There is a truly powerful must see documentary being released by HBO, “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia.” This documentary is a must see for parents and educators. It’s really a must see for all of us because understanding dyslexia allows us to value and utilize the strengths of people with dyslexia, instead of seeing it as a disability.
Today, much to our daughter’s delight, our grandson displayed an outpouring of all the ways he’s been learning to write. Brayden attends a great preschool and has been consistently exposed to letters, numbers and opportunities to write. Being a kinesthetic, active little boy he does write but often prefers more physical, social activity. Yet, today was a special day. Brayden sat and wrote and wrote and wrote his name! With much delight and pride in what he was doing, he wrote all the letters in the correct order again and again.
While the left and right side of our brain represent auditory and visual learning styles, there is one more learner that needs to be recognized. Kinesthetic learners, also known as tactile learners, represent those children that need to touch, see and move when they learn. Traditional classrooms, driven by lecture and large class sizes can be especially challenging for these learners. When we understand their need to be physically engaged, we can make adjustments to better accommodate these learners. Click HERE to take our quiz and find out if your child is a Kinesthetic learner!
As parents, we have a vested interest in understanding the nuances of left and right-brain thinking. A child’s ability to learn is directly affected by the way their brain sees and processes information. Knowing if your child is an auditory, visual or kinesthetic learner will enable you to choose activities that support their learning needs, while working to develop their weaker areas. Click HERE to take our quiz and find out if your child is a VISUAL learner!
There has been much written about the hemispheres of our brain and the way they define our thinking style. Our left brain is the logical, analytical side of us, while the right is where creativity lies. While we use both sides of our brains for almost every task we do, each side of our brain has its area of specialty, which in turn influences the way we think. For children, brain dominance has a profound impact on school success. Understanding your child’s thinking style can help you be sure they are receiving the kind of instruction they need.
While the typical family is enjoying a casual summer schedule, research shows that the typical student brain is also taking a summer break and forgetting up to 40% of the information learned during the school year. Worse yet, can take up to 6 weeks to get back into the swing of learning once a student returns to school. In the average school year, that can add up to almost 50% learning loss overall, an overwhelming statistic in a make-it-or-break-it educational environment. The good news, however, is that while it’s easy to forget – it’s just as simple to put a plug in the drain and keep that brain active, engaged and learning while still having fun through the summer break.
I have been teaching young kids how to draw for over 20 years. The classes and teaching method were popular and effective, so I made a business out of it. But it’s never really been about the business. All I wanted was to work with kids — to do art with kids — to teach and empower — to see their sweet faces light up with every new discovery. My young students thrived when they got the “how to” information they craved. And while teaching children how to draw, they taught me — again and again — how important art is to them.
As you may remember, adolescence can be a joyful time, a heartbreaking time, or often a combination of both. What to wear to school, which classes to take, to obey the rules or not – teenagers are bombarded with a never-ending list of some of life’s greatest questions. As a parent, you take on the responsibility of pointing your children in the right direction and helping them see which path leads in the right direction.
Study Suggestions for Right-Brain, Kinesthetic Learners
We all process, store and retrieve information differently. And we all need to find the best way to study and retain new information for our own brain and learning preferences. Especially for all of us right-brainers, who struggle with lecture-dominated learning and heavy word-based testing.
