Good Sensory Learning Blog

Affirmations are phrases that foster a positive mental attitude and self-empowerment.  They are words that can be said aloud or written around a room to inspire students, and they can become inner mantras that learners can use to support and encourage themselves.  Affirmations are extremely important, as we live in an academic culture that typically points out what students are doing wrong.  Therefore, integrating positive thoughts and words can counteract any feelings of discouragement, thus helping students step into their best academic selves. Why Are Positive Affirmation Important for Learning? When students are bombarded with negative comments and returned assignments...

I just wanted to announce my newest publication: The Good Sensory Learning Reading Assessment. This comprehensive reading evaluation was created for teachers, reading specialists, learning specialists and parents who need a simple but comprehensive reading evaluation instrument that can direct instruction so specific reading needs can be targeted. Instead putting a student through a whole reading program, remediation can be tailored to address  areas of weakness so that the student can quickly experience success. Can I Use This Assessment with a Reading Program? It works seamlessly with any phonics or Orton-Gillingham based reading program. Moreover, the evaluation can also be utilized after remedial intervention...

Main ideas and details are fundamental, core concepts every elementary student needs to master. It is the foundation of reading comprehension, writing and the organization of ideas. In fact, mastery of these abstract concepts can even help students improve memory, note taking skills and enhance their understanding of lessons. What are Main Ideas and Details? Main ideas are the most important central concept or claim that can be expressed visually in writing (often as a thesis or topic sentence) or orally in conversation. Details are single ideas that illustrate a point, explain a concept, or otherwise support the central idea....

Most people know the saying: Two heads are better than one.  Similarly, one brain with two integrated hemispheres can be equally as powerful.  It is common knowledge that the brain has two hemispheres that are bridged by a bundle of nerves that travel across the corpus callosum. Although this overpass exists, it doesn’t mean that it is always used. In fact, you will often hear of people claiming to be right or left brain dominant, and many people function quite well using predominantly “half a brain.” However uniting the power of both hemispheres and assimilating experiences, students can create an internal...

Phonemes are the smallest units of language based sounds that can be paired with graphemes or symbols that represent those sounds. These sound/symbol associations are the foundations to writing and reading text, and teaching them to young learners can help boost learning potential. Why are There 44 Phonemes When the Alphabet has only 26 Letters? There are 44 unique phoneme sounds in the English language for two reasons.  On the one hand,  some letters make more than one sound, while on the other hand, certain letter combinations, such as the vowel teams, make their own unique sounds.   So even though...