Beat 3rd Grade Retention by Improving Reading Comprehension

Beat 3rd Grade Retention by Improving Reading Comprehension

When a parent is told that their child is at risk of being retained, their initial response is often full of emotion.  Frustration, anxiety and even guilt are felt.  We can relate to that.  As parents and Directors of 3D Learner, we strongly encourage parents to take a proactive approach to helping your child succeed.  At 3D Learner our goals are to:

  • Help parents realize that third grade retention risks are not your fault. 
  • There are a number go Good Cause Exemptions to help your child to avoid third grade retention and to be promoted
  • Help you be an Informed, Empowered and Proactive parents who:
    • Work together to help your child to be promoted
    • Understands the depth of your child’s reading comprehension and related issues
    • Becomes even more aware of your child’s strengths and challenges
    • Partners with your child’s school and the right outside professionals to help your child to make significant gains in their reading comprehension and processing skills, so they are promoted and are much more successful in 4th grade and beyond

If your child is at risk for third grade retention or grade retention in any grade, we encourage you to join us for a presentation on March 13th at 9 pm on:

How to Beat Third Grade Retention or Other Grade Retention Risks by
Improving
Reading Comprehension
Click here to register or

Call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your situation or click here to schedule a
Beat Third Grade Retention by Improving Reading Comprehension Conversation

As one mom said, “How is it that after 5 minutes, you appear to understand my son’s strengths and challenges better than people who have known him for years?”  

Our advantage is we have been helping bright right brain learners succeed for 27 years.

 

5 Key Points About Third Grade Retention

1-    There are a number of Good Cause Exemptions that can be utilized to help a child to be promoted.  The Florida Department of Education has created a valuable Read to Learn Document that can help you understand your options.

2-     Most students facing third grade retention are 1, 1.5 or even 2 years below grade level in reading comprehension.  If their reading comprehension issue is not addressed, the student is likely to struggle even more in 4th grade. After 3rd Grade, students are expected to READ TO LEARN; there is no more emphasis on reading instruction in the general classroom.  That is the time when math, social studies and science require students to understand what they read.  It is also a time when the print gets smaller, the pictures disappear and students with reading comprehension really struggle.  Conversely, students who make significant reading comprehension gains by 4th grade have done much better.

3-     In a small number of cases, third grade retention is right for a child. The child does not have sufficient all-around foundational skills to succeed in 4th grade. These might include cases where the child has a late summer birthday, they may have learning and attention challenges, and they would be better off not being promoted.  This past year, we helped a few students where parents chose to homeschool their child, have a catch-up year, and make the decision about promotion later.  In Florida, the Florida Empowerment Scholarship provides parents whose child has a qualifying disability to get around $10,000 a year that can be used for tutoring.  For other students, there is a Personalized Education Program scholarship for $8000 that can be used for tutoring.

4-     Many students facing third grade retention are right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learners, who learn differently than the way most schools teach.  These kids learn best when they see and experience information.  They may also have dyslexia and/or working memory, processing speed, attention and/or visual processing issues.  

5-     By capitalizing on your child’s strengths and addressing their challenges, it is often possible to both beat third grade retention and to position your child to be far more successful in 4th grade and beyond.

Note, we have helped third graders to:

  • Beat third grade retention and score well above grade level by 4th grade
  • Improve their reading comprehension by 3 grade levels in a year

A year later his teacher commented, “He made more progress in a year than any student I have had in 27 years of teaching”

  • Improve their academic and athletic skills, boost their self-esteem and lower their anxiety

If your child is at risk for third grade retention or grade retention in any grade, we encourage you to join us for a presentation on March 13th at 9 pm where we will be discussing:

How to Beat Third Grade Retention or Other Grade Retention Risks by
Improving
Reading Comprehension
Click here to register or

Call us at 561-361-7495 to discuss your situation or click here to schedule a
Beat Third Grade Retention by Improving Reading Comprehension Conversation

For Right Brain Neurodivergent Learners, Algebra Can Be Very Difficult. Improving Algebra Skills can Improve GPA, Chances for a Bright Futures Scholarship, and the Quality of the College One Gets Into

For Right Brain Neurodivergent Learners, Algebra Can Be Very Difficult. Improving Algebra Skills can Improve GPA, Chances for a Bright Futures Scholarship, and the Quality of the College One Gets Into

The right brain neurodivergent learner is a student who:

  • Learns best when they see and experience information
  • Have difficulty understanding abstract words
  • Often have visual processing issues
  • Have not been taught to draw out a problem.
  • May be good in math, but often struggles with Algebra.

 

For many right brain neurodivergent learners, math can either be:

  • Very easy until they hit Algebra, and then it gets much harder
  • Difficult until they hit Algebra, at which point it becomes incredibly difficult

 

For the right brain neurodivergent learner. Algebra is often very hard.  At 3D Learner, we recognize that with a visual hands-on approach, the right brain neurodivergent can often significantly improve their:

  • Algebra grade and easily pass their end of course exam
  • ACT or SAT Score
  • Chances of getting a scholarship.  In Florida, for example, one needs a 1210 and 1340 score on their SAT to earn a Bright Futures Scholarship that could be worth $20,000 to $30,000 over 4 years.  For many students, by increasing their math SAT score by 100, 150 or 200 points, they can now get a $20,000 or even a $30,000 scholarship.
  • Chances of getting into the best possible college or university.  Especially for those students striving to get into top universities, one often needs an SAT score of close to or over 1500

 

Algebra can be difficult for right brain neurodivergent learners because:

  • Many more students have struggled in math since the pandemic, and Algebra is just that much harder when the student lacks a solid foundation in math. 
  • The wording of many problems is confusing.   Right brain neurodivergent learners often have problems with abstract words like greater than, less than, except, etc.  It is important that they learn this vocabulary. 
  • Many right brain neurodivergent learners have not been taught to draw out their work.  This is an incredibly important skill, especially on the harder problems. 
  • On the SAT and ACT tests, the wording is often confusing.  The right brain neurodivergent learner often misreads the questions and does not have sufficient time to complete the test. 
  • They often have done the math work in their heads and do not see the need to write out their work.  Given the complexity of some algebra problems, this leads to many mistakes. 
  • They often do not check their work.  They often assume they have it right. One SAT student got a 610 on a practice Math SAT.  Without any additional help, I had him check his work on another test.  This time he got a 690.  It often helps when a third party teaches your child how to check their work. 
  • Algebra often requires abstract thinking and understanding of symbols to represent quantities and relationships.  Right brain neurodivergent learners, especially those with a preference for right brain thinking, may struggle with this abstract concept, as they tend to excel more in concrete, visual, or intuitive thinking processes. 
  • Executive Functioning: Algebra requires strong executive functioning skills such as organization, planning, and working memory.  Right brain neurodivergent may experience difficulties with these skills, which can hinder their ability to solve algebraic problems efficiently. 
  • Many right brain neurodivergent have a visual processing challenge. This may lead to multiple errors including:
    • Missing minus and division signs
    • Misaligning their numbers so they make “stupid” mistakes
    • Taking longer to complete the test and not answering all the questions

At 3D Learner, we have been helping bright right brain neurodivergent learners to dramatically improve their math Algebra grades, their Math SAT scores and change their trajectory for over 25 years. 

If you would like to discuss how you can help your child to significantly improve their math and Algebra grades, SAT scores and their chances to get into a better college or university, call us at 561-361-7495 or click here to schedule and Algebra Stress to Success conversation.

A Pathway to Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Success for Your Right Brain Learner

A Pathway to Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Success for Your Right Brain Learner

Reading comprehension is a LOT about language and visualization!  This is especially true for the right brain learner, who learns best when he or she sees and experiences information.

So much is being discussed about how children learn to read or being taught HOW to read. These “reading wars” have been going on forever! No doubt, they will continue for a long time to come. The truth is…THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO TEACH READING!!— Yes, I said it!

Every child is different. They come to school from varying backgrounds and experiences, and with those experiences come the words or language they are comfortable using. We need to meet kids where they are at- NOT where others think they need to be.

YES, children need to understand, know, use and be able to manipulate or change around sounds that are letters (which are symbols for sounds, but most kids don’t make that connection right away.)  Not all children will learn to do that at the same time or at the same rate.

Multiple factors are needed for children to be successful to learn to read and even more to improve reading comprehension. Just like the cartoon suggests, we view our students from multiple perspectives, and rarely look at the whole child and what that child is good at or comfortable doing. 


The right brain learner often has a longer list of strengths and challenges than others do. (picture source www.priyankadutta.com)

I have read thousands of reports over the years. To most parents, these reports can be overwhelming. Lots of words and pages of what they assessed and what the child is not good at. Most psychology professionals will report on a child’s strengths but that often gets lost when so much is suggested as to what should be addressed to help the child succeed. One of the most common findings is that a child is “weak in phonemic awareness” or “decoding skills”. It seems like other findings and suggestions – which admittedly are many- are overshadowed by the push to believe that if those skills are worked on exclusively, things will get better. Parents are bombarded by the notion that they need to have their kids spend hundreds of hours practicing and remembering rules of when certain sounds are made and that just by being able to sound out words, they will be able to comprehend what those words mean.

Many parents believe, The Science of Reading premise is that the Simple Formula of Reading is:

Decoding  X  Reading Fluency = Reading Comprehension

For many of us–and the thousands of students I have worked with, this just is NOT the case!

I, for one, need to have an understanding of what a word means… a picture in my head of an understanding of the word, within a context.  In short, I need an understanding of LANGUAGE!

So many of our students can actually learn to decode. In isolation, they are able to tell me the individual sounds, and can put them together. What they struggle with is transferring or generalizing that skill when reading! 

Another one of my favorite quotes is:
“Scientists have determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain- unless it is done with play, in which case, it takes between 10 and 20 repetitions!” Dr Karyn Purvis, a child development expert.

At 3D Learner, I have coined the term Flearning ® — where our goal is to have our students learn from AHA moment to AHA moment, by discovering the patterns.  For the right brain learner, it is incredibly important to leverage their visualization skills and to make learning Fun.

Language, and the use of words come from play and discovery. As parents, it is vital that we create an environment where this is possible. It is also vital that we look at the whole child and sort out what things they CAN do and encourage that. If we only focus on what a child CANNOT do, they lose so much, self-esteem suffers, and anxiety takes over! 

Understanding where the Science of Reading fits in the BIG PICTURE of what your child needs will lead to a way better outcome for success for your child. Not every child learns exactly the same way. What we do know is that the most effective way for kids to succeed in reading is for them to make connections: with their teacher, with words and with their experiences. If we listen and observe, they will show us what they need.

At 3D Learner, we provide an Integrated, Engaging, Fun and Effective way to improve reading fluency and reading comprehension.

If you would like to discuss how you can put your child on their Pathway to Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Success call us at 561-361-7495 or click here to schedule a no cost Pathway to Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Success Conversation.

How to beat third grade retention, or any grade retention

How to beat third grade retention, or any grade retention

Why would your bright, creative child be at risk for third grade retention or any grade retention? If your child is a neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner (i.e. sometimes referred to as a hands-on learner or visual learner) they are behind due to their learning differences, executive function challenges and pandemic related challenges, even if they were in preschool.

Third grade retention is more likely to be a risk with mandatory retention rules, but students in early grades are at risk for grade retention too.

The good news is that if your child is a smart struggling neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner, they can often make significant gains in reading fluency and reading comprehension in months with our strength-based training.

We know that most smart struggling students:

  • Are a neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner (hands-on) who can do far better with experiential learning that leverages their strengths
  • Have some combination of working memory, processing speed, visual processing, attention, and/or anxiety challenges
  • Are far smarter than present results would indicate

At 3D Learner, we have helped many students to:

  • Beat grade retention and score at, above, or even well above grade level on tests
  • Rediscover their natural love of learning
  • Improve their working memory, processing speed, and self-esteem
  • Improve their attention and emotional regulation

 

3D Learner can help the neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner beat third grade retention or other grade retention by making significant gains in reading fluency and reading comprehension in months. 3D Learner’s comprehensive educational assessment reveals important issues that many other assessments miss.  For instance, one parent had a recent psycho-educational test that indicated her daughter had an attention, working memory and processing speed issue. After her daughter completed our assessment, she was surprised to learn that her daughter:

  1. Was a neurodivergent, right brain and/or kinesthetic learner (hands-on)
  2. Was a lot smarter than present results would indicate
  3. Had a significant visual processing issue,  skipping words and lines when reading
  4. Struggled with small words, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and sequencing
  5. Had significant attention and emotional regulation issues
  6. Was very strong in 5 of the 11 skills we assessed — she had a great visual memory, was very creative and had a larger vocabulary than most
  7. But she had a real problem with the small words that often change the meaning of a sentence (i.e. words like the, but, what, if) and had significant anxiety challenges

By understanding how she learned best, we developed an engaging, personalized program built around her strengths and interests. In just months. 3D Learner helped her score above grade level on the standardized test. When they saw these results, the parents asked “Why do schools not teach the way the neurodivergent learner learns best?”  We explained that schools, like most learning centers, focus on a child’s weaknesses.

Schools often do not:

  • Leverage the student’s strengths and interests
  • Identify and address issues like working memory, visual processing, or processing speed
  • Ignite a love for learning, which is an essential part of the 3D Learner Experiential Learning Process.

Her daughter made great progress and was actually in the highest reading group the following year.

 

We see grade retention risks as a great opportunity for parents to make a true life-long difference in their child’s learning.

If you have a child in any elementary school grade who is struggling in school, 3D Learner can help. To discuss your child’s learning style and needs, call us at 561-361-7495.

Frequently asked questions about grade retention & the neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner

Question: What is the key reason for third grade retention and for earlier grade retention?
Answer: In Florida public and charter schools, third grade retention is primarily based on the student’s inability to do well on the English Language Assessment.  While anxiety may be an issue, significant reading comprehension issues are often the primary issue.  In the earlier  grades, reading fluency is often the criteria for grade retention.  At 3D Learner, we identify and address both reading fluency and reading comprehension issues.

Question: If many students at risk for grade retention are a neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner, why do the schools not teach this way?
Answer: Schools tend to have a one size fits all approach.  There has been a real push towards phonics and phonemic awareness.  Unfortunately, this does not provide the experiential learning most right brain or visual learners need.  Even worse, we have seen smart and even gifted learners face grade retention because their needs were not met.

Question: Many programs focus on phonics and phonemic awareness.  What are the key skills the neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner needs to master before phonics will work?
Answer Word recognition and sight word vocabulary are two of the skills needed before phonics will work. Processing speed, working memory, and attention are also skills that must be mastered.

Question: Experiential learning used to be the norm in kindergarten, first and second grade.  What happened?
Answer: If that were still the case, the neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner would be more likely to thrive.  The challenge today is that many of the standards are not age appropriate.  This results in less experiential learning, which negatively impacts the neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner and makes grade retention more likely.

Question Is it too late in the school year to help beat third grade retention or any grade retention?
Answer It is almost never too late to beat third grade retention or grade retention.  The rules on third grade retention in Florida provide many ways to beat third grade retention. The best one is to score a Level 2 on the state assessment. There are also ways to be retested at the end of the summer or at the start of the next school year.

Question: I am not sure if my child is a neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner  or what issues are holding my child back.  I fear third grade retention.  Is there a way to talk with your team and to assess my child?

Here is a no cost screening tool you can use to see if your child might be a neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner.

Answer: You can call us at 561-361-7495 or click here to schedule a How to beat Third Grade Retention or other Grade Retention risks Conversation

How to Improve Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Leveraging the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities or the Personalized Education Program+++

How to Improve Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Leveraging the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities or the Personalized Education Program+++

(call us at 561-361-7495 and ask about our assessment special)

(Especially for right brain, kinesthetic and neurodivergent learners)

How to improve reading fluency and reading comprehension is a goal for many students who qualify for the Florida Empowerment Scholarship and the Personalized Education Program.

The term dyslexia has attracted a great deal of information.  Many parents invest in a dyslexia treatment.  Frequently this will improve a child’s reading fluency (i.e. how fluently a child reads out loud), but reading comprehension challenge persists.  At 3D Learner, we focus on how to improve reading fluency and reading comprehension with an integrated, engaging and effective program.  We also address executive function, visual processing and anxiety challenges.

3D Learner offers a focused assessment that can be done in person or online, that addresses the following questions:

  • Whether your child is a right brain, kinesthetic or neurodivergent learner.  For the child who learns differently, it really helps to know that and to find a program that leverages their strengths, identifies and addresses their challenges and helps your child to improve both their reading fluency and reading comprehension.
  • 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 has a visual processing challenge — over 74% of the students we see either skip words and/or lines when reading
  • How to improve your child’s reading fluency and reading comprehension

To discuss how to improve your child’s reading fluency and reading comprehension 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.  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 learners 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 interests 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

For voucher students, we are offering a two-hour assessment – tutoring – feedback session 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 reading comprehension 3 grade levels in 7 months
and a 9th grader to improve her reding 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 the 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 how to improve your child’s reading fluency and reading comprehension and more. 
For non-voucher students, we are offering this $250 value for $124. 

 

For the Smart Struggling Neurodivergent, Right Brain or Kinesthetic 4th, 5th, or 6th Grader, How Parents Can Make The Difference

For the Smart Struggling Neurodivergent, Right Brain or Kinesthetic 4th, 5th, or 6th Grader, How Parents Can Make The Difference

The neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner in 4th, 5th and 6th grades missed critical time in school during the pandemic.  They often struggle with reading fluency, reading comprehension, math word problems, processing issues and may struggle with anxiety and frustration.  

This blog post focuses on the significant risks and opportunities for smart kids who learn differently, the key strengths and challenges of the neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner, examples of our successes and the pivotal role parents play.  

If you would like to discuss how to help your child succeed, you can either

call us at 561-361-7495 or schedule a call at “Let’s Discuss How to Help Your Child Succeed

9 key points we wish to stress are:
  • Many smart struggling students are neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learners.  These are the kids who learn best when they see and experience information.  They are often a lot smarter than present results would indicate.  They often have a sea of strengths and challenges.  Most school based and outside interventions fail to recognize and capitalize on these strengths and the need to engage the student in the learning process.  You can access our no cost screening tool at                                              

Is My Child a Neurodivergent, Right Brain or Kinesthetic Learner?

  • There is a significant risk that things will get worse.
  • These students can do far better with an integrated, engaging and effective system that significantly improves reading fluency, reading comprehension, math skills, attention, executive function skills, and confidence, while reducing anxiety.  We have found it important to:
    • Tailor solutions to meet the student’s needs
    • Leverage their strengths and engage them in the learning process
    • Identify and addresses their challenges
    • Lower their anxiety and boost their self-esteem
    • Helps parents to secure the help the schools can provide
    • Helps the parents to be more effective coaches and advocates for their child
  • Psycho-educational testing by itself is valuable, but the benefits are much greater when it leads to a transformational program that allows your child to make significant progress.
  • For those students with dyslexia, a dyslexia treatment is often recommended.  The Science of Reading, that focuses on improving reading fluency, may be an integral part of the solution, but most of these programs are not designed to improve:
    • Vocabulary and reading comprehension
    • Math and writing skills
    • Attention, working memory and processing speed — executive function skills
    • Your parenting skills

At 3D Learner, we address dyslexia and reading fluency issues with the UFLI Program ®, a dyslexia intervention developed by the University of Florida Learning Institute.  It is an excellent option, that allows us to tailor a solution to meet your child’s specific needs.

  • For those students with ADHD, Attention Deficit Disorder, ADHD medication is often recommended.  We use the Interactive Metronome ® to improve attention.  This can either be used to complement medication or as a stand alone offering.  Our students have done very well with the Interactive Metronome, that has several unique benefits:
    • It builds neural connections in the brain, that are still there years later.
    • It works all day, so you do not have the problem of your child having difficulty paying attention when doing homework, because the medication has worn off.
    • It also improves handwriting, reading and math fluency, sports skills and impulse control.

Note, the Interactive Metronome produces very different results, depending on the provider.  We have used it for over 24 years with excellent results.

  • If your child is a neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner, it is up to you to find the solution that can help your child be all they can be.
  • 3D Learner has helped thousands of neurodivergent, right brain and kinesthetic learners to make significant gains in months.

If you would like to discuss how to help your child succeed, you can either

call us at 561-361-7495 or schedule a call at “Let’s Discuss How to Help Your Child Succeed


One mom commented, “How is it you know my child better after less than 10 minutes than people who have taught him for years?. Our response, “That is our focus, helping kids who learn differently succeed.”

Her son gained 3 years in his reading comprehension is less than a year.  His teacher said, “Tyler made more progress in a year than any child I have had in 27 years of teaching”.



Specific challenges may include some of the following

  • Reading fluency and reading comprehensionReading comprehension gaps often widen and start to impact math, social studies and science,
  • Writing.  Handwriting may be an issue, but putting their thoughts on paper is almost always an issue
  • Math.  Some are good at arithmetic, but math word problems are often a nightmare
  • Processing skills.  They often have an excellent memory for what they have seen and experienced, but have great difficulty remembering what they heard or read
  • Attention.  They can often hyper-focus on video games or something they like, but they often have great difficulty paying attention to that which is boring or frustrating
  • Visual processing.  The neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner often has good peripheral vision, that is seeing the world around them.  Their challenges often include skipping words and lines when reading, missing signs when doing math problems and with handwriting and misaligning their math work, that results in mistakes
  • Anxiety, frustration and lack of confidence.  These have always been a problem for many kids, but these issues are more common and more significant with this group in this post pandemic era.
  • In some cases, being rebellious. These students often are in fight or flight mode and sometimes the relationship with their parents are really strained.

There is a risk that academic, frustration and anxiety issues will worsen, as the work gets harder and hormones kick in. 

As parents, there are several key points to recognize:

  • School programs and accommodations can help, but they rarely help a neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner come near their potential
  • If your child learns differently, they may have the potential to do far better within months
  • If you would like to discuss how to help your child succeed, you can either

call us at 561-361-7495 or schedule a call at “Let’s Discuss How to Help Your Child Succeed

 

The Rebellious Baseball Player who was a Neurodivergent Learner

Alan seemed like a normal kid, until you realize that he had been suspended twice by his school.  His parents complained that he did not read much, he was at times confrontational and even though he liked baseball and was good at it, he often had games where he was off.

They were also upset that despite an above average IQ, he was now in classes with a lot of kids who were struggling academically and were not a good influence on Alan.  A therapist referred the parents to 3D Learner.  

The parents were aware of the emotional control issues.   They were not aware of how far behind their son was, that it could get worse and that there was a significant opportunity for growth.

Alan was not interested in school, but his ears perked up when we told him we could improve his baseball skills.  His assessment showed:

  • His reading comprehension was four years below grade level
  • He had difficulty paying attention, but the real issue was his impulsive behavior.  When he tried to match a beat and he was off, he got frustrated and at times angry.  He shared that this anger and impulsivity happened in a number of settings – including the two where he was suspended
  • He skipped words and lines when reading and read very slowly
  • He learned best when he saw and experienced information

The goals we all agreed to where to:

  • Improve his reading comprehension 3 grade levels in 6 months
  • Behave well in school, even when he was frustrated
  • Get out of remedial reading for 7th grade and to be in classes with his friends
  • Increase his reading speed from 110 to 200 words per minute
  • Increase his batting average from 263 to 350 
  • Increase the number of home runs from 1 to 5
  • Work respectfully with his parents and to have a nonverbal cue, when he felt himself losing it

The actual results were:

  • He improved his reading comprehension 4 grade levels in 4 months
  • His behavior was far better at home and in school
  • He improved his reading speed to 206 words per minute
  • He did get into regular English classes and got a B in English
  • His batting average improved from 263 to 403, which was the highest on his team
  • He hit 10 home runs that spring and it led the league

A few of the keys to his success:

  • His parents saw the potential, were committed to his success and really liked that we could improve his academic, his behavior and his baseball skills.  We are always looking for a hook to engage students.
  • We taught him how to pause when he was frustrated
  • Our hands-on program engaged him and he learned how to visualize what he read
  • We improved his attention using the Interactive Metronome ® and showed him how to stay calm, even when he made mistakes
  • We improved his visual tracking
  • He saw changes within weeks in his reading, his behavior and his baseball performance

 

The More Typical Neurodivergent, Right Brain or Kinesthetic Learner

Ben could put together Legos for hours, had an incredible visual memory, but in 5th grade, his comprehension was two years below grade level, he often lost focus and he avoided reading.  Note, if you only read at 110 words per minute, you might avoid reading too.  Ben also suffered from anxiety challenges.

His parents saw an article with this graph that showed that secondary school students with learning disabilities often fall 3 to 4.9 years below grade level and some fall even further behind.

We assessed Ben and it confirmed:

  • A significant anxiety challenge — his heart rate jumped to 142 beats per minute when we just mentioned taking an English Language Assessment
  • He did lose focus
  • His reading comprehension was two years below grade level
  • He clearly learned differently and was a neurodivergent learner and very creative.  
  • He was motivated to succeed

The goals we set were to:

  • Improve his comprehension 3 grade levels in 6 months
  • Decrease the time it took to get homework time from 2.5 to 1.5 hours
  • Have him stay calm

The results with Ben were good:

He improved his reading comprehension 3 grade levels in 4 months.

  • He decreased his homework time to 1.25 hours
  • He was much calmer

Even better, Ben wound up reading 4 long books over the next 3 months and went on to win an award as the best reader in his middle school.

 

Smart Neurodivergent Students

Alexa’s mom was really frustrated.  Alexa had a 118 IQ, well above average.  Alexa’s reading was at the 48th percentile and she was very shy and afraid to ask questions.

Mom had asked the principal what she could do, and the principal suggested there was no need to do anything, he then added, “Someone has to be average”.

Mom became a Mom on a Mission.

She heard us speak on GOLD Students — Gifted Operating with a Learning Difference.  We focus on the student’s gifts and when we do, many neurodivergent, right brain and kinesthetic learners do far better.

Our assessment confirmed that Alexa both learned differently and was on grade level for reading comprehension.  It also showed she lost focus and skipped words and lines when reading.

The goals were to:

  • Significantly improve her attention and visual processing
  • Get Alexa to ask 3 questions a day the first month, 4 a day the second month and 5 a day the third month
  • To improve her performance on the SAT from the 48th to the 85th percentile

The results were Alexa:

  • Made significant improvements in her attention and visual processing
  • Asked 4 questions a day the first month, 8 questions a day the second month and we stopped counting
  • Improved her reading comprehension from the 48th to the 95th percentile
  • Became an extrovert and was a leader in the band in high school

7 Important Things to Consider About a Neurodivergent, Right Brain or Kinesthetic Learner in this Post Pandemic Period

  • Too often the neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner’s strengths and either not identified or the solutions do not capitalize on their strengths
  • Capitalizing on their strengths is often a key to improving their attitude and lowering their anxiety
  • The learning gaps are more significant than ever, the gaps often widen and schools rarely close the gap
  • Reading fluency and reading comprehension may both often issues and you want to address 
  • Executive function challenges (i.e. attention, working memory and processing speed) need to be both identified and improved 
  • Visual processing is often an issue
  • It takes informed, empowered and proactive parents to make the difference

If you would like to discuss how to help your child succeed, you can either

call us at 561-361-7495 or schedule a call at Let’s Discuss How to Help Your Child Succeed

Note, it is often up to parents to put their neurodivergent, right brain or kinesthetic learner on their Pathway from Stress to Outrageous Success
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