As parents we are so aware of how different kids are in so many ways. From birth, you learn how your child reacts to different situations and challenges and adjust your approach accordingly. What you may not think about on a regular basis is WHY your kids are such one of a kind treasures.
Every child has a unique neurological composition from the very beginning, and as they grow and experience life, their brains truly become their own. Every brain starts out with its own “wiring” and constantly rewires itself through life’s experiences. The technical term is neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the reason for our unique characteristics. An important characteristic for kids especially is how differently they all learn thanks to their unique brains.
Children’s cognitive skills are what they rely on to learn the information presented to them in school. Each child benefits greatly if his or her parent and teachers take the time to figure out the way the child learns best and adapts their approach to fit.
Before a child enters a classroom, teachers can set great learning in motion by conducting cognitive skills assessments on the student. The skills assessments are invaluable to parents and teachers in that they identify a student’s strengths and areas of opportunity or gaps that may hinder his or her performance.
When a student’s weak cognitive skills are better understood, teachers can customize the way they present information to the student and strengthen those specific skills. The right approach enables kids to learn effectively and independently while enjoying the process of learning.
One vital cognitive skill for kids is memory and attention. Ask any teacher how important memory is for teaching, and they’ll rank it right at the top of necessary student skills.
Memory’s importance and the fact that neuroscientists agree that memory can be improved should correlate with an effort to work with all kids to improve their skills.
However, most schools don’t offer a memory class or even understand what that class would entail. Kids spend twelve years in school relying on their memory to retain all the information they’re presented every day.
It’s a significant issue. Of the approximately 55 million kids in school (from Kindergarten through High School), it’s estimated that over 18 million of these kids are struggling, the bottom third, because they have weak memory.
Being able to target these kids’ needs could significantly improve their outcomes. Improving their memory capabilities and working on other core skills essential for learning such as visual and auditory processing can take kids from the bottom third to top of the class.
If you identify a student’s learning “glitch” and correct it through proper individualized and customized cognitive training, kids will embrace learning instead of struggling, compensating, and working extra hard just to keep up.
Summer is a great time to focus on your kids’ learning issues. The kids have more free time and may be receptive to a program that will make school a lot more enjoyable when they return in the fall.
It’s also a great way to be sure the so called lazy days of summer don’t end up creating a bigger gap in a struggling student’s abilities. On average, a student can lose 2.6 months of grade equivalency in mathematical computation skills if he or she doesn’t make any effort during school break.
If you have a student who is struggling in school, you want to use your time and resources wisely. Look for a program that can identify your child’s neurological weaknesses and meet him where he is and take him to the next level. You and your child will be glad you made the investment early in his learning career.
Brought to you by LearningRx of Bethesda. Call them at 301-654-1205, or email [email protected].
LearningRx, we change the brain.
