Why Learning Enhancement Exercises are important for learning:

All learning takes place in the brain but it is the body that acts as the vehicle by which knowledge is acquired.  Even prior to birth, infants begin to learn through movement.

 

Movement supports the inhabitation of primitive reflexes and development of postural reflexes to allow the body to stand up against gravity, hence the development of gross and fine motor skills.  Both brain and body work together through the central nervous system, both are dependent upon the senses for all information about the outside world, however underdeveloped and distorted reflexes and sensory input caused through lack of movement can affect learning.

Without movement the cerebral spinal fluid slows down, allowing the RAS (Reticular Activating System) which is necessary for concentration, to also slow down; This then impacts on all areas of learning and behaviour – hence one of the reasons for ADD behaviour. Much of the learning in classrooms is undertaken by expecting students to sit at desks or on the floor for long periods of time. This practice inhibits concentration and memory as these skills require movement of muscles to ensure messages are transported to correct stations within the brain and body system.

Much of the ‘Learning Enhancement Exercise Program’ (LEEP) has developed from Kinesiology theory and the stimulation of specific acupressure points which are proven to arouse particular areas of the brain and body necessary for effective learning. Students can hold these points themselves.

Refer to ‘Presentation Evaluations’ for evidence of effectiveness and results.

See below for price and other details.

 

2. The implications of primitive and postural reflexes on learning and behaviour:

Children who have difficulty with primitive and postural reflexes will be immature in many areas of their development.  This will cause them to experience learning and/or behaviour difficulties.

What are Primitive and Postural Reflexes?

Infants are born with specific automatic reflexes that help them to survive during their early months.  These reflexes are called the primitive reflexes because they are present at birth and generally inhibit (not used by the body except in cases of extreme stress/danger) towards the end of the first year of life.

When the primitive reflexes are not inhibited, the neo-cortex of the brain will constantly need to compensate in order to facilitate function in the central nervous system. This then prevents full development of the Postural Reflexes.

The primitive reflexes lay the foundation for all ascending functions.  If these reflexes do not achieve their normal inhibition to make way for the next stage in the child’s development for instance, posture, coordination, speech, and perception etc., cognitive thinking and academic learning are likely to be affected. Each is necessary for higher learning to take place.

Detection of these reflexes will be taught within the workshops in order to identify some of the possible reasons for difficulties, regardless of whether the person is a child or an adult; you will then learn how to implement effective class room and home support.

Workshop 1:   The Implication of primitive and postural reflexes on learning

 

This is the first of two offered on this subject. Each workshop stands alone but also compliments the other in the big picture for positive learning and behaviour. It covers the above difficulties and many more as listed in my free booklet.

 

Does a particular child do the following or the many others behaviours that are featured in my free booklet?

• Stare back blankly when spoken to, space out or day dream?
• Moves, squirms, slouches in seat or rocks back on seat constantly?
• Unable to follow more than one or two instructions at a time?
• Have difficulty with reading spelling maths and sequencing?
• Misreads words, miss lines, reads words or writes letters in reverse?
• Refuses to write very much or becomes blank when putting words to paper?
• Clumsy and has difficulty with ball games?
• Shows aggression, frustration or tends to be over sensitive?
• Bed wetting or soiling?
• Difficulty in tying shoe laces.

Children with these difficulties and many others are suffering from stress within their body and brain system, due to retained primitive reflexes and under-developed postural reflexes, which effect development for positive learning outcomes and behaviour.

Within Workshop 1:   You will be discovering the effects of the following reflexes which impact on the above behaviours and many others:

• The Moro Reflex (Fight or Flight Response) that heavily impacts on both learning and behaviour; fear and anxiety, anger, aggression, allergies and poor sleeping habits. A comprehensive overview that will assist you to understand the origins of fear, anger and aggression
• The under-development of the Motor Ocular Reflex (eye muscles) that impacts on the ability to read, comprehend and a whole lot more difficulties
• The ATNR Reflex negatively impacts on reading, spelling, writing, expression on paper, sequencing and more
• The under-development of the Vestibular as required for balance, comprehension, concentration, following instructions as well as the taking in and storing of information plus more
• The Spinal Galant Reflex – difficulties with bed wetting and soiling, sitting still, concentration and more.

It will also provide you with answers, what to look for and workable classroom and home strategies for the above to support students as well as yourself, if you find that you have active reflexes.  Refer to ‘Presentation Evaluations’

 See further information below for costs and booking details.

 

Workshop 2.    Further implications of Primitive and Postural Reflexes on positive learning and behaviour:

Does a young person in your life have any of the behaviours featured in my free booklet, for instance:

 

• Props head or places head on desk or table when writing or eating?
• Repetitive speech patterns or speech difficulties?
• Difficulty with head/eye and hand or foot co-ordination?
• Poor posture – may not be able to stand for any length of time, likes to prop against something or lean or sit?
• Restricted free flow movement in walking and running?
• Lack of pincher grip which affects the ability for neat, readable handwriting and the correct pencil grip when writing?
• Pokes tongue out when working with hands, indicating that a number of primitive reflexes are still active?

All of the above behaviours and the many others featured in my free booklet indicate symptoms of retained primitive reflexes and underdeveloped postural reflexes.

Within Workshop 2 you will be examining the effects of the following reflexes which impact on the above behaviours and many others:

• The Palmer Reflex as involved in difficulties with fine motor skills, writing, manual dexterity, the need to fiddle, and the development of the motor ocular (eye movements) plus more
• The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) as involved in difficulties with posture, visual & spatial perception plus more
• The Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (STN) as involved in difficulties with hand eye co-ordination, sequencing, concentration and clumsiness plus more
• The Suck & Rooting Reflex as involved in difficulties with speech and manual dexterity and more
• The Plantar Reflex as involved in difficulties with running, walking and the ability to perform quickly
• The Babkin Response as involved in difficulties with low levels of attachment to significant others which impacts on low self-esteem, anger and behaviour.

You will also gain answers, what to look for, workable strategies to support the children in your life as well as yourself, if you also have retained reflex difficulties.

A must for all who work with young people, both workshops will provide you more flexibility in responding to the above difficulties and more.

Refer to ‘Presentation Evaluations’ for evidence of effectiveness and results.

See below for further information regarding bookings and costs.

4. When the Left Brain Versus the Right Brain

The hemispheres of the brain must be integrated so that they are able to work co-operatively together. This happens when the student uses, at various times, the ability of the right brain for creativity within a learning task and the left brain to approach the same task with logic and reasoning.  However students can become locked in one hemisphere by closing down the other hemisphere – generally due to past failure and stress within a learning area.  For this reason the student is unable to access the other hemisphere. This is called a lack of integration of the brain hemispheres – particularly the left and right hemispheres but can also include the other hemispheres as well.

 

This is a valuable workshop if you have a child or children who have any of the following behaviours:

• Have symptoms similar to Dyslexia
• When under stress, the child puts in more effort without:
• Results
• Comprehension
• Understanding
• Joy in learning.

 

This is also a valuable workshop if you have a child or children who

• Seems to be reasonable to very good at reading accuracy but can’t remember what has been read
• Has ADD or ADHD symptoms
• Has difficulty with maths
• Finds it difficult to reason and problem solve
• Has difficulty with short term memory and following instructions
• Is impulsive, acts without thinking
• Feels overwhelmed; Has trouble expressing his or her thoughts
• Cannot see or remember details but good at seeing the whole picture
• May appear spaced out or up with the fairies
• Is disorganised and has no idea of time
• Is easily frustrated and can become aggressive or volatile.

These children are likely to be locked in the right hemisphere – unable to access functions from the left hemisphere to support integrated behaviour and learning when under stress due to failure in one or more subjects.

This one day workshop offers to you a valuable insight into:

• The functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain
• Implications on learning when one hemisphere is blocked – leading to a lack of integration
• The reason for the loss of brain integration
• Typical symptoms within students who are not integrated
• VAK sensory input for brain integration and memory retention
• Curriculum support for each hemisphere
• Classroom strategies that I use in my Impact Education Program to develop hemispheric integration.

Refer to ‘Presentation Evaluations’ for evidence of effectiveness and results.

5. A Compendium of Useful Strategies for the Classroom and Other Situations

This workshop is based on information from my forthcoming book that is soon to be published.

Further information will be supplied in due course.  Please click here for notification of its launch                                                       

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Information in relation to the above Workshops:

 

• Required number for a workshop is 30 participants or by negotiation
• Venue to be decided by negotiation
• Duration of course is one day between 9.15 for registration and starting time, and 3.15 pm finishing time – Monday to Friday
• Course includes refreshments and user friendly manual
• Inquire below for the investment price per person for teachers, teacher aides and other professionals
• Investment for paid staff is based on numbers and is negotiable after discussion
• Investment is $120.00 per person for parents, grandparents and volunteer
• Investment for parents holding a social security card is $90.00
• Non-refundable deposit of $50.00 payable on booking and the balance is due 7 days prior to the workshop.

For further enquiries:

Contact:                                       Heather Pollock

Email:                                           heatherpollock2016@gmail.com