Good Sensory Learning Blog

Occasionally, I get inquiries from other learning specialists in the field that have difficult cases. Recently, a director of a tutoring academy asked me a question about a new student, and I thought I would share our correspondence for this week's blog post. Names have been altered to preserve anonymity. Dear Erica:I have a question about a new case. When I first contacted you about two years ago, it was because I had a little 5-year-old girl who was way behind. Your guidance really helped me. Anyway her first cousin has come to us. The girl turned 4 in June,...

Do you have students who constantly forget to bring a pencil, misplace homework, blurt out unrelated comments, or struggle to follow multi-step directions? These everyday challenges often trace back to one key skill: working memory.  What Is Working Memory? Working memory is like the brain’s “mental workspace.” It allows learners to hold, organize, and use information for short periods while completing tasks. Students rely on it to solve math problems, remember directions, stay engaged in conversations, and manage distractions. When working memory is strong, students can focus, plan, and follow through. When it’s weak, learning can feel scattered and overwhelming....

With the integration of technology into the classroom and limited instructional time, teachers spend less and less time on the teaching of penmanship.  In fact, many schools have stopped teaching script altogether.  Instead, the instruction and practice time that was once used to refine printing and cursive skills has been reallocated to other tasks, such as keyboarding. What Are the Long-Term Effects of Limited Instruction on Penmanship? Because young learners are spending less time on penmanship, many students do not fully develop this skill, and their fine motor abilities suffer.  Therefore, when they write, they have to think about letter...

When students love to read, they have an enormous advantage over those who don't. Research shows that reading exercises attention, exposes readers to new ideas, and improves knowledge, vocabulary, imagination, writing abilities, and memory. So why is reading loved by some and hated by others? Why do Some Children Love to Read While Others Don't? Imagine going to the movies with your eyes closed.  Would that be fun?  Would it be easy to get distracted by your thoughts, because you have no visuals to pull you into the story?  Would it be boring? How about comprehending the plot?  Would you confuse...

Many people think that mental math is too difficult for elementary learners, but, in fact, youngsters have wonderful imaginations and capacities to visualize that can be utilized while doing mathematical calculations. In addition, it teaches them how to use their brains in an efficient, mindful, and active manner. What's more, it develops working memory, executive functioning skills, and attention abilities that can serve them for the rest of their lives. How Can Mental Math Utilize and Develop Working Memory, Executive Functioning, and Attention? Working memory is the key mental process that enables one to hold, manipulate, organize and process both...