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Showing posts from March, 2014

100 Powerful Learning Specialist and Educational Therapy Materials

This week I wanted to tell you about my online store, Good Sensory Learning. I’m Dr. Erica Warren, and I established this site so I could share all the materials that I have created over the last 20+ years as a learning specialist and educational therapist. When I first began my private practice, Learning to Learn, I had great difficulty finding fun and multisensory materials for my students that were effective and engaging. So back in 2005, I made it my mission to design and distribute high-end, remedial products as well as memorable, motivating lessons that bring delight to learning. If you would like to try a free sampling of my activities , CLICK HERE . How Are the Products Organized at Good Sensory Learning? You can download my Free Printable Catalog or you can browse the site using the grey “search all products” bar in the top right of any page with keywords such as dyslexia, working memory, and executive functioning. What’s more, drop down menus in the red banner allow you t...

7 Great Free Homework Help Sites

The internet offers a growing number of wonderful resources for students, and there are quite a few free websites that can help to make the learning process both fun and memorable. Here is a list of my favorite resources: Quizlet: Quizlet allows students to browse through and use millions of study materials created by other users, or they can also generate their own. Once information is entered into a set, students can use this content in many ways. Electronic flashcards can be viewed or printed or students can also learn the material through questioning activities. In addition, a variety of games can be generated from the information entered. Finally, students can create tests in a number of formats and take them online for an immediate score. Testing options include multiple choice, true and false, and fill-ins. There are even visuals and a feature that reads information aloud. Students can save their content, share them with others, and even merge them for midterms ...

Over 120 of the Best, Free, Online, Educational Games

Many parents and teachers limit computer time as many young learners get addicted to mindless computer games that reinforce all the wrong behaviors such as impulsivity and guessing. However, there is a huge selection of wonderful educational and cognitive games available to young learners that can both strengthen areas of weakness and also teach difficult concepts.  Over the past decade, I have created descriptions and links to some of my favorite games for my students on my Learning to Learn website. In addition, I have organized them under the following categories: Cognitive Games, General Education Games, Writing and Language Games, Social Studies Games, Science Games, Spelling Games, Reading Games, Digital Story Telling, Math Games, Grammar Games, Typing Games, Social Skills, and Sequencing. In an effort to "spread the word," I'm providing a link to my page so others can benefit from these beneficial games too. To view all these games CLICK HERE If yo...

Free Visualization Game: For Improved Reading, Writing, and Memory

I recently finished a book that reviews the history and research behind visualization and then provides teachers everything they need to assess and teach this complex skill. In celebration, I wanted to share one of my favorite games, Picture This and Draw. Free Visualization Game: The best part about this particular game is it not only develops the capacity to visualize, but works on verbal reasoning, expressive language, visual memory, fine motor integration, spatial skills, attention to details, and the ability to follow directions . This game is one that I enjoy playing with my own students. In fact, I played it this past week. You can also download the game Here Jenna and I went to opposite sides of the room with two pieces of paper and some colored markers. We each drew images on one piece of paper and then described our pictures in detail on the other piece of paper. We hid our illustrations and then shared our descriptions with one another. Our next ta...

Kinesthetic Reading Remediation

Many students struggle with reading and the learning process can become discouraging and difficult.  However, integrating kinesthetics as well as other ways of learning can make the process both enjoyable and memorable. Mastering the Vocabulary One common problem is mastering the vocabulary behind reading. Words like syllable, vowel, and consonant are abstract terms for many young learners and without an understanding of and recognition of these distinctions, students build their knowledge on a weak foundation. How Can You Teach the Terms in a Multisensory Fashion? The last two weeks, I video-taped a couple sessions with one of my students and then created a short YouTube video.   In these lessons, we tapped into all 12 ways of learning and as you can she, her enthusiasm is contagious.  The process addressed the following modalities: Visual Auditory Tactile Kinesthetic Sequential Simultaneous Reflective Verbal Interactive Direct Experienc...

Helping Students Plan Long-Term Assignments and Projects

Figuring out how to manage long-term projects and assignments can be a challenge without a sequenced and structured approach, and teaching students how to manage these skills is a key element in the learning process. Planning and time management involve executive functioning, a portion of the brain that continues to develop until around 20 years of age. As a result, when teachers assign long-term assignments or projects, it is important for them to also instruct students on how to plot a strategy and break the task into manageable chunks. Planning the Overall Approach: 1. Set and Example: Demonstrate how you plan and manage your own time. 2. Brainstorm: When you announce a new long-term assignment, discuss with the students how they might plan their approach and create deadlines. 3. Group Work: Create opportunities for students to plan their approach in small groups. 4. Offer Incentives: Offer extra credit for students that can make a plan and stick to it. Planning the ...