Lynne Kenney, PsyD www.lynnekenney.com

@drlynnekenney Printables can be found at http://pinterest.com/lynnekenney/

Very Best Treatments For ADHD And the processing disorders

Attributions & #gratitude

 Dr. David Nowell  Dr. Laurie Dietzel  Dr. Raun Melmed  Dr. Ron Fischler  Dr. Susan Fralick-Ball  Dr. Ron Schouten  Dr. Karen Saywitz

What we will explore today

Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD The Role of Executive Dysfunction Sensory Processing Disorder CAPD Behavioral and Learning Interventions 25+ Strategies you can use today

What we will learn

 Differential diagnosis of ADHD  Common pitfalls in diagnosis   Identifying EF dysfunction and it’s

correlates   The role of EF in social and academic

functioning   Targeting interventions for ADHD, EF,

SPD and CAPD (and more…)

What’s in a diagnosis?   Executive Dysfunction   Sensory Processing Disconnections   Neuropsychological Model of Executive

Functioning (EF)   ADHD   Central Auditory Processing Disorder   Non-Verbal Learning Disorder   Mood Dysregulation across disorders   How are child and adult ADHD the same and

different (Original Source: Sarah Ward)

What does executive dysfunction “look like”

  Child completes work but “forgets” to hand it in   Child has difficulty transitioning from one

situation or task to another   Child doesn’t seem to catch “careless” errors   Child needs more external support and

reminders than peers   Child can’t seem to keep track of directions,

possessions, and assignments   Child is very inconsistent in her performance

  Original source Dr. Laurie Dietzel

What is Executive Functioning (EF)?

 An umbrella term covering related yet distinct skills

 Refers to cognitive control/self-regulatory processes

 Can be understood as Cognitive and Limbic

McCloskey 23 Self-Regulation Executive Functions

Perceive Initiate Modulate Gauge Focus/Select Sustain Stop/Interrupt Flexible/Shift Inhibit Hold Manipulate

Organize Foresee Generate Associate Balance Store Retrieve Pace Time Execute Monitor Correct

EF Domains

  Attention, focus, distractibility   Cognitive control, shift and flexibility   Memory, input, manipulation, output   Emotional regulation and modulation   Problem solving, decision making   Impulse control and management   Organization, planning, and time management   Motor management planning, pacing, initiation,

maintaining, stopping Kenney 2012

I. Executive Functions include the ability to:

 Survey and preview   Plan, organize, sequence, initiate and

execute tasks  Hold, manipulate and retrieve

memory  Shift focus, sustain attention, tolerate

and adapt to changes in expectations  Stop, think, decide, respond

II. Executive Functions include the ability to:

  Conduct visual-spatial mental operations   Track information and activities in working

memory   Perceive, read, interpret and respond to social

situations   Regulate and manage emotions   Evaluate, plan and manage time   Use language to facilitate communication

within relationships   Reason, evaluate choices and make decisions

Neuropsych & EF ~ I 1. Processing speed The speed at which you perceive, analyze and respond 2. Selective Attention Choosing relevant stimuli or data (target selection) 3. Hand-Eye Coordination The ability to produce specific hand movements based on visual cues with motor planning and accuracy 4. Visual Scanning Ability to search for information in the visual field 5. Inhibition Suppression of inappropriate responses or distracting stimuli 6. Cognitive Control/flexibility/shift Adjustment of behavior according to context

Neuropsych & EF ~ II 7. Working Memory Ability to keep information stored in active memory in order to complete an action

8. Episodic Memory Memory of personal events and related context 9. Temporal Order Memory Ability to remember the order in which items appear 10. Visuo-spatial skills Ability to analyze and understand space in two or three dimensions 11. Temporal Perception Ability to determine the duration of events 12. Word naming Ability to produce language and maintain conversation 13. Semantic Categorization Creation of groups based on similarity of concepts

Modified from original source: Brain Center America & Quebec

Don’t All People have some Executive Dysfunction?

  EF follows a developmental course as do all cognitive and social-emotional skills

 We all have domains in which we could improve, but that doesn’t add up to EFD

  EFD interferes with daily adaptive living skills

ADHD and EF   Working memory and recall (holding facts in mind while

manipulating information; accessing facts stored in long-term memory.)

  Activation, arousal, and effort (getting started; paying attention; finishing work)

  Controlling emotions (ability to tolerate frustration; thinking before acting or speaking)

  Internalizing language (using "self-talk" to control one's behavior and direct future actions)

  Taking an issue apart, analyzing the pieces, reconstituting and organizing it into new ideas (complex problem solving).

What does ADHD + EF Look Like?   Practically speaking, executive function deficits may

cause problems for students with ADHD in several important areas:   getting started and finishing work   remembering homework   memorizing facts   writing essays or reports   working through math problems   being on time   controlling emotions   completing long-term projects   planning for the future

Types of Attention Focused attention: This is the ability to respond discretely to specific

visual, auditory or tactile stimuli. Sustained attention: This refers to the ability to maintain a consistent behavioral response during continuous and repetitive activity. Selective attention: This level of attention refers to the capacity to maintain a behavioral or cognitive set in the face of distracting or competing stimuli. Therefore it incorporates the notion of "freedom from distractibility" Alternating attention: It refers to the capacity for mental flexibility that allows individuals to shift their focus of attention and move between tasks having different cognitive requirements. Divided attention: This is the highest level of attention and it refers to the ability to respond simultaneously to multiple tasks or multiple task demands. Source: Dr. Fralick-Ball SFBPsychMedEd 2010-2013

ADHD childhood v adulthood   The symptoms change as someone with ADD/ADHD develops

from a child into a teenager and then into an adult. While the core problems of hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattentiveness remain the same, the specific symptoms manifest differently.   DSM-5 is looking to further refine the adult Dx to include

more inattentiveness & impulsive decision making   The impairment is hallmarked with impairment of executive

functions and emotional control.   Typically, the symptoms of hyperactivity decrease and become

more subtle, while problems related to concentration and dysorganization become more dominant.

  Female adult ADHD clients are often underdiagnosed and undertreated.

What skills do we wish to teach?   Goal   Plan   Pace   Observe time-frames   Observe the passage of

time   Sequence   Prioritize   Organize   Hold and manipulate info

in memory   Initiate

  Execute   Complete   Inhibit   Resist   Delay   Shift   Self-monitor   Emotional control

Good Books on EF

DSM V ~ What can we imagine?

 We may see the age of onset raised to age 12

 We may see a collapse of the Dx w focus on axes

 We may see a separation of of ADHD restrictive (no H); we hope for sluggish cognitive tempo

 Co-morbidity and cross-over

Twitter ~ The Research Playground BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

  @davidnowell   @drbethkids   @all4mychild   @braininsights   @viviensabel   @drmarty01   @DrEscotet   @TheTeenDoc   @NutritionistJan

Enhancing Executive Function with skill set development

Where we are heading:

 Improving Neuronal Connections  Knowing the difference between a skill deficit and willful non-compliance  Strategies to build brain connections

Your Brain is Like A Placemat

 Insulted? Don’t be.

 A placemat is a good thing.

 Connect the dots.

How do Neurons Connect?

The electrical signals (nerve impulses) carried by neurons are passed on to other neurons at junctions called synapses. The signal may be directly transferred at electrical synapses or, if there is no physical link between adjacent neurons, the signal is carried across the gap by chemicals called neurotransmitters. By using neurotransmitters, the nervous system can alter the way a message is passed on. Each neuron communicates with many others and this contributes to the amazing complexity of the brain. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

What is The Synapse?   When a nerve impulse reaches the synapse at

the end of a neuron, it cannot pass directly to the next one. Instead, it triggers the neuron to release a chemical neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter drifts across the gap between the two neurons. On reaching the other side, it fits into a tailor-made receptor on the surface of the target neuron, like a key in a lock. This docking process converts the chemical signal back into an electrical nerve impulse. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Neurotransmitters   Your brain uses over 50 different

neurotransmitter chemicals. Although electrical signaling between neurons is quicker and more energy efficient, chemical signaling is far more versatile. The signals carried by some neurotransmitters excite the target cell while others dampen down their activity, depending on the type of neurotransmitter released at the synapse and the receptors they reach. This is what sharpens the contrast between light and dark in the eye, for example. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Connections   Neurons can connect with up

to a hundred thousand other cells. This number of connections is a truly enormous number: 10 thousand trillion.

  One neuron can have as many as 100,000 dendrites.

  In a human, there are more than 125 trillion synapses just in the cerebral cortex alone

How Do We Build Brain Connections?

  Exposure   Experience  Doing, thinking,

mirroring   Practice ~ and a

lot of it

www.unc.edu

Pruning   In a human fetus, almost a trillion

neurons are produced. During the last month, they are produced at the unbelievable rate of 250,000 per second. Eighty-to-hundred billion of these neurons will be utilized by experience and become permanent, while the other 900 billion will be pruned – that is, carefully dismantled with the material recycled by the brain’s unique immune system. jonlieffmd.com

Executive Function and Education

  EF and intelligence   Twice Gifted  Disorganized students  Homework interventions   Task Analysis  Skill-set development  Multi-sensory interventions (MIT)

EF and Intelligence

  Intelligence and executive functioning are different sets of skills (Barkley, 1997a)

  Modest correlations are seen between scores on IQ tests and measures of “higher-order” EF such as cognitive flexibility in problem-solving

  UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS Miyake et al. (2000) Cognitive Psychology41,49–100 (2000)

Gifted/Talented Children

 Many children who are highly gifted show uneven skill development; executive skills may lag behind the development of abstract thinking abilities

  There is no reason to think that a child with accelerated academic skills will also have advanced EF

Twice Gifted ~ 2 E

  Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports). NAGT

  2 E’s “…are identified as gifted and talented in one or more areas of exceptionality (specific academics, general intellectual ability, creativity, leadership, visual, or performing arts); {and have a} disability defined by Federal/State eligibility criteria: specific learning disability, significant identifiable emotional disability, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, autism, or ADHD.” (Colorado Dept. of Education 2009)

  Misdiagnosis and dual diagnosis of gifted children and adults ~ Webb et al.

Bi-Polar   BPD is characterized by alternating periods of emotional highs

and lows.   Ranges from mild to severe.   Mood swings have long intervals to rapidly cycling.   The emotional ‘highs’ include:

  Feelings of euphoria, optimism   Rapid speech, racing thoughts, agitation,↑  activity   Poor judgment   Recklessness   Difficulty sleeping   Tendency to be distracted   Inability to concentrate   Extreme irritability

Disorganized Students

Organizing The Disorganized Person

 Determine “Help Me” domain listening attending, focus, note taking, impulse control, transferring data, input, output, audition, vision, organization, previewing, planning, execution, time-management

  Identify needed skill-set  Make a plan   Execute, monitor, review plan

Calendars and Planners

 Calendars (must build a habit for checking on a regular basis)

 Request assignments in advance to allow for planning homework and studying (many students would benefit from a semester syllabus)

EF Management

 Calendars, planners and schedules  Routines and daily activities   Task Lists   Project Management

 SYSTEMS: Digital, paper, post-it notes, planners, mobiles tools Cozi.com, myjobchart.com, famzoo.com

Planning/Time Management

 Use timers (auditory, visual)  Use alarms   Estimate amount of time needed for a

task and then write down actual time  Sarah Ward ~

cognitiveconnectionstherapy.com

What every person needs to know ~ How to…

  Plan   Initiate   Execute  Review  Revise

Manage The Work Space

 What does your space look like? How functional is it?   How organized is your study space?   Does your student have all the items he needs?   Does your student have the ability to use multi-sensory transfer

skills?   Describe the study space setting, could you work there?   Is there an adult near-by?   Do you have a time set aside?   Are you working in 15 min increments or those suitable to your

child?   Do you have prompts or cues?   Is your workspace portable or stationary?

Skill Set Tracking

Go Multi-Sensory

  Encourage transfer skills  Use video, audio and tactile strategies  Use marker boards  Use quad bulletin board  Draw and doodle  Vary the types of paper available   Plain, graph, wide ruled, narrow ruled

Habit Development I

  A rule of thumb (for kids and adults without ADHD or other neurodevelopmental conditions) is that it takes at least 30 days to build a new habit (make a behavior automatic)

  Use sound behavioral principles including tying adequate impulse control to positive reinforcers (must make sure that the interval is appropriate-some kids will need to have chance to earn reinforcer after just a few minutes)

  Use visual cues (e.g., big stop sign on door)

Habit Development II

  Develop habits that interfere with impulsive behavior (e.g., everyone put their hands on the table, hands in pockets or holding sides of pants/skirts while walking)

  Use of a fidget toy (if you are holding a squishy ball, you cannot grab someone else’s belongings) – this only works if kid doesn’t throw the fidget object www.abilitations.com www.kidscompanions.com

  The Outliers ~ Malcolm Gladwell

Talking with Students about their Study Styles

  Emphasize strengths  Keep it short and simple!  Use visuals  Discuss weaknesses as hypotheses (it

seems that you lose track of your ideas when you are writing...is that true?)

  Instill hope as you describe interventions

 Collaborate, collaborate more…

There are no BUT’s here

 Help the student feel valued   Let the student have some control in

the discussion and plan  Ask questions without making

assumptions   The relationship is the agent of

change

Prioritization

 The modified Sullivan technique for prioritizing, planning and execution

 A B C

 48 hrs

Communication and ADHD   Go to your child and make direct eye contact before

giving an instruction.   Check for understanding: “Tell me what I want you to

do.”   Give verbal directions one at a time, not in a long list.   Physical contact can help the child focus.   Encourage your child to talk through a situation rather

than just plunging in (Walk and Talk).   Go over steps in a procedure before and during

activities, including those you and your child do together.

  Express expectations in written or visual form as well as verbal, such as a chore chart or a checklist.

Diagnostic Considerations

Cognitive Flexibility + Classroom/Work Previewing

 Review upcoming changes to schedule or environment

  Preview what is upcoming  Who, what, when, where, how  Use multi-sensory strategies  Cornell Method for note-taking  Quad boards

Building Cognitive Flexibility

 Social stories (relaxkids.com, mindfulness, meditation, stressfreekids.com)

 Social skills training (individual, dyad, group)

  Positive reinforcement for managing a change or generating a new way of responding

Even the Playing Field

  This is the goal of a 504 Plan and IEP accommodations/modifications –accommodations and modifications do not directly build skills- they buffer the negative effects of the disability

 Remember that the educational impact of executive dysfunction may not always be apparent from grades and test scores

Interaction with Cultural and Environmental Factors

  Some kids with typically developing executive skills have trouble because the expectations at school or home are unrealistically high

  Expectations for planning, organization, time management, and autonomy vary widely depending upon a person’s cultural/ethnic context

  Families may not be well functioning

Sensory Processing Disorders Sensory Modulation Sensory

Discrimination Sensory-Based Motor Disorder

Sensory Over-Responsivity

Visual Postural Disorders

Sensory Under-Responsivity

Auditory Dyspraxia

Sensory Seeking/Craving

Tactile Vestibular Proprioceptive Gustatory Olfactory

Source: Lucy Jane Miller

SPD ~ Modulation I   Sensory modulation refers to a complex central

nervous system process by which neural messages that convey information about the intensity, frequency, duration, complexity, and novelty of sensory stimuli are adjusted.

  Behaviorally, this is manifested in the tendency to generate responses that are appropriately graded in relation to incoming sensations, neither under-reacting nor overreacting to them.

SPD – Modulation II   Sensory registration problems - This refers to the

process by which the central nervous system attends to stimuli. This usually involves an orienting response. Sensory registration problems are characterized by failure to notice stimuli that ordinarily are salient to most people.

  Sensory defensiveness - A condition characterized by over-responsivity in one or more systems.

  Gravitational insecurity - A sensory modulation condition in which there is a tendency to react negatively and fearfully to movement experiences, particularly those involving a change in head position and movement backward or upward through space. (Jane Case-Smith, 2005)

The Brain Process

 We perceive  We think  We feel  We respond (behave)

CAPD   Complex problem affecting about 5% of school-aged children.   Children can't process the information they hear in the same

way as others because their ears and brain don't fully coordinate.

  The way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, most notably the sounds composing speech is altered.

  Often do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough to be heard.

  These kinds of problems typically occur in background noise, which is a natural listening environment.

  Basic difficulty of understanding any speech signal presented under less than optimal conditions.

CAPD Phenotypically

  hearing in noisy situations   following long conversations   hearing conversations on the

telephone   learning a foreign language

or challenging vocabulary words

  remembering spoken information (i.e., auditory memory deficits)

  taking notes   maintaining focus on an

activity if other sounds are present child is easily distracted by other sounds in the environment

  with organizational skills   following multi-step

directions   in directing, sustaining, or

dividing attention   with reading and/or spelling   processing nonverbal

information (e.g., lack of music appreciation)

Non-Verbal Learning Disability   NLD is a neurological syndrome characterized

by the impairment of nonverbal or performance-based information controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain. Performance-based information governed by the R hemisphere is impaired in varying degrees, including problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative, and holistic processing functions.

NVLD Manifestations

 Developmental disorder with manifestations in the following domains:   a) somatosensory and motor functions   b) visuospatial and visuoconstructive

functions   c) arithmetic   d) social cognition   E) inferential reasoning

  Proper diagnosis  Behavioral skill building  Academic/social support  Medication  Brain Training  An organized home environment  Access to competent mentors  Nourishment

Interventions

HOW TO HELP Accommodations

Strategies

Skill Building

At Home ~ The Family Coach Method & ADHD

  Stay out of The Discipline Trap   Establish routines and rhythm   Clarify the family culture   Collaborate on behavioral expectations   Build a pond for better behavior   Focus on what works

Intervention Pyramid   Medication

  Neurotransmitters

 Food/Nutrition

 Developmental, Behavioral, Learning Interventions

Brain Training   Some programs include Luminosity, Captain’s Log,

COGMED, MC2, Brain Gym and Brain Builder. If the child or adult has not had a neuropsychological or executive function evaluation that may be a first step.

  Exercise is brain training. Activities that involve motor control and thinking at the same time build brain connections. Some activities to consider include: XBox Dance Dance Revolution, karate, double dutch jump rope, yoga, hacky sac, swimming and tennis. Getting up, out and moving in any way possible is good for everyone.

  Preventing brain loss: Cognitive-motor exercises, working memory, nutrition, exercise

Let’s Start Moving

 Suzy Koontz suzykoontz.com   Jean Blaydes Madigan abllab.com  SparkPE   Eric Jensen www.jensenlearning.com  Gil Connell @movingsmart now

You are what you assimilate

 Get back to real whole food  Consider amino acids

neurogistics.com

5 Food Rules

1. 1 oz water per pound per day 2. If it does not rot or sprout do without 3. Consider 1-2 oz protein/fats every four hours for children 4. Consider 8-10 servings of color per day (1/2 cup per serving) 5. Consider pharm grade or whole food multi-vitamins, Omega 3’s, probiotics and antioxidants Please consult with your physician regarding your specific needs.

Twitter ~ The Research Playground NUTRITION

 @NutritionBlogs  @MelissaMcCreey  @childobesity (nourish interactive)

  @ RMNutrition   @nutritionistjan   @eatingarainbow   www.KidKritics.com   www.pathways4health.org

Skill Deficits vs Willful Non-compliance

  The 80/20 rule  A skill deficit is when the task

demands exceed the skill level  Are the expectation clearly

understood?  Chunk  Be detailed  Model role play, practice

Is this a skill deficit?

Can he do it? If yes, expect it If no, teach it

EF and Behavioral Change

 Visualizing and verbalizing  Role Play  Social Stories   The Beginning, Middle & End  Going Full Circle  See, say, play, touch, build  Mentoring others  Motor movement

Cognitive Skills   Attention   Distraction   Focus   Shift   Rumination   Perseveration   Hopeful thinking   Negativity   Resistance

  Organization   One step at a time   Previewing   Planning   Completing a task

Breaking Down Skill Sets I

Listening   I chose not to speak   I established eye contact   I listened to someone speaking   I nodded my head to show I was listening   I repeated back what I heard, when asked   I asked a question when I did not understand   I remembered instructions   I followed the instructions

Breaking Down Skill Sets II

Listening   I chose not to speak   I established eye contact   I listened to someone speaking   I nodded my head to show I was listening   I repeated back what I heard, when asked   I asked a question when I did not understand   I remembered instructions   I followed the instructions

Breaking Down Skill Sets III

For The Parent   I defined an expected behavior   I named the expected behavior   I chose my behavior, thinking it through   I practiced ready, steady, act   I practiced “I have a choice”   I thought about the next step   I spoke the sequence of my actions   I wrote the sequence of my actions

Impulsivity   Waiting one’s turn   Refraining from touching others   Keeping one’s hands to self   Not grabbing without permission   Keeping one’s body still   Thinking before you act   Managing oral-motor movements   Verbalization, waiting one’s turn   Speaking in turn

Helping children “do as expected” takes previewing and planning

  1. Tell the children what is about to happen. “We are going outside to play. We will quietly get in line, stand helicopter distance from one another and keep our voices quiet.”

  2. Tell them what they can do with their hands and their bodies. “While you are on the playground, keep your hands to yourself as you run, jump and play.”

  3. Tell them how they will know the activity is over. “When you hear our ‘secret signal’, you will line up at the red door and we will slowly walk back inside.”

Self-Regulation   Recognizing

escalation   Asking for help (I

feel revved up, angry, annoyed)

  Stopping escalation   Making a choice to

use a calming skill   De-escalating   Initiating calm

  Maintaining calm   Using calming skills

(breathing, music, motor movement, yoga, meditation

  Using energy release skills (jump ropes, trampoline, jumping jacks)

Anger Mountain

Polyspot Stories

The Caveman and The Thinker

Your Child’s Two-Part Brain The Defensive Brain Collaboration Works Calm the caveman to engage the thinker

We Calm Down To Think

  Teach relaxation breathing and self-talk   Allow for a break (including a physical

place to calm down) when child encounters a change

  Provide warnings (signals) prior to transitions – they can be visual, touch, or verbal

  @stressfreekids Lori Lite

EF ~ Social Skills I

  1. Perspective-taking - The ability to see a situation from another person’s perspective

  2. Impulse Control - The ability to control initial impulses (thoughts, desires) without acting on them

  3. Delaying gratification - The ability to delay gratification of needs and desires

EF ~ Social Skills II   4. Conflict Resolution – The ability to solve an

interpersonal problem satisfactorily to both parties, without resorting to aggression (verbal or physical)

  5. Reading social cues – The ability to decode facial expressions, actions and words

  6. Mood modulation – Managing the ups and downs of feelings in the moment, employing calming skills, using one’s thoughts to manage one’s feelings

Twitter ~ The Research Playground INTERVENTION

 @Inclusive_Class  @marianne_russo  @‏special-ism  @movingsmartnow  @micheleborba  @talkingteenage  @Kiboomu  @kidlutions

5 Things About The Teen Brain You were afraid to ask, but need to know

  Teen brain growth (neuronal connections) is in spurts and starts The Teen Years Explained: A Guide to Healthy Adolescent Development (Johns Hopkins University, 2009) by Clea McNeely and Jayne Blanchard

  Go away! Wait, where are you going? (Separation and Independence)

  Why do moody? The limbic interference relates to neuronal growth, hormonal changes and brain re-organization

  Why so cliquey? Teens are herd animals…   What? Your brakes aren’t working? (Impulsivity and risk

taking and the teenage brain)

Teens and Tweenies

  Teenage as a second language ~ Barbara R. Greenberg, & Jennifer A. Powell-Lunder

 Get out of my life! But first will you take me and Cheryl to the mall ~ Anthony Wolf

 Why do they act that way? ~ David Walsh

Freedomland

Field Trip!

 Play Math is a cortico-cerebellar math program that alternates fine and gross motor movement to teach children ages 6-12 fact families, factors and fractions (Kenney 2012)

 Mirror or Skip Count (Balls)  Slide and Glide (Blocks)  Over and Up (Blocks)  How do numbers fit together?  What makes a family?  Advanced techniques

The Method

Three things children taught me about how they learn math.

 1. We build to learn: Exploring fact families in “arrays” (we call them squares and rectangles) we have 7 year olds learning order of operations, distributive property and fact families all through play.

Three things children taught me about how they learn math.

  We need to touch the blocks for better encoding: With base ten blocks, when children start to see with their own eyes or feel with their own hands/feet/rhythm or say with their own voices, that 6 fits into 12 and you can make 12 several different ways 3+9=12 9+3 =12; 6+6=12 11+1 = 12, the children love it. They make patterns and do grouping naturally. This enhances memory encoding.

Three things children taught me about how they learn math.

 We build brain connections with:

a. Rhythm b. Fine and Gross Motor

Movement c. Mentoring

Audition and Rhythm   For younger kids who have trouble getting

started with the morning or evening routine at home, use a song they like to guide them through

  Before starting a seated task, engage in some gross motor activity (quick walk, throw a koosh ball, etc.)

  Alex Doman ~ Healing At The Speed of Sound   @Kiboomu

The Importance of Play

Gill Connell ~ Play

  PLAY: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown, M.D.

  THE POWER OF PLAY: Learning What Comes Naturally by David Elkind, Ph.D.

  PLAYFUL PARENTING by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.   A CHILD'S WORK – The Importance of Fantasy Play by

Vivien Gussen Paley   THE ART OF ROUGHHOUSING by Anthony T. DeBenedet,

M.D. and Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.

The Power of Hopscotch   HOPPING = MIDLINE DEVELOPMENT For children,

hopping signals sophisticated advances in both physical coordination, balance, AND cognitive development. You see, as your child refines her physical coordination, she is also building essential neural pathways in the brain. It's those exact same pathways which will one day become the conduits for left/right brain thinking tasks such as creativity, reasoning, and self-regulation.

  DON'T STEP ON THE LINE = BODY CONTROL   STOP & START = BODY RHYTHM   LEAPING = MUSCLE STRENGTH   SPACES = SPATIAL AWARENESS

movingsmartblog.blogspot.com

We Teach EF Through Play

 Decision making   Inhibition  Cognitive Flexibility  Attention   Focus  Shift  Creativity/Imagination

Prescribe Love and Caring