The Florida Empowerment Scholarship For Unique Abilities – FES UA Voucher Program and Others Expanded for New Students Through December 15th, 2023 at 5pm

The Florida Empowerment Scholarship For Unique Abilities – FES UA Voucher Program and Others Expanded for New Students Through December 15th, 2023 at 5pm

Sign up for one hour of training and we will provide valuable insights on whether your child has dyslexia, their present reading comprehension level and more.

Our focus is on the visual learner, kinesthetic learner or neurodivergent learner, who learns best when he or she sees and experiences information.  We also identify and address dyslexia, ADHD, visual processing issues and executive function challenges.

We are Dyslexia certified trained for the UFLI ® Program — the University of Florida’s Reading Intervention that incorporates a Core Assessment, and an engaging and effective dyslexia treatment.  This is an Orton-Gillingham based program.

Call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your situation or to schedule a time to
Discuss How Your Child Can Make Significant Gains in months

The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES – UA) has been changed.  They are now accepting new students through December 15th, 2023.  This is for homeschool and private school students with a qualifying disability.   Here is a list of qualifying disabilities.  Parents can register at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/scholarships/unique-abilities/ (FES UA).  

According to our sources, those granted the FES – UA scholarship now will be given the full scholarship amount for the year.  This will allow for an intensive and game changing effort.

We provide integrated, engaging and effective training – both live in Coral Springs and Boca Raton and via zoom.

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 Conversation on How The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities can help your child    

3D Learner is a provider for this program

Homeschool successes with 3D Learner. We have helped:

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

  1. Our hands-on program is designed to help the right brain learner, kinesthetic learner or neurodivergent 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

Note, we do provide our services in Boca Raton and Coral Springs, FL and via zoom.

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 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 you as a parent to understand your child’s reading fluency and reading comprehension levels and to determine where your child is at, what help they need, and to tailor a solution to help your child to be all he or she can be.

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 Conversation on How The Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities can help your child              

How are Stress and Anxiety linked to language and the words we use? Especially for the visual learner

How are Stress and Anxiety linked to language and the words we use? Especially for the visual learner

Has your child had a meltdown or negative response when asked to do something?  

Anxiety and stress can go hand in hand, as there is fear in the unknown and what we do not understand.  For us visual learners,  we can visualize (often called pictures) many different scenarios in our head.  These pictures are as real to us as if we actually experienced them; if we observe something that is similar to something we have seen, it can make us anxious or fearful.  

Past experiences and words are what make up our ability to understand what we read, or are to learn. What if we don’t fully understand those words, or language, and jump to conclusions. What kind of movies do we make up in our mind that are REAL to us?

This happened to me a number of years ago– long before I understood that this concept was possible. Our family was traveling in France and Austria (we were living in England at the time, and we were fortunate to be able to travel with our kids.) We were visiting the famous Salt Mines in Austria, near where we knew Hitler had lived, and the Nazis had created hide-outs. I was already on edge just conjuring up images of the atrocities of WW2. The tour included sliding down the mine shafts on smooth salt slides, and we thought that our kids would think that was fun. Sliding down into the mines WAS fun, and we all laughed and enjoyed that adventure. Our guide for the entire group would explain things, first in German, then French and then finally English- so that we could learn more about these vast caves. Once we reached the bottom of the slide, we were all ushered into a room. The guide started her explanation in German, and then announced that all of us English speakers should just wait there… no explanation. The only German words that I understood were “Hitler” and “Nazi”- and watching her hand movements- pointing everywhere, started to make me uneasy.

She finished her explanation in German and told the small group of us English speakers to ‘wait’.  The others moved on and a door closed behind them. We were alone in that dimly lit area. We were stuck. Here we were, having just had a fun experience, closed off with no warning or explanation or clarification. The movie in my head was in panic mode. Hearing two of the most terrifying words that I could understand from my not knowing German put me into a frozen panic. A minute later (what seemed like much more!), a loud recording in English came over the loudspeakers over our head, to explain IN ENGLISH that it was in this mine that many Nazis had tried to escape to and were caught. It was a considerably different picture than I had created!

This experience happened to me over 30 years ago- yet I can conjure up that image, a gut-wrenching image like it was yesterday. It was that vivid!

I use this extreme example because as parents and teachers of students who ARE more VISUAL learners today than ever before (some studies say that over 60% of students today are more visual learners), we take for granted that our kids understand us. We have no idea that in some way we may be creating anxiety or stress for them without even knowing it.  Although what we say may not be as negatively charged as my experience, who are we to say that our kids don’t feel these extreme emotions– they often cannot express it!  

We live in a world now where WORDS are everywhere. It is our basic and seemingly most efficient way to communicate with one another.

I urge all of us to stop and think about our language.


What are we saying?  How are we saying it?

 


Do our children/students understand our words or the context in which we are trying to explain something?

We need to be doing more Visual Parenting/teaching. Be sure we use visual schedules and explain what new places or experiences will be like. (We are lucky to live in the age of Google to show kids what new places look like or even what words mean!) 

Do not ASSUME your kids will like something or “it will be fun”.  Listen to what your kids want to know about a new place. 

As for coming home from school frustrated, have your child “off load” the movie they are seeing. Make no judgment… just listen.  

Have a conversation with your child’s teacher to problem solve together about making the classroom less anxious provoking for your child. This is NOT a BLAME GAME- each child in the classroom might have a different experience and the teacher has a lot to do. Knowing that you are a good listener for your child can be life changing. DO NOT TRY to FIX things. 

Support that your child has an amazing “superpower” of making that movie in their head, and problem solve together about how they might be able to calm themselves. Do they need to learn to take deep breaths, create positive pictures, ask for clarification?

 

Just understand – words create pictures. And emotions.

 

How to Relieve Stress for your Visual Learner When Traveling this Holiday

How to Relieve Stress for your Visual Learner When Traveling this Holiday

Wow it has been a long almost 3 years!  And many of us have not been able to physically celebrate holidays/vacation with family or friends who live far away.

Travel is stressful as it is; but traveling with kids,especially kids who are VISUAL and sensitive can be even more challenging.

Here are some suggestions you might want to try. Depending on the age of your child, choose the ones that work best for you and them. Just remember though, if your child learns differently than you, you might not think making visuals is that important “I told her what we were going to do” or “I told him what to pack” might work for you, but it has no impact on your VISUAL learner child.

If however….. You too are visual… know that what works for you might not be the same for your child!

Pre “sell” where you are going and who you will be seeing.  Today we have the advantage of so many visual tools. Use them.  “Grandma and Grandpa’s house” ,” the beach”, “snow resort”

Have your child do some research WITH you- about what activities you could do. Plan out a possible schedule with the explicit understanding that plans might change- Plan for change! 

“What could we do if that does not work out?”  Remember, your kids visualize things AS IF THEY are real– and they are to them! It is why putting activities on paper helps so much. If plans change, these can be moved. (“later” means “never”- in their mind.) Have some choices available so that your child does not focus on just one thing.

Familiarize (or refresh memories) of people they may see. Use photos to re enforce  who they are and how they relate to you. (Great Aunt-what does that mean? High School friend,etc). Talk about and practice how to greet and address them. If your child has any hesitation about meeting people, listen to their concerns and problem solve together.  This has been a long period of not having gatherings. We forget that for 10 year old kids, this was a LONG time ago!!

If you have favorite stories to tell about experiences you had with them, share them. Find photos to help. You want to encourage as much positive energy and visual experience as possible. This really helps your kids acclimate to a different environment with the minimal number of surprises that could set them off kilter. 

 Remember to include your coming home! What will be here when you return? You are not just going away; you are coming home too.

Create a packing list together. In writing, (add pictures if needed). Talk about the various activities you might do and what clothing or special items you might need.  

As for preparing for travel- Expect and plan for delays.  (If they don’t happen, celebrate!)

Be sure to have food, snacks and drinks (EMPTY water bottles if flying!).  Besides what you think your child might like- have your child help you with this as well. Cold slices of pizza, cheese sticks, sandwiches- even if flying early in the morning! There is something about airports that make kids hungry and buying food there is both expensive and at this time of year, can take a long time.

Be sure to talk about the different possibilities of delays when traveling– not to scare your child- but to “make it an adventure”. How you frame the conversation, your tone of voice, your body language, your own feelings about it- will be VERY APPARENT to your child. They take their cues from you.  

Check out your local Dollar Store, Target or Walmart for the $1 baskets of puzzles, pocket games. Be sure you include games you can play together. Engaging with your child through this travel adventure should be a positive memorable experience for all of you.  My fondest memories, and longest lasting funniest experiences are travel related! (Travelling Overseas with 4 kids under 10, when your flight is delayed for over 4 hours, resulted in the first ever TWA Olympics. (Note: that airline doesn’t exist, but our happy memories do!]

Above all COMMUNICATE- CALMLY with your child(ren). Give them some autonomy to make choices. Laugh often. Bring music. BOTH ARE GAME CHANGERS for changing moods.

Most of the delays are beyond your control; you can only control how you respond. ENJOY the ADVENTURE.  BE SAFE.   REPEAT often!

For the right brain or visual learner, private schools can be a challenge

For the right brain or visual learner, private schools can be a challenge

If your child is struggling at private school, especially in elementary school, there is a good chance they:

  • Are a right brain or visual learner
  • Are below grade level in reading comprehension
  • Have executive function challenges
  • May have anxiety and/or behavioral challenges

If this describes your child, we have found that they can be far more successful with strategies that:

  • Capitalize on their strengths to improve their reading comprehension and love for learning
  • Identifies and addresses the relevant challenges
  • Is designed to help them maximize their potential

Is your child a right brain or visual learner?  Have you noticed that they:

  • Remember places visited, even from years ago?
  • Learn best when they see and experience information?
  • Have a reading comprehension level well below their peers?

These creative “out of box” learners are the students we help.

The challenges for them at private schools are:

  • The best private schools often pride themselves for having a more rigorous curriculum and being a year ahead of public schools,  This makes life much harder for the smart struggling right brain or visual learner
  • Their tutoring programs are often limited and one dimensional.  This approach is hard for a right brain or visual learner who often does not have a good working memory, skips words and lines when reading and/or is bored with the process
  • In many States now, the demand for private school seats exceeds the supply, and they can simply say “we do not have the resources to help your child.”
  • We are seeing more private schools than ever suggesting to parents that their child may not be right for their school.

If your child is struggling at a private school and you want to understand what can be done to improve their performance, give us a call at 561-361-7495 and or click here to schedule a Private School Conversation.

The good news is your right brain or visual learner can often succeed

Donna called us with this exact problem. Her third grader was two years below grade level and his private school was suggesting they go elsewhere.  Donna found us on the internet and called us.  After a 10 minute conversation she commented, “How is it that after 10 minutes, you appear to know my child better than people who have known him for years?’

We explained that our specialty is working with kids like her son who are:

  • Far smarter than their present level of reading comprehension would indicate
  • A right brain or visual learner
  • Appear to have working memory and attention challenges.   

With our help, he was able to make significant gains over the summer and stay in that private school.  The testing the next year showed he had improved his reading comprehension 3 grade levels in a year.  His teacher commented, “Bobby made more progress in a year than any student I have had in 27 years of teaching”.

We have had many similar cases including:

A student whose parents were told to hold their child back.  She went from one of the weakest readers in her class to the top reading group after completing our program.  Even better, in a reading contest over a month, she read 720 pages, while the second place reader read only 374 pages and the average student read 172 pages.  When her mom asked her how she went from a non reader to an avid reader she commented, “3D Learner taught me how to visualize what I read, do you know how cool that is?”

A parent was told, by a professional, not to even consider a private school where the work would be too demanding.  With our help, their son went from the 58th to the 99th percentile in reading comprehension.  He went on to become valedictorian at that prestigious private school and proceeded to graduate from Harvard.
Note: in this case, the psychologist had recommended two more dyslexia treatments.  After he mom said these types of programs did not help her son and asked if there was a different approach, the psychologist then recommended 3D Learner. 

A word of caution.  Sometimes the school is right.  For the right brain or visual learner with a below average IQ, the most demanding private school may not be the right place.  These cases happen and we work with parents to find the right place for their child.

Note: the catalyst for the 3D Learner Program ® was when we were told our daughter had limited potential and was not “college material”.  She is now close to completing her Doctorate in Education.  We love helping kids to succeed whose parents have been told something similar.  No one has the right to put limitations on what kids CAN DO!  The right brain or visual learner can often make far more progress than others thought possible,

If your child is struggling at a private school and you want to understand what can be done to improve their performance, give us a call at 561-361-7495 and or click here to schedule a Private School Conversation.

Does your child have reading comprehension issues?

Does your child have reading comprehension issues?

 

How to significantly improve reading comprehension within 4 to 6 months 

Reading comprehension issues have become even more pressing since the pandemic started.

  • As always, we are seeing students with dyslexia and learning disabilities who are far behind.  With the pandemic, the reading comprehension gap has widened for many of these kids
  • For the first time, we are seeing many smart kids with no disabilities, who go to excellent schools, who are 2, 3 and even 4 years below grade level
  • Schools have done what they can this year, but it has not been enough 

5 Keys to Reading Comprehension Success

  1. If your child is a lot smarter than present results indicate, and you want your child to start the new school year with much higher reading comprehension skills, you must take action now. 
  2. Reject the status quo and consider the mantra that “Reading Comprehension Success is the Only Option”
  3. Identify your child’s strengths and challenges.

Most smart struggling students:

  • Learn differently.  They are often a right-brain or visual learner.  They learn best when they see and experience information
  • Have a combination of challenges that might include – working memory, processing speed, visual processing, attention and/or anxiety.
  • Struggle with traditional interventions that don’t capitalize on their visualization skills or identify and address the related challenges
  • Can do far better with an approach that:
    • Plays to their strengths and interests
    • Identifies and addresses their challenges
    • Ignites a love for learning that is often missing
    • Helps you to be the coach and advocate your child needs

Download our strengths and challenges inventory with 10 common strengths and 10 common challenges our students have. 

We offer a no cost conversation on
“How to Improve My Child’s Reading Comprehension”.
Call us at 561-361-7495 or click her to schedule a conversation

4- Goals matter.  If your child is much smarter than present results would indicate, this spring/summer is an excellent time to catch up.  

Important points to consider when setting goals and choosing a program:

  • Significant negative news on reading comprehension can be a catalyst for taking action.  That is exactly how the 3D Learner Program ® came to be.  We never doubt the ability of a committed mom or dad to make the difference
  • Parents are often shocked to hear that it may take 2, 3 or even 4 years to get your child’s reading back to grade level.  These programs are often phonics-based programs that can take a long time.  
  • The 3D Learner approach is to significantly improve comprehension in 4 to 6 months.  Most of our students are either right-brain or visual learners who have struggled for years with traditional interventions.
  • Three things that make these students different are:
    • They learn best when they see and experience information
    • They can often struggle with working memory, processing speed, attention, visual processing and/or anxiety issues
    • When one capitalizes on their strengths, identifies, and addresses their challenges, they can make significant gains in months not years

5- What is the difference between reading and reading comprehension?

Reading and
Reading Comprehension are two very different skills

Reading is often defined as how efficiently and effectively a student reads, while reading comprehension is understanding what one reads. Reading level and reading comprehension levels can differ by years.

Many parents  are told that their child’s reading is not that bad.  When we assess their child, the parents are often surprised to discover how far below grade level their child’s reading comprehension is.  

The challenge is that schools often use reading levels and not reading comprehension levels. A 5th grade parent was told her child was reading on grade level, and that was true.  

 What the teacher did not mention was the student’s reading comprehension was at the 1st grade level

Ask your child’s teacher to clarify your child’s present level of reading and reading comprehension!!

How Knowing Your Child’s Reading Comprehension Can Be a Catalyst for Action

“From her I-Ready score I knew my child had a reading problem.  I-Ready is a computerized program used by many schools.  When you tested my daughter’s reading comprehension and discovered it was was 3 years below grade level, I was ready to act”,   “M James, Boca Raton. 

Other catalysts can be:

  • Grade retention risks.  A parent called us almost at the end of last year’s school year when their child’s teacher recommended grade retention.   The issue was primarily reading comprehension. When asked if it was too late to help, we responded, “No, if you act quickly”.  The parents did.   With our help, within 4 weeks the teacher commented “He is making so much progress I can’t possibly hold him back,”.  By the end of the summer the young man’s comprehension was ahead of grade level
  • Pressure from private schools is higher than ever.  One young man was 2 years below grade level in third grade.  The private school recommended the parents find another school, even though the young man had an above average IQ.  He appeared to be a right-brain or visual learner, and he had parents committed to make the difference.  With our help, over the next year, he improved his reading comprehension 3 grade levels. His teacher commented,

“Jack made more progress in a year than any student I have had in 27 years of teaching”. 

One mom knew her child was a lot smarter than present results would indicate.  She asked the principal what she could do to improve her daughter’s reading comprehension.  He responded, “There is no need to do anything different.  Her comprehension is at the 48th percentile and someone needs to be average”.

Mom joined our community of “Make the Difference Moms”.  Within a year her daughter’s reading comprehension had gone from the 48th to the 95th percentile.  Even better, her grades improved, even though she was taking harder classes. 

Two keys to Reading Comprehension Success are:

  1. A Mindset shift that you want to significantly improve your child’s reading comprehension ASAP.
  2. Assessing your child’s strengths and challenges.  You want to consider a program that capitalizes on your child’s strengths, identifies their interests and has a track record of significantly improving reading comprehension for kids like yours.

To Improve Reading Comprehension 

First download our Strengths and Challenges Inventory.  It will give you valuable insights into your child’s strengths and challenges.  If the need is urgent, we recommend you contact us immediately to discuss your situation.

Click here to download our Strengths and Challenges Inventory

We offer a no cost “How to Improve My Child’s
Reading Comprehension” conversation.
Call 561-361-7495 or click here to schedule a conversation

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