Skip to main content

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
Post a Comment

How Quick Hemisphere Integration Mediations Calm Students

With increasing academic expectations, the pressure on teachers to bring up test scores, and competitive classroom environments, more and more students are struggling with chronic stress and anxiety.  So, what can we do to calm students and get their brains in a state for optimal learning?
First We Must Understand that Excessive Stress Negatively Impacts Learning
While some nervousness can enhance memory, chronic stress and anxiety are emotions that have no place in a classroom. When excessive stress is experienced, the body makes too much cortisol, a steroid hormone that the body produces to assist you in responding to stress or danger, and this can disrupt cognitive functioning. Studies reveal that chronic stress can disrupt synapse regulation.  This can result in reduced sociability and social isolation. In addition, high levels of cortisol can kill brain cells and even shrink the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that manages memory and learning.

Second, We Need to Provide Strategies to Calm Students' Bodies and Brains
Fortunately, there are numerous research-based methods that can help.
  • Mindfulness
  • Meditation
  • Metacognition
  • Breathing exercises
Third We Should Activate Both Hemispheres of the Brain with Fun Brain Breaks
Did you know that students often think with half the brain, while the other half remains "offline?" When this happens, learning becomes practically impossible. However, when the left and right hemispheres are both activated and communicating, the brain is integrated.  For academic activities, hemisphere integration is essential, because it allows students to fully process and comprehend lessons.  So how can we awaken the whole brain?

Brain breaks can be a fun tool to engage and prime your students for learning. Brain Breaks are short, bursts of activity, and when they also implement certain movements, both hemispheres of the brain can be activated.
Students are calm after doing brain break meditations

Are There Any Ready-Made Materials?
Multisensory Brain Break Meditations unite all of these strategies and can be used in a classroom or at home. They are great for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary students from grades 1-5.  Click Here to learn more.

What about Helping Older Students?
I also offer Mindfulness Activity Cards that were created for older students.  Based on the mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and social-emotional learning research, these publications can be implemented in classrooms or therapy sessions to develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and working memory. Furthermore, they can teach authentic dialogue and develop self-esteem. They are great for round table discussions, circle groups, and individual sessions.

I hope you found this blog on calming meditations helpful.  Teaching students to manage their stress and providing grounding resources in their environment can help to nurture resilient, resourceful, and confident learners.

Cheers, Dr. Erica Warren
Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.

· Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/
· YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1
· Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/
· Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com
· Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/
· Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/69400
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

88 Assistive Technology Tools for Struggling Learners

Making sense of the complex weave of assistive technology devices and applications for struggling learners can be a confusing and frustrating chore. This blog talks about 15 different types of assistive technology that can benefit struggling learners with links to my favorite tools. For a more comprehensive discussion of these technologies  CLICK HERE Comprehensive Technologies: Don Johnston Inc. - $. Kurzweil 3000 - $   TextHelp - $ ClaroRead - $ Planning, Time Management, and Organization: iStudies Pro - Free/$ - Remember the Milk - Free - RescueTime - $ Strict Workflow  - Free - Wunderlist - Free - Text to Speech: AnyBook Personal Reader - $ Audible.com - $ IntoWords - $ NaturalReaders - Free/$ Project Gutenberg & Librivox - Free Raz-Kids - $ Read & Write for Google Chrome - Free/$ Read OutLoud - $ Snap&Read Universal - $ Voice Dream Reader - Free/$ Voice Typing - Free Speech to Text: Co-writer Un
Post a Comment
Read more

10 Free Ways to Improving Visual Tracking for Weak Readers

While reading, tracking across the page from one line to the next can be tricky when the text is small, but for students with dyslexia or weak reading skills, it can be a problem regardless of the font size.  So why is this the case?  Perhaps one of the problems is poor tracking skills. What Exactly is Tracking? Tracking is the ability for one's eyes to move smoothly across the page from one line of text to another. Tracking difficulties happen when eyes jump backward and forward and struggle to stay on a single line of text.  This results in problems such as word omissions, reversals, eye fatigue, losing your place while reading and most importantly it can impact normal reading development.   Can Tracking be Improved? Tracking can be improved by strengthening eye muscles as well as getting your eyes and brain to work cooperatively.  There are three eye movements that need to be developed:   Fixations: The ability to hold one's eyes steady without moving
Post a Comment
Read more

Do I have dyslexia - Explaining Symptoms and Myths for Kids

What do you do when you learn that your child has dyslexia? Should you hide this diagnosis to protect them from labels and misunderstandings, or should you tell them? If you do decide to tell them, how do you do this? Can you help them to overcome any potential fears or misunderstandings? These are the questions that I will answer in this blog that includes kid-friendly graphics. What are the Benefits of Telling Your Child That He or She Has Dyslexia? Educating your child with dyslexia about the common signs and misconceptions can help them to: understand that they learn in a different way than other kids that don’t have dyslexia.  shed negative labels such as stupid, careless, unmotivated and lazy. correct any misunderstandings. identify with other successful people that have or had dyslexia. acquire the needed intervention and instruction in school. learn that many people with dyslexia have strengths that others do not have. Individuals with dyslexia are often: great
Post a Comment
Read more