This is the last weekend for the Growing Brains Special. Get it before labor day and save. This product is for those who are interested in some products to try at home to improve your brain, check out our Growing Brains Everyday. This is some at home work that you can follow to increase processing speed. There is more information at that link and even a sample to try it out. 

Processing speed is an extremely important learning component and must be increased.  Extra time to process is a fine accommodation for now but fixing the problem, not accommodating it, is what we need to focus on for long term learning.  See my complete article below on how to increase processing speed.   

Click on the following link to download a sample exercise to improve processing speed:  Growing Brains Processing Speed Sample.  This is a sample from my Growing Brains Everyday curriculum. Get it now on sale while you still can and what better time than at the beginning of school. 

 

  Best of all was the Simon Says and Math Memory!  At first I thought they would never get it.  Sarah would make mistakes like when I said "circle the", she would immediately point to the circle.  To stop her confusion & help her differentiate,  I would first name the shapes/figures in the row, then begin with the verbal instructions.  At first Sarah could only get about 2 right in each row and she was holding Izzy back a lot.  Then near the end Sarah was able to remember as much as Izzy and they were getting at least 2 out of 3 rows all correct with 5 instructions.  Each time one or the other would get 1 wrong on one row.  I was shocked at how well Sarah's working memory improved.  She used to be unable to execute an auditory direction like, " go up and get the toilet paper from the bathroom and bring it downstairs."  She would never be able to find anything either.  Now she can listen to a direction and complete it!  It is amazing!  I can't tell you how much it has improved her ability to help out, be involved and created a more functional independence in her!

Most amazing was Izzy's ability to do the Math Memory addition.  I truly thought that it was not for either of the girls when we began.  Sarah could only add the first 2 numbers in a column.  Izzy on the other hand took off with it.  She seemed to have a knack for it that I'm not sure where it came from.  This is a little girl who could not remember her addition facts in 2nd grade.  She could not pass the mad minutes.  She kept asking me to do it with her and although she would have to count it versus know the fact sometimes, she could complete the whole table with only needing me to repeat numbers a few times if she forgot.  She became faster and more efficient with practice and she really enjoyed it.

Izzy is reading better but still gets hung up on long and short vowel sounds.  Her fluency has improved and she is now reading at where she should for 3rd grade.  She was reading at below grade level at the beginning of the year.  She is not as fidgety.  She hasn't knocked over her drink at dinner in a long time!  I'm not sure if she is not as fidgety at school but I will ask at her conference.  She used to get 60% on her district math assessments last year and at the beginning of this year.  A few weeks ago her teacher told me that Izzy got a 91% on her district assessment.  She has had another since then and I'm not sure how she did, but what a difference!!!  Izzy has changed from a little girl who struggled through all parts of school to a little girl who loves school and has confidence and feels good about herself.  She continues to be an amazing writer.  Her writer's voice is well above her age level.  Her spelling continues to be below average and I believe she will need to use tools to help keep her on track. 

Maybe the next section will help improve her spelling :) 

We have really enjoyed this journey in learning.  I have found that my girls are striving as different learners and I am proud of their differences.  I am no longer afraid of 4th grade for Izzy.  I am rejoicing in Sarah's accomplishments as she continues to learn and grow as a 15 year old, especially when I have seen the tragedy of some children that I work with who have Autism and are not as functional as they were when in elementary as they get into middle and high school.  This makes me believe that changes in the brain during adolescence must have something to do with it.  I also believe you are never too old to learn.  Thank goodness Sarah is a lifelong learner like her mother and she loves to do our "exercises", as we call it.

Let me know when the next section is ready.  I would love to continue with the girls during summer, so know that I am not confined to the school year to complete the 150 day program. 

I am so happy to be involved in this trial for the program!