Some dyslexic children could be helped to develop more normal brain responses and become better readers without actually reading, according to a new study coauthored by Elise Temple, a Dartmouth professor of education. Difficulty reading, a symptom typical of dyslexic children, can be the result of the brain's inability to keep up with rapidly changing sounds. Using a dyslexia remediation program called Fast ForWorld Language, the study's participants were able to better their reading abilities after eight weeks of one-hour sessions. The system had the children differentiate between different sounds to develop their brain's response. The study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze the brains of 22 dyslexic children and another 23 with normal reading ability. After completing the remediation program, the children's reading scores were within the low end of the normal range.
The Clorox Company announced Wednesday that it will buy Burt's Bees, a natural personal care company headed by John Replogle '88. The company said it will pay $925 million for Burt's Bees and expects it to add to earnings in fiscal 2009. Burt's Bees' current 2007 sales are expected to come in around $170 million. Clorox Co.'s posted profit for last quarter is better than analysts had expected, though lower than last year's numbers, according to Reuters.com. Net profit for the fiscal first quarter, which ended September 30, was $111 million, as opposed to $112 million at the same time last year.
In the last decade, the number of college students aged 40 to 64 has increased by nearly 20 percent to approach 2 million, US News and World Report reported Friday. Despite school policies and government financial aid rules that make a return to college difficult, the number of baby boomers in school is expected to continue rising. Scholarships and federal aid is difficult for adults to tap into as it is generally geared towards recent high school graduates. In addition college classes are regularly scheduled during the workweek, making education implausible for adults with jobs. Some colleges, however, are providing more opportunities to the boomer generation that is not yet fiscally able " or sometimes willing -- to settle into retirement.
