Good Sensory Learning Blog

The spoken word gives human’s an incredible advantage over other species, but for those that struggle with language processing, this “invisible difficulty,” can create countless challenges. What’s more, this problem often goes unnoticed and many of these students are misunderstood and mislabeled as inattentive, careless, lazy absent-minded, and defiant.  What is a Language Processing Disorder? Language processing disorders are not uncommon, and it is a difficulty that impacts communication and social relations. This disorder can impact a student’s ability to understand language (receptive language) and/or express their thoughts (expressive language). Like many cognitive based challenges, it can manifest in a...

I am so pleased to feature this insightful and informative blog by early literacy and reading specialist, Nancy Platt!  Nancy worked as a children's librarian for 15 years at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, Connecticut, and she is passionate about multisensory and play-based early education. Currently residing in the Dominican Republic, Nancy is furthering her expertise in advocacy, language acquisition, and bilingual education. If you have a child or a student with reading problems or dyslexia, you may be surprised to know that using songs and music can help! When children are babies and toddlers, parents and caregivers often sing and recite...

What is Rapid Automatic Naming? Rapid automatic naming (RAN) or rapid naming is the ability to quickly verbalize a series of familiar items including letters, numbers, colors or things. Research purports that RAN tests are highly correlated to one’s reading abilities because the faster and more efficiently one can access information from the memory banks, the easier it is to read and comprehend text. How Does Rapid Automatic Naming Happen in the Brain? Although we know RAN impacts reading, there are three competing viewpoints in the literature. One view indicates that RAN involves how well one can retrieve phonological information...

The human brain, a marvel of nature's engineering, is often discussed in terms of its two distinct hemispheres, each with its unique strengths. Bridging these cerebral continents is the corpus callosum, a superhighway of nerves that facilitates interhemispheric communication. Yet, this pathway isn't always trafficked to its full potential. The common discourse around being 'right-brained' or 'left-brained' suggests many of us navigate life tapping into just half of our cerebral potential. But imagine the possibilities if we could harness the full spectrum of our brain's capabilities, merging the analytical with the artistic, the logical with the intuitive. By learning to...

What is Executive Functions? Executive functions, or what I like to call the conductor of the brain, is the process of the mind gathering together and making sense of all the information we receive from our instruments or senses. Helping us to create meaning from what we see, hear, touch, taste, and experience, executive functions also allows us to focus our attention, learn and think about new information, and make connections to what we already know.   The Three Parts of Executive Function Executive function is not fully understood in the literature and studies continue to explore this complex skill. However,...