Archive for November, 2007

Kinesthetic Learning

Saturday, November 10th, 2007

There are two techniques that has been listen in helping our kinesthetic children learn to self-monitor and self-regulate his/her behavior. One is limiting TV watching and video game playing. The other is monitoring your child’s diet. And now, here are other techniques from the bounty of strategies out there that you can use at home.

One good strategy is to channel your child’s energy into the creative arts. Encourage your child to explore dance, music, painting, drawing, singing, or drama. Formal lessons are not required for your child to benefit from the arts. He/she can do most of these activities at home with your guidance in a comfortable setting. Also, consider enrolling your child in martial arts instruction. These are helpful for the mind and body. Using background music to calm your child is one technique as well to regulate the behavior of your kinesthetic child. Specifically, Baroque music has been shown to help its listeners focus better. Likewise, encourage your child to rest and relax. Spending time in prayer is shown to be relaxing and peaceful. When your child is stressed, stopping and breathing deeply may help his/her clam down. Occasionally napping or skipping an event is OK.

Help your child maintain a positive self-concept. Keep goals and tasks on an age-appropriate level. Provide specific, authentic praise on an ongoing basis. In addition, lead your child in movements and exercises that stimulate the body and brain. Activities such as Crazy 8s—clasping both hands together and tracing an imaginary figure 8 in the air (and occasionally stopping and going in the opposite direction)—literally help both sides of the brain to communicate better. These brain connections help your child process information faster, priming her brain to learn.

Have you noted the techniques? Try them with your child and have fun active learning!

Is Your Child Active?

Sunday, November 4th, 2007

Have you observed that during the recent years, there had been an increase in cases of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? It is of course a neurological case, but now people are more aware of the condition because of the upsurge. Hyperactivity is considerably common with school-age children nowadays. But don’t worry, unless your child’s condition is maladaptive and outside of the normalcy already, we can say he/she is one of those kinesthetic in nature. They are active children which also needs proper techniques. And how do we handle kinesthetic learners? Of course by active learning!

There are plenty of strategies you can use at home to help your active child learn to self-monitor and self-regulate his/her behavior. One is limiting TV watching and video game playing. Your child may earn screen time for good behavior or after completing homework and chores. Also, closely monitor your child’s diet. For some children food additives, foods high in sugar, foods high in “white” carbohydrates (low in fiber), and a diet that does not contain enough protein can adversely affect his/her learning. Strive to give your child’s body what it needs to learn. I assure you, a diet with ample chocolates will get your child always on the go and moving moving moving, since chocolates cause hyperactivity. If hyperactivity hinders his/her learning, you might want to check if you’ve been giving him/her too much of chocolates. Don’t think only of the chocolate candies and bars, even take a look at the cookies, biscuits, buns, cupcakes and drinks you’ve been feeding your child, maybe most of them are chocolate-flavored snacks and drinks. In our school, we try to limit the children in eating food with chocolate since it’s hard to teach when they’re hyperactive. It hinders study time and concentration on given table-top activities, or the general focus of the child.

For now, we’ve got two strategies. There’s more to come!