Importance of Sleep Time for Youth

In this study, researchers analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2007 until 2015, and report that more than two thirds of teens are getting fewer than eight hours of sleep per night. Adolescents who get fewer than six hours of sleep at night were more than twice as likely to report alcohol and other drug use, nearly twice as likely to be involved in fights and three times as likely to consider or attempt suicide, compared with those who slept for at least eight hours at night. 

Weaver, M. D., Barger, L. K., Malone, S. K., Anderson, L. S., & Klerman, E. B. (2018). Dose-dependent associations between sleep duration and unsafe behaviors among US high school students. JAMA Pediatrics. https://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2777

Youth Reading Habits in a Digital Age

Scholastic, in conjunction with Quinley Research and Harrison Group, conducted a survey to examine family attitudes and behaviors regarding reading books for fun in today’s digital age.

Key findings include:

-       Parents believe the use of electronic or digital devices negatively affects the time kids spend reading books (41%), doing physical activity (40%), and engaging with family (33%; PAGE 6).

-       From age 6 through age 17, the time kids spend reading declines while the time kids spend going online for fun and using a cell phone to text or talk increases (PAGE 7).

-       When asked about the one device parents would like their child to stop using for a one or two-week period, parents most often cite television, video game systems, and cell phones.

-       While only 25% of kids have read a book on a digital device (including computers), many more (57% of kids age 9-17) are interested in doing so.

-       It is clear that letting kids choose which books they want to read is key to raising a reader. Nine out of 10 children say they are more likely to finish books they choose themselves.

-       In addition to choice, parents use other tactics to encourage reading that appear to result in more frequent reading, including making sure there are interesting books at home (for kids age 9-11 and 15-17), putting limits on the amount of time spent using technology (for kids age 9-11), and suggesting books they might like.

Scholastic (2010). 2010 Kids & family reading report: Turning the page in the digital age. New York City, NY: Scholastic. http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/files/KFRR_2010.pdf

Impact of Teaching on Majority Special Needs Classes

A presentation hosted by the American Institutes for Research discussed the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Using 2013 data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the presentation addressed some parents' concern that, due to the additional needs of students with disabilities, teachers may spend less time teaching in inclusive classrooms. While studies have examined when and how much inclusion is appropriate for students with disabilities, there is less research on how inclusion may negatively impact students without disabilities in the same classroom. This study seeks to shine light on that issue.

Key findings:
·       The findings indicate that teachers in classrooms with a greater percentage of students with special needs do spend less time teaching.
·       In classrooms in which 11-30% of students have special needs, teachers spend about 76% of their class time on teaching, compared to 81% in classrooms without any students with special needs, on average.
·       The disparity is wider in many countries, including Singapore (77% vs. 60%), Japan (82% vs. 72%), and Sweden (87% vs. 77%).
·       Teacher and school characteristics do not explain the variation in class time spent on teaching. Instead, the disparity in teaching time in inclusive and less inclusive classrooms is fully attenuated when accounting for classroom student characteristics, particularly the proportion of students with behavioral problems.

Cooc, N. (2017) Do teachers teach less in classrooms with students with special needs? Trends and predictors from international data. Presented by American Institutes for Research, Oct. 26.
http://www.air.org/event/do-teachers-teach-less-classrooms-students-special-needs-trends-and-predictors-international