I attended a seminar on reading and writing recently, and, I must admit, I was a bit taken aback to discover how children in New Zealand are taught to write. Spelling, for example, is something that is no longer important for the first couple of years. The idea is not to learn that “mummy” is spelled M-U-M-another M-Y - the idea is to sound it out: “what does it sound like, mmmm-mummy? Does it sound like something that begins with the same letter as mmmm-mouse?”
Consequently, children learn to spell “cat” as “k” or “kt” if they’re lucky enough to hear the “t” at the end. Their writing books are full of sentences like “i l m k” (I like my cat” and “trtlsl” (turtles are slow). The idea is to liberate the children from the restrictions of having to know how to spell a word and just to let them write what and how they like it, and then to "correct" it further down the line. The trouble is, some children (typically those who love rules and doing things "right") might struggle with the concept that "kt" is now supposed to be spelled "cat" and that what they were originally taught was "wrong".
I’m sure it’s a valid approach, this sounding. But what about children who are not auditory? “Not a problem,” said the presenter. “We use a combination of phonics (sounding) and whole-word learning”. “Whole-word learning is when you show the child a whole word as a picture and tell them the word is “and”. Which is fine for children who are visual. As usual, tactile and kinesthetic students are left behind in this mode of teaching.
So, if you suspect your child may be tactile or kinesthetic (you can assess their Learning Style on www.creativelearningcentre.com), do find out how they are being taught “the three Rs” at school. You may discover that the Montessori approach of drawing letters in sand and tracing them in sandpaper cut-outs works better for your youngster.
Another innovation (since my day, anyway) is teaching to write and read small letters only (they are the ones that are more common in reading books) and in groups of “letters that look similar”, e.g.,: r, n, m all look similar, so do l and t, etc. Again, for children who are not good with visual detail, teaching “similar-looking letters” together may lead to confusion.
Do you know how your child is taught the basics at the local school? How were you yourself taught? Every country is bound to be different, of course, and I’d be fascinated to learn about the various approaches taken worldwide, particularly in non-English speaking countries. Please email me on yvonne@clc.co.nz or leave a comment on this blog.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
ADHD - can it be misdiagnosed?
Is your child diagnosed with ADHD? If so, you may want to let him or her complete a Learning Style Analysis (LSA) questionnaire on www.creativelearningcentre.com before you give him the drugs.
If you search for ADHD tests and symptoms on the Internet, you will find plenty of information. Some of it will probably scare you enough to take your child to the doctor. According to the Internet, signs of hyperactivity may include symptoms like: “Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat”, “Leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected”, or “Is 'on the go' or acts as if 'driven by a motor'”. When you do the LSA questionnaire, you will discover that children who display such symptoms simply have a different Learning Style, one that requires mobility instead of sitting still. If that need for moving around during learning is satisfied, you’ll be amazed at the improved school performance as well as a change in the child’s confidence and behaviour.
Other ADHD symptoms listed on the Internet may include behaviour like: “Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities” or “Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities” or “Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly” - all of which can easily be explained by Learning Styles.
Running around, shouting and being easily distracted are all part of being a child. A normal, healthy child.
In the USA, 9% of school children take ADHD medication on a regular basis. That’s a lot of children. Are they suffering from ADHD? Or is it a case of misdiagnosing their Learning Style needs?
If you search for ADHD tests and symptoms on the Internet, you will find plenty of information. Some of it will probably scare you enough to take your child to the doctor. According to the Internet, signs of hyperactivity may include symptoms like: “Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat”, “Leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected”, or “Is 'on the go' or acts as if 'driven by a motor'”. When you do the LSA questionnaire, you will discover that children who display such symptoms simply have a different Learning Style, one that requires mobility instead of sitting still. If that need for moving around during learning is satisfied, you’ll be amazed at the improved school performance as well as a change in the child’s confidence and behaviour.
Other ADHD symptoms listed on the Internet may include behaviour like: “Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities” or “Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities” or “Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly” - all of which can easily be explained by Learning Styles.
Running around, shouting and being easily distracted are all part of being a child. A normal, healthy child.
In the USA, 9% of school children take ADHD medication on a regular basis. That’s a lot of children. Are they suffering from ADHD? Or is it a case of misdiagnosing their Learning Style needs?
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Broaden your child’s horizons
Today I’d like to show you an example of how we, at Creative Learning Systems, walk our talk.
Barbara sent us a postcard from Helsinki... and it was addressed to my 3-year old daughter. Apart from the expected delight of a little girl receiving “her own post”, the postcard had an unexpected consequence: a barrage of questions:
· Why do people send postcards?
· Why was there a fire in the city?
· Was it a bad person who started it?
· Where is Helsinki?
· Is it close to where Babcia (grandma) lives?
Just one postcard - and so many opportunities. We looked at the map and saw that Finland was closer to Poland than it was to New Zealand. We talked about the language people speak in Finland and their long winters and the wonderful summer berries (cloudberries and cowberries). I told her that the person who wrote the “Valley of the Moomins” came from Finland.
So, next time one of your friends goes overseas, ask them to send a postcard to your youngster. With a slightly older child, you could turn in into a homemade Geography lesson:
· Is Helsinki the capital city or just a city? What does it mean to be the capital city?
· If you wanted to take a car from Helsinki to Vienna, which way would you travel? Which borders would you cross? What do you have to do at a border check point?
· What currency do they have in Finland? What did they use before they joined the European Union?
· What crops do they grow?
· What industry do they have?
· What animals would you find living in the wild?
· What do they eat in Finland?
· Cook a traditional Finnish recipe together with your child: pea-and-ham soup or buttermilk cake, then serve it to family or friends.
· Let your child draw a picture / make a clay model / write a poem about one aspect of Finland.
· Plan an imaginary holiday in Finland. What would you see? What would you do there? What would you pack?
Vary the tasks according to your child's Learning Style (which you can assess on www.creativelearningcentre.com): visual, tactile, analytic, etc.
Remember, the most important lesson your child will learn is this: I am special enough for somebody to send me a postcard and I am special enough for Mum/Dad to spend time with me discovering a fun new world.
Happy learning!
Barbara sent us a postcard from Helsinki... and it was addressed to my 3-year old daughter. Apart from the expected delight of a little girl receiving “her own post”, the postcard had an unexpected consequence: a barrage of questions:
· Why do people send postcards?
· Why was there a fire in the city?
· Was it a bad person who started it?
· Where is Helsinki?
· Is it close to where Babcia (grandma) lives?
Just one postcard - and so many opportunities. We looked at the map and saw that Finland was closer to Poland than it was to New Zealand. We talked about the language people speak in Finland and their long winters and the wonderful summer berries (cloudberries and cowberries). I told her that the person who wrote the “Valley of the Moomins” came from Finland.
So, next time one of your friends goes overseas, ask them to send a postcard to your youngster. With a slightly older child, you could turn in into a homemade Geography lesson:
· Is Helsinki the capital city or just a city? What does it mean to be the capital city?
· If you wanted to take a car from Helsinki to Vienna, which way would you travel? Which borders would you cross? What do you have to do at a border check point?
· What currency do they have in Finland? What did they use before they joined the European Union?
· What crops do they grow?
· What industry do they have?
· What animals would you find living in the wild?
· What do they eat in Finland?
· Cook a traditional Finnish recipe together with your child: pea-and-ham soup or buttermilk cake, then serve it to family or friends.
· Let your child draw a picture / make a clay model / write a poem about one aspect of Finland.
· Plan an imaginary holiday in Finland. What would you see? What would you do there? What would you pack?
Vary the tasks according to your child's Learning Style (which you can assess on www.creativelearningcentre.com): visual, tactile, analytic, etc.
Remember, the most important lesson your child will learn is this: I am special enough for somebody to send me a postcard and I am special enough for Mum/Dad to spend time with me discovering a fun new world.
Happy learning!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
On Owls and Larks - Body Clock and Learning Styles
Is getting up with the birds every morning a challenge for you? Do you find it difficult to stay awake at Saturday night parties? You can blame your genetic makeup.
The Learning Styles Analysis (LSA) pyramid is not surprised by the latest scientific discovery that the “Time of Day” preference is hereditary (or, as we call it, biological).
Researchers at Britain's University of Surrey have identified a gene called Period 3 which helps to regulate our internal body clocks. Period 3 can occur in two sizes: long or short. People who have an extreme preference for early mornings are more likely to have a long version of Period 3, while those who stay up way past midnight are more likely to have the shorter version.
Of course, that's the simplistic explanation. The body clock is governed by a combination of genes, and it’s influenced by external circumstances such as late nights. You can try to fool your body clock by making it follow a certain lifestyle pattern... but you’ll be doing it at a cost.
Do you want to know whether it’s best for your health to work first thing in the morning, or after dinner? Go to www.creativelearningcentre.com and find out by filling in a Learning Styles Analysis (LSA) or a Working Styles Analysis (WSA) questionnaire.
The Learning Styles Analysis (LSA) pyramid is not surprised by the latest scientific discovery that the “Time of Day” preference is hereditary (or, as we call it, biological).
Researchers at Britain's University of Surrey have identified a gene called Period 3 which helps to regulate our internal body clocks. Period 3 can occur in two sizes: long or short. People who have an extreme preference for early mornings are more likely to have a long version of Period 3, while those who stay up way past midnight are more likely to have the shorter version.
Of course, that's the simplistic explanation. The body clock is governed by a combination of genes, and it’s influenced by external circumstances such as late nights. You can try to fool your body clock by making it follow a certain lifestyle pattern... but you’ll be doing it at a cost.
Do you want to know whether it’s best for your health to work first thing in the morning, or after dinner? Go to www.creativelearningcentre.com and find out by filling in a Learning Styles Analysis (LSA) or a Working Styles Analysis (WSA) questionnaire.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Gifted Children and Learning Styles
Many people believe that gifted children have no special needs. After all, they learn easily and can do so in almost any environment... right?
However, being gifted is not synonymous with being an all-rounder: a child can have a gift of music yet struggle to write good compositions. Being gifted doesn’t mean that you necessarily “do well at school”, either. Many gifted children struggle to achieve their potential at school because of their unconventional behaviour and questioning attitude, or because of their incompatible learning styles. For example, if your child is gifted, but also holistic and tactile, he or she may suffer in the conventional schooling systems that favour analytic visual-auditory learners.
Of course, you will want to know whether your child is gifted. You want to be able to help them achieve their potential. You don’t want them to become distressed through frustration and boredom. You don’t want them to deny their intelligence in order to become more acceptable to their peers.
But how can you tell? Unfortunately, there is no easy (or indeed accurate) test. A lot of your evaluation will be based on your own observation. Your child may be gifted if they display many of the following characteristics:
· inquisitiveness
· exceptional powers of observation
· wide-ranging vocabulary
· phenomenal memory
· ability to talk early
· ability to read early
· good levels of concentration
· creativity to form unusual advanced questions
· ability to grasp ideas quickly.
Learning Style Analysis (LSA) available on www.creativelearningcentre.com can also offer good insights into your child’s learning needs. Look out for the following criteria in your child’s LSA report:
· highly integrated in analytic and holistic thinking
· can learn through all sensory modalities with ease
· can learn at any time, forgets to eat or do other chores when lost in learning
· prefers to work alone or with true peers
· won’t accept authority
· is highly internally motivated - often learns for pure knowledge
· never gives up - has often extreme persistence
· dislikes rules - makes his or her own ones
· doesn’t need help in structuring their learning, dislikes guidance.
The report will also give you a detailed analysis of the biological and non-biological elements that make up your child’s Learning Style. It will show you how to create an ideal homework spot and how to talk to the teachers about any concerns you may have.
Remember, gifted students need to learn in challenging settings, where they can have opportunities to develop their abilities. And yet, many schools fail to recognise the efforts and needs of the high achievers.
Whether your child is truly gifted or “just” very bright, what you want is to produce a happy switched-on child who doesn't want to miss school. LSA will help you achieve that goal.
However, being gifted is not synonymous with being an all-rounder: a child can have a gift of music yet struggle to write good compositions. Being gifted doesn’t mean that you necessarily “do well at school”, either. Many gifted children struggle to achieve their potential at school because of their unconventional behaviour and questioning attitude, or because of their incompatible learning styles. For example, if your child is gifted, but also holistic and tactile, he or she may suffer in the conventional schooling systems that favour analytic visual-auditory learners.
Of course, you will want to know whether your child is gifted. You want to be able to help them achieve their potential. You don’t want them to become distressed through frustration and boredom. You don’t want them to deny their intelligence in order to become more acceptable to their peers.
But how can you tell? Unfortunately, there is no easy (or indeed accurate) test. A lot of your evaluation will be based on your own observation. Your child may be gifted if they display many of the following characteristics:
· inquisitiveness
· exceptional powers of observation
· wide-ranging vocabulary
· phenomenal memory
· ability to talk early
· ability to read early
· good levels of concentration
· creativity to form unusual advanced questions
· ability to grasp ideas quickly.
Learning Style Analysis (LSA) available on www.creativelearningcentre.com can also offer good insights into your child’s learning needs. Look out for the following criteria in your child’s LSA report:
· highly integrated in analytic and holistic thinking
· can learn through all sensory modalities with ease
· can learn at any time, forgets to eat or do other chores when lost in learning
· prefers to work alone or with true peers
· won’t accept authority
· is highly internally motivated - often learns for pure knowledge
· never gives up - has often extreme persistence
· dislikes rules - makes his or her own ones
· doesn’t need help in structuring their learning, dislikes guidance.
The report will also give you a detailed analysis of the biological and non-biological elements that make up your child’s Learning Style. It will show you how to create an ideal homework spot and how to talk to the teachers about any concerns you may have.
Remember, gifted students need to learn in challenging settings, where they can have opportunities to develop their abilities. And yet, many schools fail to recognise the efforts and needs of the high achievers.
Whether your child is truly gifted or “just” very bright, what you want is to produce a happy switched-on child who doesn't want to miss school. LSA will help you achieve that goal.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Young Learning Styles - how early is too early?
Barbara and I were enjoying an Easter brunch with my family, when my daughter deliberately ignored one of my requests. Up until then, she was a model child, enthralled by Barbara’s attention and eager to please... quite unlike the daughter I know and love, in fact. But clearly, enough was enough, and she decided to assert herself by returning to her non-compliant self. Fortunately, she’s also externally motivated, so it was easy to guide her back into model-child behaviour.
In case you’re wondering, my daughter is three years old. Barbara and I just looked at each other and laughed: “That’s learning styles for you.”
So there you have it. While some elements of the Learning Styles Analysis (LSA) Pyramid can only be assessed at a later stage (statements like “I remember best when I can read about it” only make sense if you can already read), others come out much, much earlier.
The other day, we talked about soccer, and how, regardless of which team member scores the goal, it’s the whole team that wins. My daughter looked at us seriously: “Mummy,” she said. “I don’t like team work. I want to win all by myself.” I carry the LSA pyramid in my head, so I immediately put a large cross (for non-preference) through the social element called “Team” and a circle (for preference) around the social element “Alone”.
I also know that my daughter is visual, auditory and kinesthetic, although whether that last one remains a preference, or becomes a flexibility later on, is yet to be seen (from my personal observations, I believe that some of today’s couch potatoes were once children who enjoyed physical play). She also needs mouth stimulation: she bites her nails, and I can’t even begin to count the holes she’s bitten through sleeves, collars and hat strings, and I’m very glad I know about Learning Styles or else I might have ended up punishing my lovely daughter for something that’s not her fault.
My 19-month old son, on the other hand, is a strong tactile learner: he has to touch everything to figure out how it works, he loves the feel of different fabrics and textures, and he needs to hold the board book we’re reading in his own hands or he gets bored. He is also an obedient child (compliance) who loves playing with his sister (pairs). His favourite pastimes are sweeping and putting toys back into their box at the end of the play - that penchant for neatness, combined with his insistence to get everything “right”, points towards analytic tendencies, though I hesitate to pronounce anything definite this early on, because most children tend to start off as holistic, so I’m a bit thrown by this observation.
The LSA Junior assessment on www.creativelearningcentre.com is recommended for children aged 7 -12. Nevertheless, if you have a younger child, you can still deduce several of their learning style elements by simply observing them at play (let the questionnaire guide you).
But how early is too early? Well, for the sake of being a better parent who understands their child, I say: the earlier, the better.
In case you’re wondering, my daughter is three years old. Barbara and I just looked at each other and laughed: “That’s learning styles for you.”
So there you have it. While some elements of the Learning Styles Analysis (LSA) Pyramid can only be assessed at a later stage (statements like “I remember best when I can read about it” only make sense if you can already read), others come out much, much earlier.
The other day, we talked about soccer, and how, regardless of which team member scores the goal, it’s the whole team that wins. My daughter looked at us seriously: “Mummy,” she said. “I don’t like team work. I want to win all by myself.” I carry the LSA pyramid in my head, so I immediately put a large cross (for non-preference) through the social element called “Team” and a circle (for preference) around the social element “Alone”.
I also know that my daughter is visual, auditory and kinesthetic, although whether that last one remains a preference, or becomes a flexibility later on, is yet to be seen (from my personal observations, I believe that some of today’s couch potatoes were once children who enjoyed physical play). She also needs mouth stimulation: she bites her nails, and I can’t even begin to count the holes she’s bitten through sleeves, collars and hat strings, and I’m very glad I know about Learning Styles or else I might have ended up punishing my lovely daughter for something that’s not her fault.
My 19-month old son, on the other hand, is a strong tactile learner: he has to touch everything to figure out how it works, he loves the feel of different fabrics and textures, and he needs to hold the board book we’re reading in his own hands or he gets bored. He is also an obedient child (compliance) who loves playing with his sister (pairs). His favourite pastimes are sweeping and putting toys back into their box at the end of the play - that penchant for neatness, combined with his insistence to get everything “right”, points towards analytic tendencies, though I hesitate to pronounce anything definite this early on, because most children tend to start off as holistic, so I’m a bit thrown by this observation.
The LSA Junior assessment on www.creativelearningcentre.com is recommended for children aged 7 -12. Nevertheless, if you have a younger child, you can still deduce several of their learning style elements by simply observing them at play (let the questionnaire guide you).
But how early is too early? Well, for the sake of being a better parent who understands their child, I say: the earlier, the better.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Learning Difficulties
An interesting article in today’s New Zealand Herald (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10378163): which confirms that dyslexic people read with the right side of their brains, while “normal” readers use their left brain hemisphere.
This ties in with my blog of a few weeks ago about dyslexia, but, more importantly, it also has tremendous implications in terms of finding a way to help dyslexia sufferers learn to read and survive in today’s alphabet-oriented world.
Of course, not all learning difficulties and not all learning disorders can be blamed on dyslexia and ADHD. Research has shown that people learn in different ways: some learn visually, others kinaesthetically; some learn best in the morning, others in the evening; some need background music, others can only concentrate in absolute silence. In fact, we at Creative Learning Systems (www.creativelearningcentre.com) have identified 49 elements to consider when analysing a person's Learning Style.
So if you think your child may be an underachiever (in other words, if they are getting grades that are below your expectations or not reflecting their potential), if they have trouble concentrating in class, if they appear hyperactive, stressed or lethargic when it comes to their studies, we would strongly urge you to let your child complete their Learning Style Analysis (LSA) to see whether the cure is as simple as changing the light bulb in their study or letting them snack on an apple while doing homework.
Please go to www.creativelearningcentre.com to improve your child’s learning future today.
This ties in with my blog of a few weeks ago about dyslexia, but, more importantly, it also has tremendous implications in terms of finding a way to help dyslexia sufferers learn to read and survive in today’s alphabet-oriented world.
Of course, not all learning difficulties and not all learning disorders can be blamed on dyslexia and ADHD. Research has shown that people learn in different ways: some learn visually, others kinaesthetically; some learn best in the morning, others in the evening; some need background music, others can only concentrate in absolute silence. In fact, we at Creative Learning Systems (www.creativelearningcentre.com) have identified 49 elements to consider when analysing a person's Learning Style.
So if you think your child may be an underachiever (in other words, if they are getting grades that are below your expectations or not reflecting their potential), if they have trouble concentrating in class, if they appear hyperactive, stressed or lethargic when it comes to their studies, we would strongly urge you to let your child complete their Learning Style Analysis (LSA) to see whether the cure is as simple as changing the light bulb in their study or letting them snack on an apple while doing homework.
Please go to www.creativelearningcentre.com to improve your child’s learning future today.
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