Good Sensory Learning Blog

This week I am thrilled to share a case study of a fabulous teacher named Kim, from Cape Town in South Africa. Kim teaches a 3rd-grade class at a special needs school. The children range from 10-12 years old and most are bussed in daily from very disadvantaged areas all over the peninsula. Kim reported, "I was so thrilled to have stumbled across your website when I was drowning in a sea of unrecognizable words and paragraphs which were proudly presented to me by 8 out of my16 pupils." Kim knew they were capable, "as most of them could do...

I'm so excited to announce the release of my new Publication: Executive Functioning Game: Memory Master! It is the second of a series of four executive functioning games that I have been working on over the past six months. I’ve played it with my students, and it is ridiculously fun! Memory Master is a fabulously fun game for everyone, but it can also serve as a tool that exercises working memory, attention to detail, management of distractions, stamina, response inhibition, as well as mental shifting and sustained attention. This game can be used to integrate the two hemispheres of the...

Order of Operations is a difficult concept for young learners, and many teachers use strategies to help students learn the sequence of mathematical steps. The acronyms, such as "PEMDAS" or "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally," are common memory strategies that teachers use to help students remember the order of operations.  Order of Operations Can Be Confusing However, this mnemonic suggests a specific sequence which can cause confusion. Mistakes may result if the student is unaware that multiplication and division as well as addition and subtraction is of equal ranking order. When one has operations of the same rank, the...

Making lessons both memorable and fun brings magic into any classroom. Instead of looking to a room of passive, bored faces, you can transform your learners into active, engaged participants. I work with students one-on-one, and this is what makes my practice a success. I often tell my students, if you don’t love coming to our sessions, I’m not doing my job. 16 Strategies that Can Transform Your Classroom or One-to-One Sessions: Don't call home assignments, homework, but come up with a name that is more appealing and motivating such as home fun. Also, when introducing a new lesson or...

For many students writing can be an overwhelming, taxing chore.   In order to be proficient, students must be able to manage multiple tasks at one time, and to juggle these responsibilities, the following skill must be developed to near automaticity: 1.     Conjuring up and organizing ideas. 2.     Understanding and being able to implement basic grammar and sentence structure. 3.     Recording words through legible penmanship or proficient typing. 4.     Comprehending and utilizing various literacy devices. 5.     Knowing how to spell. If a student struggles with any of the above tasks, their writing will likely suffer. How Can Students Develop the Needed Skills...