How Sensory Adaptation Works

How Sensory Adaptation Works Theories Psychosocial Psychology Print How Sensory Adaptation Works By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on November 27, 2019 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on January 18, 2020 Marc Romanelli / Getty Images More in Theories Psychosocial Psychology Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Imagine that you just walked into your favorite Italian restaurant. When you first walk through the door, the delicious smell of garlic and tomatoes is almost overwhelming. You sit down to wait for a table, and after a few minutes, the scents begin to dissipate until you barely notice them. This is an example of what is known as sensory adaptation. Why We Experience Sensory Adaptation Sensory adaptation refers to a reduction in sensitivity to a stimulus after constant exposure to it. While sensory adaptation reduces our awareness of a constant stimulus, it helps free up our attention and resources to attend to other stimuli in the environment around us. All five of our senses are constantly adjusting to whats around us, as well as to us individually and what we are experiencing, such as aging or disease. Just imagine what it would be like if you didnt experience sensory adaptation. You might find yourself overwhelmed by the pungent smell of onions coming from the kitchen or the blare of the television from the living room. Since constant exposure to a sensory stimulus reduces our sensitivity to it, we are able to shift our attention to other things in our environment rather than focusing on one overwhelming stimulus. Examples of Sensory Adaptation Here are some more examples of sensory adaptation: Think about walking into a house where fried fish, sauerkraut, and head cheese were prepared for dinner. (Some dinner!) You would probably pass out at the door, yet people who had been in the house for some time wouldnt be aware of the food odors. Similarly, smokers often dont get how much nonsmokers are bothered by the smell of tobacco smoke. Why? Because sensory receptors respond less to unchanging stimuli, a process called sensory adaptation. ??When you go into a dark room or outside at night, your eyes eventually adjust to the darkness because your pupils enlarge to let in more light. Likewise, when you are in bright light, your eyes adjust by the narrowing of your pupils. This is another form of sensory adaptation.When you jump into a cold swimming pool or first get into a hot tub, the water may feel unpleasantly cold or much too hot, but eventually, your body adjusts to the temperature and it feels only mildly cool or perfectly pleasant and even, eventually, too cold.Even our h and-eye coordination adjusts when necessary. For instance, if you put on goggles that make everything appear to be a little off and you try to throw a ball at an object, eventually your sensory adaptation will take over and youll adjust enough to be able to hit it. A Word From Verywell If youve heard the term nose blind, youve heard of sensory adaption; its the same thing. (But its different from anosmia, or the inability to smell.) You also might notice that when youre away from a smell or a sound for a while, such as when you go on vacation and then return to your home, you notice it again. It will probably not take much time for you to adapt to the sensory inputs of your environment and go blind to them once again.

David Copperfield s The Upbringing Of Children - 1397 Words

David Copperfield was a novel written by Charles Dickens. Like most of Dickens other works, it was written to help teach lessons in the upbringing of children. David Copperfield came out in bits and pieces throughout the year from 1849 to 1850. The books were intended for the average family. A family would get each installment of the book as it came out, and read it together, often out loud. In order to help teach these lessons, Dickens filled David Copperfield with multiple experiences that he thought were important to help teach the characteristics that he found helped him be successful in his own life. This book became the outline of what a Dickensian book would be written like by following the life of a young boy who would have to overcome multiple setbacks in order to reach his goal. Charles Dickens was a Victorian author whose writing were often based on events from his own life. He was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. His parents were John and Elizabeth Dickens. Dickens was sent to school at the age of nine to attend Wellington House Academy. However, Dickens did not stay in school for long. His father was sent to Marshalsea Prison for failing to pay a debit, so Dickens left school and tried to pay his father’s debit as best he could. Once Charles’ father settled his debit, Charles went back to Wellington House Academy. He then left Wellington House for good at the age of fourteen and became a law clerk. That also is when he became interestedShow MoreRelatedEveryone Appreciates A Good, Rags, And Oliver Twist1728 Words   |  7 Pagesalso knew people, and how poverty can effect and change them. Over the course of his life he wrote some of the most famous and beloved stories, from â€Å"A Christmas Carol,† â€Å"Grea t Expectation†, and â€Å"Oliver Twist†, to â€Å"Nicholas Nickleby† and â€Å"Davis Copperfield.† Today Dickens is considered to be by many, one of the most well-known English novelist of the Victorian era. Most people today could say that they have at least heard of one of his works in some way or another, or at the very least have witnessedRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesbehaviour in some significant way. Dynamic characters include the protagonists in most novels, which by virtue of their very size and scope provide excellent vehicles for illustrating the process of change. So-called initiation novels, such as David Copperfield, Huckleberry Finn and the Great Gatsby, are examples. In each case the author has arranged the events of the plot so that they reveal the slow and painful maturing of the young protagonist coming into contact with the world of adult experience

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) - 1589 Words

Men and Women who served for their country should be given all respect and care when they return home. Veterans come home with injuries that can affect them from living a healthy comfortable life. Their injuries can be from physical to mental injuries like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from combat. Veterans who come home with these injuries should be provided, by the government, health care where they can live an enjoyable life. Having veterans take an alternative rout like qualifying for medicade could help a lot of these people struggling. Many of these veterans are also homeless and need help finding jobs. Government programs could be put in place that could help find jobs for the veterans. Veterans should be able to come home and life a healthy happy life where they can contribute back to there societies. Governments should provide for the needs of the veterans to keep them healthy and supply them with jobs so they have food, clothes, and shelter. Veterans who come back from serving overseas are coming home with injuries that they cannot afford to get treated. Even today there are a large number of veterans that have been out of the service for many decades that can t afford their own health care or even provide new clothes and shelter for themselves. According to a research done by gathering information from Current Populations Surveys and the National Health Interview Survey from 1988 to 2005 they found that Nearly 1.8 million veterans were uninsured and notShow MoreRelatedPost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )990 Words   |  4 PagesPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common anxiety disorder characterized by chronic physical arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts and images of the traumatic event, and avoidance of things that can call the traumatic event into mind (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, Nock, 2014). About 7 percent of Americans suffer from PTSD. Family members of victims can also develop PTSD and it can occur in people of any age. The diagnosis for PTSD requires one or more symptoms to beRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1471 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER 1 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Student’s Name Course Title School Name April 12, 2017  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder that many people are facing every day, and it appears to become more prevalent. This disorder is mainly caused by going through or experiencing a traumatic event, and its risk of may be increased by issuesRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the Mayo-Clinic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD is defined as â€Å"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). Post Traumatic Stress disorder can prevent one from living a normal, healthy life. In 2014, Chris Kyle playedRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1198 Words   |  5 Pages Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is a mental illness that is triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. â€Å"PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes(NIMH,2015).† PTSD is recognized as a psychobiological mentalRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1423 Words   |  6 Pages Mental diseases and disorders have been around since humans have been inhabiting earth. The field of science tasked with diagnosing and treating these disorders is something that is always evolving. One of the most prevalent disorders in our society but has only recently been acknowledged is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Proper and professional diagnosis and definitions of PTSD was first introduced by the American Psychiatric Association(APA) in the third edition of the Diagnostic andRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1550 Words   |  7 PagesPost Traumatic Stress Disorder â€Å"PTSD is a disorder that develops in certain people who have experienced a shocking, traumatic, or dangerous event† (National Institute of Mental Health). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has always existed, PTSD was once considered a psychological condition of combat veterans who were â€Å"shocked† by and unable to face their experiences on the battlefield. Much of the general public and many mental health professionals doubted whether PTSD was a true disorder (NIMH)Read MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1453 Words   |  6 Pages84.8% of those diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder still show moderate impairment of symptoms, even 30 plus years after the war (Glover 2014). As of today, the Unites States has 2.8 million veterans who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, of those it is estimated that 11 to 20% currently suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As of 2013, a total of 12,632 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are currently diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Glover 2014). Of course itRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1162 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Identity, Groups, and PTSD In 1980, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD,) was officially categorized as a mental disorder even though after three decades it is still seen as controversial. The controversy is mainly founded around the relationship between post-traumatic stress (PTS) and politics. The author believes that a group level analysis will assist in understanding the contradictory positions in the debate of whether or not PTSD is a true disorder. The literature regarding this topicRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )944 Words   |  4 Pageswith Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD Stats). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental disorder common found in veterans who came back from war. We can express our appreciation to our veterans by creating more support programs, help them go back to what they enjoy the most, and let them know we view them as a human not a disgrace. According to the National Care of PTSD, a government created program, published an article and provides the basic definition and common symptoms of PTSD. Post-traumaticRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1241 Words   |  5 Pages Stanley Health April 14, 2014 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post traumatic stressed disorder is a mental illness caused by an enormous amount of anxiety felt after a traumatic or life-threatening accident or event. This event causes intense feelings of fear and helplessness. Studies have shown that about 5 to 6 million people suffer from PTSD. (Thomas ) About 30% of those people are war veterans. Most war veterans who have served for our country who have PTSD from the war are homeless. About

Legos Free Essays

Legos are fantastic toys to satisfy anyone from young to old, with these toys you can build Marvel sets to Harry Potter sets. Legos have been around since 1932 and were made out of wood and metal, it is now 2018 and the legos have since then had a major progression in how they look. Nowadays legos are small plastic pieces that come in sets but back in 1932 you would just get random lego pieces and you would have to purchase more to get the right pieces for that specific set. We will write a custom essay sample on Legos or any similar topic only for you Order Now Ole Kirk Kristiansen is the founder of Lego, Ole Kirk was born in Omvrà ¥ Mark, Blà ¥hà ¸j-Filskov parish, Denmark, on April 7, 1891. When Ole got to the age of seven, he worked as a smallholder but later he moved to a farm near Filskov. On November 1903 Ole Kirk became an apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner to his brother, Kristian Bonde Kristiansen. On February 1, 1916, Ole at the age of twenty four bought Billund Maskinsnedkeri for DKK 10,000. The Billund is a community consisting of small farmers. Billund factory crafts doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, cupboards, and coffins. The USA and UK place restrictions on imports, and this brings the crisis directly to the Danish farming community in 1930. Butter and pigmeat prices fall sharply, and as these products represent a huge section of Danish exports, life becomes very difficult for Danish farmers. Many farmers are forced from their farms. The economic crisis also has serious consequences for Ole Kirk Kristiansen. Farmers and smallholders, his most important customers, can no longer afford to carry out carpentry and joinery work, and in 1931 he has no option but to let his last journeyman go. After years of being successful finally the economy hit and this made Ole switch to making toys for little kids, which became a worldwide success. 1932 is a difficult year for Ole Kirk Kristiansen. Reflecting the crisis in agriculture, his carpentry and joinery business is not doing well. He is forced to lay off his last journeyman employee, and in the midst of his economic troubles he loses his wife, and finds himself alone with four sons aged between 6 and 15 years. Ole’s son Godtfred Kirk Kristiansen would become a junior vice president of the company in 1950, on his 30th birthday. In 1957 Godtfred became a Managing Director, but the following year Godtfred became the head of the company after his father died to a heart attack on March 11, 1958. By 1960, Godtfred had bought out his three brothers to become sole proprietor of the company. Godtfred got married to a woman named Edith Kirk Christiansen which he had three kids with named Gunhild Kirk Johansen, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen and Hanne Kristiansen. On October 1969 Hanne and Kjeld were driving home from watching a movie and the car lost control and slid off the road killing Hanne and seriously injuring Kjeld. After this incident Godtfred went into a depression and considered selling the lego company. In 1979 Godtfred son Kjeld became president and CEO of the lego company. In 2004 Kjeld stepped down from his position of president and CEO to focus on being the owner of the lego group and vice-chairman of the board. While Kjeld was maintaining his role as vice-chairman of the board KIRKBI A/S, Lego Holding A/S and the Lego Foundation. Lego is privately held and is controlled by the Kristiansen family and their foundations. Kjeld and his wife, Camilla, live in Denmark and have three children and two grandchildren. His youngest daughter is the danish dressage rider Agnete Kirk Thinggaard. The production of lego is a complex algorithm, these robots make small toys for kids and adults to play with and get lost in time building and using them. Making legos all start with tiny plastic grains called granules which come in a bunch of different colors. From there trucks filled with granules drive up to one of the lego factories all around the world, where giant hoses suck up the granules and then dump them into three story high metal silos. There are 14 silos and each one can hold up to 33 tons of granules. From the silos, the plastic granules are fed down pipes to the molding machines. Inside the molding machines, the granules are superheated to a temperature of about 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This melted plastic goo is fed into molds, little metal containers shaped like hollow lego bricks. Think of them as very complicated versions of the ice cube trays you keep in your own freezer. The molding machine applies hundreds of tons of pressure to make sure the bricks are shaped with perfect accuracy. Then they are cooled and ejected, which only takes about 10 seconds. Because of the dangerous conditions and high precision required, the molding process is almost completely automated. Finished pieces roll down conveyor belts into boxes. When a box is full, the molding machine sends a radio signal to one of the robot trucks that patrol the hall. The robot trucks are guided by grooves in the factory floor. They pick up full boxes and place them onto another conveyor belt that takes them onto the next step of the manufacturing process. The next stop in the manufacturing process is the assembly halls where details are printed on and multi-part pieces are put together. Faces, control panels, numbers, words and other decorative details are stamped onto bricks by a giant printer. Some lego pieces like minifigure legs are made up of several pieces that fit together. These complex pieces are snapped together by machines that apply pressure with great precision. The final step is putting all the right pieces together to make complete lego sets. Sets can have hundreds of different pieces, so the packaging process has to be fast and accurate. Boxes called cassettes roll on conveyor belts underneath the bins that hold each type of piece. The bins open and close to release the right number of pieces into each cassette. Finally, packing operators fold the boxes and add the building instructions and additional pieces and look out for any machine-made mistakes. How to cite Legos, Papers

What type of music is most appealing free essay sample

In 1995, the British band Oasis came out with their second and by far most popular album, (Whats the Story) Morning Glory?. This was one of the major building blocks in the musical wonderland of alternative rock. Alternative rock is a midge podgy category of music that has the rhythm and accentuated backseat of classic rock and roll but is more defined by its unconformity. This genre of music appeals to me because of its unconventional style and variety and significantly reduced desire to conform.One of the major facets of alternative rock that makes it so appealing is the unique style and variety. It is not unusual for one artist to produce many hit albums each with a slightly different sound. Beginning in 1983 and still touring today, the Red Hot Chili peppers are a prime example Of this diversity within alternative rock. Their first album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, had a complex melodies with a strong baseline and simpler song structure. We will write a custom essay sample on What type of music is most appealing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These songs, including Get up and Jump, had a strong funk influences while still falling under the category of alternative rock.Compare this to their 9th studio album Stadium Arcadian, released in 2006. Keeping in character of the bands originality and out of the box style, this album was the most mellow of them all and had prominent psychedelic influences from the late ass. Due to so much unconformity many alternative rock bands dont have the large fan base that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have and are not as widely know. Its very common for many of these bands to have one hit wonders. Alternative rock is so appealing because the intent of the music isnt to be popular; it is a true expression of the artist or band as a collective group.Panic! At the Disco is a more recent band of the sass. Formed in 2004, they are mainly remembered for their two singles I Write Sins Not Tragedies and Nine in the Afternoon; both of which subsequently preceded their first two albums. Alternative rock really separates the boys from the men in the sense of commitment to their love of music;

Intercultural Sensitivity.

Intercultural Sensitivity. The developmental stage of intercultural sensitivity that best fits me at this point in my life is the one listed as number five, Adaptation. I feel this way because I can evaluate other's behavior from their frame of reference in most instances, and can adapt my behavior to fit the norms of their culture, if needed. I am a very flexible person when it comes to cultural values. I know what I value, but I also know that the things I value are not always the same as other cultures. I can easily and quickly adapt to others needs in most situations. I think that being able to do this will help me tremendously in dealing with parents from different cultures. I think it will show them that I have a respect for them and their way of life, and will encourage them to be more respectful when dealing with me.Authors considering attachment in non-western cult...I think that respect is a big issue with almost all cultures and I want to make sure that I am always treating others with respect. I al so would not want parents to feel uncomfortable talking to me about any issue that they may be having.The main reason I see myself in the adaptation stage is that I have grown up working with and playing with and dealing on a daily basis with people from different cultures. I wouldn't say that I could integrate with any other culture completely, but I am able to adapt to their ways of doing things at least for small periods of time when needed. I was never really in the denial stage because I have always know that there are cultural differences in people, and I am able to recognize them fairly quickly. Also I have never really looked at the difference...

How Teachers Should Rethink the Summer Work Packet

How Teachers Should Rethink the Summer Work Packet Simply stated: Summer vacation has a negative impact on academic performance. In the book  Influences And Effect Sizes Related To Student Achievement  (updated 2016) by John Hattie and Greg Yates,  39 studies  were used  to rank the effect of summer vacation on student achievement. The findings using this data  are posted on the  Visible Learning  website. They noted that  summer vacation has one of the greatest negative effects (  -.02 effect) on student learning. To combat this negative impact, many teachers in middle and high schools are encouraged to create discipline-specific summer assignment packets. These packets are an attempt to equalize academic practice for all students during summer  vacation. The summer assignment packets that teachers distribute at the end of a school year are designed for students to practice  a few hours every week  throughout the summer. What happens in reality, however, is that completing the summer packet often turns into a  contentious activity. Students may wait until the last possible moment to do schoolwork or lose the packet entirely. Additionally, depending on the grade level, subject, or teacher, summer work packets vary in quality, length, and intensity. Examples of high school summer assignments on the Internet vary from two pages of geometry that can be completed online to  22 pages of geometry problems that must be downloaded to complete. Multiple Advanced Placement courses, such as AP English Literature, show the disparity in summer assignments with some schools offering a choice (Read three novels from this list) to a required five novels matched with pages and pages of worksheets. There is no standardized summer assignment packet for middle and high schools. Who Complains About Summer Assignment Packets? Complaints against the assigned summer work packets come from each of the stakeholders: parents, teachers, and students. Their complaints are understandable. Parents may  argue for freedom from summer assignment packets suggesting that â€Å"My child needs a break,† or  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why must we do this to students every summer?† or This is more work for me than for my child! Teachers are not happy to begin the school year with a pile of summer assignment papers to grade. Despite their best intentions in creating the packets, they do not want to start the year collecting or chasing students for summer assignment work.   Harris Cooper,  chairman of the department of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, addressed these  concerns in his brief essay Forgotten on Vacation. His response was featured in  an editorial debate in the New York Times titled  The Crush of Summer Homework  in which several prominent educators were asked their opinions on summer assignments. Cooper was one who chose to respond as to how parents can meet the demands of the summer assignment packet: Parents, if the assignments are clear and reasonable, support the teachers. When your child says I’m bored (what parent hasn’t heard this on a rainy summer day?) suggest they work on an assignment. He also responded to the concerns of teachers: My advice? Teachers, you need to be careful about what and how much summer homework you assign. Summer homework shouldn’t be expected to overcome a student’s learning deficits; that’s what summer school is for. However, in another response, What Low Achievers Need,  Tyrone Howard, associate professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, suggested that summer assignment packets do not work. He offered an alternative to the summer assignment packet:   A better approach than homework is to have more intensive, small learning community-type summer school programs that last four to six weeks. Many educators who contributed to the NY Times debate   The Crush of Summer Homework  viewed summer assignments as  a measure of accountability or student responsibility rather than an academic practice. They argued that many of the students who do not complete homework assignments as academic practice during the school year are unlikely to complete summer assignments. Missing or incomplete work is reflected in student grades, and missing or incomplete summer assignments can damage a students grade point average (GPA). For example, some of the summer work assignments posted for high school students on the Internet include warnings, such as: Certain mathematical practice packets may take more than one day to complete. Dont wait until the last minute!The teacher will personally consult with the student and/or parent if  the student does not hand in the summer work packet on the first day of class.This work will be 3% of your first quarter grade. 10 points will be deducted for each day it is late. Seeing the impact on a students GPA for incomplete or missing summer work, many educators argue, If teachers cannot get students to turn in homework during the school year, especially when they see them every day, what is the chance that these summer work assignments will be completed? Student Complaints But  students are the  most vocal group arguing against the summer assignment packet.    The question  Should students be given summer homework?  was featured on  Ã‚  Debate.org.   18% Students say Yes to summer assignments82% Students say No  to summer assignments Comments from the debate arguing against summer assignments included: Summer homework takes around 3 days and it feels like the whole summer  (7th grade student).Mostly summer homework is just a review so you dont really learn anything. Im going into 8th grade and Im not learning anything its all a review for me.If a student really wants to learn, they will do extra work, without it being assigned.The homework should just be suggestions, to stop students from stressing out over work that probably wont even be checked. In contrast, there were some students who saw value in summer assignments, but most of these comments reflected the attitudes of students who already expected additional work from their advanced level classes. I, for example, am going to be enrolling in an Advanced Literature course next year and have been assigned two books to read this summer, an essay to write... this pushes me to find out more information about the subject matter that will be in the course. While students who take the advanced level (Advanced Placement, honors,  International Baccalaureate, or college credit courses) like the one above fully expect to engage in an academic practice, there are other students who do not see the importance keeping their academic skills sharp.  While a summer packet is designed to help all students, regardless of ability, the  student who may not complete the work may be the very student who most needs the practice. No Buy-in from Students In an interview posted on Great Schools,  Denise Pope, senior lecturer at the Stanford University School of Education and co-founder of  Challenge Success, a research, and student-intervention project, agrees that the months off for summer vacation is too long a time for students to not do anything, but she expressed concern stating  I’m not sure this idea of giving workbooks and pages and pages of handouts works.†Ã‚  Her reason for why summer assignments may not work?  No student buy-in: â€Å"In order for any learning to be retained, there has to be engagement on the part of the students.† She explained that students must be intrinsically motivated to complete the systematic practice that is designed for the summer assignments. Without student motivation, an adult must monitor the work, which according to Pope, puts a burden more on the parents.† What Does Work? Reading! One of the best research-based recommendations for summer assignments is to assign reading. Rather than spending the time to create and then grade a summer assignment packet that may or may not be done at all, educators should be encouraged to assign reading. This reading can be discipline specific, but by far, the best way to have students maintain academic skills during the summer-at every grade level- is to encourage their motivation to read. Offering students choice  in reading can improve their motivation and participation. In a meta-analysis titled  Reading Takes You Places: A Study of a Web-based Summer Reading Program,  Ya-Ling Lu, and Carol Gordon recorded ways that student choice in reading increased engagement which led to improved academic achievement. In the study the traditionally required reading lists of classics were replaced with   recommendations based on several of the following  research-based guidelines: 1. People who say they read more read better (Krashen 2004), therefore the primary purpose of the [summer] program is to encourage students to read more.2. In order to encourage students to read more, the primary purpose of summer reading is reading for fun rather than for academic purposes.3. Student choice is an important element in reading engagement (Schraw et al. 1998) including the choice to pursue personal reading interests.4. Materials and materials access can be Web-based (Note:  92% of teens report going online daily - including 24% who say they go online â€Å"almost constantly,† Pew  Research Center) The results showed an increase in student motivation and engagement, leading to improved academic performance. Summer Packets vs. Reading Despite the research  that proves motivation and systemic practice must be in place for summer assignment packets to help the student,  many teachers, particularly at the middle and high school levels, will still assign summer work packets. Their time and effort, however, may be better spent assigning reading in their content area, and where possible, offering student choice in reading. While summer vacation allows students to have time to play and to relax, why  not encourage students to practice over the summer the kind of academic practice that reinforces a life-long critical skill, the skill of reading? Additional Research on Summer Reading: Allington, Richard.  Summer Reading: Closing the Rich/Poor Reading Achievement Gap.  NY:  Teachers College Press, 2012. Fairchild, Ron. Summer: A Season When Learning is Essential. Afterschool Alliance. Center for Summer Learning. 2008. Web. afterschoolalliance.org/issue_briefs/issue_summer_33.pdf Kim, Jimmy. â€Å"Summer Reading and the Ethnic Achievement Gap.† Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR). 2004. Web. ala.org/research/librariesmatter/node/161 Krashen, Stephen. Free Reading. Pasco School District. School Library Journal. 2006. Web. psd1.org/cms/lib4/WA01001055/centricity/domain/34/admin/free reading (2).pdf National Summer Learning Association. n.d.  summerlearning.org/about-nsla/ Report of the National Reading Panel: Findings and Determinations of the National Reading Panel by Topic Areas.† National Institute of Health. 2006. Web. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/nrp/Pages/findings.aspx