Pyramid of Potential


Improving memory, attention, logic - Adult Scores show that these can improve at any age!


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August 27, 2015

Hi All!

Over the past year, Pyramid of Potential, Inc. has trained many individuals to become Brain Advancement Coaches to train children through older adults to improve cognitive skills. The coaches completed 4 months of training, replicating the training and coaching that will be given to students. In order to graduate, cognitive testing was given before and after the 4 month period. The Gibson Cognitive Test was used, which is given on-line, and is therefore objective. 

If you would like to help someone improve their brain or you would like to improve your own, please take a look at www.brainadvancementteam.com. If you sign up now for the next session which starts October 1, you can save $50. This early bird special will run until August 31. I'd love to get to know you while we work hard training our own brains in preparation for training others!!

The Sale of the Month we have Primitive Reflexes: Foundations for Learning. Save over 20% during the sale. 
For a full description and to watch a sample video clip go to:
   

Thank you so much! Kathy
Save Over 20%
Originally recorded from a 7+ hour webinar, this training comes to you on DVDs and includes all material, videos, and Q&A.
Primitive Reflexes: Foundations for Learning
For a full description and to watch a sample video clip go to:
Offer Expires 8/31/2015. 
Foundation for Learning: Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex

 
Of the 17 graduated coaches, averaging 48 years old, a gross majority of the cognitive skills scores increased, although some decreased. When averaging the scores of all coaches for each cognitive skill, there was an increase in all skills. The scores are given in percentile points; if someone scores at the 50th percentile, they are average. The results of the most dramatic changes in average percentile points are as follows:
  •  Auditory memory up by 13 percentile points
  • Visual memory, 18
  • Long term memory, 15
  • Logic and reasoning, 18
 "JUST FINISHED MY 60TH LESSON! Thanking God that from your direction Kathy my memory is better! I used to be so worried! Now I know that I can help myself and others! So excited for the future ahead of helping children and adults to be the best they can be! Thank you Kathy for your love and commitment to this field and to us! You are a true inspiration!" Mary Jo Fleishman, Brain Advancement Coach graduate, Canton OH
 
Lesson 4 Sample, Brain Advancement Coaching
Lesson 4 Sample, Brain Advancement Coaching

The comments from the coaches as they completed the program spoke of the improvement in attention, amount of work accomplished, ability to recall and remember, and reductions in anxiety and motion sickness.
 
 These coaches come from many states in the United States and India. They are available to help you or your child improve brain functioning now. To locate a coach near you go to
If you are interested in becoming a coach, start at http://www.brainadvancementteam.com 
or call us for more information. 518-260-3937.


 
 
INCREASING WORKING MEMORY
 By Carol Brown, Equipping Minds    
   
         
Wor
king memory is the new IQ. Many people believe 

 
that a person's Intelligence Quotient (or IQ) will define his or her personal and academic achievement. But we now know that working memory is a stronger predictor of success than IQ. Over the last 20 years, research on working memory has found reliable correlations between working memory span and several other measures of cognitive function, intelligence, and performance in school. Recent studies on individual differences in mathematical abilities show that aspects of working memory contribute to early arithmetic performance.
 
Further studies examine the relationship between working memory, reading, and comprehension. The key to intelligence is being able to put those facts together, prioritize the information, and do something constructive with it. Working memory is the skill that gives a person the advantage of managing all this information and is a stronger indicator of a learner's academic and personal potential than an IQ test. 
 
School curricula are focused on increasing the knowledge of subject content. Students with low working memory capacity are often seen as inattentive, unmotivated, or having lower intellectual ability. Current treatments have been limited to remediation of content, learning strategies, accommodations, and medication. These may have some short-term benefits. But they do not target the underlying cognitive deficits. Teachers and interventionists need the methods and tools to actually improve their student's' capacity for working memory. 
 
What is working memory? You are using your working memory right now as you read this article and encode the information. Working memory is the system that allows you to hold multiple pieces of information (such as visual images or verbal/auditory information) in your mind, where they can be manipulated. A strong working memory helps you comprehend, listen, take notes, and remember a sequence of events or steps. Students with communication disorders, autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disorders, dyslexia, intellectual disability (Intellectual Developmental Disorder), and motor disorders all have a deficit in working memory. 
 
Here are some examples of the symptoms of poor working memory: 

* A student may have difficulty learning to read. He may read a word and forget it a few lines later.  

* A student may have difficulty following multistep directions and maintaining attention.  

* An older student may be following a lecture until he is distracted by another student's question and forgets what he has just heard. 

* Reading comprehension and spelling may be challenging.

* It may be difficult to remember basic math facts and the steps to solve a math problem. 
 
It is important to know whether your student (or even a spouse or employee) is actually ignoring your directions or requests, or he simply has a weak working memory. 
 
What is the problem with repetitive instruction? In her book, Improving Working Memory: Supporting Students' Learning, Tracy Packiam Alloway talks about a recent study with students from ages 8-11. These students were given repetitive instructional support. Yet two years later, they were still performing at the bottom of the class. Drilling academics without improving working memory is like entering a bike race with flat tires. If we don't develop working memory skills (blow up the tires), the process of learning academics will be a very uncomfortable and bumpy ride. 
 
How can we develop working memory? Working memory can be increased with intensive cognitive training. Let's give our students the capacity to learn! When I work with students, I give them exercises that help them understand what processing speed, working memory, and long term memory retrieval really feel like. Here are some exercises that begin with basic processing, switch to a working memory exercise, and end with a logic exercise: 

 * Take a deck of playing cards or the game Blink and simply see how quickly you can name the cards you see. I encourage you to time yourself on all of these exercises. This is your processing speed. 

* Next, sort the cards according the suit or shape on the card. It is important to say the name of the suit or shape when doing the exercise. Parents can play against their child. You can also sort by color only and number only. 

* Now alternate the cards and say the number of the first card, the color of the second card, and the shape (suit) of the third card with the Blink cards. This is your working memory. Did you feel it? 

* Then say the number of the first card, the number and color of the second card, and the number, color, and suit/ shape of the third card. 

* Finally, remove the face cards (K, J, Q, and A) and say the number you see on the first card (equal), then add +1 to the second card, and then subtract -1 to the third card. 

* How did you do? 
 
Keep practicing! When students hold two or more procedural steps in their mind while they perform a task, they are using their working memory. Practice the above exercises at home or at school every day for the next 8 weeks and watch your working memory improve! Working memory and processing speed are two of the most common weaknesses we see in students with learning challenges. 

Jan Amos Comenius was an educator and theologian, and is often considered to be the father of modern education. He believed that all humans are created in the image of God and have the capacity to learn, as he said in the following passage: It is evident that man is naturally capable of acquiring knowledge of all things since, in the first place, he is the image of God. So unlimited is the capacity of the mind that in the process of perception, it resembles an abyss . . . for the mind, neither in heaven nor anywhere outside heaven, can a boundary be fixed. The means to wisdom are granted to all men, and he reaffirms the common character of learning potentiality in all of mankind. What one human being is or has or wishes or knows or is capable of doing, all others are or have or wish or know or are capable likewise. I couldn't have said it better myself.                 


Blessings,
Carol
 
 
Thank you Carol for a wonderful article highlighting the importance of working memory. When our Brain Advancement Coaches are working with a student, they are improving many cognitive skills including memory: working, long term, short term, auditory, and visual. They are improving processing speed, logic and reasoning, and attention. They are reducing test anxiety and general anxiety. Their grades improve; lives improve. It's powerful.

Contact Us
Kathy Johnson, MS Ed

Bob Johnson

Pyramid of Potential
245 Washington St #3369
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-260-3937

Take a Look!
Why I Am A Brain Coach
Kathy Johnson of Pyramid of Potential gives hope to the world. About 1 in 5 people have an issue with their brain - autism, dementia, Alzheimers, learning disabilities, stroke, TBI, and more. Because of neuroplasticity (knowing that the brain can change and improve), research shows that the symptoms of these problems can be overcome, and the affected person can have success and progress. Because of Kathy's passion, she has helped many people since 1999 to overcome brain issues. You can be a brain trainer too!! www.brainadvancementteam.com
Kathy Johnson of Pyramid of Potential gives hope to the world. About 1 in 5 people have an issue with their brain - autism, dementia, Alzheimers, learning disabilities, stroke, TBI, and more. Because of neuroplasticity (knowing that the brain can change and improve), research shows that the symptoms of these problems can be overcome, and the affected person can have success and progress. Because of Kathy's passion, she has helped many people since 1999 to overcome brain issues. You can be a brain trainer too!! www.brainadvancementteam.com
Upcoming Local Presentations

 

Improving Handwriting and Composition Abilities
 

August 20. 6:30 - 8:30

63 Putnam Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

 

Improving Math and Word Problems When the Methods Don't Work Well Enough
 

September 17, 6:30 - 8:30

63 Putnam Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

 

5 Fun Activities to Improve Attention, Memory, Processing Speed and More! 

November 12, 6:30 - 8; Saratoga Springs Library, Henry Street, Registration requested

 

Full Day Trainings

 

Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia: An Integrated Approach

October 9, 7:30 to 4:00

Albany Marriot, 189 Wolf Rd

Registration and information: http://www.pesi.com/brochures/38093/full.pdf

"A few of my teachers attended your session and came back ranting and raving" - New Jersey Administrator

 

 

 

Where's Kathy?

It is now time to set up your professional development at your school - Kathy is available for many dates this Fall! Call now to secure YOUR date!
 
Below are the upcoming workshops that Kathy Johnson is giving. If she is not coming to your area, why not hire her for your next professional development?
   
  Kathy Johnson Photo 2010

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 in WHITE PLAINS, NY 
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Thursday, September 24, 2015 in PLAINVIEW, NY
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Friday, September 25, 2015 in MANHATTAN, NY
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 in Poughkeepsie, NY
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Thursday, October 8, 2015 in Springfield, MA
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Friday, October 9, 2015 in Albany, NY
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Wednesday, November 18 2015 in San Antonio, TX 
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Thursday, November 19, 2015 in Austin, TX
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Friday, November 20, 2015 in Houston, TX
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Monday, December 14 2015 in Cherry Hill, NJ 
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Tuesday, December 15, 2015 in Bensalem, PA
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 in King of Prussia, PA
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Thursday, January 21 2015 in Boise, ID 
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Friday, January 22, 2015 in Salt Lake City, UT
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Monday, January 25, 2015 in Tucson, AZ
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Tuesday, January 26, 2015 in Phoenix, AZ
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 
Wednesday, January 27, 2015 in Scottsdale, AZ
Speaker: KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED
Early Registration: $189.99 

If you aren't near any of these on-site professional development conferences, consider the following:
 
Dyslexia, Dyscalculia & Dysgraphia: An Integrated Approach   Price: $169.99  Author: Kathy Johnson, MS Ed.  Format: DVD