Learning With Fun! Presenter: Jessica Ireland Homeschoolers of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Learning With Fun! Homeschoolers

• f Maine

Presenter: Jessica Ireland

TO START HERE IS A LITTLE

BIT ABOUT ME ( JESSICA IRELAND )

JESSICA IRELAND

Most importantly ~ My Family · My Fiancé Danny. Amongst many wonderful things, he is also my business partner at LWF. · My four beautiful girls: three of which are here with us today while the oldest is off to the Air Force next week. · I love being a Mom more than anything!

JESSICA IRELAND

My Mom · My Mom Denise is here in the audience and one of my biggest fans! · Yesterday she retired to pursue her quilting career · Today is her Birthday!

LEARNING WITH FUN

I started Learning With Fun in 2012 and in 2016 I went full time and opened our first Learning Center.

· At Learning With Fun we specialize in Personalized Learning for students in grades K-12 · We build individualized curriculum for each student based on his or her learning style. · We use our BAINES! Method which helps us discover our Students learning style and what they need to learn and grow to their full potential.

JESSICA IRELAND

Learning With Fun ~ we offer ~

· Executive Functioning Skills · · Privatized Homeschooling · · Customized Curriculum · · Academic Coaching · · Remote Teaching ·

JESSICA IRELAND

· BA in Social Work and a Masters in Education from St. Joseph’s College · I taught in both public and private schools · Licensed in ABA therapy and worked with many students who have behavioral

• r developmental learning delays.

· Trained in Lindamood-Bell and Orton Gillingham

TODAYS TALK “HELPING CHILDREN WHO STRUGGLE

WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS”

TODAY’S TALK I WILL:

· STEP 1: Define Executive Function · STEP 2: Review the Seven Core Executive Functions · STEP 3: Review some of the Science behind Executive Function · STEP 4: I will show you how we support our Learning With Fun Students using the BAINES! Method. · STEP 5: Show you how to Help Children who Struggle with Executive Functioning Skills. I will provide you with useful strategies to implement at home to help your Child strengthen these skills and the muscles in their brains.

IS THIS YOUR CHILD?

· Keeps a messy room and disorganized desk. · Fails to complete assignments unless you are hovering. · Loses things regularly, from jackets to shoes to homework?

IS THIS YOUR CHILD?

· Gets stuck on small steps

• f a project.

· Has trouble keeping track

• f and managing time.

· Gets overwhelmed with assignments.

IS THIS YOUR CHILD?

· Cannot be flexible when it comes to routines or habits. · Gets upset over the smallest details. · Fails to control his impulses

• r lashes out when frustrated.

IS THIS YOUR CHILD? How many in the audience can relate to any of these scenario's?

STEP 1: Define Executive Function

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTION?

Imagine our Brain as a busy highway system

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTION?

Executive Function Skills are the Traffic Rules that keep things running smoothly

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTION?

They help us manage the constant streams of information running through our brain…

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTION?

When our Executive Functions fail, we have trouble Analyzing, Planning, Organizing, Scheduling and Completing Tasks. People with EFD commonly lack the ability to handle frustration, start and finish tasks, recall and follow multi- step directions, stay on track, self monitor, and balance tasks ( like sports and academic demands ).

STEP 2: The Seven Core

Executive Function Skills

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS

In order to successfully understand language, communicate, and interact socially, we rely on the strength of Seven Core Executive Functions skills.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS

1) Self awareness: this is self-directed attention 2) Inhibition: Also know as self-restraint 3) Non-verbal working memory: The ability to

hold things in your mind. Visual imagery. How well you can picture things mentally

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS

4) Verbal working memory: Self speech, or

internal speech. Think of this as your “inner monologue”

5) Emotional self-regulation: The ability to use

words, images, and your own self awareness to process and alter how we feel about things.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS

6) Self-motivation: How well we can motivate

yourself to complete a task when there is no immediate external consequence

7) Planning and problem solving: How we play

with information in our minds to come up with new ways of doing something.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS

· Self-Awareness starts to develop around age 2, and by age 30 planning and problem solving should be fully developed. · Awareness of these Executive Functions can help parents set up an early detection system, helping them to seek a professional evaluation and accommodations before a child begins to struggle in school.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS

· It is important to start helping children who are struggling with these Executive Functions early, and acknowledge the problems those disorders cause so that children do not feel stupid or lazy. · With proper accommodations and treatment, people can learn to use what they know and strengthen these Executive Functions over time.

STEP 3: A Little EF Science

A LITTLE EF SCIENCE

The Frontal Lobe is responsible for most of the Executive Functioning

• f the Brain.

A LITTLE EF SCIENCE

Some of the functions of the Frontal Lobe include: · Emotions · Attention · Motivation · Managing Body movement

A LITTLE EF SCIENCE

Some of the thinking functions of the Frontal Lobe include: · Decision-making

· Judgment · Abstract reasoning · Planning & completing tasks · Meeting goals · Working memory (storing and using details to function)

A LITTLE EF SCIENCE

· If your child has weak executive skills, performing even a simple task can be challenging. · While not considered a learning disability on its own, Executive Functioning Disorder is often present in students with disabilities such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism.

THERE ARE POSITIVES!

· Many Entrepreneur’s or CEO of companies struggle with Executive Function. It is a gift in this light because it allows them to look outside the box. · Children that have problems with Executive Function are both very creative and athletic. · Children and Adults that have Executive Functioning can look at the world on many different levels that many can not. Executive Function can be hard to manage until we learn skills today to help with daily tasks.

· Justin Timberlake · Will Smith · Michael Phelps · Jim Carrey · Sir Richard Branson · Albert Einstein

PEOPLE WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

STEP 4: BAINES! Method

BAINES! METHOD

At Learning With Fun, we build individualized curriculum for each student’s lesson based in their learning style and we discover these learning styles by following

• ur BAINES! Method.

BAINES: “We pull all the pieces together for Personalized Learning”

BAINES! METHOD

· We study SIX key Behavior and Motivational area’s of a child’s life

• utside of academics that will aid the student to work through and
• vercome any learning challenge.

· Strength in these Six area’s will provide a greater chance that the Student will also be strong in their Executive Function Skills. · Behavior· Aspirations· Interests· Nutrition· Exercise· Sleep·

BAINES! METHOD

Behavior

Behavior can affect the way we learn and how we function in society. · How does the child function throughout the day? · How does a child interact with others? · Does the child have anxiety about certain aspect of school? Behavior changes are long lasting. You can spend hours teaching skills, but unless one can change a behavior to make it automatic it will eventually become lost.

BAINES! METHOD Aspirations

· What are the students goals and dreams? · Who does the student aspire to be or do in their life? · Many students see what they want to become or do, but find it difficult to focus on tasks that can get them to what they want to strive to be. Helping students find ways to keep the brain on task can help them reach goals that typically require work.

BAINES! METHOD

Interests

We like to figure out what our Students interests are so we can tailor their curriculum around those interest. · Does the inability to focus hold them back? · Children that exhibit struggles with Executive Function usually find themselves being held back in areas they enjoy. It can become very frustrating at times for the student as it makes them avoid activities they love.

BAINES! METHOD

Nutrition

We review the types of foods our students are eating. · Are they taking large amounts of sugars? · What are their eating patterns – Is the Student a grazer or someone that does not like to eat breakfast? · Poor eating patterns contribute to Executive Function behaviors If our belly is working so hard to process food or is hungry it makes it hard for other parts of our body to work at full speed.

BAINES! METHOD

Exercise

Making sure our body is moving helps stimulate the brain and focus. · How long are children sitting throughout the day? · What type of physical activities does the student engage in daily? · We encourage that our students have at least 1 hour of exercise per day. This can allow for the student to focus twice as long as other student. Exercise stimulates endorphins to help release energy that helps with focus.

BAINES! METHOD

Sleep

When the student is sleeping, they are recharging and healing themselves. · When our brain quiets it allows us to focus and remember information. · What we learn throughout the day is absorbed into our long term memory when we rest at night. If a student does not have a healthy sleep pattern they will not be able to recharge their body. Staying focused during the day will be challenging and remembering information from the day before will be a struggle.

BAINES! METHOD

1) Behavior: Impacts how we learn and how we function. 2) Aspirations: What are the students goals and dreams? 3) Interests: We tailor their learning toward areas of interest. 4) Nutrition: The key to good mental and physical health. 5) Exercise: Stimulates endorphins which helps in focus. 6) Sleep: It is critical to recharge at night.

Our Drill Work to Strengthen Executive Functioning Skills

DRILL WORK - TIER 1

Step 1: Write 5 words down on the white board Step 2: have Student review the words for 15-30 sec Step 3: Erase the words Example of 5 words: · Turtle · Frog · Tree · Fish · Flower

DRILL WORK - TIER 1

Step 4: The student then performs an activity like a game, takes a walk or plays outside, while the teacher is talking to them. This is distracting their brain. Step 5: After a period of time, I start with 10 minutes and work our way up to the goal of 25 minutes, they have to write the list in order on the board.

DRILL WORK - TIER 2

Step 1: Write a 2-3 line sentence down on the white board Step 2: have Student review the words for 15-30 sec Step 3: Erase the words Step 4: The student then performs an activity like a game, takes a walk or plays outside, while the teacher is talking to them. This is distracting their brain. Step 5: After a period of time, I start with 15 minutes and work our way up to the goal of 30 minutes, they have to write the sentence on the board.

DRILL WORK – TIER 3

Step 1: Verbally say 5 words and repeat three times Step 2: The student then performs an activity like a game, takes a walk or plays outside, while the teacher is talking to them. This is distracting their brain. Step 3: After a period of time, I start with 10 minutes and work our way up to the goal of 25 minutes, they have to say the list back to you. Step 4: Or have them write the list on the board. Many can verbally say the list but will forget the list or the order when the words need to be written.

DRILL WORK

What is this doing to the brain and why this helps

The brain is a muscle that needs to be worked in a way to strengthen the parts that are weak.

2 EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN WITH EFD

· Billy ·

2 EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN WITH EFD

· Kelsey ·

TOO EASY

“Too Easy” is a problem that should not be taken lightly

· Students who are not challenged miss out on an opportunity to practice critical Executive Function Skills. · They are more likely to become risk-adverse and not tackle challenges that are out of their comfort zone. · When students are regularly challenged with work that pushes their intellectual limits and a lot of development can happen (both input and output)

PERSONALIZED LEARNING

· Learning With Fun looks at how we can integrate Executive

Functioning skills throughout our curriculum. · When homeschools students come to our office, we develop individualized curriculum that makes sure, what they are learning is not “too easy”. · This is one reason why personalized learning is becoming the new wave of educational practices.

PERSONALIZED LEARNING

Personalized Learning refers to instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each Student. Learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and its sequencing) may all vary based on the Students needs. In addition, learning activities are meaningful and relevant to the Student, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated.

PERSONALIZED LEARNING

Useful Strategies to Implement at Home

USEFUL STRATEGIES TO IMPLEMENT AT HOME - 6 TIPS

1) Teach your child to talk their way through solving a

problem

2) Help your child prioritize 3) Break down the steps 4) Let them have a break, snack or a nap if they need it 5) No Texting or Social media 6) Focus on your child’s strengths

Learning With Fun! Questions · Comments

Presenter: Jessica Ireland

Learning With Fun! Thank You!

Presenter: Jessica Ireland

· If you would like a copy of this presentation sent to you please stop by our booth located in the upstairs room · If you would like to speak to me further about Executive Functioning please come and see me at our booth