“Peter, why don’t we take this box and build a spaceship so we can travel to space and visit different planets?”

Without hesitation, Peter ran enthusiastically toward the box and carried it in his arms gave it to his friend.

Under the watchful eyes of the class, Arthur and Peter decided to tore the back of the box, and suddenly the object looked like a sleigh. Then Arthur, looking at Peter, suggested:

“Our spaceship is almost done; now all we have to do is to add fuel.”

So Peter started collecting some sand with his bucket and dumped it into the box. Excited, he turned to Arthur and said:

“All set. Countdown to takeoff!”

Holding a branch in his hands, Arthur sat at the front of the “spaceship” and, with the help of his co-pilot Peter, began to announce aloud to the other children in the park:

“Guys, we’ll visit other planets with our spacecraft. Who wants to go with us? Come on take your seat and let’s take a trip!”

Little by little, other children began to sit down in a row inside the box and, with the help of the teachers, started the countdown to launch:

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,1. Takeoff”.

Laughing, the children began to wave to the teachers and to the other students in the park, saying:

“Bye, bye, see you later!”

“Bye, bye guys. Have a safe trip and have fun, teachers replied”.

And this was undoubtedly an amazing trip around the world. From the world of imagination…

photo credit: Sunder_59 EFCS Van Allen via photopin (license)

The post From the world of imagination: a day in the park with preschool students first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post From the world of imagination: a day in the park with preschool students appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

Plays of make-believe nourished my imagination and my childhood. My sister and I used to invent theater pieces and perform them to a large imaginary audience. We used to hang a sheet over a clothesline, calling it the curtain, in order to open to the “public.” We also used to reenact scenes from horror movies using red kitchen detergent as human blood. I even clearly remember the apple smell of that detergent.

Creativity is another skill that was strongly encouraged by my parents during my childhood. Once when I was six years old, I decided to make a camera out of recycled material and bring it to school for the “day of the toy.” I grabbed an empty box of cotton swabs and filled it with pictures of people I cut out from magazines. The photo-taking machine was a sensation at school!

Learning based on the integration of stimuli (vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste) was also part of my life during childhood. I used to fill my toy pans with rice and beans and prepare biscuits with bread dough. I also had the opportunity to learn about marine species by visiting aquatic animal parks, to develop critical thinking and interest in the seventh art by going to the movies, and to experience different sensations and feelings on the beach with my family.

Play is essential in a child’s life because it creates rhythm and meaning through the senses and movement. It is necessary for parents to show interest in play and in the first discoveries of children because these practices create meaning and provide encouragement for them. It is through play movement that children come to know and perceive the world around them, using the senses of their own bodies to comprehend themselves, and establishing relationships with others and with the environment.

Stimulus is crucial for development. Without stimulus the child does not learn, cannot feed, does not gain confidence and autonomy nor is able to strengthen relationships. When the child learns something new, such as riding a bicycle, the brain associates this new learning with other experiences previously acquired such as body balance, laterality and motor coordination in an integrated and holistic process. In this way, new learning creates new brain synapses that result in new skills and adaptive behaviors in a child’s life.

In order for the child to develop his/her abilities properly, an education based on stimulus is essential. This “attachment education” begins with the creation of consistent relationships between parents and children in all child development stages.

The early years in the life of a child have a strong impact on brain architecture and the development of neural connections, as they mark the beginning of neuropsychomotor development. Thus, the first stimuli and learning experiences are decisive for the consolidation of cognitive and socio-affective competencies. In my personal experience, this occurred when:

• I learned my first numbers and letters through some books presented by my father, and board games I used to play with my sister.
• I improved my motor coordination and posture through dance classes, encouraged by my mother.
• I really understood equilibrium and confidence after learning to ride a bike.
• I received encouragement from my parents as they helped me with my homework.
• I learned by example how exciting it was learning to read and discover new words and curiosities.

It is very important that children develop everyday experiences to strengthen skills and apprenticeships, and families must be aware of this. To educate through positive stimulus is to educate for a happier and more fulfilling life, promoting the development of more confident children, able to influence the world positively and creatively.

Photo Credit: Ivan Radic  http://photopin.com

The post Memories of a childhood rich in stimulus and its importance for brain development first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post Memories of a childhood rich in stimulus and its importance for brain development appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

Learning is a process that involves progressive changes in the individual’s behavior, as a result of their lifelong experiences, as well as their contact with the environment. To the extent that the child interacts and socializes with the environment, he integrates into his repertoire new experiences and skills.

Child development is closely linked to maturational brain process and interactions performed in the environment through the use of sensory and motor abilities. These capacities, as stimulated and constantly worked can evolve from a basic and elementary cognition to a more elaborate higher condition. For this reason, pedagogical intervention activities can effectively assist in the development of skills and attitudes in children with developmental disorders.

Sensorial abilities occurs when the child receives and processes environment ´s experiences in his daily routine. They are represented by the senses of hearing, sight and touch such as: crying, babbling and singing (language) as well as the use of hands in the interactions (manual capacity).

Motor learning is a process that involves progressive changes in the motor behavior of the individual as a result of their life experiences as well as their contact with the environment. Thus, human motricity is the result of the transformations in the perceptive-motor acquisitions from their experiences and explorations. The motor experience allows the learner to expand his repertoire of movements and actions such as: balance, coordination and strength, through the contact and improvement of stimuli coming from the environment.

It is through the movement that the child accesses, explores and understands the world around him. The act of moving, gives to this child the opportunity to grow, to experience, and to self-adjust to external situations. In this way, the body becomes a means, a vehicle through the most diverse contacts with the world. Thus, insofar as the child interacts and socializes with the environment, new knowledge and skills are integrated into his repertoire. As examples of motor experiences are running, jumping or crawling for example.

The constant development of sensorial and motor capacities is an indicator of “how the maturational process of the child’s Brain is”. However, it is important to note that a child’s level of development does not always follow his or her chronological age. A genetic syndrome for example, can dificulty the development of some capacities in child´s life. In this way, what defines the progress of their abilities is what this child can receive, understand and express at that moment.

The Pedagogical work using sensory-motor activities integrates child’s perception and interpersonal skills, allowing him to discover relationships between synchrony, time and space, sensations and temperature, movement and mobility. The daily practice of sensory and motor activities can be explored by parents, caregivers and teachers through playful activities, making use of pedagogical materials such as: scissors, clay, gouache paint, sung stories, blocks, Mini circuit with obstacles, among others.

It is crucial that the teacher can be able to recognize the type of neurological needs presented in her students, so she can plan and apply pedagogical activities according to the individual needs of each one.

Even if the child doesn´t have the level of maturity conniving with his chronological age, it is necessary to stimulate and practice development activities, that help him to develop fine motor skills, such as: ripping paper, handle and play with modeling dough, make cutouts with magazines and colored paper, among others. These activities contribute positively to the improvement of sensorial and motor skills, and can serve as a pedagocical strategy for the practice of more refined capacities later.

There are some behaviors that the teacher can observe in the classroom that can help her to identify in the student some individual needs (in motor and sensorial skills) as follows:

• The type of posture that the student use to write
• How to pick up the pencil or pen for the homework
• How they walk day by day, with colleagues
• How they handle the toothbrush and personal belongings
• How do they position themselves in play activities and play games
• How do they observe and copy the lesson from the board.

In this way, we can see that the teacher plays a fundamental role in the development and improvement of child’s abilities in the classroom, especially in those who present developmental delay due to some syndrome or learning disorder. Thus, activities of pedagogical intervention in childhood are crucial for child’s development in sensorial, motor, cognitive, affective and social aspects of life.

AUTHOR BIO

Daniela Silva is a Brazilian educator and independent writer. She holds a BA in Pedagogy from Santa Cecilia University, Brazil, with concentrations in School Management and Business Education; an MBA in Personnel Management from Monte Serrat University Center, Brazil; and a postgraduate certificate in Neuroeducation from Estácio de Sá University, Brazil. Working with social projects in the area of e-learning and people development since 2009, Ms. Silva is a regular contributor to several educational websites, writing about teaching practices in the classroom; emotions and learning; evaluation and school planning; learning disorders; homeschooling, brain child development, parenting, Montessori education, andragogy and people training.

Additionally, she develops courses and training manuals for teachers and students, and contributes as a mentor in an online platform, answering questions about career plans, college decision, personal development and professional skills. Working in collaboration with The New Heights Educational Group, Inc., she has just published Unraveling Reading, a book on literacy education and learning disabilities in reading and writing.

The post Sensory & Motor Skills in Children with Developmental Disorders first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post Sensory & Motor Skills in Children with Developmental Disorders appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

During learning, the neuron undergoes modifications in its brain structure (neuroplasticity), thus generating new adaptive behaviors in the child’s life. In addition, the brain still considers in the development of learning factors such as

• Family history: presence or absence of mental disorders, learning disorders or genetic syndromes.
• Emotional factors: the child’s experience in stressful environments or presence of physical or emotional abuse.
• Social-family factors: malnutrition, families at risk, extreme poverty and social vulnerability.
• Gestational influences: use of licit drugs (alcohol and tobacco) and illicit drugs (crack, cocaine, marijuana, solvents, etc.) during pregnancy.
• Familiar environment: absence of stimulation between parents and children, such as moments of playful activities and new experiences of learning.

Under this bias, it can be observed that learning is a process that involves both intrinsic and extrinsic factors in which genetics and environment act as modulating structures of learning.

The development of learning begins during the gestational period, as the development of the baby depends on the mother’s nutrition during pregnancy. Thus, healthy eating habits,  such as a balanced diet rich in fruits, proteins, vegetables and the ingestion of liquids (water and natural juices), are essential for the strengthening of mother and baby. The nutrition pregnancy is crucial to the proper functioning of the nervous system of the fetus. Nutritional deficiencies, on the other hand, can compromise significantly child’s brain development and consequently their learning.

When a pregnant woman ingests alcohol, for example, the substance reaches the fetus through the bloodstream and placenta. This is because the baby’s organs are in continuous development and therefore cannot process the alcohol circulating in the body. The consumption of alcoholic beverage in the first trimester of pregnancy is already capable of causing significant changes in the development of the baby’s central nervous system, thus causing fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

            Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition that causes physical and mental damage in the fetus due to alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The effects of the substance include problems in the migration of the development of neurons in the baby’s brain, which leads to anomalies in the central nervous system and damages the child’s cognitive development and behavior. It is important to emphasize that any type of alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, distilled beverages, etc.) during pregnancy can be detrimental to the baby’s development.

Depending on the amount of alcohol consumed by the mother during pregnancy, as well as the stage of development of the fetus when the alcohol was consumed, the child may present from high to low levels of impairment in cognitive development, resulting in deficits in language functioning, planning, spatial organization, selective attention and memory.

Among the characteristics presented in children with the syndrome are small eyes, fine upper lip, short and upturned nose, deformities of joints, slow physical growth, low birth weight, vision difficulties or hearing problems, difficulty with reasoning and problem-solving, poor judgment skills, learning difficulties, impulsiveness and difficulties memorizing.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in the Classroom

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) can compromise the cognitive development of children from mild to severe forms. However, no child is equal to another, because each one is unique in characteristics and educational needs.

Even children with the same syndrome may present different characteristics and educational needs. For this reason, the careful observation of the teacher is crucial to identify punctually the learning necessities of each student, and from this, elaborate a pedagogic planning based on multi sensorial activities.

In order to develop child’s potential, it is necessary that the teacher organize learning environments rich in multisensory stimuli, containing pedagogical activities that instigate the five senses of the child, such as colors, tastes, textures, sounds and body movements. In addition, the teacher can propose enrichment activities for memory, communication, executive functions and adaptive behavior.

The variety of stimuli captured by the child’s brain is crucial for the development of new brain synapses, thus building new learning experiences. It is worth emphasizing that each child is unique in potentialities and difficulties.

Some children with fetal alcohol syndrome may present difficulties in interpreting sensory information, such as touch, sound, movement and smell. The routine of a classroom can be a very challenging environment for a child with FAS due to a range of sounds that a classroom may has, such as mixed voices, different smells, movements of students, very loud noises and agitation during class breaks. The child may feel irritated and distressed due to the diversity of stimuli occurring at the same time. What happens is that the nervous system of a child with FAS has difficulty in processing sensory information. For this reason, it is important to organize an environment in which “less is more” regarding visual stimuli.

Fine and gross coordination may be a difficult for some children with fetal alcohol syndrome. For this reason the practice of sports, such as swimming, soccer, running, riding a bike, skating, dancing, among others, can greatly help the student in developing and enriching these physical motor capacities. In addition, physical exercise helps the child in maintaining an upright posture.

Because they present a neurological impairment in sensory processing of muscles and joints, on some occasions these children may break toys and bump into objects and classmates in class. This behavior can be interpreted by some people (who do not know the characteristics of the syndrome) as awkward, rude or purposeful. But what actually happens is that due to the presence of impaired motor skills, students with FAS have a decrease in muscle control capacity, which makes difficult in grasp and hold activities, such as picking up a pencil to write or draw.

Golden Tips:

• It is important to have a space in the classroom where the student can settle (or rest) whenever he or she feels irritated, harassed or stressed. The space needs to be warm and welcoming, like one made of a linen tent, a camping tent, a playhouse or just a more quiet space in the classroom, composed of beanbags, cushions or mats.
• Students with fetal alcohol syndrome are often visual and tactile (however can have children with FAS under-sensitivity to the touch). Attach a visual schedule to the wall containing the routine of the day, as well as visual timers, in order to prepare the student for the day.
• The manipulation of objects, such as modeling clay, key chains (made of rubber or plastic), stress balls and sandpaper sheets, can assist both in sensory-motor capacities and in executive attention function, as it helps to maintain focus and concentration during activity, causing the child to ignore other irrelevant stimuli.
• Decrease the number of visual stimuli so the child does not feel irritated or overactive with lots of visual information. Give preference to natural lighting in the classroom by adjusting the level of clarity with the aid of curtains in the windows.
• Shelves (of the size of the students) develop autonomy and organization, as they encourage the child to store personal belongings (such as backpacks, shoes and coats) in the individual compartments.
• The use of mats, cushions or adhesive tape helps to delimit the space where students can sit during group activities. The incorporation of breaks between school tasks may be an effective strategy for the emotional self-regulation of children with FAS. Exercise activities, such as walking outdoors, taking errands in another classroom to the teacher, stretching, yoga, ball activities, running, jumping, among other activities of movement with the whole body, can calm and relax students during their time in the school.
• In the development of skills communication, parents and teachers can choose materials with illustrations, showing in simple and concrete language, instructions about child’s daily routine (social stories). Each social story describes a specific situation of the child’s routine, such as going to school, doctor’s appointment, eating in the restaurant, traveling with the family, etc. The purpose of social stories is teaching the child different social skills, applicable to different contexts of life.
• Children with FAS has difficulty thinking abstractly. That´s why a math curriculum can be so complex for these students. As a pedagogical strategy, is important that the teacher can be able to develop an individual education plan involving daily math problems, such as the use of flyers and other print materials from retail outlets. It´s important to not overwhelm the students with a lot of math problems. A good strategy can be select a reduce number of problems on the page, enlarging the font size and spacing the questions. In order to help students understand how much time it takes to complete each classroom activity, sand timers can be used to develop a sense of time and duration.
• Art classes (music, dance, drama and visual arts) can improve in students with FAS the development of fine and gross coordination, skills in creating and performing corporal expressions, representation of thoughts, images and feelings trough painting and drawing activities, enrichment of multi-sensory capacities (as concrete learners, students with FAS remember

better when they use their senses – touch, sight, taste, smell and hearing).

Parents and teachers need to establish a partnership to better include the child with FAS at school. Parents must provide to the school all the necessary information about the child’s characteristics and needs so that the teacher can prepare a multi-sensorial environment rich in learning experiences for this student. Parent-teacher partnerships is the key to an education reduced in stress and disruptive behaviors (because parents usually know the factors that trigger impulsive behaviors in the child and therefore can inform the teacher on how to avoid them). The active participation of the parents in the development of the child (through constructive ties and daily experiences) is of great value to foster the growth and involvement of the student in his own learning process.

In order to develop healthy interpersonal relationships in the classroom, it is important for the teacher to teach other students values, such as empathy, kindness, solidarity, equality, love and respect, as well as the value of socializing with children with disabilities. In addition, the joint work of the school with a team of specialized professionals, such as special education teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist, educational psychologist, pediatrician and child neurologist, are of paramount importance for the overall development of a child with FAS.

Child cognitive development involves not only brain processes but also aggregates experiences of the child’s learning. These learnings are developed from the child’s contact with the environment through play and body activities, activities to stimulate social interaction and communication, games of rules or symbolic games, etc. Through these practices, it is possible to improve the capacities and potentialities of the child. Proposing pedagogical activities taking into account the sensory, motor, emotional and cognitive aspects of the child provides a meaningful learning environment in a welcoming and healthy atmosphere, rich in stimuli and possibilities of development.

Sources:

https://www.nofas.org/factsheets/

http://www.cisa.org.br/artigo/4763/sindrome-alcoolica-fetal.php

https://www.nofas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Facts-prevention.pdf

https://www.nofasd.org.au/alcohol-and-pregnancy/what-is-fasd/

http://www.rffada.org/images/stories/documents/What_educators_need_to_know_about_FASD.pdf

The post Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in a Child’s School Education first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in a Child’s School Education appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

It is through the plasticity that the brain alters its structure and operations, and in this way, it generates new knowledge and skills for a child’s life. With neuroplasticity, the brain is able to modify the physical structure, the chemicals and the function. This occurs through the experiences and stimulus encountered by the child in his or her interactions with the environment. 

From the birth period, the child’s brain is developed in a fast and effective way. This period marks the beginning of the neuropsychomotor development, the learning of movements of the head, arms, hands, legs and feet. The child becomes able to touch and handle objects as well as capable in developing speaking skills through the interactions with the environment.  

As the child interacts with the environment, new synaptic connections are formed in the brain, resulting in different learning and skills. 

The first steps bring to the children a universe of curiosities and first discoveries. The movement becomes an instrument of interaction and socialization for children who, with the right stimulus (according to the age), have the opportunity to develop their coordination and physical skills. When moving, children learn about the world and necessities, so they are able to express in each new discovery their own reactions and feelings. 

At two, the children gain the ability to freely move arms and legs and have grown in physical strength. They are able to socialize with other children and differentiate a variety of objects, such as indicating toys and materials of their own preference. This is a great opportunity to stimulate physical, manual and social skills with in-group recreational activities and the handling of small musical instruments. At this age, children begin to develop self-control thus it is a great opportunity for parents to teach what is right and what is wrong with simple language and with examples of what was experienced during the day. Learning to deal with frustration and developing boundaries with clear explanations are important lessons in this stage of life when the children learns to play in-group and get along with other children. 

Three-year-old children develop fine motor skills, which are the ability to use and control the small muscles of the body, such as holding on a pencil to draw, handling stories books, cutting or tearing a paper and wearing or buttoning a shirt. At this stage, parents can stimulate the autonomy and self-care by encouraging the child to organize his or her personal belongings and by developing hygiene habits with his or her own body. The child’s language grows with the learning of new vocabulary and the acquisition of new phrases. For this reason, parents should encourage the child to talk and interact with them and with other children. Activities such as listening, telling stories and singing songs help in the development of the oral language. 

When children are between four and six years old, they demonstrate interest in plays of make-believe and recreational activities with peers. This is the ideal stage for the apprenticeship of social skills such as empathy, cooperation, trust, solidarity and respect for others. At this stage, children learn to make decisions and to make choices, such as understanding what foods are best for their health, the importance of respecting and obeying rules and how to develop self-control and manage their own emotions. 

The development of numerical skills and language abilities are more intensified during this period. Children are able to reason, solve problems, understand quantities and measures, develop hypotheses and argue using examples. Playing in groups or with rules are ideal for the development of social skills. Board games in which children needs to count the obstacles in order to reach the finish are effective strategies to improve mathematical competencies. 

As we can see, children are born with a great potential of development and learning, especially during the first six years of life, because of the plasticity that the brain has. It resembles a sponge by managing to apprehend a range of information and knowledge. 

The key to a healthy child development is in the importance of providing stimulus and learning environments so that the child can develop and improve his or her physical, cognitive, social and affective skills. These skills are improved through practice and are reinforced by personal experiences, such as events occurred in day care, pre-school, at home, in the park, in the nature or through the relationships with peers and adults. 

The post Neuroscience and Brain Child Development first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post Neuroscience and Brain Child Development appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

Learning is defined as a process that involves progressive changes in an individual behavior. This is often viewed as a result of his/her lifelong experiences, in addition to their connection with the environment.   Relative to the extent that a child interacts and socializes with the environment new experiences and skills are integrated into his/her repertoire.

Child development is closely linked to maturational brain process and interactions performed in the environment through the use of sensory and motor abilities. These capacities, as stimulated and constantly worked, can evolve from a basic cognition to a more elaborate higher condition. For this reason, pedagogical intervention activities can effectively assist in the development of skills and attitudes in children with developmental disorders.

Sensorial abilities occur when the child receives and processes environment ´s experiences on a daily basis. Examples include: hearing, sight and touch such as: crying, babbling and singing (language) as well as the use of hands in the interactions (manual capacity).

Motor learning is a process that involves progressive changes in the motor behavior of the individual as a result of their life experiences as well as their contact with the environment. Thus, human motricity is the result of the transformations in the perceptive-motor acquisitions from their experiences and explorations.  The motor experience allows the learner to expand his repertoire of movements and actions such as: balance, coordination and strength, through the contact and improvement of stimuli coming from the environment.

It is through the movement that the child accesses, explores and understands the world around him. The act of moving, gives to this child the opportunity to grow, to experience, and to self-adjust to external situations. In this way, the body becomes a means, a vehicle through the most diverse contacts with the world. Thus, insofar as the child interacts and socializes with the environment, new knowledge and skills are integrated into his repertoire. As examples of motor experiences are  running, jumping or crawling for example.

The constant development of sensorial and motor capacities is an indicator of “how the maturational process of the child’s Brain is”. However, it is important to note that a child’s level of development does not always follow his or her chronological age. A genetic syndrome for example, can dificulty the development of some capacities in child´s life. In this way, what defines the progress of their abilities is what this child can receive, understand and express at that moment.

The Pedagogical work using sensory-motor activities integrates child’s perception and interpersonal skills, allowing him to discover relationships between synchrony, time and space, sensations and temperature, movement and mobility. The daily practice of sensory and motor activities can be explored by parents, caregivers and teachers through playful activities, making use of pedagogical materials such as: scissors, clay, gouache paint, sung stories, blocks, Mini circuit with obstacles, among others.

It is imperative the teacher is able to recognize the types of neurological needs in students, so that planning and applying pedagogical activities are done according to individual needs.

Even if the child doesn´t have the level of maturity conniving with his chronological age, it is necessary to stimulate and practice development activities, that help him to develop fine motor skills, such as: ripping paper, handle and play with modeling dough, make cutouts with magazines and colored paper, among others. These activities contribute positively to the improvement of sensorial and motor skills, and can serve as a pedagocical strategy for the practice of more refined capacities later.

Listed are some behaviors the teacher can observe in the classroom that will help him/her identify individual needs:

• The type of posture that the student use to write
• How to pick up the pencil or pen for the homework
• How they walk day by day, with colleagues
• How they handle the toothbrush and personal belongings
• How do they position themselves in play activities and play games
• How do they observe and copy the lesson from the board.

The teacher plays an instrumental role in the development and improvement of a child’s abilities in the classroom, especially in those who present developmental delays. Activities of pedagogical intervention in childhood are crucial for child’s development in sensorial, motor, cognitive, affective and social aspects of life.

The post Pedagogical Work in Children with Developmental Disorders first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post Pedagogical Work in Children with Developmental Disorders appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

Enthused by studies on human behavior, Richard Bandler started a Gestalt therapy group made up of students and members of the local community. John Grinder, professor of linguistics at the University of California, agreed to oversee Brandler’s therapy group. Discovering the similarity of their interests, they decided to combine their knowledge in computer science and linguistics.  Programming the minds of people through the use of language, is based on a set of models, strategies and changes in the beliefs that their practitioners use in order to achieve excellence in personal and professional development.  Based on linguistic and behavioral patterns Richard Bandler and John Grinder built mental models that could be used by others in different areas of life such as work, school, health, emotions, business and interpessoal relationships.  Programming: Our thoughts, feelings and actions can be programmed and modeled so that we can reach our objectives and goals.

Neuro: Refers to the central nervous system, which processes the information we collect through our five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch.  Linguistics: Suggests that language (verbal and non-verbal) and how we use it in our daily life, reflects what we think, feel and believe.  NLP allows the individual to change their way of thinking and acting in order to achieve the desired and specific results, through the interaction between the brain, language and behavior.  Neurolinguistic Programming is a learning model that allows the individual to understand how thought is processed (neurologically), and the impact of this in our behavior and in the decision making. This pedagogical tool allows a student to know and understand how the brain works and how to modify the way of thinking and acting in order to achieve the objectives that are expected from any field of human activity.

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The post Contributions of Neuro-linguistic Programming in School Education appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The term Savant has a French origin and means “learned person.” Possible causes of this syndrome are unknown, but some studies suggest that the development could be related to the formation of neural structures during prenatal brain development.

Savantism, in some cases, is related to Asperger’s or Autism Syndrome, and for this reason, people with Savant Syndrome may have difficulty in social interactions and with communication. However, Savant Syndrome can also be acquired because of a serious brain injury.

The high skills of Savant syndrome can manifest in early childhood, even if the child does not attend school. However, stimulus and intense practice can be crucial components for the improvement of Savant skills.

In a practical way, people with Savant Syndrome manifest prodigious skills in some areas of human intelligence, such as in the following:

• Musical intelligence: can develop the sound of a melody by playing the piano, just listening to someone playing for the first time, with no previously training or practice.
• Mathematical Intelligence: developing mathematical calculations mentally, without the aid of calculators, quickly and accurately or even have the ability to calculate and tell the day of the week of any date in the year.
• Kinesthetic/ Tactile Intelligence: presents dexterity and agility in the assembly of complex mechanical parts for engines, motors and smart devices, such as building exquisitely detailed ships.
• Spatial and Pictorial intelligences: known as, Savant artists, these individuals are able to develop three-dimensional drawings, exceptional sculptures and paintings with excellence. In addition, they might also demonstrate efficiency in memorizing maps and geographical routes.
• Linguistic Intelligence: ability to understand, write and translate multiple languages quickly and accurately.

In the school environment, the educational curriculum must be adapted and applied based on the educational needs of Savant students. Thinking about this, Dr. Trevor Clark, PhD in autism at UNSW (The University of New South Wales) has developed an academic curriculum aimed at gifted students and with educational strategies for teaching students with autism.

According to the Savant curriculum, the educational program has to include:

• The advancement of the student to a higher grade than peers, in a rapid progression of educational content in a far shorter term.
• Enriching the curriculum with activities according to the learning experiences and high skills of the student.
• A mentoring program with a specialist responsible for guiding the student in his/her academic life and professional career.

It is very important that the educational Institution develop an Individual Educational Plan, taking into account the student’s life history (experiences), the set of skills and interests of this student, as well as the visual stimuli that motivate his/her learning process.

Referencies:

1. Positive partnerships. Fact Sheet – Savant skills.
2. Super Duper®Handy Handouts!®. “What Is Savant Syndrome?”.
3.  Herring. “Savant Syndrome” (2002).
4. Taruna Ikrar. “Neurophenomenology of Savant Syndrome”. CDK-232 42.9 (2015).

photo credit: charlywkarl child Head via photopin (license)

The post Savantism and Multiple Intelligences: The Extraordinary Brain Syndrome first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

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• Visual Sense: Stimulate the child through different colored objects, of varied shapes o differentiate colors, as well as to perceive different materials.
• Chromatic Sense: introduce the child into the world of colors, leading them to observe and learn different tonalities, teaching them to differentiate the variety of gradations that each color presents.
• Stereognostic Sense: With eyes closed, the child is guided to recognize sizes, shapes and textures through tactile movements.
• Tactile and Thermic Senses: The child develops kinesthetic abilities, so that it is possible to perceive and differentiate different temperatures and physical forms through the movements of the hands.
• Auditory Sense: Through the game of silence, the child is instigated to perceive the most varied sounds and noises present in the environment.
• Olfactory and Gustatory Senses – through instigating activities, the child is led to smell and taste different foods, that they have prepared themselves.

Therefore, the child in the school has the opportunity to develop new skills and abilities. Encouraging the student through challenging learning activities contributes to the formation of new synapses. Because of this, it is essential to present variety of colors, flavors, textures, sounds and sensations to the student. Since the child´s brain is constantly growing and developing, the guide has unique opportunities to teach while the brain is plastic and sensitive, with the ability to absorb new information. This stage is referred to by Maria Montessori founder of Montessori Education as the sensitive periods of learning, or absorbent mind.

According to Montessori, during this period, which begins at birth, the child has an intense capacity to absorb knowledge and develop new skills. This stage is noticeable when a child is seen performing the same activity over and over again, in an attentive and focused manner. At this moment, the child is motivated, driven by curiosity and willingness to learn how a particular object or situation works, such as: swinging a rattle and listening to different sounds, or dragging a chair and noticing that the object moves on the floor.

The sensitive period of learning begins from the birth of the child extending to approximately 6 years of age.

• The first year of the baby’s life is characterized by the motivation to imitate adults in gestures and features. This is evident when observing a baby who is waving, clapping, kissing his/her parent´s faces etc. It is during this period also that the child presents a need for routine and organization, as well as the enjoyment and satiation of the most basic needs, such as: sleeping, waking, feeding, playing, and bathing. An organized environment with a well-structured routine assists in the healthy and safe development of the child.
• During the phase that comprises the period between 7 months to 5 years, the child develops language and knowledge of the first letters. In this plastic period, you can hear the baby babbling the first sounds and syllables, increasing the repertoire of phrases and vocabulary. Singing for the child, telling stories and reading aloud are good stimuli for the improvement of vocabulary during the preschool stage.
• A Child’s motor learning begins after birth. It is a process that involves progressive changes in motor behavior, which are the result of their cumulative experiences, as well as their contact with the environment. It is through movement that the child is able to access, explore and understand the world around her.
• Motor coordination allows the child to develop movements using the brain, muscles, and joints. In gross motor coordination, the child is able to crawl, walk, run, and jump. Fine motor coordination is responsible for more delicate movements such as writing, painting and drawing, trimming, fitting, assembling and disassembling materials. Therefore, the materials and activities often implemented in a Montessori environment, such as writing on colored sand and picking up marbles using tweezers, are good examples of pedagogical practices that stimulate the development of fine motor coordination in children.
• Mathematical thinking is introduced in Montessori education from a very young age. This period of development is characterized by concreteness of thought. The child understands the world through the perception and representation of real objects. With this in mind, we can easily perceive that the child understands numbers and forms in a practical way. It is through the sense of touch that a child can explore. Therefore, they are offered exploratory activities in the form of shapes and shadows, with numbers in sandpaper and in a jigsaw puzzle of geometric figures. In addition, the child has the opportunity to perform these activities at their own rhythm of development that involves the use of repetition. In turn, this repetition is crucial to the formation of new connections in the brain. The more times an activity is performed, the more chances it has of becoming new knowledge and a new skill in the child´s life.

As we realize, the sensitive period of learning is a very important stage of discoveries and knowledge for the child. It is an intense period of brain plasticity during which the child’s mind is able to absorb information in a short time, in an agile and practical way. For this reason, it is crucial for parents and educators to be attentive to this process by understanding the importance of education during this sensitive period so they may provide a safe, agreeable and enjoyable environment that will further help the child´s development.

The post Neuroplasticity in Montessori: The Science Behind Montessori Education first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post Neuroplasticity in Montessori: The Science Behind Montessori Education appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

Diagnostic categories comprising the autism spectrum are: Autistic disorder (also called “classic” autism), Asperger Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS or “atypical autism”), Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Rett Syndrome.

Among the most common symptoms associated with these disorders are problems in communication and social relations, difficulty in understanding what others think and feel, repetitive or stereotypical behaviors, and obsession with self-stimulating activities that generate pleasure and interest in the child’s self.

Specialized educational programs for treating children with autism focus on developing language and communication skills, social interaction and redirecting behavioral issues. These programs have the support and help of professionals such as pediatricians, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, speech therapists, psychopedagogues and neurologists.

With specialized educational services, and the care of qualified professionals, it is possible to further develop the potential and capabilities of children with autism. It is worth mentioning that these programs vary from person to person because each child is unique and has his or her own specific needs.

In Asperger Syndrome, the child doesn´t have delays in language and cognitive functions, and actually often displays a good performance in school subjects and learning areas of greatest personal interest. Socially, however, people with Asperger’s commonly have difficulty in putting themselves in the other person’s place, which may result in difficulty comprehending social and non-verbal cues that give meaning and context for understanding of conversation and shared experiences.

Pervasive, Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), also known as the “atypical autism”, is characterized as a mild degree of autism, and presenting such symptoms as difficulty in social interaction and language. This is the diagnosis given by the specialists for someone who has some but not all characteristics of autism, or who have relatively mild symptoms. Children diagnosed with PDD-NOS may have better social skills than children with classic autism or Asperger Syndrome.

Another disease inserted into the autism spectrum is the Rett Syndrome. This disorder mainly affects female children, whose characteristics are observed in difficulty in controlling hand movements and the gait when walking, loss in visual contact and the use of speech, inability to perform motor functions (apraxia), cognitive disabilities, and breathing difficulties. The treatment for the syndrome is multidisciplinary, including medication and specialized therapy.

Childhood disintegrative disorder is a category in autism spectrum disorder used when symptoms manifest later in the child’s life than they occur in development of classic autism. In this type of disorder, there is a gradual loss of previously acquired capabilities causing difficulties in social interaction, decline in motor skill, and loss of control over bowel and bladder function.

With unprecedented growth in the number of children exhibiting various degrees of behavior associated with the autism spectrum, it is important to periodically take children to a pediatrician, in order to keep a medical record of and inform the doctor of physical and behavioral changes in a child’s development. It may also be both informative and helpful to seek guidance from an alternative medicine and a nutritionist. Often food allergies have been linked to autism-like symptoms.

References for article:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ disorders/rett/detail_rett.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.org/ diseases-conditions/childhood- disintegrative-disorder/ basics/definition/CON-20026858

The post Autism Spectrum Disorder first appeared on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..

The post Autism Spectrum Disorder appeared first on New Heights Educational Group, Inc..