The Owner's Guide to the Teenage Brain


Book Description

"This book is for teenagers and anyone who knows one..." "If you only buy one survival guide for the teenage years, make it this one..." "This book [is] accessible, entertaining, humorous, and equally helpful to parents and teachers" This updated second edition of The Owner's Guide to the Teenage Brain tells us why 'we are as we are' in the teenage years. It shows teenagers how to get the most out of these years, helps parents understand and provides tips for parents on coping with their sons and daughters as they move towards adulthood. Knowledge is power. Teenagers who take that power will cope better with the exciting changes and challenges that face them.




The Teenage Brain


Book Description

A New York Times Bestseller Renowned neurologist Dr. Frances E. Jensen offers a revolutionary look at the brains of teenagers, dispelling myths and offering practical advice for teens, parents and teachers. Dr. Frances E. Jensen is chair of the department of neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. As a mother, teacher, researcher, clinician, and frequent lecturer to parents and teens, she is in a unique position to explain to readers the workings of the teen brain. In The Teenage Brain, Dr. Jensen brings to readers the astonishing findings that previously remained buried in academic journals. The root myth scientists believed for years was that the adolescent brain was essentially an adult one, only with fewer miles on it. Over the last decade, however, the scientific community has learned that the teen years encompass vitally important stages of brain development. Samples of some of the most recent findings include: Teens are better learners than adults because their brain cells more readily "build" memories. But this heightened adaptability can be hijacked by addiction, and the adolescent brain can become addicted more strongly and for a longer duration than the adult brain. Studies show that girls' brains are a full two years more mature than boys' brains in the mid-teens, possibly explaining differences seen in the classroom and in social behavior. Adolescents may not be as resilient to the effects of drugs as we thought. Recent experimental and human studies show that the occasional use of marijuana, for instance, can cause lingering memory problems even days after smoking, and that long-term use of pot impacts later adulthood IQ. Multi-tasking causes divided attention and has been shown to reduce learning ability in the teenage brain. Multi-tasking also has some addictive qualities, which may result in habitual short attention in teenagers. Emotionally stressful situations may impact the adolescent more than it would affect the adult: stress can have permanent effects on mental health and can to lead to higher risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. Dr. Jensen gathers what we’ve discovered about adolescent brain function, wiring, and capacity and explains the science in the contexts of everyday learning and multitasking, stress and memory, sleep, addiction, and decision-making. In this groundbreaking yet accessible book, these findings also yield practical suggestions that will help adults and teenagers negotiate the mysterious world of adolescent development.




The Teacher and the Teenage Brain


Book Description

The Teacher and the Teenage Brain is essential reading for all teachers and students of education. This book offers a fascinating introduction to teenage brain development and shows how this knowledge has changed the way we understand young people. It provides a critical insight into strategies for improving relationships in the classroom and helping both adults and teenagers cope better with this stage of life. Dr John Coleman shows how teachers and students can contribute to healthy brain development. The book includes information about memory and learning, as well as guidance on motivation and the management of stress. Underpinned by his extensive work with schools, Dr Coleman offers advice on key topics including the importance of sleep, the social brain, moodiness, risk and risk-taking and the role of hormones. This book is extensively illustrated with examples from classrooms and interviews with teachers. It explicitly links research and practice to create a comprehensive, accessible guide to new knowledge about teenage brain development and its importance for education. Accompanied by a website providing resources for running workshops with teachers and parents, as well as an outline of a lesson plan for students, The Teacher and the Teenage Brain offers an innovative approach to the understanding of the teenage brain. This book represents an important contribution to teacher training and to the enhancement of learning in the classroom.




Brainstorm


Book Description

In this New York Times–bestselling book, Dr. Daniel Siegel shows parents how to turn one of the most challenging developmental periods in their children’s lives into one of the most rewarding. Between the ages of twelve and twenty-four, the brain changes in important and, at times, challenging ways. In Brainstorm, Dr. Daniel Siegel busts a number of commonly held myths about adolescence—for example, that it is merely a stage of “immaturity” filled with often “crazy” behavior. According to Siegel, during adolescence we learn vital skills, such as how to leave home and enter the larger world, connect deeply with others, and safely experiment and take risks. Drawing on important new research in the field of interpersonal neurobiology, Siegel explores exciting ways in which understanding how the brain functions can improve the lives of adolescents, making their relationships more fulfilling and less lonely and distressing on both sides of the generational divide.




Inventing Ourselves


Book Description

A tour through the groundbreaking science behind the enigmatic, but crucial, brain developments of adolescence and how those translate into teenage behavior The brain creates every feeling, emotion, and desire we experience, and stores every one of our memories. And yet, until very recently, scientists believed our brains were fully developed from childhood on. Now, thanks to imaging technology that enables us to look inside the living human brain at all ages, we know that this isn't so. Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, one of the world's leading researchers into adolescent neurology, explains precisely what is going on in the complex and fascinating brains of teenagers -- namely that the brain goes on developing and changing right through adolescence--with profound implications for the adults these young people will become. Drawing from cutting-edge research, including her own, Blakemore shows: How an adolescent brain differs from those of children and adults Why problem-free kids can turn into challenging teens What drives the excessive risk-taking and all-consuming relationships common among teenagers And why many mental illnesses -- depression, addiction, schizophrenia -- present during these formative years Blakemore's discoveries have transformed our understanding of the teenage mind, with consequences for law, education policy and practice, and, most of all, parents.




Your Amazing Teen Brain


Book Description

"Teens looking for help in understanding their brains and making positive shifts will find this effective."—Kirkus Reviews Your teen brain is amazing! These fun and easy “brain hacks” will help you make the most of your growing mind, deal with ALL the feelings, build friendships, and face life’s challenges with confidence. As a teen, your brain is changing—a lot! Your feelings are bigger and more intense. Friends and peers are more important than ever before. You’re discovering who you are as a person, and what matters to you. And you’re also starting to understand how the world works—and not all of it is sunshine and roses. If you’re like many other teens, you may feel overwhelmed by these changes. And that’s okay! In Your Amazing Teen Brain, you’ll find skills grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and neuroscience to help you take advantage of your growing mind, manage difficult emotions, build better relationships, and face all the challenges of growing up—from academic pressure to social drama. You’ll also gain a better understanding of how your brain works and why the teen years are so intense, and find real skills you can use to stay cool when emotions take over. Life as a teen is exciting and challenging, and your brain is energized and ready for change. With this unique guide, you’ll learn to make the most of your growing brain, so you can be your very best. What are you waiting for?




Secrets of the Teenage Brain


Book Description

"This book explains almost all of the ′headshaking′ frustrations educators express about teens. Educators will enjoy discovering that there is a biological reason for the behaviors and attitudes that teens demonstrate. They will also appreciate the practical and down-to-earth suggestions to help students find school more appealing." —Kathy Tritz-Rhodes, Principal Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Schools, IA Cutting-edge research meets brain-friendly strategies for teaching adolescents! Teenagers can be mystifying to educators and parents, exhibiting a daunting array of characteristics: emotional, forgetful, and fond of risk-taking. What are they thinking? What′s the best way to reach them? The revised and expanded edition of this hands-on guide helps unlock these secrets by explaining the biological and neurological changes happening in the teenage brain. Educators can use these insights from current research to help students achieve their full academic potential. Organized around specific areas of adolescent development, this resource is packed with fresh instructional strategies that can be modified and adapted to various content areas. In addition to presenting the latest facts and research findings, this guide offers: "Secrets Revealed" sections that present compelling stories and research about the growing adolescent brain Insights into the effects of technology on the brain Strategies for approaching such issues as ADHD, steroid use, and aggression An educator′s book club guide, with discussion questions Enjoy reading and talking with your colleagues about how to understand and tap the secrets of the teenage brain!




Train Your Brain for Success


Book Description

Executive functions are a set of thinking, problem-solving, and self-control skills that tell the brain what to do, and this book demonstrates the ways kids use executive functions in school, at home, and in their other activities and shows how these skills can be improved through sustained effort. Beginning with a test to determine executive-functioning strengths and weaknesses, the book then explores in detail eight distinct sets of skills, including planning, organization, focus, time management, self-control, flexibility, memory, and self-awareness. In addition to giving an overview of each executive-functioning skill and how these skills are used in the real world, the book?intended as a self-directed learning guide for students themselves?also provides teens tools and tips for improving executive functions, including how to use video games, iPods, cell phones, and other electronic media to their advantage. A section for teachers and parents who may be dealing with a teenager with one or more executive dysfunctions is also included, as well as information for teens on how to recognize when they need help and where to go for help when a problem arises.




The Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans


Book Description

Nautilus Gold Award Winner: Parenting & Family A practical guide to understanding teens from bestselling author and global youth advocate Josh Shipp. In 2015, Harvard researchers found that every child who does well in the face of adversity has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult. But Josh Shipp didn’t need Harvard to know that. Once an at-risk foster kid, he was headed straight for trouble until he met the man who changed his life: Rodney, the foster parent who refused to quit on Shipp and got him to believe in himself. Now, in The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans, Shipp shows all of us how to be that caring adult in a teenager’s life. Stressing the need for compassion, trust, and encouragement, he breaks down the phases of a teenage human from sixth to twelfth grade, examining the changes, goals, and mentality of teenagers at each stage. Shipp offers revelatory stories that take us inside the teen brain, and shares wisdom from top professionals and the most expert grown-ups. He also includes practice scripts that address tough issues, including: FORGIVENESS: What do I do when a teen has been really hurt by someone and it’s not their fault? COMMUNICATION: How do I get a teen to talk to me? They just grunt. TRUST: My teen blew it. My trust is gone. Where do we go from here? BULLYING: Help! A teen (or their friend) is being harassed. DIFFICULT AND AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS: Drugs. Death. Sex. Oh my. Written in Shipp’s playfully authoritative, no-nonsense voice, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans tells his story and unpacks practical strategies that can make a difference. Ultimately, it's not about shortcuts or magic words—as Shipp reminds us, it’s about investing in kids and giving them the love, time, and support they need to thrive. And that means every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.