The purpose of (AHH) Adolescences Homework Habitat is to support our adolescences as they begin to transition from high school into college. I am creating this program to prepare adolescences for college readiness adequately. Our adolescences are losing focus in education and becoming caught up with statistics and society (social media for example), though everyone is not college bound we here at AHH want to prepare our youth for a brighter future. Did you know that many high schoolers are barely passing, because of bad grades and the lack of support and encouragement? There are so many resources for our youth as they transition from high school student into college young adults and many resources are overlooked, or the student cannot receive any financial support because of their bad grades. It is said many adolescences do not know what is next for them after graduation. Many are currently unaware of the grants, scholarship funds and opportunities that lie beyond just a regular job. We want to create change in our youth; even if that means AHH offering more programs to prepare them for college or everyday life.
Here’s an overview of what (AHH) Adolescences Homework Habitat do, we offer after-school tutoring to local high schools’ students but with a twist. Adolescences Homework Habitat is a four-hour program that offers not only professional tutoring but also college readiness (applying to colleges, FAFSA workshop), Life skills (such as home economics), and summer travel experiences. We want our youth to see that there is much more to life than giving up and throwing it all away. You can be successful, and AHH aims to give them every tool to help them accomplish each goal every day.
Cognitive Development in Infancy
Object Permanence
Object permanence is one concept in infancy cognitive development. Object permanence is the recognition that objects remain in existence even when they are not observed. Namely (seen, heard, touched, smelled or sensed in any way). To illustrate, Piaget’s excellent example of an infant who wants an object, like a bottle. The infant may not see the bottle but signals to the parent that he or she wants the bottle.
Though, our program focuses on one particular age group (Adolescence). Adolescences Homework Habitat still focuses on object permanence in youths. As this is a cognitive development that is achieved within the infancy stage here at AHH, we teach adolescents about the disturbances of electronics such as cellphones, smart watches, and portable gaming devices and how this can distract and affect them during study hall. We have a system call (Drop Box). The drop box is for our study lounge only. We ask students to place electronics in a zip lock bag with the student’s name and put them in the concealed drop box until tutoring studies are over. Sometimes while cell phones are put up, we still have students who may stop and check their pockets forgetting their cellphones are in the drop box, or the student may simply ask if they can check or use their devices this is when we informed the adolescent that what is requested is a form of object permanence. Though out of sight the student knows he or she can access the device and would like to have the device in the giving moment of tutoring.
Sustained Attention
Another cognitive development concept in infancy is Sustained Attention. The ability to focus on activities over a long period. Sustained attention enables you to focus as long as you need to finish on an activity, even if other distracting inducements are present. Sustained Attention is assessed by how long an infant pays attention to objects. For infants’ visuals, voices and never before seen objects can receive the infant sustained attention though many say this ability is the curiosity of infants; is nevertheless misleading and recognized as the cognitive development of sustained attention.
For example, an infant is playing with their mother, and the mother brings out new colorful rolling balls. The infant may hear and see their mother but has now fixed its attention on the brand-new object (colorful balls) brought in by the parent. It has now been about five minutes, and the infant is still fixated on the colorful rolling balls, this infant has mastered sustained attention even though the parent is rolling the balls the infant never got distracted.
At Adolescences Homework Habitat, our focus activity on sustained attention with adolescents is called (Mental UP). Mental UP is an icebreaker activity for our youths before we start our afternoon. Before the activity, we ask students to silence and place electronic devices on the table. We separate the students into two teams and bring down the white screen so all can see. Once we are in groups, Mental UP may show a math problem or photo we want them to focus on and pay close attention to what is shown so they can correctly answer the question. Whoever has the most points wins. This concentration game improves sustained attention, visual recognition, and short-term memory skills.
Child-directed Speech
An additional concept in cognitive development in infancy is child-directed speech; adult speaks slowly and with artificial changes in the pitch and loudness. This concept attracts the infant’s attention because of the slower pace and heighten voice changes. Child-directed speech is also known as motherese although mothers are not the only ones who talk in child-directed speech (caregivers) also speak in child-directed speech. For example, a total stranger may come up to a person, and their baby and instantly began using an exaggerated voice of “Ooh look at that little baby, he’s such a sweet baby, oh yes you are.’. Because of the stranger using their high pitch voice, this grabs the attention of the baby making this a perfect example of child-directed speech.
Adolescence Homework Habitat, the way we talk to our youth matters! Although we will not directly speak to our adolescents with baby voices or higher pitches or use (Child-Directed Speech) specifically here at AHH, we will use appropriate language and tones and active listening skills to focus on the attention of our youth. AHH not only has professional trained tutors and instructors but also licensed counselors and mentors. Our counselors and mentors are involved in our daily exercise called (Circle Talk Time) that allows our youth to come in sit on a beanie bag and release everything that is on his or her mind. Due to the fact we know it is difficult during the adolescent years, and we value that communication and positive relationships are vital with our youths. We get on their level with no judgment about what is discussed for an authentic, loving environment and because we have staffed counselors and mentors on our campuses, our students can utilize this exercise professional and free.
Social-Emotional Development in Infancy
Emotion Schemas
Emotion schema is a concept presented in social and emotional development in infancy. Shaping our personalities and how we interact with others, experiencing our emotions are all connected to emotion schemas. Infants will display their feelings to parents, adults, and others by emotion signals such as happiness and sadness to name a few. For instance, an infant will cry abruptly expressing that something is wrong. In this example, this could mean the infant is hungry, sleepy, wet or sick. Being aware of emotion schemas in infants’ parents can discern what their infants are expressing understanding infants and their many emotion schemas.
Adolescence Homework Habitat links emotion schemas with our exercise stated before (Circle Talk Time). This exercise is brought to our adolescents by licensed counselors and mentors to assist our students with being heard, understood and stress-free. Here at AHH, we want to pay close attention to our students if a student that is vibrant every day and suddenly becomes nonverbal, we know something is wrong we will immediately address what the matter may be. We know that during the adolescence years many of our youth are facing built on stress, depression, and peer pressure. On the other hand, we also know adolescents have good experiences during the adolescence years such as accomplishments (good grades), getting their first car or job, and becoming a high school senior. With that being said if a youth comes into our center excited about something, we encouraged them to let other peers know in Circle Talk Time (this stimulates positive self-esteem and authentic emotions). All in all, we the best for our youth and we STRIVE to reach every aspect there is for them.
Secure Attachment
Secure Attachment is another concept in social and emotion development in infancy. Secure attachment in infancy feel loved and protected by their parent or caregiver. Infants prefer parents rather than others and seek comfort from parents. An example is a parent, and a babysitter is in the same room as the baby. As the parent gets up and leaves the room the baby instantly cries for the parent even though the babysitter is in the room. Although the babysitter has picked up the baby for comfort the baby is extremely fussy and has not calmed down. Five minutes later the parent returns to the room and receives the baby. The baby crying ceases and responds with positive emotion and behavior.
At Adolescence Homework Habitat, our entire staffed are all here for our students. AHH likes to focus on positive impacts for our youth and building bonds, secure relationships. AHH has a club called mentors and mentees where students can sign up and be assigned to mentors to build a social and emotional development (secure attachment). With a mentor, considering the mentee’s needs, a mentor will share things like life experiences, provide guidance and advice. However, that is not it this club offer exclusive outings on weekends such as community volunteering, college and job fairs and summer trips out of town (six flags). Mentors have daily fun activities plan for mentees that can be done online before there weekly follow up that earns points with our point system for (Mentor lunch with Mentee) at the mentee’s school this helps gain secure attachment with the mentor and our program.
Scripts
Script is a concept for cognitive development in early childhood. Scripts can be defined as events happing in sequence during familiar situations. Children can repeat, interpret, predict, and understand scenarios from script memory. For example, a child re-enacts a mother’s trip to the department store elaborating their mother placing clothes in the basket, going to the dressing room, checking out and purchasing items and then getting in the car and headed home. Now it may not be stated in full details like above stated, but the child can act out these moments which is considered as Scripts.
Adolescence Homework Habitat promotes scripts in our adolescents in our performing art department. We have a stage and theater club that assists with acting skills. We want our students to be successful and strive for nothing short in reaching every dream and goal with excellence. For our aspiring actors and actress, our production team prepares them with learning cues and scripts. AHH, our production team also collaborates with locating talent agents for auditions and opportunities for our students to do extra roles for commercials and upcoming movies that shoot scenes in our city, how awesome is that?
