlling time of possession.

Late in the third quarter, Yates got away with a pass that safety Chris Crocker simply dropped. Three plays later, Johnson broke free from cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones and caught Yates' pass down the sideline to put Houston up 24-10.

"It was a touchdown if I would have caught it," Crocker said. "They made those big plays and we didn't and that's why they're moving on."

As Johnson rested on the bench, Foster walked up to him and gave him a bow, the running back's customary celebration after a touchdown. Foster has said that the bow is a Hindu gesture of respect.

The Texans rallied past the Bengals on Dec. 11 in Cincinnati to earn their first playoff berth. But they didn't look like they'd last very long after dropping their last three regular-season games.

Johnson said the losing streak proved to be beneficial.

"Everybody was riding high, the city was going crazy, we were in the playoffs for the first time," Johnson said. "Over those last three weeks, that brought us back down to reality and let us know what we needed to do."

Notes

  • NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell chatted with fans and posed for photographs on the field about 30 minutes before kickoff.
  • Actor Dennis Quaid, a Houston native, wore a blue DeMeco Ryans jersey as he mingled on the sideline before the game. Quaid shook hands with former Oilers coachBum Phillips, who wore his trademark cowboy hat, a black shirt and blue jeans. The 88-year-old Phillips led the Texans out of their tunnel and tipped his hat to the cheering fans.
  • The announced attendance was 71,725, a Reliant Stadium record for any event.
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