Brainstorming summer holiday ideas – sneaky ways to continue learning! By sharon Roberts

Our children work harder than most and could use a really good break more than most. We’d like to hear of ways to continue literacy and numeracy skills without the children even knowing it is happening! We have some ideas ourselves …can you add to them?

With Davis methods in mind: every word has three parts to it… the meaning, the spelling and the pronunciation.

• If you see them drawing a dog, for example, you could ask them how can you tell a dog is a dog (searching for the meaning), can you make up a name for it – their own spelling (asking for the spelling) and say ‘tell me now to say that’ (drawing out the pronunciation).

• Bearing in mind they are predominantly picture thinkers, if you are making a shopping list, ask them to draw what they would like from the shops…again ask if they want to write the name of the item… you can give them the spelling.

• Very creative children might be encouraged to scrapbook the holiday, the camping trip, the summer camp week, photos, brochures etc and suggest they label them. For the older children you could suggest they create a blog/podcast.

• Helping a parent to make something... a treehouse, bench, sewing clothes, create a vegetable garden… be part of a family project.

• If you have a Family Message Board, you could play a game to draw a message, see who is the first to decipher it. The older children could create a coded message.

• Creative children love creating… cooking and baking are great opportunities to not only read a recipe but also use numeracy skills. If you read the recipe encourage them to use Picture@Punctuation which will also follow a sequence. They could create their own recipe book... draw the ingredients and draw the finished item.

• Finding a word in a real dictionary helps to use the concept of sequence. If your child asks a question you can say “I don’t know, let’s look it up.”

• If they like the dictionary, you could suggest they create their own…picture and definition, or take a photo of a clay model and the word.

For Math skills, you could ask them to write down the cost of the items you buy... saying you want to check them off against the receipt…ask them if they would be OK adding them up for you… does it match? They would learn about the taxes.

• Measurements, for example, which is bigger the 1/2 teaspoon or a whole teaspoon or how many teaspoons make a tablespoon can be easily introduced. Basic arithmetic concepts arise, such as basic counting skills, add, equal, subtract and fractions. Even better if the baked goods make someone happy!

Time is a concept without an image for the actual meaning… they could create a sundial, make a water clock…which would lead into our measurements being relative to the earth’s rotation on its axis and around the sun.

Reading will not be on their ‘to do’ list but if you eat out, you could pretend you forgot your glasses and ask them what it says.

• Search for books that really interest them or are funny…Robert Munsch is great for Grade 3 and under. Percy Jackson is dyslexic…reading to them is so valuable and gives them a break. You could ask them to act out what you think a character looks like or sounds like.

Family Games nights …our Christmas Games podcast lists many games to reinforce literacy and numeracy while having a great deal of much needed FUN!!!

Sharon Roberts, Davis Facilitator, Ontario https://dyslexia.ca/

Davis Learning Strategies...In Action...In India - by Sharon Roberts

Davis Learning Strategies…In Action… In India 

Priti Venkatesan has witnessed first-hand the effectiveness of using Davis Learning Strategies for K-3 teachers. One boy was so frustrated with reading and writing that by the time he reached third grade, he was refusing to go to school. When he entered the Indigo section at the Lalaji Memorial Omega International School (LMOIS), he didn’t know the alphabet letters. Once alphabet mastery was completed, he slowly began to read, his socializing skills improved and by the time he was in grade 7, he was completely independent.  His personality was transformed and at age 14, he was recently honored as a youth leader.

One girl, due to stress would pull out the hair in her brows and lashes. It was determined this would be for life, despite her many visits with medical practitioners. Her stress was related to not being able to handle academic pressure. She worked with the Davis Learning Strategies and slowly began to do better in school and coincidentally (?) her hair began to grow.

Priti joined LMOIS in 2009, as a Kindergarten teacher and soon noticed many children who were otherwise very bright performing poorly in academics. This sparked an interest in special education and as a result she became trained in this field.

“We saw that the traditional methods used in special education were not working and looked for something different.  We were disappointed with the old solutions and saw the traditional supports as literally giving crutches to these children. Then we came across Monique in Denmark, and DLS was born in the Indigo section of LMOIS. All the “at risk” or children who made little if any progress in learning to read and write were shifted into the Indigo Section of the school. 

“We made it separate because when the children got pulled out of class for remedial help, they were bullied a lot …  The children needed to be taken care of in a learning environment where they are accepted in totality.” says Priti.

The teachers initially handling these students were guided by Priti and her colleague Nirupama Krishnan, both licensed Davis facilitators. Along with DLS, were the one-on-one Davis counseling sessions to those who already had severe learning difficulties. This combined with a holistic and nurturing environment produced some interesting results.

“We started the DLS program and within 6 months, children (identified reading below designated grade level) showed enough improvement that they were sent back into the mainstream classes...those who were dyslexic bridged the gap of 1 - 2 years and were also sent back into the regular stream.”

The strategies were successful as the first group of 11 students who received instructions through Davis Learning Strategies have now completed their grade 10 exams - 10 of the 11 scored more than 70 per cent in their secondary school board exams.

The strategies and some life concepts are embedded in their curriculum. A gain in reading is just one of the benefits. Alongside this improvement was an increase in attention span and improvements in critical thinking and reasoning skills.  Students have gone from having poor self-esteem and behavioral issues to leaving the Indigo Section for the mainstream classrooms with amazing confidence, self-regulation skills and the ability to learn independently. Children with autism benefited as well and demonstrated improvement in their social skills. Furthermore, the Davis Learning Strategies are being used to teach Indian languages like Hindi and Tamil… a great feat for children who struggle with language.

Introducing the Davis methods not only affected struggling student’s lives, but also the teachers’. The tools of Release, Focus and Energy Dial allowed teachers to relieve stress and enhance their own potential. Many of the children shared their DLS tools with their parents.

However, the road to introducing the Davis Learning Strategies was not always smooth. Davis seemed so simple and some educators thought the children were just playing with clay.  India has a very rigid curriculum. Marks are important so the idea of spending time with those who struggled was considered a waste and in exchange time should focus on children who were bright.  Once DLS was fully incorporated from K - 3 at the Omega school, there were less children being filtered to the Indigo section so they knew the experiment worked.  Now Indigo class receives children from other schools.

Currently LMOIS has well over 100 DLS trained teachers, three DLS Mentors and 2 licensed Davis Facilitators. The school believes that when these strategies are used, it helps holistic growth in children. It prevents the onset of learning difficulties and helps in optimizing the potential of all students. 

The work continues in this community of educators. Twice a year DLS training is provided for those interested.  Even many of the senior teachers have been trained in DLS. More mentors are needed.

“Once a teacher gets trained in DLS, if you don’t have proper mentoring of the teacher, they slowly forget what is to be done and give up. Mentoring and handholding is essential for teachers. That is what we are ensuring at Indigo and that’s why it’s working out.”

Sharon Roberts, Davis Facilitator, Ontario https://dyslexia.ca/

info@thewds.org

Follow Priti HERE.

Procrastination by Sharon Roberts

‘Procrastination’ by Sharon Roberts, Davis Dyslexia Facilitator

Rachel’s science project, worth 50% of her final grade, is due this Friday. She hasn’t even begun. There are only 3 days left, and in the meantime, she has to go to school and work at her part time job, one shift this week. She also promised to clean her room by Saturday so she can go out with her friends over the weekend. She is overwhelmed but is determined to buckle down and begin her project. She searches for the outline hidden somewhere under her piles of belongings but fails in her attempt. She quickly calls her friend for the info but an hour later finds herself still talking over the day’s events. She ends the call, only to realize she never did find out what her assignment was.

We’ve all done it… put things off. It has been estimated that the average person spends 218 minutes procrastinating every day, that means every year you might spend 55 days putting off tasks you really need to do. Procrastination is delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline. Most professionals agree it is an avoidance strategy but the cause for avoidance varies.

Procrastination is caused by the same things it creates, stress and anxiety. We avoid tasks because they overwhelm us in the moment, and it feels good momentarily.  In “Davis” terms, it involves the basic instinct of humankind…to seek pleasure and avoid pain. For the moment, it’s easier and more pleasurable to avoid “that thing” and do something easier and more fun!

Dr. Linda Sapadin in her book, How to Beat Procrastination in the Digital Age: 6 Unique Change Programs for 6 Personality Styles identifies 6 types of procrastinators. The personality types range from The Worrier to The Pleaser.

The Worrier doesn’t start that important task because they don’t believe that they’ll be able to do it. Characteristics include indecisiveness and lack of confidence and have a high resistance to change, preferring the safety of the “known” over the risk of the “unknown.”  In a similar vein the perfectionist doesn’t start the task because they equate failure with not doing the task perfectly and they put forth excessive amounts of time and energy to making sure everything is done perfectly.

The Pleaser or the Over-Doer procrastinator commits to doing too many tasks and fails to prioritize. Underlying this is the fear of not living up to their own impossible standards, or the imagined impossible standards of others. They tend to suffer and take on more work than they can handle, often finding it difficult to relax without feeling guilty.

The 'Crisis Maker’ believes they need the stress or pressure inherent in last minute action to alleviate boredom and increase motivation. There is a question about the quality of work that evolves from this; whereas the Dreamer comes up with lots of ideas, but the thought of work bores or frustrates them. They avoid expressing negative feelings; instead, they convey those feelings by procrastinating.

The Defier is often viewed as rebellious and underlying this is the belief “I shouldn’t have to do it!”.  Procrastination is used to defy authority. They are pessimistic in nature, undercutting their motivation to complete tasks in a timely manner. 

You can find many suggestions and ideas to overcome or decrease procrastinating tendencies.

• One way is to break down mountainous tasks into smaller tasks. For example, the task of cleaning the house could be broken down several ways from, emptying the dishwasher, vacuuming, wiping down the countertops to making the bed. Many experts agree by listing things and checking them off when completed helps to release dopamine (feel good chemical) to the brain.

• The Pomodoro Technique breaks tasks into reasonable chunks and rewards you with regular breaks: whenever you are faced with work that you've put off via procrastination, you should tackle it in precisely timed intervals with a short break between each interval. After several work intervals have passed, you can take a longer break. By using the Pomodoro method, you're assured that the work will be broken into manageable chunks. The Pomodoro Technique is effective because it makes long-delayed items from your to-do list seem less intimidating. If you know that you'll only have to work on a task in short intervals—and that you'll be rewarded with regular breaks—you're shielded from the dread of an interminable task.

For those who are picture thinkers, dyslexic and ADD, ADHD or those on the autism spectrum, there may be an added problem. Despite all the suggestions for improvement, the intrinsic concepts behind the suggestions may be lacking. For some, time is a vacant space to be filled. There is no idea how long something could take due to lack of sensing how long 30 minutes is as opposed to 2 hours. If this is intrinsically lacking in their being, it makes it difficult to prioritize a task.

Numerous suggestions are available to overcome whatever personality type you are, but all require a rudimentary knowledge of self, change, consequence, time, sequence and order. These concepts can often be lacking with dyslexic, ADD and autistic individuals because of their disorientations and thinking process. There can be problems with starting, organizing, planning, or completing tasks. Their disorientations can also create trouble in listening or paying attention and create short-term memory issues. All of these can be dealt with in Davis Attention Mastery Programs or Autism Approach programs for those on the spectrum. When a person eliminates the cause of the challenges, the challenges cease to exist.

Sharon Roberts, Davis Facilitator, Ontario https://dyslexia.ca/