Improve Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension for Your Right Brain, Kinesthetic or Neurodivergent Learner

Improve Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension for Your Right Brain, Kinesthetic or Neurodivergent Learner

At 3D Learner, we focus on Getting It Right for students who are right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learners, who often struggle with reading fluency and reading comprehension.  Note, math and anxiety are often challenges, too.

In this post pandemic period, reading fluency and reading comprehension are major issues for many students.  Math has become an even bigger problem, as reading comprehension issues are compounded by their lack of foundational skills.

As one parent commented, “The best time to intervene was a couple of years ago, the second best time is today”.  

While the risks and opportunities are greater than ever, the key point is that it is 

Up to Parents to Make The Difference

Is your child a bright right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner?  Does this describe your child:

  • Does your child remember places visited, even from years ago?
  • Does your child learn best when he or she sees and experiences information?
  • Is your child a lot smarter than present results would indicate?
  • Does your child struggling with reading fluency, reading comprehension, math and/or anxiety
  • Would you like to know how you can help your child to be far more successful, within months

 

This is the first in a 5-part series to Get It Right For Your Right Brain, Kinesthetic or Neurodivergent Learner.

This blog post will focus on the risks and opportunities facing parents and kids, and the unique role parents play in making the difference.

For the right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner,
it is up to the parents to make the difference

 

The second blog post will focus on the key Insights about these kids.  Their unique strengths, challenges and their present level of performance — with a focus on both reading fluency and reading comprehension.

 

The third blog post will focus on Setting BOLD Goals for your bright right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner.

 

The fourth blog post will focus on Getting the Right Help to Get It Right for your bright right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner.

 

The last blog post will focus on the benefits of Taking Massive Action to Get It Right for your bright right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner.

 

The 7 biggest risks the right brain, kinesthetic and neurodivergent learners face are:

  • They avoid silent reading and their reading fluency and reading comprehension gaps widen.
  • Parents invest in a dyslexia treatment, which may be needed, but they do not realize these programs often do not address reading comprehension, visual processing and related skills.
  • The right brain, kinesthetic and neurodivergent learners learn best when they see and experience information.  These students often do not make the desired progress with traditional tutoring and other interventions that do not leverage their skills.
  • These students often have visual processing, auditory processing and/or executive function issues (e.g. attention, working memory and processing speed) that are often not identified or addressed.
  • Anxiety and frustration increase each year and their self-esteem and confidence declines.
  • Reading fluency and reading comprehension issues start to impact a student’s performance in all other subjects.
  • Parents change schools – often moving their child to a charter or private school.  While these settings may help, they rarely address the reading fluency and reading comprehension issues. 

 

3D Learner has been helping students to improve their reading fluency and reading comprehension for 28 years.  We have also been working with prior voucher programs for close to 10 years.

 

Opportunities for Right brain, Kinesthetic or Neurodivergent Learners with Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Issues

  • The right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner can often increase their reading comprehension by 2 or 3 grade levels within months
  • Reading fluency gains can be significant
  • Improvements in attention, visual processing and working memory can improve academic, athletic and related skills
  • Anxiety and frustration can often be reduced, and the students can become far more confident and resilient

 

An Example Where a Student Needed far More Than a Dyslexia Treatment

Maria had been through two years of dyslexia treatments but was still struggling with reading fluency; her reading comprehension was two years below grade level, and she avoided reading.

Mom called us and in the first few minutes, we realized her daughter was a right brain learner, who learned best when she saw and experienced information and that she appeared to have a visual processing issue.

Further testing confirmed the learning difference and visual processing issue and revealed this second grade had some reading fluency issues and her reading comprehension was at the kindergartener level.

With our help, her reading fluency improved, her reading comprehension improved 2 grade levels in 4 months and 3 grade levels in 7 months, and she read 23-chapter books over this period.

 

Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Gaps Can Be Larger for Older Student

Gina had a significant reading fluency and reading comprehension issue. It turned out her reading comprehension was 5 years below grade level, and she was struggling with her homeschool curriculum.

With our help, her reading fluency improved, her reading speed doubled, she improved her reading comprehension 4 grade levels in 6 months, and she was able to do all her schoolwork.

 

The Path to Improving Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Starts with Asking the Right Questions

We often start with 5 key questions:

  1. Is reading fluency an issue for your child?
  2. What is your child’s present level of reading comprehension?
  3. Is your child a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner?  Note, many students who struggle with reading fluency and reading comprehension are a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner, who learn best when they see and experience information.
  4. Does your child have a visual processing issue?  74 percent of our students skip words and lines when reading.  People will argue that visual processing does not cause dyslexia — that is true.  However, a visual processing issue makes reading very difficult and often leads to students avoiding silent reading.   
  5. Did you realize that you can leverage the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities to help your child to significantly improve his or her reading fluency and reading comprehension in months?


We are offering a focused assessment that addresses the following.  

  • Your child’s reading fluency strengths and challenges, using the UFLI Core Assessment ®- the University of Florida’s Literacy Institute’s Assessment

  • Your child’s present level of reading comprehension

  • Whether your child appears to be a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner

  • Whether your child appears to have a visual processing issue

  • How you might can capitalize on your child’s strengths and address their challenges to significantly improve your child’s reading fluency and reading comprehension issues in months


To take advantage of this offer,
call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your situation

Leveraging the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities to Improve Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension +++

Leveraging the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities to Improve Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension +++

(Especially for right brain, kinesthetic and neurodivergent learners)

The Florida Empowerment Scholarship and the Personalized Education Program now provide parents with the opportunity to significantly improve your child’s reading fluency and reading comprehension and so much more, with voucher money.

The 3D Learner Assessment Special — purchase one hour through the Florida Empowerment Scholarship or Personalized Education program and call us at 561-361-7495 and we will provide you with a one hour tutoring – assessment effort and a 30 minute consult to answer the following questions:

  • Whether your child has dyslexia — and where their reading fluency is strong and where they struggle
  • What your child’s present level of reading comprehension is
  • Whether your child is a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner
  • Whether your child has a visual processing challenge — over 74% of the students we see either skip words and/or lines when reading
  • How with our help, you can significantly improve your child’s reading fluency and reading comprehension
  • Or you can call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your specific situation.

 

3D Learner — Offering a Strength Based Program to Improve Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension for over 26 years

Since 1997, 3D Learner has been helping students to improve their reading fluency and reading comprehension.  We also help students to improve their attention, working memory, processing speed, visual processing and their confidence.  With what has become known as the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities and the Personalized Education Program for others, we have been able to help more students with Florida’s vastly expanded voucher program.

 

3D Learner specializes in helping the right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner who often:

  • Remembers details from places visited, even from years ago
  • Learns best when they see and experience information
  • Are a lot smarter than present results would indicate
  • Often have two, three, four of the following challenges:
    • They skip words and lines when reading
    • They can focus on that which interested them, but lose focus when the work is hard or frustrating
    • They have difficulty remembering what they heard or read
    • Anxiety and frustration often occur when doing academic work

 

3 Goals for 3D Learner Students with the Florida Empowerment Scholarship and the Personalized Education Program

Our first goals are to help parents to understand:

  • Whether your child has dyslexia — and where their reading fluency is strong and where they struggle
  • What your child’s present level of reading comprehension is
  • Whether your child is a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner
  • Whether your child has a visual processing challenge — over 74% of the students we see either skip words and/or lines when reading
  • How you can make the difference

 

To offer an integrated, engaging and effective solution for those students we can help.

 

To help students to make significant gains in their reading fluency and reading comprehension in months.  We do this while also addressing attention, visual processing, working memory and processing speed issues.  We also strive to build self-esteem, confidence and resilience.

 

For voucher students, we are offering a one-hour assessment – tutoring session with a separate parent consult, when you purchase one hour from 3D Learner through the Florida Empowerment Scholarship or the Personalized Education Program.  You can either:

  • Purchase an hour and call us at 561-361-7495 or 
  • Call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your specific situation.

 

3D Learner Results for Right Brain, Kinesthetic and Neurodivergent Students

We have helped a second grader to improve her comprehension 3 grade levels in 7 months
and a 9th grader to improve her comprehension 4 grade levels in 6 months.

 

A homeschool student had been through 2 years of dyslexia treatments, but her comprehension was still at the kindergarten level, even though she was in 2nd grade.

With our help, she was able to:

  • Significantly improve her reading fluency
  • Improve her reading comprehension by 2 grade levels in 4 months and by 3 grade levels in 7 months
  • Significantly improve her attention, visual processing, and confidence
  • Read 23-chapter books on her own, after not having read one previously
  • Go from a struggling dancer to the top group, because of their improved neural timing, working memory and confidence
A 9th grader improved her reading comprehension by 4 grade levels in 6 months.

Her mother commented: “Her reading comprehension has increased four grade levels, and she has increased her rate of reading by 100 words per minute. Her ability to comprehend what she is reading has also improved and she doesn’t hate reading for the first time in her life”.

 


For voucher students, we are offering a one-hour assessment – tutoring session with a separate parent consult, if you purchase one hour from 3D Learner through the Florida Empowerment Scholarship or the Personalized Education Program.  You can either:
  • Purchase an hour and call us at 561-361-7495 or 
  • Call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your specific situation
For non-voucher students, we are offering this $250 value for $124. 

 

A Dyslexia Treatment is Often Not Enough for a Bright Right Brain Learner with Dyslexia To Improve Reading Comprehension

A Dyslexia Treatment is Often Not Enough for a Bright Right Brain Learner with Dyslexia To Improve Reading Comprehension

A dyslexia treatment that follows the Science of Reading will help Reading Fluency but may not significantly improve reading comprehension.

The challenge is that many students with dyslexia are also a right brain kinesthetic learner, who learns best when he or she sees and experiences information.  For the right brain kinesthetic learner with dyslexia, additional strategies and interventions may be necessary to address their specific challenges.

The Science of Reading is an evidence-based approach to teaching reading that emphasizes phonics, phonemic awareness, and other foundational skills. While it is effective for improving reading fluency, it’s important to note that reading comprehension is a multifaceted skill that involves various cognitive processes beyond just decoding words.


Note, if your child does not have dyslexia but learns differently, all the other efforts discussed below to improve visual processing, executive function skills and reading comprehension may be needed.


Note, these students’ profiles often include a combination of 2, 3 or 4 of the following: the student often learns differently, has auditory or visual processing issues, and very often has more than one executive function challenge that may include attention, working memory, processing speed and …


Most students with dyslexia are also a right brain, visual or kinesthetic learner with a visual processing and/or executive function challenge. 

 

Specific problems we see in right brain kinesthetic learners with dyslexia may include:

 

Problems recognizing words they have seen and not mastered.

Vocabulary instruction: Enhancing word knowledge is crucial for understanding the meaning of texts. 

Sight word vocabulary — where the right brain kinesthetic learner does not have a picture for what the words mean.

Visual processing issues frequently occur in this population.

Working memory.  A dyslexia treatment and building language skills often requires students to learn and remember rules.  This can be difficult for a student with a weak memory.                   

Processing speed.  Many students with dyslexia process information slowly, but it can be improved.

Reading comprehension strategies: Teaching specific strategies, such as visualizing, summarization, questioning, and making connections to their own experiences, can help students with dyslexia improve their comprehension skills.  For the right brain kinesthetic learner, the student will often benefit from a hands-on and visual approach that teaches them what the word looks like and creates a visual for what the words and passages mean.

Text structure or sequence awareness: Understanding how different types of texts are structured can aid comprehension. Explicit instruction in recognizing and understanding sequences can be helpful.

Background knowledge development: Building background knowledge using pictures or videos can improve comprehension. Reading a wide range of texts on different topics and relating to their own experiences can contribute to this.

Explicit instruction in comprehension skills: Providing direct instruction in specific comprehension skills, such as identifying main ideas, drawing conclusions, and making predictions, can be beneficial.

It’s important to recognize that dyslexia is a neuro-biological condition that affects the way the brain processes written and spoken language. As such, a comprehensive and individualized approach to intervention is often necessary, taking into account the unique needs and strengths of each student with dyslexia.  

To improve reading fluency and reading comprehension for students with dyslexia who are right brain kinesthetic learners, the student often needs:

  • A dyslexia treatment to improve reading fluency.
  • A more visual kinesthetic approach to word recognition, spelling and vocabulary.
  • Auditory and/or visual processing issues identified and addressed.
  • Executive function issues identified and addressed.
  • Reading comprehension strategies that utilize relevant text and that leverage the student’s ability to learn best when they see and experience information.

 If you would like to discuss your situation, you can either call us at 561-361-7495 or click here to find a time on our schedule to discuss “Your Right Brain Kinesthetic Learner with Dyslexia”.

Why Math Word Problems Are so Difficult and How Visual Parenting Can Help

Why Math Word Problems Are so Difficult and How Visual Parenting Can Help

Difficulty with math word problems is one of the most common academic challenges our students are experiencing. If a child is struggling with reading, it is an even bigger frustration, but even for those good readers- trying to solve word math problems is frustrating. We often hear “This isn’t math– this is reading!!” This blog post will cover five main points that are often overlooked when approaching these problems:

  • If your child is struggling with math word problems, they are not alone. We think that most of these problems are written by math whizzes who do not really think about the words they used. It is vital that students understand the necessary math vocabulary that they can relate to. (What does “Susie has 4 less apples than Bobby has” mean?)
  • Virtually every student we have worked with can do far better in math with a visual kinesthetic approach that allows them to see and experience the problem.  This works well for all students, and especially for the right brain kinesthetic learner who learns best when they see and experience information. We are seeing so many students who just have no number sense. They haven’t had sufficient time to “just play” with numbers. Looking for patterns, mastering the various combinations that make 10. We are pushing math “reading problems” before these kids have mastered playing with numbers.
  • Visual processing issues are quite common, and students often make what appear to be “silly” mistakes. They might not line up the columns of numbers correctly, or they make computation errors in one of the multiple step problems, making the final answer wrong.
  • They HATE to show their work!!! “I can do this in my head… Why do I have to write it down?”
  • Problems with language, visual processing, working memory, processing speed and anxiety often make the situation worse. They just have a difficult time knowing what they are supposed to do. It is important to identify and address the relevant issues.
    Calm visual parenting helps.  By this we mean:
    • Do not assume your child understands your words.  Use pictures where possible. Have them “teach” you what they think they are supposed to do. Gently guide them to what is actually supposed to be done. “That’s not the way my teacher does it”- might be their response. Make sure you get clarification from the teacher.  Students ARE BEING SHOWN multiple ways to solve a problem– often in a different way than you learned it. This is not a battle! Try to keep those emotions and comments to yourself. (I know. It’s hard!)
    • Kinesthetic learning really helps.  Using flashcards when teaching math facts does not create a picture they can relate to.  Laying out rows of M&Ms, or clay balls can help them.

    • Most students learn best when they discover the pattern.  Math is all about patterns! 
    • Stay calm.  When your child does not understand something — it is because it has not been explained in a way that works for them.  Try another more visual kinesthetic approach.

 

With math word problems, what is possible for the right brain kinesthetic learner

Our expertise is with the student who learns best when they see and experience information – what we call a right brain kinesthetic learner.


For Alex, progress was relatively quick.  He thought he understood the words but had visual processing and working memory challenges. It was difficult for him to figure out what he was supposed to do. He was impulsive and did the problems far too quickly. He made a number of mistakes.  

After our assessment showed the visual processing, working memory and impulsivity issues, we worked on improving his visual processing and working memory and slowed him down.

We also changed his name to Inspector Alex — he loved it. We had to explicitly show him ways to check his work. He was rewarded if HE found a mistake before we did!!

We also worked with his parents and helped them to be calmer and more visual.  

Calm visual parenting both makes you more effective and reduces the stress on your child and you.  In this case, Alex was able to reduce the average time to do math homework from 75 to 30 minutes.

Alex did get accommodations at school.  We were able to improve the accommodations to allow for less problems on a page, the use of wide margin graph paper and extra time

Within a few short months his math grades went from a 53 to a 97. He soon thought of himself as “good at math”!


Jennifer had more of a challenge. She needed to go back to basic math patterns and understand math concepts as well as the words that were being used.  She also needed to improve her working memory and visual processing.

We helped her parents to better understand how to be calmer and more visual. 

Jennifer did get accommodations at school.  We were able to improve the accommodations to allow for questions to be read to her, less problems on a page,have her draw out the question and the use of wide margin graph paper as well as extra time

She was able to improve her performance from the 1st percentile to the 47th percentile.  Math may be harder for her than other subjects will be — but she now has confidence in her ability to lay out problems and know when to ask for help. 


Challenges with math word problems do not need to be lifelong challenges.  By teaching to your child’s strengths,and identifying and addressing their challenges, performance can improve in months.  For the right brain kinesthetic learner — calm visual parenting helps

If you would like to discuss your child’s challenges with math word problems and/or other issues, you can call us at 561-361-7495 or click here to schedule a Calm Visual Parenting conversation.

 

The Florida Empowerment Scholarship For Unique Abilities and Personalized Education Program – FES UA Voucher Program Expanded for New Students Through December 15th, 2023

The Florida Empowerment Scholarship For Unique Abilities and Personalized Education Program – FES UA Voucher Program Expanded for New Students Through December 15th, 2023

Dyslexia Assessment, Reading Comprehension and Consult
Normally a $250 investment for $100 through December 15th
(Call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your situation)

The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES UA) has been changed.  They are now accepting new students through December 15th, 2023.  Parents can apply here for the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES UA).  This is for homeschool and private school students with a qualifying disability.   Here is a list of qualifying disabilities.

3D Learner is a provider for this program.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can help your child and you, call 3D Learner at 561-361-7395 or click here to schedule a Let’s Have a Conversation on How The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities can help your child.

3D Learner is best known for helping bright right brain kinesthetic learners succeed.  These are the students who learn best when they see and experience information and who are often a lot smarter than present results would indicate.

3D Learner has helped many homeschool and private school students improve their:

  • Reading fluency
  • Reading comprehension — often, but two, three or even four grade levels in months
  • Self-confidence and so much more (e.g. attention, executive function skills, math etc.)

Our first goal is to help parents with a child who learns differently to realize their child can do far better with strength-based training.  We often start with a no cost Stress to Success Conversation parents can have by either calling us at 561-361-7495 or clicking on Stress to Success Conversation and finding a mutually agreeable time to talk.

Our second goal is to help parents to better understand their child’s strengths, challenges, and present level of performance with our Comprehensive Assessment that can be done online.

The third step is to provide parents with a program that can improve their child’s reading fluency, reading comprehension and so much more.

To help you to better understand your child and how you can make the difference we are offering:

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can help your child and you, call 3D Learner at 561-361-7395 or click here to schedule a Let’s Have a Conversation on How The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities can help your child.

A no cost conversation on where your child is at and how they can succeed. You can reach us at 561-361-7395 or click here to schedule a Stress to Success Conversation

 

3D Learner Helps Students Improve Their Reading Fluency, Reading Comprehension, Self-Confidence and so much more

 

3D Learner is an approved provider for the Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities and the Personalized Education Program.

We have been helping Florida Homeschool students succeed for over 25 years, and we have been providers for the voucher program since it started in 2016.  We are now able to offer Dyslexia Treatment. As a Certified Dyslexia Specialist, Mira is able to assess and address issues associated with Dyslexia and reading difficulties. The UFLI ® Program is based on the Orton Gillingham model and is proving to be very successful at helping students succeed.   We offer assessments and live training at our Coral Springs location & online services for students from anywhere in Florida.  Click here for our no cost “is my child a right brain kinesthetic learner screening tool”.

Two examples of our successes:

A 2nd grader who had been through two dyslexia treatments, but whose reading comprehension was still at the kindergarten level, and also did not read chapter books. With our help, she was able to improve her reading comprehension by 2 grade levels within 4 months and 3 grade levels in 7 months. During this period, she read 23-chapter books. Mom put her daughter on her pathway to success by calling us at 561-361-7495
An 8th grader was 4 years below grade level in her reading comprehension and anxiety was high. With our help, she improved her reading comprehension 4 grade levels in 6 months, her self-esteem was much higher, and her anxiety was much lower.

We help students to improve their reading fluency, reading comprehension, math skills, executive function skills and we strive to ignite a love for learning.

7 ways 3D Learner is different than any other provider:

  1. Our hands-on program is designed to help the right brain kinesthetic learner who learns best when he or she sees and experiences information,
  2. We address both reading fluency and reading comprehensionWe have had students make 2, 3 and even 4-year gains in their reading comprehension in 4 to 6 months.  While we are a hands-on program, we also address phonemic awareness and reading fluency with the University of Florida’s UFLI Program ®.
  3. We identify and address executive function, visual processing and related issues,
  4. We strive to ignite a love for learning, while boosting self-esteem
  5. We help parents to be even more effective coaches for their child,
  6. We tailor our program to meet the individual child’s needs.  We can also address math and writing issues.
  7. Our assessment, that can be done live or online, will show a parent:
    • How your child learns best
    • Their learning strengths and challenges
    • Whether there is an executive function or visual processing issue
    • The child’s present level of performance for both reading fluency and reading comprehension

Dyslexia Assessment, Reading Comprehension and Consult
Normally a $250 investment for $100 through December 15th
(Call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your situation)


If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can help your child and you, call 3D Learner at 561-361-7395 or click here to schedule a
Let’s Have a Conversation on How The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities can help your child.

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