Unlocking Learning Potential

August, 2009

 

August at the Center – What’s Happening at the Center?

 

            It is time to get ready for the school year. We have much planned for this new school year and it starts this month. Every Monday through Thursday in August, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. we are hosting an Open House and Curriculum Sale. Prices start at FREE. We are featuring teaching materials of a veteran teacher and some household items. It is not too late for you to offer classes or host activities at the center. We will have our regular, free introductory seminar on August 10 at 6:00 p.m. At 7:00 p.m. that same evening, we will have a Meet the Teacher time for parents who are interested in any of the classes being held at the Center. Brain Development and Learning, a 4-hour workshop will be held on August 22 in Lakewood and August 29 in Redmond. We still have an opening for an evaluation in Redmond. Also, August is a great time to have an evaluation in Lakewood in preparation for the school year. See below for more information.     Contact us to find out how to get started: – maggie@centerforneurodevelopment.com (253) 581-1588 You are welcome to forward this newsletter or print it out for distribution as long as you include all of our contact information.

 

Position Available: Brain Training Coordinator

 

            We are praying for God to send us a person or persons who will train to work with our clients and their parents on implementing Individualized Neurodevelopmental Plans. Contact us for more details.

 

Classroom / Meeting Space Available

 

Want to earn some extra cash? Offer classes for homeschoolers in the afternoons. Or, use our meeting room for evening activities. If you would like to offer classes or hold activities in our center, please contact us for information, schedule a time to come by to visit our center so we can get to know you and show you around.

 

 

 

 

One Challenge of Implementing an

Individualized Neurodevelopmental Program:

How Do I Balance the Needs of my INP Child

 and the Needs of My Other Children

By Kay Ness, M.S., CND

 

Dear Program Mother with Multiple Children,

 

I wanted to relate to you that many others have been in the same position that you are – including the ICAN ND's with their own children.

 

I started on this path 22 years ago with my son. Initially I had my son on a Glenn Doman program at the Institutes in Philadelphia. I was an engineer, running my own business and a new mother. Fortunately I realized I had no idea what was required of me in raising my son and educating him. So I was teachable, not having preconceived notions. I was trained in Montessori and had definite ideas about what should be learned. The neurodevelopmental approach was to shape my whole thinking about what learning is, what intelligence is (as was my Christian faith - which also came later), and what our role as parents is.

 

I quickly learned by observing (as Dr. Montessori did BTW) that each child learns differently but the path to SKILLS development was designed by God to help a child learn to perfectly adapt and adjust to the culture into which that child was born. The 'learning differently' aspect was also explainable by the ND approach - a child didn't have to be limited in learning because of a lack in one area but it could be remediated. Little children learn quickly, eagerly and thoroughly - much more so than adults. They lack wisdom but they are very able learners if we give them the correct input to help their brains develop good skills and give info to them in a way that they can learn. The developmental profile laid out those steps for me and having learned that, I knew what to provide at each step for my child as he developed. If he was lacking a skill or an ability, I knew that through the God-given design of neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change and adapt to specific stimulation) I should be able to go back and provide the underlying missing pieces to help him leap ahead.

 

So my whole thinking about learning changed, as I became more and more involved in the neurodevelopmental approach to learning. My job as a parent was to provide input - input that was good and clean and adapted to the developmental level of the child. If I provided that input and given that underlying things were in place, the child would learn and learn well and learn fast.

 

It was very exciting to me. We could help children develop better and faster and actually approach historical levels of function for our children - levels that hadn't been seen for almost 50 to 100 years in skills of our forefathers. A little note: CS Lewis learned Latin and Greek at the age of 6y y/o. John Milton started learning Greek and Hebrew at the age of 3 because he could already read/write English. And this wasn't 'pushing' children - it was simply providing a learning environment that matched their God-given potential and abilities. For instance, everyone knows that little children learn languages better than adults, and learn them with proper grammar, syntax and lack of accent seldom achieved by adults.

 

So my whole thinking about learning changed from 'curriculum' –driven to 'skills development' . I wanted all children to be neurologically organized, have sensory issues resolved, have good auditory and visual processing and dominance in place and be able to read very well and do basic math very well as quickly as possible. With some of the techniques that we've developed over the years for children that are behind in learning, we've been able to put things together to also accelerate learning for 'normal' and 'gifted' children - I believe all children are 'gifted' as you can probably guess.

 

Once skill levels are high (and the child is neurologically organized) the children are essentially self-educating, which is or should be our goal anyway. They can learn easily and well no matter what we throw at them or what the rest of the world sends their way.

 

And it is not that we at ICAN came up with all of these things. We stand on the shoulders of giants of the previous generations of people doing this work. And we are still gathering information of people that have been off doing this type of work all on their own in isolated little groups for decades while the rest of the world plugged along with 'No Child Left Behind' and such things....

 

So as you plug along trying to do program with your child, who is behind or has issues, know that this work also has the potential to help all of your children learn better and faster and enjoy it more. It is very exciting to my colleagues and me. Uh, we are rather fanatic about it, which is required to do this work - ha, ha.

 

Your ND can give you ideas about how to help your other children learn more efficiently and quickly. Our general advice is to take a deep breath, step back and look at what you are really trying to accomplish with your other children and see if there is a more efficient way to reach that goal. Often, with my son, I'd just have him read a particular book on a subject which I wanted him to learn or I'd send him to a class or we'd spend 6 weeks studying one subject together if he needed help, or I'd simply read a book on the subject with him during our read aloud time

 

Bless you for all you are doing for your children. I pray that you find the answers you are looking for to help you smooth out the bumps in the road that this approach to learning has brought you. BUT, you ARE asking the right questions - the first step towards growing in this area.

 

And I often tell parents to not be afraid to ask for help from church members, fellow homeschoolers, friends, etc. Helping someone is a blessing but in our false sense of independence, we often don't want to ask for help when we need it. But remember the blessing aspect of helping and know that this is what the Lord would have us do.

 

Hope this helps. It is rather an 'around the barn' way of answering your question.

 

Many and continued blessings,

Kay - ND Atlanta

 

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Brain Development and Learning

Learn how to apply what we know about brain development

to learning reading, math and other subjects.

 

Where and When? 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

 

Two Opportunities:

 

Saturday, August 22 in Lakewood

Center for Neuro Development

8907 Gravelly Lake Drive SW

Lakewood, Washington 98499

For directions: maggie@centerfordevelopment.com

(253) 581-1588

 

OR

 

Saturday, August 29 in Redmond

Randy and Joyce Eichenberger’s home in Redmond

For directions: eichenbe@verizon.net

(425) 881-9691

 

Browse excellent resources for more study!

 

How Much? $20.00 per family

(includes handouts)

Space is limited.

Send to: 8907 Gravelly Lake Drive SW

Lakewood, Washington 98499

 (Or call with credit card information – (253) 581-1588)

 

Workshop Presenter? Maggie Dail, MA; ICAN Certified Neurodevelopmentalists Maggie has been teaching for 30 years in private schools and homeschooling groups. She and her husband, Ronnie operate Center for Neuro Development (formerly Master Enterprises Learning Center). She has an M.A. in Special Education. For more information call: (253) 581-1588 or e-mail: maggie@specialhelps.com. www.centerforneurodevelopment.com and www.specialhelps.com