Good Sensory Learning Blog

I'm happy to continue a discussion on listening skills from my prior blog post, "What are the 7 Root Origins of Poor Listening Skills?"  This past blog reviewed the cognitive skills behind listening.  Now, I would love to share the games and activities that I use to improve listening skills in my own students.   It's all in the Presentation: Here are three magical steps: Motivating lesson titles can hook your learners and feed eager and enthusiastic attitudes.  Upbeat and animated presentations can grab your students' attention and get them engrossed in the content.  Integrate fun and interactive games that reinforce the concepts...

🎉 Get Your Free Copy of Puppy Party! Learning doesn’t have to be dull or repetitive! Kids don’t need to slog through endless word lists or worksheets to master reading skills. As an educational therapist and learning specialist, I’m a firm believer that repetition and mastery happen best through play. When learning is fun, students stay motivated, retain information longer, and actually look forward to practice time! 🐾 Why Puppy Party Is a Winner with Struggling Readers Puppy Party is one of my most beloved reading games — and it never fails to bring smiles and giggles to my sessions....

Wouldn’t you like to be the first person to know if your lesson was a flop or if your students misinterpreted your words or intentions? Whether you like it or not, your students are continually evaluating your teaching materials and instructional style. Their opinions travel quickly to peers, parents, tutors, advisors, and school administrators. Frequently, the last person to hear this feedback is often the actual teacher. In fact, this negative chatter and exaggerations can turn a minor incident or criticism into a big ordeal. What’s more, the spread of negative gossip can create lasting misconceptions. Listen to Your Students'...

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...