Cognitive Tools Program
THE LEARNING PROCESS
To understand this process one must understand the basic mechanics of our nervous/neurological system. We take in information through our senses. This information is converted into electronic impulses and fed through our nervous system to our brain. These impulses may come to our brain from numerous senses simultaneously. They come to
our mind in bits and pieces of a puzzle. Using mental processing skills, our brain automatically assembles the pieces and develops for us as a perception which we use to respond. If the brain’s mental processing skills are well developed, the perception is clear and accurate and our response is appropriate. If the brain’s mental skills are underdeveloped, the perception is weak or inaccurate and our response is usually inappropriate. To strengthen these skills within the brain a technique called Mind-Mapping Therapy is used.
COGNITIVE SKILLS TRAINING
Research has proven and we know now know that the brain is in a constant state of remodeling based on the stimulation it receives. This work starts not long after conception and continues until death. With programmed stimulation Neuroscientists have found I.Q. can be increased
15% or more. Ronald Kotulak, author of Inside the Brain states "Research indicates that certain exercises can build up specific brain areas and some scientists are setting up programs to use this knowledge to help learning disabled children."
Mind-Mapping Therapy is one of those programs and works as follows:
First, neurological pathways are stimulated to a slight overload by doing physical sensory activities. These activities are similar to the physical therapy used to create new pathways or replace damaged circuits when treating people with brain injuries. As new cognitive neurons connect, information is processed more easily. Rockefeller University's Bruce McEwen says, "The most important thing is to realize that the brain is growing and changing all the time. It feeds on stimulation and it is never too late to feed it."
Second, each of us is born with a wonderful mind, but it doesn't come with an owner manual that tells us how it operates. Mind-Mapping Therapy creates an awareness of how the brain receives, processes and stores information, thus giving an individual the opportunity to select the most effective process option available. This makes learning easier and advancement more clear.
Third, when one struggles with learning behavior traits develop which markedly slow or stop a person's willingness to keep trying. They can appear lazy they feel like a victim with no control. Attitude and behavior are improved through the use of Life Application Concepts. Through these principles students learn how to navigate their world. They learn how to articulate their needs and to overcome potential barriers. This change is permanent and life altering.
Frequently parents and others will say: "I know he is bright but sometimes his mind just seems to short-circuit." In very simplistic terms that is exactly what happens. But as mental skills develop, the old circuits are strengthened or replaced by more effective ones. The brain actually grows and becomes denser as circuits are added. The reverse will also occur from lack of stimulation. The brain is similar to a muscle in that it can be developed to perform previously impossible tasks with proper training but will deteriorate with non-use.
COGNITIVE TOOLS ESSENTIAL PROCESSES
CONCENTRATION - The ability of a student to keep the eyes and mind on
a task long enough to gather all pertinent information.
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This can have a profound effect on how the student learns. If the eyes and mind cannot focus long enough to gather all relevant pieces, the brain must guess at the information and fill in the blanks. This can be one reason a student repeatedly misreads words or misunderstands concepts--because vital parts of needed information are missed. Students with poor
concentration are often labeled ADD or ADHD.
CROSS-PATTERNING – The is a right/left brain communication processing skill. Its critical in the ability to retain information in the first few exposures.
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It has long been known that certain kinds of information may become trapped in various areas of the brain by ineffective processing. It is also known that a strong dominance of one side of the brain over the other can cause processing difficulties. Through the activities used at Learning Pathways communication between the various parts of the brain improves and information is released. These activities enable the non-dominant side of the brain to become more active and its processes more accessible. These exercises are sometimes called "cross-brain networking" exercises.
MOTOR MATCH- Motor Match is the ability of the brain to respond within a given time frame.
A weak motor match is often a problem for students who have difficulty with reading fluency. This means that all involved parts of the brain do not coordinate to efficiently process information during the process of reading. When this occurs, the student will read with an extremely choppy or uneven rhythm. The student may also repetitively misread words.
MINDS EYE- (VISUAL MEMORY) – The ability to formulate visual mental images and use them to make connections in learning. Minds-eye or visual memory is particularly important in the process of reading. The brain treats each word as a shape. Each word creates its own
unique shape, which the student must immediately recognize. A person with good visual memory will begin to initiate instant recall after only 6-7 exposures to a word. A person with poorly developed visual memory might need 45-50 exposures-to a word before he develops this instant recall. Consequently, the individual will learn to read, but at a much slower rate
and only with great effort.
Visual skills have other important functions as well. As we read, we must put words and phrases together to conceptualize the meaning of the words. If we are able to form a clear "mental picture" in our minds-eye or visualize what is taking place in the text, we are easily able to
conceptualize meaning. If we are able to visualize the step-by-step procedure as a math concept is being explained, we can easily understand and recall the procedure for later use. These skills also play a major part in helping us recall the correct spelling of words. We must remember what a word looks like (bouquet, for instance) in order to correctly spell it. (If you spell words phonetically, you are not good at spelling.) These skills can even help you recall where you put your keys.
TRACKING – The connection between the eyes and the brain, an important part of mental stamina. One of the major visual skills needed to perform the act of reading is the ability of the eyes to track. During the act of reading, the eyes must accurately follow the lines of the text and move precisely from one word to the next. If a student has not developed this skill, he may constantly lose his place or skip lines or words.
It is a surprising fact that some students do not naturally develop this critical skill. In one study (Koslowe 1995), "Visual tracking was found to be the major visual deficit in a group of 100
elementary school children referred to a center for reading disabilities."
FIGURE GROUND - The process of Figure Ground is the ability to focus on the "figure" or the important stimuli against a background of competing stimuli.
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The volume of stimuli coming to the brain at any given time is incredible. The brain must automatically and rapidly sort the pertinent incoming information from the insignificant. (If a student responds appropriately, he will ignore the person tapping a pencil in the next seat or the noises in the hall and focus on the important information being given by the teacher.) If the sorting of information does not properly occur, the brain is bombarded with an overabundance of stimuli and a student tends to respond inappropriately or may respond with inappropriate behavior. Mental focus may vary depending on an individual's level of interest in the information being given and the amount of competing input the brain is required to filter
out. People with attention deficit disorder or A.D.D have poor figure ground.
DIRECTIONAL AWARENESS - Directional awareness is the skill to orient the right direction and prevent mirroring. It’s a skill of movement or sequencing. Seeing "as and reading was as "saw" writing from right to left and not knowing right from left are all symptoms of low directional skills. When directional awareness is low, even two or three simple directives at once can be difficult and setting a goal with a sequence of steps can seem impossible. People who
struggle with directional awareness are sometimes called dyslexic.
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POSITION-IN-SPACE - This is the skill we use in determining where we are in relation to our physical and emotional world. When this skill is low one may become physically disoriented. This may occur when trying to find your car in a parking lot or you may lose your place on the page as you read. Frequently, low positioning will cause an inaccurate perception of one's relationship with others. "How close is our relationship?" One may frequently vacillate between shy and obnoxious. This skill is essential to understand Geography (where are things located) and History (when did various events occur) and how they all fit together.
SIZE PERCEPTION -The skill of size is the skill we use in understanding volume. It is used in concrete as well as abstract environments. It is used to interpret information arriving in the brain from all senses. We use it in interpreting how loud, how sweet, how pungent, how far, how large a task, how much time it will take and how significant a situation is.
A misperception of size perception will cause major problems when associated with a task, schedule, or reaction to others. When perception is too large, tasks may be seen as overwhelming. When perception is too small, tasks may be left to the last minute when completion is impossible. Schedules can be extremely frustrating when "They don't give me enough time!" Over or under reacting to others may be seen as insensitivity or extremism.
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CONCEPTUAL PATTERNING – Conceptual patterning is the mental skill we use to give structure to our world through categorization. It’s how we understand the real managing behind concepts without memorization.
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All information fed through our senses to our brain is processed according to conceptual patterning. Our linguistic system is based on conceptual patterning. Speech is sound symbols attached to shapes, i.e., a cow is initially identified by its shape. The written language is merely a series of shapes we call the alphabet, with their accompanying sound symbols placed in varying orders. If a person has trouble with conceptual patterning he will often have difficulty with the general understanding of concepts, the structures of life, language, reading, math, and sometimes speech.
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The difficulty is often inconsistent. For example, a parent knows a child understands the material because he had correctly responded a moment earlier. Unfortunately when asked for the same information a second time it may be processed incorrectly. The parent or teacher, not
understanding the weak underlying processing skill, will assume the child is not paying attention or daydreaming and both become very frustrated.
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AUDITORY PROCESSING - Auditory Processing is the mind's ability to process combinations of sounds that make up language.
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Sometimes (for many reasons) these neuronic connections do not properly develop. The result is the inability of a person to mentally hear/process some of the sounds used in communication. When this happens the use of phonics is impossible, spelling suffers and
verbal exchanges (particularly instructions) are misunderstood. Frustration is often high when a person feels that he understood what was required, worked hard to perform and then is told his work is wrong.
