Learning With Fun! Presenter: Jessica Ireland Homeschoolers of Maine
T O START HERE IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT M E ( J ESSICA I RELAND )
J ESSICA I RELAND 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!
J ESSICA I RELAND 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!
L EARNING W ITH F UN 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.
J ESSICA I RELAND Learning With Fun ~ we offer ~ · Executive Functioning Skills · · Privatized Homeschooling · · Customized Curriculum · · Academic Coaching · · Remote Teaching ·
J ESSICA I RELAND · 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 or developmental learning delays. · Trained in Lindamood-Bell and Orton Gillingham
T ODAYS T ALK “H ELPING C HILDREN WHO S TRUGGLE WITH E XECUTIVE F UNCTIONING S KILLS ”
T ODAY ’ S T ALK 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.
I S THIS YOUR C HILD ? · Keeps a messy room and disorganized desk. · Fails to complete assignments unless you are hovering. · Loses things regularly, from jackets to shoes to homework?
I S THIS YOUR C HILD ? · Gets stuck on small steps of a project. · Has trouble keeping track of and managing time. · Gets overwhelmed with assignments.
I S THIS YOUR C HILD ? · Cannot be flexible when it comes to routines or habits. · Gets upset over the smallest details. · Fails to control his impulses or lashes out when frustrated.
I S THIS YOUR C HILD ? How many in the audience can relate to any of these scenario's?
STEP 1: Define Executive Function
W HAT IS E XECUTIVE F UNCTION ? Imagine our Brain as a busy highway system
W HAT IS E XECUTIVE F UNCTION ? Executive Function Skills are the Traffic Rules that keep things running smoothly
W HAT IS E XECUTIVE F UNCTION ? They help us manage the constant streams of information running through our brain…
W HAT IS E XECUTIVE F UNCTION ? 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
E XECUTIVE F UNCTION S KILLS In order to successfully understand language, communicate, and interact socially, we rely on the strength of Seven Core Executive Functions skills.
E XECUTIVE F UNCTION S KILLS 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
E XECUTIVE F UNCTION S KILLS 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.
E XECUTIVE F UNCTION S KILLS 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.
E XECUTIVE F UNCTION S KILLS · 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.
E XECUTIVE F UNCTION S KILLS · 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 L ITTLE EF S CIENCE The Frontal Lobe is responsible for most of the Executive Functioning of the Brain.
A L ITTLE EF S CIENCE Some of the functions of the Frontal Lobe include: · Emotions · Attention · Motivation · Managing Body movement
A L ITTLE EF S CIENCE 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 L ITTLE EF S CIENCE · 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.
T HERE ARE P OSITIVES ! · 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.
P EOPLE W ITH E XECUTIVE F UNCTION · Justin Timberlake · Will Smith · Michael Phelps · Jim Carrey · Sir Richard Branson · Albert Einstein
STEP 4: BAINES! Method
BAINES! M ETHOD 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 our BAINES! Method. BAINES: “We pull all the pieces together for Personalized Learning”
BAINES! M ETHOD · We study SIX key Behavior and Motivational area’s of a child’s life outside of academics that will aid the student to work through and overcome 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. · B ehavior · A spirations · I nterests · N utrition · E xercise · S leep ·
BAINES! M ETHOD B ehavior 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! M ETHOD A spirations · 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! M ETHOD I nterests 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! M ETHOD N utrition 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.
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