NORE LFUNI A Cool Way To Aid Learning And Leisure (NAPSA)—Having hobbies, such as building and operating modeltrains, may help young people become “model” students. That’s one of the key findings of a study conducted by the research group Rockman et al. The study indicates that such hobbies can help children follow directions, acquire skills in geometry and math, and improve attention to detail and perseverance—abilities that can help them do better in school. Studies show that hobbies can help children acquire the behaviors that can lead to successin school. Such hobbies can also help adults unwind. For example, actor Michael Gross, star of the hit TV series “Family Ties,” worked his way through college as a fireman on the Chicago & North Western Railway line. Today, he finds constructive relaxation by putting his creative energy into modelrailroading. To help, there’s a Web site where young people and adults can find the hobby that’s right for them—whether it’s model trains, robots, dinosaurs or more. Visitors to the site www.my hobbyfun.net can even find hobby shops that are likely to carry the materials they need.
