Text and Reading Comprehension - Essay Example

Adolescent Issues Post Assignment Reading comprehension is defined as “The process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning” (Sweet & Snow, 2003, p.1).Reading demands to comprehend and understand the meaning of message. However, there are certain factors which cease the ability of a reader to achieve the goal of reading text material. Kay states, the most common single obstacle to text comprehension is decoding insufficiency. Simply put, if the child cannot decode accurately and automatically, comprehension will be compromised; when the child cannot “apprehend” or decode the word, meaning cannot be extracted, when the child cannot decode fluently and automatically, reading is slow and laborious and memory for read material is poor, when the child cannot decode and it taught to rely on “context cues” or to “guess” at words, comprehension is compromised (2008 para.2). Reading comprehension problem contributes to an underlying issue of inferential thinking or language comprehension problem. People with non-verbal or right hemisphere disorder are usually brilliant decoders. In this case, people do not have problem in remembering the precise details of read material. Such students do well in early educational period but they face difficulty with the increasing need of reading comprehension. Problems in notes taking during lectures arise due to the fact that there lay a complex comprehension difficulty and inferential thinking. Physiological and psychological impairment can also cause difficulties in comprehension. Reading comprehension is associated with tracking and scanning problems of vision. Psycho educational evaluation should be executed to identify and root out the issue (Kay, 2008 para.3, 4, 6). (2) Compare and contrast the attraction of a family-based gang with that of a mercenary gang. Joining a gang is a matter of honor and desire among teens today. Some gangs are family based while some are mercenary. Both kinds of gangs have different motivations and attractions for teens. So are the reasons of joining them. According to Wiener (1999) joining a gang is not always the choice of people gangs recruit and initiate the membership process. They protect and formulate the gang structure for their special needs. Twenty seven percent of the youth survey resulted in the result of ‘recruited’ into the current group of friends. They join gang by result of combined approaches push and pull (p.60). …The pull—or that which attracts the person to join—often involves four primary attractions: the lure of money, the sense of family, the assurance of protection, and the enticement of family. Of course, these attractions also serve as a push—an external force compelling gang membership. Today, the primary reason for a push-pull is the perceived need for protection, especially in gang-saturated neighborhoods. (Wiener, 1999, p.61) A family based gang is more of an affiliation and joined for personal reasons and motivations while mercenary gang’s main attraction is money and power. Family based gags involve more than one family member and they provide a sense of association and bondage with companionship and friendship. Mercenary gangs attract people due to their authority show off and the portrayal of a rebel. The promises of powerful identity and sense of protection are also important factors. Mercenary gangs provide a sense of financial freedom and sense of independence from the traditional boundaries and social limitations. Contrary to the family based gangs, mercenary gangs involve illegal money which gives teens a sense of achievement and a sense of being above law means more powerful than average people around them. They are commonly involved in violence, fights, bullies, armed crime and robberies. (3) Discuss the risks of use of alcohol with inhalants. Inhalant use is among the most prevalent, pernicious, and poorly understood forms of adolescent substance use (Brouette & Anton, 2001; Kurtzman, Otuska, & Wahl, 2001 as cited in Wu,Sc.D,Mathew, & Howard,2007,para.4) Commonly abused inhalants include toluene, acetone, and various halogenated products. Inhalant users may inhale vapors from a bag into which a substance has been deposited, a rag soaked with a substance and placed over the nose or mouth, or directly from a container. (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, as cited in Wu,Sc.D,Mathew, & Howard,2007,para.5) Intoxication is rapid in onset and similar to alcohol intoxication in its signs. In 2004,17 % of eight-graders participating in a national survey of middle and high-school American youth reported lifetime inhalant use(Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman,& Schulenberg,2005,as cited in Wu,Sc.D,Mathew, & Howard,2007,para.10) Most inhalants are prone to use alcohol due to the environment they are moving in; their peers may be using it, the place may be providing with it. The nature of inhaling substance and drinking alcohol is similar which can lead to the other for more satisfaction. According to a study of National Institute of Drug Abuse (1998, as cited in Mosher, Rotolo, Philips, Krupski, & Stark,2004),not only had one in five teenagers in the United States used inhalants to get high, but their use in the late 1990s was almost prevalent as marijuana use among eight graders in this country. Indeed, Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey referred to inhalant abuse as “America’s hidden drug problem.” (para. 1) An early review of the inhalant abuse literature conducted by Barnes (1979, as cited in Mosher, Rotolo, Philips, Krupski, & Stark, 2004) noted the high levels of use among Native-Indians, which he attributed to the acculturation stress associated with members of these groups. Barnes also indicated that inhalant users was poor, that there were strong influences of peers on inhalant use; that the families of inhalant users were less successful socioeconomically, more likely to be alcohol-or drug involved, and less likely to stable. Inhalant users are likely to have other issues in the community they are surviving; they are more prone to other drugs and drug abuse, they are more absent from school, they have behavioral problems and criminal tendency which leads to alcoholism, stress and depression. It is worth mentioning that studies of inhalant users in countries other than the United States have drawn similar conclusions. For example, Carroll et al. found that habitual users of inhalant in Australia were characterized by school absenteeism, trouble with the law, and a family history of alcohol or other drug problems. (1998, as cited in Mosher, Rotolo, Philips, Krupski, & Stark, 2004) (5) Discuss strengths and weaknesses of a Native-American approach to raising teens. Cultural values highlights the parenting approach of Native Americas. …characteristics of the broader context that may shape Mexican-origion parents’ role in adolescent peer experiences.Shared experiences,values,and living conditions that result from membership in a particular cultural group of from family socioeconomic status are linked to parenting styles, values and practices.(Hoff,Laursen,and Tardiff,2002;Kohn,1977;Roosa and other,2005 as cited in Updegraff,Killoren,& Thayer,2007) Higher values of family support, obligation to family members, and using family members as referents than the individuals of Europeans American descent. Within-group analyses of Latinos who differed in generation status reveled that values regarding family support did not differ across generations…( Updegraff,Killoren,& Thayer,2007) (4) Compare and contrast depression in teens with that of adults. Depression is most commonly associated to mood disorders which can vary in intensity .It is more than just feeling blue now and than; it can be simple to life threatening. There are some of the differences in teen and adult depression. There are many mood disorders and depression is a feature of most of them. Bipolar disorder, post partum depression, seasonal affective disorder is just a few. Depression afflicts people of every age, race and income level, but it is more common in adult women than the rest of the population. (DLC, n.d.) Mostly, young girls are prone to depression than the boys of their age. It is due to the fact that they face more emotional and hormonal changes. Young girls are more volatile and prone to uncertainty and sensitivity than boys of their age. Adults on the other hand, have other kinds of depressions which involve financial or relationship problems. Teens have problems of their own changing selves which take them into sad mood and depression. (6) Describe 4 attractions of gang membership in teens and discuss 3 interventions. Mostly joining a gang is considered as socially accepted, desirable and honorable commitment in teens. Desire for being popular, getting identified, boosting their self esteem and get respect from peers are prominent motivations to become a member of gang. According to Wiener (1999), every young person needs to feel a sense of self-worth, identity, acceptance, recognition, companionship, belonging, purpose, and security. Gangs, with their promises of adventure, danger, high risk, and a sense of the unknown offer what traditional systems have failed to provide. (p.60) According to a list provided by California Department of Education in On Alert! (1994), there are several reasons and attractions for teens to join a gang. The reasons are; excitement, prestige, peer pressure or motivation, lack of education, fear of getting behind, economic benefits, adventure, becoming popular. Personal motivations can also include; friendships and social relationships or traditions and feeling of association with some gang. Role models and leadership desire to protect and lead gang members and influence others. Teens consider it a second chance to establish themselves as successful after failure in traditional setting, for example, school. To have fun and thrilling life full of excitement and energy is also the biggest attraction for teen to get into a gang life. Personal and financial freedom is a powerful attraction, it is usually illegal but it provides teens with a sense of achievement and breaks the chains of dependency over parents. Another reason is the sense of association and protection from other harmful gang activities and from other groups in society. Last but not the least, they get attracted to gangs in order to attain a privileged status which is more effectively recognized and appreciated in their circle of influence. Dysfunctional family life and getting rid of pain is one of the major reasons to seek help outside family as protection and emotional stability is the missing factor in family (Wiener, 1999, p.60-61). Possible interventions for gang membership is to provide teens with an environment that is equally challenging and thrilling, for example, involvement in physically and mentally engaging sport. Parents and family members should keep an eyes on the company teen is spending his or her time. There should be a bonding of friendship with teen, be it mother, father or grandparent. A sense of association can never let teen get involved in such activities. Listening to teen’s problems and issues can comfort him and give him confidence of being protected. Specialized and properly crafted education and training at home and in school can help avoid the identity issues in teen. Usually teens with poor confidence level, fear, anxiety and rejected sense of being tend to join gangs for becoming ‘someone from no one’. Engaging them in home, relatives and positive socializing activities proves to be healthy intervention. (7) Discuss 3 possible issues with precocious sexual activity in teens. Adolescents’ propensity for risk-taking, their experimentation with adult behaviors, their drive towards autonomy, and their openness to peer influence has been thought to make them vulnerable to maladaptive sexual behaviors. These include precocious sexual intercourse (often referred quaintly in the literature as ‘early sexual debut’), and sex with succession of changing partners…It is not only teenage sexual behavior that raises parents’ and society’s anxiety levels. Other adolescent behaviors which cause concerns include substance use, drinking, smoking, truancy, and delinquency, as well as further forms of antisocial behavior. (Moore & Rosenthal, 1993, p.167)According to Weber et al., “The link between delinquency and precocious sexual activity is clear in a study of more than 1000 adolescents admitted to a juvenile detention facility in the United States.” (1989, as cited in Moore & Rosenthal, 1993, p.167) Of the over 60 million people who have been infected with HIV in the past 20 years, about half become infected between the ages of 15 and 24.According to the U.S. centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 25 % of sexually active teenagers get a sexually transmitted disease (STD) every year, and 80% of infected teens don’t even know they have an STD, passing the disease along to unsuspecting partners. When it comes to AIDS, the data is even more chilling—of the new HIV infections each year, about 50% occur in people under the age of 25. (FAS, 2008 para.10) Teen age pregnancy is another issue associated with precocious sexual activity, as teens don’t constantly use contraception which results in pregnancy and consequently the situation lead to life changing decisions; either they have to adopt or abort the child. (FAS, 2008 p.11) According to Moore & Rosenthal (1993), teenagers feel that parenthood or STD is not in their control they use contraceptives without need. Besides being advertised heavily, teens don’t feel comfortable dealing with such issues. Researches show that engaging in early sexual activity is heavily dependant on the young teenager’s addict status and it reflects risky behaviors as consequence (p.168). (8) Define emotional resilience and describe 2 strategies to promote it. Saarni (1999, as cited in Ellis & Bernard, 2006) indicates that emotional regulation refers to one’s ability to manage one’s subjective experience of emotion, especially in terms of intensity and duration of the emotion, and how one manages the expression of emotion while communicating it to others. Landy(2002,as cited in Ellis & Bernard,2006) refers to emotional resilience, “as the process by which people control or self-regulate internal reactions as well as their outward expression of the emotion in terms of behaviors.”(p.158) Emotional resilience or emotional regulation in children has been defined by Bernard (2004b, as cited in Ellis & Bernard,2006)as children’s developing capacities to use coping strategies(e.g., distraction, changing thinking, exercise, seeking support, etc.) that help them regulate the intensity of negative emotions they experience in the presence of adverse events.(p.158) It is believed that emotional resilience promotion strategies should be well planned and coordinated by trained administration considering the duration by analyzing the impact on problematic areas. According to Merrell & Buchanan (2006, as cited in Peacock, Ervin, Dlay, and Merrell, 2010), such intervention should be socially valid and considerably easy to use and maintain with less expenses involved so that it can be widely used(p.257). The three tire model to promote emotional resilience is used; Primary or universal strategies, social and emotional learning, secondary or targeted strategies. A widespread model of school based support for behavioral improvement. Important features of universal strategies to promote emotional reaction are to prevent youth problems and to teach pro social skills to promote resilience in youth. To prevent kids from developing problematic behaviors, skills are focused to improve by enhancing the school climate and an environment of positive growth and learning is created .Implementation of these interventions involve teacher training, ongoing monitoring, outcome analysis and professional development.( Peacock et al., 2010,p.257) Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an umbrella term often used for universal prevention programming that integrated that development of students’ academic, behavioral, and emotional skills and provides a comprehensive framework for promoting social competence and resilience. As defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (CASEL, 2007 as cited in Peacock et al., 2010) SEL focuses on creating safe, well-managed, and positive learning environments for all students, as well as providing social competence instruction with in five domains. The five person-centered social competency domains include cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills that are critical to promoting positive behaviors across a range of contexts (Peacock et al., 2010, p.258) References Ellis, A., & Bernard, M.E. (Eds.). (2006).Rational emotive behavioral approaches to childhood disorders. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. Kay, M. (2008, December 15). Reading comprehension disorders. Retrieved from http://www.margaretkay.com/Disorders%20of%20Reading%20Comprehension.htm FAS (2008).Teen sexual behavior: issues and concerns. Retrieved from http://www.focusas.com/SexualBehavior.html DLC(n.d.).What you need to know:Depression.Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/channel/depression.html Peacock, G.G., Ervin, R.A., Dlay, E.J., and Merrell, K.W. (Eds.). (2010). Practical hand book school psychology: effective practices for the 21st century. New York: Guilford Publications, Inc. Sweet, A.P., & Snow, C.E. (Eds.). (2003).Rethinking reading comprehension. New York: The Guilford Press. Moore, S. & Rosenthal, D. (1993).Sexuality in Adolescence. London: Routledge. Wiener, V. (1999) Winning the war against youth gangs: a guide for teens, families and communities. CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Mosher,C., Rotolo,T., Philips,D., Krupski,A., & Stark,K.D. (2004). Minority Adolescents and Substance Use Risk/protective Factors: A Focus on Inhalant Use.Questia Journal Article,39.Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=Kv0TTQT9fPnQkTTnGySG1KXlkJ0PnJ1RSs4BXjnrstvjTDMJdMrh!-593290394!568259201?docId=5008576972 Wu,L.,Sc.D,Mathew,O., & Howard.(2007). Is Inhalant Use a Risk Factor for Heroin and Injection Drug Use Among Adolescents in the United States? NIHPA Author Manuscripts, Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1828908/ Read More

 

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