Weekly Series — Developing Young Thinkers I don’t need the reminder card anymore. Higher mental functions develop through constant practice and internalization of higher mental tools. By gaining access to higher mental functions children can extend their minds...
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Think: “kids do well if they can”
Weekly Series — Behavior Made Easy When working with challenging kids it is important to have a guiding philosophy. A philosophy sets the stage for how we interpret and respond to unexpected behaviors. A philosophy enables us to approach student problems in a...
Developing Higher Mental Functions
Developing Higher Mental Functions Weekly Series — Developing Young Thinkers The alarm goes off. Five year old Johnny rolls over, blinks his eyes a few times. He counts to three, slides the covers and springs out of bed. As his feet hit the floor he already knows the...
Developing Higher Mental Functions – What not to do!
Weekly Series — Developing Young Thinkers The goal for working with emerging learners is to help them develop mental tools that develop higher mental functions. The new students were sitting on the carpet. The teacher facing them, asks who can tell me which shape is...
“Specialized, not Special”
Weekly Series — Developing Young Thinkers He has Special Skills. I felt my anxiety rise as we were called into the meeting. We were sitting at the end of the table, surrounded by the professionals bracing ourselves for the report to follow. Much of the rest of the...
A Picture Paints a 1,000 Words
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words Game 1 “A picture paints a thousand words,” is a well known phrase. But a picture can also inspire a thousand words. This is another fun activity that utilizes the understanding that 80% of the free write is the pre-write. And the...
Turn Your Kids into Writers!
Are your kids beginning to drive you nuts? Turn them into writers! Are they bored? Are you tired of watching Frozen for the 100th time? Have you begun to worry about your children's academics? How far behind will they be? Not to worry! There is a solution that...
How Kids Learn: “First they Belong then they Try”
Weekly Series — Behavior Made Easy The three year old’s were walking in already looking for their spot at the circle. They each rang the bell as they joined the group. Their coach was at the front to greet them with a smile, eye contact and a high five. “Glad you are...
On the Importance of Play
Weekly Series — Developing Young Thinkers Time Traveler #1 “What is your position? over” Time Traveler #2 The dinosaurs are getting closer, I’m running into the trees now” Time Traveler #1 “Find your nearest base camp and put on your invisible shield” Time Traveler #2...