Parents and Teachers are Derelict in Teaching Children Thinking Skills

There is a chasm in our low income, minority neighborhoods in many cities in the U.S. It bothers me to hear about the porous border and 2,000 lbs of fentynal found in one batch last week. Drugs coming from several holes in the border, gang wars, juvenile detentions, drug deaths, murders, 4,000 young Russians coming across the border, critical race theories, historical statues being torn down, defunding the police, and disregard for laws. That is why we need some changes that I wrote about this week. ~ Dr. Mel

In many cities across America, especially in ethnic and Afro-American families, very little or nothing is done to help children learn thinking skills. In many areas, gang wars, groups inciting violence, neglecting children, and disregard for discipline and education are creating a situation that will have long-lasting effects on the welfare and economies of many cities, counties, and states.

These neglected acts of mental learning and retardation are damaging the nation and children’s thinking skills. Lack of education and learning creates a division in the socio-economic and intelligent standards of our different areas, suburbs, cities, and countries. To be blunt, thinking skills, reading, math, other science subjects, and thinking education is severely lacking for a great number of these American children. The sorry thing is that there are so many ways and things that can be done to teach a child to think better, have creative thinking skills, and develop a more alert and questioning mind.

We are hearing more and more about gang wars, critical race theories, destroying historical statues, crime, and drug use in these low economic, neglected police control, low-income areas. Children that have an education, high thinking skills, training, and discipline are usually the ones that produce a high standard of living in America. People with high thinking skills and thinking education taught by parents and teachers create jobs, economies, taxes, and efforts that make America great. Something needs to be done to reverse this neglected, long overdue critical situation.

This poverty, crime-infested, decreased learning trend, or lack of thinking skills training by parents and teachers is taking us to the back of the class in children’s worldwide learning. In the last survey of worldwide learning standards and skills, the U.S. ranked in the low thirties. Yes, that is right, the U.S. ranked in the low thirties in worldwide educational standards. China, South Korea, and Japan ranked in the top three.

Thinking skills, learning, and excellent brain function is the foundation for countries to increase their gross domestic products, increase living standards, and help create jobs for families. Thinking skills are the foundation for countries to find new discoveries, new products, increase scientific and living knowledge, broaden learning information, and create new products and economic standards.

An example of a family in the U.S. that used learning and thinking skills to perpetuate their children’s learning and educational progress, plus exemplify children’s learning skills and motivation is to look at the last head of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, He is an African American, Dr. Ben Carson. He ran for president of the United States in the 2016 election. Dr. Carson grew up in a very poor family. He and his brother were very hard workers and worked different jobs while in high school and college.

According to Dr. Ben Carsons’ biography, when he was growing up, his mother insisted that he and his brother read as many books as possible. She would obtain different books at the library containing different subjects for them to read. The motivation behind her thoughts and actions lead Dr. Carson to learn many thinking skills and much knowledge. It also MOTIVATED HIM to pursue a college education and a medical degree. His mother’s thoughts were that reading increases memory, thinking skills, knowledge, and motivation. Reading not only exercises the brain but at a young age, increases the focus and concentration of a child’s thoughts. This was an exceptionally smart idea and may have been the foundation for his remarkable life.

Dr. Carson went on to college and became a famous world-renowned brilliant neurosurgeon. He was director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children’s Hospital. He participated in the first successful head surgery separation of twins that had conjoined heads, or heads that were joined at the back. He went on to perform numerous complicated brain surgeries and the removal of brain stem tumors. He has received more than 60 doctorate degrees and numerous national merit citations.

Most parents know a lot of ways of teaching thinking skills and thinking ideas. There are many ways to teach children. However, there are some special things that a parent or teacher may teach to help the child learn how to think and use their cognitive thinking skills. The thought is that thinking skills will boost a child’s ability to learn. Memory, focus, attention, concentration, and completing mental tasks are all things that can be learned by children. They are the foundation for having a sharp, alert, and curious brain.

Reading is just one of many ways to enhance thinking skills, memory, focus, and concentration. Parents may use the following suggestions for learning thinking skills. This can start when a child is 3 or 4 years old and in kindergarten.

One. Obtain beginning children’s books. The parent can read to the child and show them the illustrations at the same time. Then begin to help him pronounce some of the simple words in the books. Increase the complexity as the children get older, and to the point where they will be able to read simple books by themselves.

Two. Helping them perform brain exercises, like blocks, puzzles, card games, and simple math problems, etc. Increase the complexity as the children get older.

Three. Take children to museums, historical places, planetariums, arboretums, and libraries. Let them pick the books that they would like to read (within reason). Monitor what they read and maybe have them do a book report. Also if they go to a museum or historical site, arboretum, planetariums, zoos, etc. You might have them write a list of what they saw. This is good for learning memory skills.

Four. Keep your T.V. off except for special and learning programs. T. V. is a lazy mind’s glory-tube. Watching normal T. V. programs usually do nothing to help children learn. They may be retarded in their thinking skills unless the T. V. programs are educational or learning programs. Sports and news may be an exception unless they get to be too numerous.

Five. Keep stress, depression, worry, and negative thinking out of the house. As the child gets older, be involved with their school assignments, and help them learn.

Six. Music. Music is one of the great ways for children to develop their thinking skills. Reading sheet music and using it to play instruments has been praised by the Global Council of Brain Health experts as a very powerful way to enhance thinking skills and brain health. Music is both a relaxing stimulant of the brain and is very helpful for both children and adults. When parents engage their children in music, they provide a critical tool to develop, preserve, and enhance thinking skills. I would recommend it highly for all children. It is a great mental benefit for young and old people.

Seven. A very good way for children to increase their thinking skills is to ask a question back to them when they ask a question. That enables them to think about an answer, which is actually what they want in the first place. This lets them choose options that help stimulate the brain. When they ask a question, the parent can say, what do you think? What would you would do in that circumstance? or what do you think about that subject or idea?” After they tell the parent what they think, then the parent can say, “well this is what I think, then give their answer, or you might give them the answer right away.

Eight. Find out what subjects a child is interested in and help them obtain information and materials for boosting their interest and thinking abilities. That enables a parent to have input and provide information that he may not have thought of.

Nine. Show the children sites on the computer like google, ask Jeeves, answers.com., etc. This begins them on a journey for researching subjects and lessons. The library is a great source of information, and the parent can help them in finding information there. The computer is a must for obtaining information and learning. Even the phones now provide incredible information, photos, and a link to places of information.

Ten. Get books at the library that the child is interested in. Encourage them to read, while helping them find books and information on subjects they show an interest in. This is a great way to teach learning and thinking skills.

Eleven. Doing math by memory, and crossword puzzles are a great way to increase memory, focus, concentration, and thinking skills. These are things that even adults should do to keep their minds active and thinking. Many companies are now printing simple crossword puzzles for young children. Crossword puzzles are very helpful in learning cognitive thinking skills. Older people need them also.

Twelve. Teach them to ask questions in their mind. Did you know that 90 percent of all questions asked by great inventors, entrepreneurs, philosophers, and science geniuses start with questions in their minds involving these five words? What, when, why, how, and where. When you think of something that you would like to know, those are keywords that are used by great people to ask questions in their minds. Then they find answers to their questions. The answers are the great result of their thinking. These questions have been and are being used by famous people like Tesla, da Vinci, Musk, Hubble, Bezos, Fleming. Pasteur, and many other great scientists and thinkers.

Thirteen. Sports not only help sharpen thinking skills but provide exercise that everyone needs to help their brain. It also is a great way for children to learn social values and acquire the ability to work with people. I would suggest sports for all school students if possible.

There are several other factors involved in creating thinking skills and a cognitive thinking mind. There is no doubt that diet and bio-electric foods are very important in achieving this goal.

Next week I will go over many other factors involved with thinking. I hope that your children, grandchildren, and other young relatives are getting help in learning thinking skills. It will help every child. It also is the answer to getting these drug-addicted people, gang members, nonworking families, and almost every family into raising children that have great learning habits, goals, and thinking skills. It will help the economy, the state, the nation and put thousands of people into the working class. They will also feel better about themselves.

January 1, 2022

~ the Author ~
Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. graduated from the University Of Washington School Of Dentistry in 1957. After two years of service in the Air Force, he started a private practice in East Wenatchee, Washington. For the past 45 years his practice has included Orthodontics and TM Dysfunction treatment specializing in temporomandibular pain treatment, headache, head and neck pain control, functional jaw orthopedics, and straight wire orthodontics. Associated with mercury elimination, oral surgery, crowns and bridges is TMJ treatment, diet control, parasite elimination, intestinal cleansing and healing (wellness).

Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. has taught advanced courses for dentists on TM Dysfunction treatment, orthodontics and related pain control for more than 30 years. In 1972 he was the first dentist in Washington to use straight wire orthodontics and the first dentist to correct vertical deficiencies in children by placing vertical dimension-primary molar buildups and/or vertical (erupting) appliances. Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. was involved with the first group of dentists to recognize lateral tongue splinting in young infants and integrate functional and fixed techniques to correct vertical dimension deficiencies and condylar placement. He is the originator of vertical dimension-primary molar build ups, which help to correct deep bites and Otitus media in children. He invented the Loudon-Chateau Anterior Repositioning Appliance, the functional muscle malocclusion concept, the twelve commandments of occlusion and the vertical overbite domino rule. Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. has written numerous articles in several American and foreign dental journals and has lectured in over 50 cities and 7 foreign countries on functional jaw orthopedics, fixed wire orthodontics, Otitus media treatment and TM Dysfunction treatment. He has been instrumental in setting up criteria for teaching in the International Association For Orthodontics, including the certified instructor program. He is a regular and weekly contributor to the family of websites for Kettle Moraine Productions.

Dr. Loudon is a member of The American Dental Association, Diplomat and Senior Instructor in the International Association for Orthodontics, and is a Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management. He also is a member of the American Orthodontic Society.

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