Did you know that doing brain fitness exercises can not only help you raise smarter children, but save billions of dollars in long term health care expenses?

Just 10 hours of brain fitness training showed significant improvement, even after 5 years.

A recent study showed that doing specific and scientific brain exercises made remarkable inroads in faster thinking, memory and focus.

Read the rest of the article

Knowledge of how your brain works, helps you raise a smarter child, and keeps your own brain sharp too.  Just a few minutes of these scientifically proven brain exercises, can enhance your brain for life.

Warmly,

Pat Wyman

Founder, http://www.HowToLearn.com

Erin Studer, M.D.

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Is it possible that a talking phonics program can help your non-verbal child with autism, learn to speak? 

As a reading specialist, I’ve been recommending the use of various phonics programs for years.  Some are better than others; the ones which also use speech, and are not ‘game-like’, tend to be more comprehensive, and cover the full spectrum of phonics instruction.

Something I hadn’t considered about a talking phonics program though, is how it might help a non-verbal child, with autism, learn to speak.  Here’s a letter from Caroline Winship, a parent whose barely verbal autistic child, using a talking phonics program with his brother, suddenly began to speak clearly.  What a miracle this is!

…”One morning, while our 6 year old was using the Phonics program, our autistic son (who hadn’t spoken anything clearly by 4 years of age) sat down beside his brother at the computer and suddenly started to repeat the words right along with his brother!

I was brought to tears as he spoke the words so clearly right along with the voice that I immediately called up my parents and my husband exclaiming “HE CAN TALK!”.

This was a huge pivotal moment in my son’s life because up until this point we weren’t sure if he understood how to communicate and we were exploring (through his speech therapy) ways of teaching him sign language on the chance that he might never speak.

Once we realized (through this amazing program) that he had the abilities and the desire to speak , it has just been a matter of working with him on a daily basis to encourage him to “use his words” on a regular basis…”

As a mother, whose son had some challenging learning problems early on, I was overcome when reading Caroline’s letter.  Take a look at this particular program, which I’ve used and recommended for years, and maybe you too, will write and let us know that your non-verbal child with autism, is now speaking!

Remember, every child is smart and thank you for any comments on our http://www.RaisingSmarterChildren.com  blog – let us hear your story.

Warmly,

Pat Wyman

Founder, http://www.HowToLearn.com

I read a fascinating new article at MSNBC.com today about the amount of time kids spend online.  It said that 16 million kids, ages 2-11, were online in May, 2009.

While I’m online writing this, it did make me wonder – are kids getting smarter spending all that time online, or are they just learning one skill set to the exclusion of others?

What happened to old fashioned skills like reading a book, going to summer camp, or playing cards?

Do you think spending time learning social skills are on the downturn?

So many studies say kids are using their online activities to the exclusion of other, interpersonal skills.  With conditions like autism at epidemic levels, teachers and parents complaining that kids don’t respect them as much as in the past, questions about time online and social skills have to be asked.

In short, I’d like to hear from you – are online skills making kids smarter or not?

I do know that spending too much time online hurts kids visual skills – because they are not focusing  at both near and far as often as they should, so the chances are they’ll need glasses at a younger age.

What do you think?

Remember, every child is smart and we can raise smarter children in every way – not just smarter online!

Warmly,

Pat Wyman

Founder, http://www.howtolearn.com- get to know how you and your child learn best with the Personal Learning Styles Inventory.  Kids and adults who are more kinesthetic or tactile learners, tend to learn with hands on methods, and may, by nature be more social.

Dear RaisingSmarterChildren.com Readers,

Today, I feel as if I know each and every one of you personally – and truly want to thank you for all the e-mails and beautiful wedding stories.  One long distance love is printed in the comments below.

Erin and Sean remained together, even though apart for 4 very long years.  Erin was in medical school in Chicago and Sean was getting his Ph.D. in California.  Yet, even through the distance and time, they were so in love.  

You can’t imagine my surprise to open my inbox this past week to literally hundreds of congratulations and love.

Thank you everyone!  Virtual world though it is, it really does feel deeply personal these days.

God Bless,

Pat

Sometimes I wonder – how hard is it to let go of our kids?

I was one of those moms who raised my kids to be so independent, and thought I’d never feel that empty nest grit in my heart… who knew I’d cry

when Erin left for college, and all I had to do was walk by her empty laundry basket for the tears to fall?

Well, the years went by, and one day, 8 years ago, she asked if she could bring a boy home for Thanksgiving.  All she said is, “I really like him, Mom.”  

I met him and instantly knew they’d be together for life.  Erin and Sean are truly a match made in heaven.  He’s a brilliant scientist who’s on his way to great things – but more importantly than that, he makes my daughter smile…he makes her laugh and sees the humor in all the goings on in life…

As you all know, from the ‘about us’ section on this blog, and certainly from my books and newsletters at http://www.howtolearn.com, my children are the light of my life.  I’ve dedicated all my books to my son, J.P. and he too, works with kids who are unique and special.

As for the wedding day - I admit that while it was perfect, it was hard to really let go of my daughter.  Erin has long been much wiser than her years, telling me she was going to be a doctor at age 5.  She never once changed her mind and set up her life to do just that. (Gosh, I should have given up this mooshy can’t let go stuff long ago :):))

Her wedding day was simply beyond words -even for this mom who writes!  All the girls, soon to be mother in law and I got our hair and makeup done in a cottage at the reception site in the wine country in California.  I have to admit, we did look pretty good – but the real beauty was Erin – and in more ways than one.

The two ‘moms’ helped Erin get dressed - wow, those 40 buttons down the back of the gown were something else  – and suddenly,  my ever so grown-up daughter, who is always much cooler, more calm and and far more collected than her mother, asked her two ‘moms’ to come into a separate room with her. 

She started to cry and said she could not say all the words she had planned for us, but more than thanked us for an unimaginable everything.  Erin took out a bag, and gave us both a mirror compact, engraved with “Mom” on the front, and “Love, Erin” on the back.

Now the three of us were crying (sobbing really), and I felt so very happy that my daughter thought to unify our two families with such a remarkably kind and loving gesture – putting Mom on both the gifts.

At that very moment I knew – this really is the loving woman who was once my baby girl!

I still haven’t really let go – can any moms reading this do it all that easily?

The wedding day went on, the church service was very special, and it was the groom who had tears in his eyes for just a moment (shh – he probably wouldn’t want you to know)…

Erin’s reception was beautiful; it was sunny and warm, we could see colorful vineyards and water in the distance…

I do remember I barely ate – my best friends kept trying to feed me, but it was kind of like a haze for me.  I kept looking at Erin and Sean, seeing how happy they were, and knew in my heart, that all that ever matters in this life is love – so who cares if we moms can’t really let go of our kids?  We always love them no matter what.

Our kids grow up, they leave, and they come back with kids of their own – then they know why we cry – happy and sad tears at their wedding.

So, we’ll have to change that “about us’ page now – Erin’s new name is Dr. Erin Studer!

This post is dedicated to my baby girl - my beautiful daughter Erin, and her new husband, Sean!  Let’s all send them off to their marriage with prayers for a long, long life, filled to the brim with love, laughter and light! 

And, P.S. hurry up newlyweds - the two moms want grandkids we can spoil! O.K. we promised we wouldn’t bug you about that this soon.  Enjoy your honeymoom in Morea, and we’ll see you when you get back.

All my love,

Mom

Remember the standard fairy tale stories like Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, and Cinderella?

Once you share these with your kids, read more at http://www.RaisingSmarterChildren.com so you have a quick and easy way to teach them good values like how to understand others, or what it means to be misunderstood…here’s how:

Ask your child to relate a real life experience that is something like the possible misunderstanding in the fairy tale.  For example, maybe the people in the fairy tales really wanted to be friends, and not act badly, but didn’t know how.

You can use the fairy tales and real life to teach your child how misunderstandings and real intentions can happen and prepare them for the future.  Ask your child how to act out his or her real intentions, or how to ask a friend what their real intentions are when something went badly in the friendship.

Do you have some examples of how to use fairy tales to help build better values and decision making skills in your child?

Remember, every child is smart in their own way,

Warmly,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis M.D.

P.S. My daughter just got married, so next post I’ll share her new name and a bit about the wedding!

Visit our sister site at http://www.HowToLearn.com for a free Personal Learning Styles Inventory and 52 Instant Learning Tips!

Thank you for your comments – send them here and we’ll post them!

Over this past weekend, I gave my daughter her bridal shower.  We had such a great time, and I’m sure you guessed it – when moms and future mother in laws get together, they just have to ask, “So, when are you planning on starting a family?”  In our case, the bride to be is a Pediatrician, so she’s got her timeline all mapped out!

Her two ‘moms’ really wanted to know when they get to be grandmas for the first time…

All the laughter and fun aside, we even went one step further and asked, “Do you know if there’s any truth to the idea that parents can actually choose the gender of their baby?”  Well, it turns out, there are lots of medical experts and techniques, all scientifically validated, which say you can choose your child’s gender with well over 90% certainty.  I had heard of this briefly, but never in a serious conversation.

We just asked the question for fun, and had no idea that lots of parents, for one reason or another, want to predetermine their baby’s gender.  Our bride to be was sure to let us know she didn’t, but we sure got some authentic information on the idea anyway….

So, here’s what we learned:

1. If the woman’s PH level is high, or more acidic, she’s often more likely to conceive a girl.

2. If her PH levels are more alkaline, she’s often more likely to conceive a boy.

3. No surprise here, but it turns out that some dietary changes can affect the baby’s gender too.

(Well, we asked the question didn’t we?)…

4. The American Medical Association says in the Journal Of The American Medical Association, (JAMA) that very specific types of gender selection methods can be up to 94% effective!  Then we heard all about which those were… o.k. already – maybe we learned enough – it was, after all, not a baby shower…

After a little more research we did come across a great book on increasing your odds of having a boy or a girl, so if you’re really serious about this…

Warmly,

Mom of the bride to be – Pat Wyman

Remember, this one was all in good fun!

Adding on to yesterday’s message about inadequate school vision screenings, here are 16 essential skills that eye doctors say your child needs to perform everyday classroom tasks, like reading, copying writing, P.E., using computers and taking notes…

Kids need strong visual skills to succeed in school. 

These skills are so important, that if even one is missing, or weak, it can hamper your child’s success, cause serious stress issues, and cause you needless worry about your child, all because no one ever mentioned these skills are or what they mean.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk more about the effects if these skills are weak or and how to strengthen them. 

16 Visual Skills Essential To Your Child’s School Success

Plus.. What Happens To Your Child If These Skills Are Weak

 1. Visual acuity - the ability to see clearly and both near and far distances.

When it’s weak… If your child doesn’t have good visual acuity, they may have difficulty copying from the board or overhead, will not do well in sports, and have trouble reading and copying from the book to the paper as well.

2. Tracking – the ability to move the eyes smoothly from line to line and not lose place. 

When it’s weak:  Kids and adults who have poor tracking skills lose their place when reading, and often use their finger or a marker to keep their place.  It really slows reading down.

3.  Eye teaming- (binocularity) the ability for the eyes to work together as a team (without one eye wandering off, turning inward or outward), and the ability to sustain alignment close up and on things far away. 

When it’s weak… Kids with eye-teaming problems may have a tendency for the eyes to drift outward or inward.  They’ll get tired easily, and a great give away, is when you see them covering one eye while reading.

4. Eye teaming – also includes the ability of the eyes to work together and sustain alignment, and sustain alignment at both near and far distances.  

When it’s weak… Kids with eye teaming problems have a tendency for the eyes to drift outward or inward.  They will tire easily when reading and a great clue is when you see them covering one eye while reading.  They are trying to make the print look better.

5. Focusing – the ability to simultaneously focus the eyes on things close up and far away, then back and forth without any blurring or discomfort. 

When it’s weak… If your child has a focusing problem they will have trouble copying from the board, a book or overhead projector, and may want to work too closely to the paper or book.

6. Focusing – the ability to simultaneously focus the eyes on things far away

7. Focus – the ability of the eyes to sustain focus at near

8.  Focus – the ability of the eyes to sustain focus at far

When these three are weak… you’ll see kids acting out, not wanting to read, get tired easily and say they don’t like to read.

9. Eye-hand coordination and visual motor integration – the ability to use the hands and eyes together, monitor and direct the hands in order to do things like write, play, use computers, etc.

When it’s weak… These kids have very poor pencil grip, causing lots of stress up the arm and in the neck, handwiring with poor spacing between the letters, writing uphill or downhill and have very poor posture.

10. Peripheral vision – the ability to focus on one point, like a letter, and still see things around it.  This is important during reading, playing, riding a bike, using a computer, etc.

When it’s weak… your child’s personal safety is involved with poor peripheral vision.  It also hinders them as they read, trying much to hard to smoothly move the eyes from one word to the next.

11. Directionality – the ability to know right, left, up, down, etc.  In English, we read from left to right, so directionality is important. 

When it’s weak… This directly affects the ability to read from left to right,  to make meaning out of letters and words, playtime, note taking, etc.

12. Form perception – the ability to see forms and interpret them, recreate or copy them.  This allows your child to discriminate between likenesses and differences.

When it’s weak… If your child can’t do this accurately, he can’t be expected to perceive letters, words or sentences accurately, let alone make meaning from what he sees.  Your child may also reverse letters or whole words,  You can quickly test for form perception by making circles, squares, triangles, ovals, and more complex shapes and have your child copy them.  Watch carefully for any inaccuracies.

13. Visual Memory – the ability to recall things as a visual image.  That image may be symbols that make up a word, or what the word depicts. 

When it’s weak.. Your child can’t learn to read or write without good visual memory.

14. Figure ground.  Imagine you are looking at someone.  You need to be able to separate that person, from the background behind them, and the foreground in front of them. 

When it’s weak… Kids who don’t have strong figure ground skills are clumsy, bump into things easily and can’t read for long periods of time.

15. Visual Closure.  If you want your child to be able to tell the difference between a C and an O, or between words like that and what, they need visual closure skills. 

When it’s weak… Some kids shut off the information to the brain and miss whole sections of tests, saying they did not see them ( and it’s true), plus it causes serious reading and writing problems if visual closure skills aren’t strong.

16. Visualization. This is the ability to see things in the mind’s eye.  A lot of people take this one for granted, but don’t with your child. 

When it’s weak… It affects their thinking abilities and memory.  You may tell your child to visualize, but this is not the same as showing them how. (In another post, I’ll show you how to do this)…

There’s a great kit from several eye doctors, called I Read I Succeed  which helps strengthen all of these skills.  You may want to have your child take the Eye-Q Reading Inventory on that same page.

The numbers of kids today labeled with ADD – ADHD, hyperactiviy and a whole host of other learning challenges, have reached epidemic proportions.  However, there are things that doctors say can help and many studies show can reduce or even eliminate certain disabilities like ADD ADHD.

One of the most significant things that can help your child is fat – not the doughut or chicken skin kind, but  good fats called essential fatty acids.

According to Sydney Walker III, M.D., the brain is 60% fat with 30% of it in the front part of the brain where focusing and attention takes place.

DHA and Omega 3 oils are known as essential fatty acids, and according to Dr. Walker, dyslexia, dyspraxia (motor coordination, hyperactivity, ADD/ADHD, Bi-Polar disorder and depression are all conditions with essential fatty acid deficiencies.

Essential fatty acids are called good fats because they are important to nearly every function in your body, including handling stress, sleeping, attention, thinking, and your immune system.  So it stands to reason that essential fatty acids are just that – essential to your well being.

Your child will act as he feels – and the tip here is to supply the necessary kinds of good fats needed for great brain function, visual development and even a calmer acting child.

We like and use Omega 3 essential fatty acids from Norway, where the purity is best and safety standards the most stringent in the world.  These Omega 3’s can be purchased from your local store, although they don’t contain the same amounts of essential fatty acids we have, so you’ll need to take more of them.

Remember, always check with your doctor before taking any supplements and the information here is not intended to provide medical advice or take the place of any advice of your health care practioner.

Our goal is to educate you on steps to a smarter child in mind, body and spirit.

Remember, all children are smart,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.