About the Book
The authors explore the reasons for a child's failure from a range of disciplines. Topics covered include social influences as well as emotional, physical and psychological factors. Almost all of us underfunction at one time or another, in our health, at home, in school, in our work or in all these and other areas as well. Since our childhood is the period during which we develop most rapidly, it is likely that underfunctioning is especially prevalent in children. Afraid, bored, confused and underfunctioning mentally, socially and physically, they fall short, and their failure is sometimes not even noticed. This book, by an international team of experts in the field, is a rare search for answers to the question why and how children fail.
Table of Contents:
Introduction, Ved P Varma. 1. Creativity and Underfunctioning: some consequences for society, Robin Higgins, MB, BCh (Cambridge), DPM, BMus Consultant Child Psychiatrist, London. 2. Fear and Underachievement, Herb Etkin, St Francis Hospital, Sussex. 3. Boredom, High Ability and Achievement, Joan Freeman, Consultant Psychiatrist, London. 4. Limited Intelligence and School Failure, Michael J A Howe, University of Exeter. 5. Confusion and Underfunctioning in Children, Kedar Nath Dwivedi, Consultant Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist, Northampton. 6. The Effects of Physical Illness, Philip Barker, Professor of Child Psychiatry, Calagary. 7. The Effects of Child Abuse, Philip Barker. 8. The Child from the Chaotic Family, Philip Barker. 9. Racial Prejudice and Achievment, Gerry German, Community Relations Commission. 10. The Lack of Proper Social Relationships in Childhood Failure, Clive R Hollin, University of Birmingham. 11. Gender and Failure; a motivational perspective, Colin Rogers, Lecturer in Education, Lancaster University. 12. Inappropriate Curricula, Teaching Methods and Underfunctioning, Carl Parsons, Christ Church College, Canterbury. 13. The Dyslexic Child, Robert Povey, MA, PhD, C Psychol, FBPsS, Educational Psychologist, and Janet Tod, Christ Church College, Canterbury.
About the Author :
Dr Ved Varma is a former educational psychologist.
Review :
`…will bring new insights, as well as the confirmation of good practice, to those engaged in the hugely important task of making sure that no child suffers unnecessary diminution of effectiveness and self-esteem at home or at school.'
`Ved Varma has compiled a book with a wide breadth of topic discussions that reveals an extensive and consistent trend in childhood failure… Through their discussions, the reader is led to rethink the ways in which success and failure for children are defined and assessed…this book is an excellent source of stimulation for discussion on several domains that affect childhood failure. The discussions and points raised are compelling and interesting; they left me knowledgeable about what can contribute to childhood failure. This text would be suitable for graduate student use within the fields of psychology and education.'
`The scope is wide-ranging and includes, from the child psychiatrists, an object-relations approach to creativity, a broad-based chapter on anxiety, an interesting integration of object relations and systemic family approaches to underfunctioning in children, and chapters on the effects of physical illness, child abuse and the chaotic family. From the psychologists there is a useful discussion of the concept of intelligence, an excellent on dyslexia which suggests a simple way in which teacher might prevent this important diagnosis being missed.'
`…a well documented, research based analysis of etiological factors that hinder optimal realisation of human potential in general and in the childhood in particular. The empirical cases cited by the authors, to substantiate their theses, have made the publication a practical reference book for parents of growing children, adults interested in child welfare, teachers, teacher educators, curriculum framers, and all those who are charged with the responsibility of nurturing human personality during the developmental period.'
`The problems experienced within the school environment by children with a variety of challenges, (social, emotional, cultural and specifically eduacational) are well explored, as are compounding factors inherent in the education system of Great Britain.'
