Here is a nice infographic I found on Pinterest that sums up some of the functions of the left and right brain hemispheres. Of course it is only a drop in the bucket of what a complete brain profile might tell you, but it is a very nice overview.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
TV and Family Ties
Thanks to developments in technology, televisions and
other high-tech entertainment devices have become a common part of modern life
around the world. Most kids plug into the world of television long before they
enter school. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation:
Whilst it may look like a grim picture, we are not suggesting that as parents we should toss out our TVs; but that we should pay more attention to what our children are watching and how much time they spend watching it.
As parents we are ultimately responsible for the development and education of our children. It is important to realise that we are the role models that young ones turn to for guidance and direction when facing important life lessons. To successfully guide and support our children, we need to play an active role in their lives. Ask yourself these questions:
Feed the relationship
Research shows that families who share at least one unhurried meal together during the day have stronger communication bonds and are more involved in each other’s lives. Mealtime conversations give parents an ideal opportunity to learn about what happened to their children during the day, whether they are facing difficulties at school and what is on your child’s mind.
- two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day
- kids under age 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs
- kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games
Tuned in or tuned out?
Life in the 21st Century is
fast-paced and places huge amounts of pressure on our children’s time and
energy. Schoolwork, sport fixtures, after-school activities, electronic devices
(such as cellphones, MP3 players and gaming units) all demand our young ones’
time and attention. Now add TV viewing into this equation and suddenly there’s
little-if any- time left for family interaction and building interpersonal
relationships.Whilst it may look like a grim picture, we are not suggesting that as parents we should toss out our TVs; but that we should pay more attention to what our children are watching and how much time they spend watching it.
As parents we are ultimately responsible for the development and education of our children. It is important to realise that we are the role models that young ones turn to for guidance and direction when facing important life lessons. To successfully guide and support our children, we need to play an active role in their lives. Ask yourself these questions:
- What is my relationship with my children - am I involved in their lives or am I simply a stranger sharing living space with them?
- Do I give my children undivided time and love or are they competing with my cellphone/emails or other distractions for my attention?
- Have I created an environment where mealtimes are spent around the table talking about what happened during the day?
Research shows that families who share at least one unhurried meal together during the day have stronger communication bonds and are more involved in each other’s lives. Mealtime conversations give parents an ideal opportunity to learn about what happened to their children during the day, whether they are facing difficulties at school and what is on your child’s mind.
This insight can help you to guide and positively influence your children to overcome the challenges they may face. On the other hand, if mealtimes are rushed or spent in front of the TV so we can watch our favourite soapie, what message are we sending to our children about our level of interest in their lives? Surely it won’t be long before they feel that TV is more important than they are!
Control the
remote!
Some parents argue that although their children do watch a lot of TV, they do this together as a family. Some even feel that this is quality time spent in each other’s company.
But consider this: How much time is spent in real conversation when watching TV? We’re not referring to the times that you and Junior may laugh at the same joke during a TV show; we’re referring to meaningful conversations that give you the opportunity to really get to know your child- what hurts them, what makes them laugh, their hopes, dreams and fears.
So how CAN you keep TV in its rightful place and not allow it to replace you as your child’s role model and mentor?
READ OUR FREE DOWNLOAD TO LEARN MORE.
While there are many entertaining experiences for children to enjoy on TV, it is important to keep in mind what children need at different ages for their healthy development. Children need time to build strong bonds with real and caring people, time for active physical play and ‘hands-on’ activities- and as the parent it is your responsibility to create these learning opportunities for your child.
Control the
remote!Some parents argue that although their children do watch a lot of TV, they do this together as a family. Some even feel that this is quality time spent in each other’s company.
But consider this: How much time is spent in real conversation when watching TV? We’re not referring to the times that you and Junior may laugh at the same joke during a TV show; we’re referring to meaningful conversations that give you the opportunity to really get to know your child- what hurts them, what makes them laugh, their hopes, dreams and fears.
So how CAN you keep TV in its rightful place and not allow it to replace you as your child’s role model and mentor?
READ OUR FREE DOWNLOAD TO LEARN MORE.
While there are many entertaining experiences for children to enjoy on TV, it is important to keep in mind what children need at different ages for their healthy development. Children need time to build strong bonds with real and caring people, time for active physical play and ‘hands-on’ activities- and as the parent it is your responsibility to create these learning opportunities for your child.
I wish you all a wonderful and festive season!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Exam, Procrastination & Time Management
When it comes to studying, students are notorious for their excellent procrastination skills. Procrastination during the school year can cause stress and frustration to both students and parents as exams approach and the pressure to remember important facts increases. With just a little bit of planning and organising, the stress levels surrounding exams can be reduced significantly. Let’s see how...
On Your Marks...
You’ve heard it said over and over, but it’s worth repeating: there is no time like the present. Don’t wait for tomorrow or put studying off until the night before the big test, start you exam preparations today. The possibility exists that if you fall into this routine of pre-test cramming; you may well be putting all the information into your short term memory rather than your long-term memory; meaning that you will have to re-learn it all before the next test or exam.
Get Set...
Don’t spend too much time planning and organising either. It can easily happen that you spend hours or days planning to study, organising books and making a neat time table when in fact you are not really focussing on the material you need to be revising. Complete your planning quickly and well ahead of time.
When is the right time to start preparing for an exam? A month, 2 weeks, or maybe 2 even days before? No. The key is to do a little bit of preparation every day from the start of the term so that all the work will be summarised and ready to study by exam time.
Taking notes in class is your first step to being prepared for exams. When you get home after school, take some time to read through your class notes and compare them to your textbook and other material to make sure your notes are complete.
Don’t rewrite your textbook! The idea is to summarise the key points in your textbook into a few pages with as few words as possible. If you like, use colours, pictures, graphs, etc. to make it easy for you to understand your notes.
If you invest a little time every day after school in exam preparation, you won’t waste hours during exam time prettying up your notes; you’ll be ready to study them much faster than if your notes are a mess.
Create a revision sheet for each subject and mark your progress in each section as you complete it. It is also important to make notes of sections you do not fully know or understand and need to return to. This way you can keep track of your progress and it’s a fantastic way for parents to monitor your studying.
Not sure what a revision sheet is or how to make one?
You can download a printable sample revision sheet and print a copy by following this link.
A Break from the action
It is also good to remember that students shouldn’t be studying around the clock.
Study breaks are very important to let the brain rest and be refreshed for the next study session. Study sessions should range between 20 min for Gr. 4 students and 1 hour for Gr. 12 and above.
Breaks should be between 10 and 30 min, but this does not mean taking a quick nap or watching a TV program. During study breaks, students should engage in some kind of physical activity. Play outside with the dog, shoot some hoops, jog around the block, run around the house or just take a walk. The physical activity will help energise your mind in preparation for the next study session.
Whilst we've managed to scratch the surface regarding effective study skills and how to avoid procrastination, a personal consultation with one of our trained Edu-Profilogists® will give you an in-depth insight into YOUR personal learning style. You will also be given customised study skills tips and one on one training on information recall techniques best suited to you. To book your assessment and personal study skills course, email now.
You’ve heard it said over and over, but it’s worth repeating: there is no time like the present. Don’t wait for tomorrow or put studying off until the night before the big test, start you exam preparations today. The possibility exists that if you fall into this routine of pre-test cramming; you may well be putting all the information into your short term memory rather than your long-term memory; meaning that you will have to re-learn it all before the next test or exam.
Get Set...
Don’t spend too much time planning and organising either. It can easily happen that you spend hours or days planning to study, organising books and making a neat time table when in fact you are not really focussing on the material you need to be revising. Complete your planning quickly and well ahead of time.
When is the right time to start preparing for an exam? A month, 2 weeks, or maybe 2 even days before? No. The key is to do a little bit of preparation every day from the start of the term so that all the work will be summarised and ready to study by exam time.
STUDYING = revision, identifying possible questions, working out long questions, going over old papers.
Studying is not making notes from scratch.Go!
Taking notes in class is your first step to being prepared for exams. When you get home after school, take some time to read through your class notes and compare them to your textbook and other material to make sure your notes are complete.
Don’t rewrite your textbook! The idea is to summarise the key points in your textbook into a few pages with as few words as possible. If you like, use colours, pictures, graphs, etc. to make it easy for you to understand your notes.
If you invest a little time every day after school in exam preparation, you won’t waste hours during exam time prettying up your notes; you’ll be ready to study them much faster than if your notes are a mess.
Create a revision sheet for each subject and mark your progress in each section as you complete it. It is also important to make notes of sections you do not fully know or understand and need to return to. This way you can keep track of your progress and it’s a fantastic way for parents to monitor your studying.
Not sure what a revision sheet is or how to make one?
You can download a printable sample revision sheet and print a copy by following this link.
It is also good to remember that students shouldn’t be studying around the clock.
Study breaks are very important to let the brain rest and be refreshed for the next study session. Study sessions should range between 20 min for Gr. 4 students and 1 hour for Gr. 12 and above.
Breaks should be between 10 and 30 min, but this does not mean taking a quick nap or watching a TV program. During study breaks, students should engage in some kind of physical activity. Play outside with the dog, shoot some hoops, jog around the block, run around the house or just take a walk. The physical activity will help energise your mind in preparation for the next study session.
Whilst we've managed to scratch the surface regarding effective study skills and how to avoid procrastination, a personal consultation with one of our trained Edu-Profilogists® will give you an in-depth insight into YOUR personal learning style. You will also be given customised study skills tips and one on one training on information recall techniques best suited to you. To book your assessment and personal study skills course, email now.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Changing Educational Paradigms
I've discovered this interesting video on changing education paradigms. It's a visualization by RSA Animate of a speech by Sir Ken Robinson. It is an eye opener on current school systems, ADHD and individual learners. It is definitely worth watching the full 12 min.
However, if you don't want to watch the whole video, I have also found a short clip from this video depicting ADHD. This is a must see.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Career Guidance
How does the Genetic Brain Profile point out the best career for your child (or for you)?
The profile points to various strenghts in the candidate that should be considered when choosing a career, like:
- Prefer to work alone or in a team
- Work best in a closed or open office
- Need to work with people or not
- Dynamic speaker or behind the scenes worker
- Routine- or unpredictable schedule
- Work well under pressure / stress or need a calm working environment
- Major in Numbers, Science, Art, Music, Business, etc.
All of these traits point to different jobs and also different sectors within certain fields, like medicine - a surgeon or a pediatrician.
Keeping the candidate's specific strenghts in mind and combining it with his/her interests, we can find a job that fits like a glove.
The great thing about the Genetic Brain Profile is that it is genetic (you have been born with it) and the test is physical, which means that there are no questions and answers that can be manipulated.
Most other tests rely on hours of filling out forms, answering multiple choice questions and while they are very useful tools, the answers can be guessed or manipulated. People can also score differently when they are sick or if their emotional state is altered, eg. after having a fight with a best friend.
I hope this answers some of your questions. If you want any more information or need clarity on any of my services, feel free to contact me.
The profile points to various strenghts in the candidate that should be considered when choosing a career, like:
- Prefer to work alone or in a team
- Work best in a closed or open office
- Need to work with people or not
- Dynamic speaker or behind the scenes worker
- Routine- or unpredictable schedule
- Work well under pressure / stress or need a calm working environment
- Major in Numbers, Science, Art, Music, Business, etc.
Keeping the candidate's specific strenghts in mind and combining it with his/her interests, we can find a job that fits like a glove.
The great thing about the Genetic Brain Profile is that it is genetic (you have been born with it) and the test is physical, which means that there are no questions and answers that can be manipulated.
Most other tests rely on hours of filling out forms, answering multiple choice questions and while they are very useful tools, the answers can be guessed or manipulated. People can also score differently when they are sick or if their emotional state is altered, eg. after having a fight with a best friend.
I hope this answers some of your questions. If you want any more information or need clarity on any of my services, feel free to contact me.
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