 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Sample Book Review
The Myth of Laziness
By Dr. Mel Levine, Simon & Schuster (2003)
October, 2003
“He’s
lazy.”
“He’s just not meeting
his potential.”
If you’ve ever heard these words about a son or daughter, of if you’ve ever said these words about a child, The Myth of Laziness is for you. The author, Mel Levine, is a professor of pediatrics who specializes in learning differences. He has written this book for children and adults “unjustly” accused of being lazy – individuals who, according to Levine, “possess minds that learn and think better than they work.”
Output Failure
Often, Levine explains, those labeled lazy are bright people who appear to have great promise. However, for reasons that baffle others as well as themselves, they are unable to fulfill that promise. They struggle with “output failure,” the inability to produce work at the level expected of them.
How
does output failure look to parents and teachers? It shows up as the
three-page report that ends up only half a page long. It’s the
homework that never gets turned in. It’s the uneven performance on
math tests where the hardest problems are correct and the simple
calculations are wrong. It’s the frustrating behavior that is so easy
to call laziness but, according to Levine, is often the result of
“mind miswiring.” In a more formal description he explains that the
miswiring is actually neurodevelopmental dysfunctions. The most common,
shown in the accompanying illustration, often go unidentified.
To illustrate how mind miswiring thwarts productivity, Levine tells the stories of eight individuals – children, teens, and adults – who suffer the effects of output failure. He describes the problems that brought each person to his office and explains the causes he uncovered – the dysfunctions and weaknesses as well as other factors that affect output.
Some factors are external, such as stress, competition, role models, and family values. Others are internal, such as the level of optimism, flexibility, and adaptability the person displays. In each case, Levine provides a variety of strategies for boosting productivity, both in the classroom or workplace and in other areas of life.
For those concerned with 2e kids, the most valuable chapters may come at the end. One focuses on writing and will probably strike a chord with many 2e parents. In it, Levine describes several varieties of struggling writers, including: those who “acquire writing phobias…a paralyzing complication during the school years”; those for whom “writing consumes way more than its share of time and drains more mental effort than they feel capable of generating”; and those whose writing is too brief,…barely legible, or haplessly disorganized.”
Levine goes on to describe the “principal ingredients” of writing. He divides the process into its component parts and identifies places where breakdowns commonly occur. He suggests using the Writing Troubleshooter, a useful form located at the back of the book, to help identify areas of weakness. Levine offers strategies and techniques for helping deficient writers boost their productivity and has included two organizers designed to guide kids through the steps of writing a story or report.
The final chapter addresses ways that parents and educators can “cultivate output.” It’s here that Levine addresses a question some skeptics are likely to raise: Is he suggesting that we relieve those with output failure of all responsibility for producing work? He emphatically says no and explains, “Once an individual understands the sources of her output failure, she can be held more accountable, not less so.” He states that once parents and teachers understand output failure, they can sympathize with the difficulty a child is having and then say, “Please tell me what you’re going to do about it. Also, let me know how I can help.” That’s a far cry from the old familiar phrase, “I know you can do better. You’re just being lazy.”
|
Related Resources from Mel Levine |
|
|
|
Please note that all text, images, and other materials on this website (“Site Content ”) are the exclusive property of Glen Ellyn Media and intended for personal use only. You may not sell, reproduce, distribute, modify, adapt, repost or otherwise use any of the Site Content in any way for any public or commercial purpose without prior written consent of Glen Ellyn Media or the copyright holder. © 2004 Glen Ellyn Media.