This post is the follow-up to yesterday’s: https://www.florencecallender.com/dreaming-about-children-learning-and-mothersteachers-teaching/
“Life is like a departure lounge. The place you end up depends on which ticket you bought.” ~ Dr. Dion T. Harrigan
When children are born, they each come with their own “equipment.”
Law enforcement officers turn to their fingerprint files when searching for a criminal. The doors to some high-tech offices are now opened by the eye-print of the person seeking access. Blind people identify the person addressing them by their voice-print. An approaching individual can be recognized by his gait. The identity of a dead person may be ascertained by his dentition.
Of the 7+ billion people in the world, each child is born with his/her unique body…brain included. Yes, all brains are the same anatomically. But you know what I mean.
Why is that?
As Jim Rohn would answer to such a question:
I don’t know. That’s just the way it is.
As I sought to help my daughter, KC, not just survive but thrive in school, I discovered one overarching fact.
- Everything matters.
What do I mean by everything?
All the faculties by which we perceive stimuli both outside and inside the body, aka our senses.
We take in the world…information, experiences, etc…through our senses:
- Sight
- Hearing
- Touch
- Taste
- Smell
The brain then processes and interprets the stimuli it received through those five avenues. The completeness of the signal the brain receives depends on the integrity of the channels along which it travels.
Here are some of the things I learned along my journey with KC?
1st Lesson
In the process of acquiring knowledge, the visual is learned before the verbal. In fact, 90% of what we take in is visual.
Application
I needed to check KC’s vision – both acuity and visual processing. In other words, how sharp was her vision, as well as what was her brain doing with what it perceived? Accurate visual processing is vital for reading.
2nd Lesson
The auditory system organizes the body. Similar to vision, the perception of sound (hearing) is different from the processing (auditory processing) of it.
Application
Find out how KC’s brain interprets the sound stimuli it receives. Interruptions in auditory processing are similar to interference in the reception of a cell phone. Some messages are misinterpreted while others do not get through at all.
3rd Lesson
For all children, touch and movement are essential for learning. That’s why babies put everything in their mouths. The ear houses both the organ of hearing and of balance (movement). Any deficiency in the operation of one affects the other. And get this – reading involves eye movement.
Application
Observe KC’s balance and movement. Look for inconsistencies like passing her hand along the walls whenever she walked. Check her pencil grip and handwriting.
4th Lesson
Proper nutrition is crucial for optimal learning. Garbage in…garbage out. Food causes chemical changes in the brain.
Application
Implement a balanced eating plan, and check KC’s response to various types and consistencies of foods.
5th Lesson
The odors in the child’s environment can enhance or detract from learning.
Application
Always be aware of odors in my home, especially during homework time. Note which smells KC complained about and which she celebrated.
The academic system in most schools still employs a factory model of education. Knowledge is disbursed in a specific manner, and the students are expected to respond in a pre-determined fashion. The child who differs from the “norm[al]” is labeled in a number of ways (depending on the type of deviation).
Those deviations occur because sensation is different for each person, as is brain processing and interpretation.
Are you wondering how my beginning quote applies here?
Your child’s life is about to take off on the airplane of education. You can choose to buy the ticket of learning dis-abilities, or the ticket of learning differences.
If every brain is unique, why are children taught using the same method and required to demonstrate what they have learned in a standardized manner?
Hi Flo! I loved your post. I worked as the coordinator of the “Children and young people with exceptional circumstances” module at uni and I’ve learned so much! (I have a degree in English, not Education). It shocked me to find out how much prejudice there is when these children are involved. On the other hand, some schools are doing great in helping them, though.
I totally agree with you when you say: “You can choose to buy the ticket of learning dis-abilities, or the ticket of learning differences.” For me, it’s all about the ticket of learning differences. Always.
Take care.
Dani.
Thanks for your thoughtful response, Dani. Most times, it seems that the only people who understand and see the learning differently among us are those who have had close contact with them.
I look forward to the time when everyone will be accepted for who they are; their skills and abilities will be seen for what they are; and society will move ahead with the combined skills of all the people, regardless of whether their contribution is academic or otherwise. After all, the academics cannot exist without many of the innovations created by these people who see the world through different glasses and dance to a different drummer.
Great info. I didn’t know any of this. You can learn everyday if you try.
With the right attitude, yes. We Can.