Is your child struggling with math? Do you have a gifted child that needs to secure a good math foundation that will let them soar? Is your 5, 9 or 15 year old having trouble remembering their math facts? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, this is the podcast for you!

Thank you to our sponsor, CTC Math.

Dr. Jan will lead you through the foundation and cornerstone of math.

Foundation:
1. Rote counting – Counting CD
2. Understanding quantity – first count accurately, then be able to look at fingers, pictures on a page, and dice and be able to recognize the quantity
3. Counting from any random number to a specific number
4. Skip Counting
5. Concept of math operations:
a. What is addition, subtraction, multiplication or division?
b. Progression through the different aspects of each operation, i.e. multi-digit addition all the way through 2 and 3 digit division. This progression is made available through Visual Circle Math
(downloadable & printed copy), a way to advance quickly through understanding of concepts if a child is advanced in math. Great also for remediation if a child is struggling with math as
they can go at their own pace. Also available in: Visual Circle Math (download only)

6. Word problems – holding pieces together long enough to figure out what is important information requires good auditory processing.

 

Get your free Auditory Processing Test Kit at LittleGiantSteps.com
Cornerstone:
Math Facts – Rapid Recall System be sure to choose the operation you want (addition, subtraction, etc. or get all four operations at a major discount).
See handout for special Ultimate Home School Radio discounts on all products mentioned on today’s podcast.



Special Thanks to our Network Sponsor!

Special needs require special focus. Many parents must focus a great deal on their child with special needs, and rightfully so. Yet, how does the situation of having a special needs sibling affect the other children in the house? All family members of children with ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, developmental delays, CAPD, Autism, syndromes, and genetic disorders of all types are affected by these complicated issues. Are there particular ways that parents can help their other children through the ups and downs of daily life with a special needs family member?

In this episode, Dr. Jan brings in a special guest, an adult sibling of an individual with special needs.  You will enjoy this candid discussion of what went right and what could have been better for these siblings, one with moderate/severe special needs and one gifted/typically developing.

Your awareness will be heightened as to what the siblings are going through in such cases and how to open the lines of communication to improve life for all involved.  Be informed of the need for long range planning and options that might be available. Above all, be encouraged by the character development that God produces in the midst of hard things.   Dr. Jan says, “As a parent of an individual with special needs, I wish someone would have had this discussion with me when my children were growing up.”

 

 

 

 
Visit our Sponsor: CTCMath.com


 

 

Neuroplasticity - Rewiring The Brain with Dr. Jan Bedell
Podcast #19
Sponsored by NOW Programs.

Neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain? Hmm? Do we really have to use such an unfamiliar word?  Yes, to describe the amazing gift that God has given us we can start with a big word and break it down.  It really is quite simple – “neuro” is having to do with the brain and “plasticity” is the ability to change.  Our brains are changing all the time. This is really good news when you have a struggling learner or a child with a label like dyslexia, ADD, ADHD or autism.  The key is knowing how to fuel the brain with the right kind of stimulation so it builds new pathways.  From these new pathways, the brain can receive, organize, process and store information well enough to bring it out and use it in everyday life.  With the right kind of stimulation, your brain can take little developmental steps to achieve giant strides in academics and overall function.  That is what happens when you use the products and services of Little Giant Steps.
In this episode, you will hear the experience of a teacher that had taught first grade for 17 years before using The NeuroDevelopmental Approach in her classroom in year 18.
It made a huge difference for her students and can make a difference for you and your family as well.  Applying just a little information can make all the difference in your child’s future.  We shouldn’t leave out the adults either!  It is never too late to change the brain.  Two ladies in their 50’s, one a reading tutor and the other a Montessori teacher who had always struggled with reading comprehension, raised their reading comprehension score by 3 ½ years in only four months’ time.   And guess what? They didn’t do any specific reading program.  All it took was organization and specific stimulation to the brain and their abilities radically changed.

 

 

Visit our sponsor Little Giant Steps for information about

* Free auditory processing kit – here
* Help for math facts – here
* Brain boosting products – here



 

Special Needs Resources
Thanks to our sponsor! NowPrograms.com – visit the website for more information.

Do you have a child with special needs?  Are you lost, and you don’t know where to turn for help?  Do you just need some encouragement? Today Dr. Jan Bedell talks with Peggy Ployhar, the CEO and founder of SPED Homeschool.  The mission for SPED Homeschool is – Helping students succeed through parent directed special education homeschooling.

Peggy, the guest on Brain Coach Tips this week, is a homeschool mom, writer, speaker, blogger and has served in two state home school organizations as their special needs advisor.   Peggy’s life has been full of special needs situations as her parents adopted 10 children with special needs and she home schooled both of her sons that had special learning requirements.

Peggy brings many years of knowledge about special needs home schooling to this interview and can guide you to resources to help in your journey of home schooling your child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADS), Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, ADD/ADHD, CP, Down, or a myriad of other syndromes.  Peggy will also share her dreams and vision for SPED Homeschool, a nonprofit organization that serves the Special Needs Homeschool Community.

Listen in to today’s Brain Coach Tips interview.

 



Thanks to our sponsor! NowPrograms.com – visit the website for more information.
 


 

Do you have a child that is a struggling reader?  Have you wondered if your child has dyslexia?   Once again Dr. Jan asks us to think differently and drop the thought of labels.  Labels are given when you can check off a number of present symptoms. What good is that?  The Neurodevelopmental Approach looks at what is causing the symptoms and finding solutions for those symptoms.

Common symptoms of dyslexia are difficulties with reading, writing, and spelling.  To be able to read, you need to have good visual abilities. To write, you need to know where you are spatially so that you can make your hand move across the page accurately. To spell correctly, the ability to visualize is extremely important.  Don’t know what all this means?  Listen to the podcast for a thorough explanation.

If your child has symptoms such as difficulty blending sounds into words, reversing letters, and/or reading slowly or hesitantly, don’t despair. Dr. Jan shares possible causes and solutions for these struggles.  There is hope. If you address the problems, these symptoms diminish or disappear entirely.  Once these issues are no longer troublesome, students quickly catch up to their peers.

This week’s Brain Coach Tip will start you down the path to taking the struggles out of reading.  You will also learn how you can be proactive with your preschool child to avoid reading struggles in their future.

Don’t miss the handout attached here with the symptoms of Dyslexia and the root causes that could be addressed with NeuroDevelopment.  You will also find discount codes.

 

 



Sponsor: NOW Programs
https://www.nowprograms.com


 

It happens every year. Summer draws to a close and plans are made for the start of a new school year.  Teachers, young and old, experienced and first timers, get a great sense of anticipation about the prospects the new year holds.

In this episode, Jan Bedell, the Little Giant Steps’ Brain Coach, will help you to see what is really important in your homeschool.  She will share how to stay on track with your purpose and vision and not get blindsided by an enemy that wants you to get frustrated and give up.
Build a Strategic School Start This Year
This week, you will hear how to ease into the year without shocking everyone.  When you start slow and build momentum it works better than trying to sprint from day one after being off for the summer break. Regardless of the age of the student, small adjustments can be made as you build to full use of curriculum for all ages instead of trying to get it all accomplished in the first week and coming away from the experience defeated or discouraged.  You know what they say about the best laid plans.  They most often go astray.
Also included this week will be specific tips for children that might be struggling with reading, math or math facts.
Of course, alongside these, suggestions about how to use the key components of The NeuroDevelopmental Approach to help all those little brains function better will be included. Whether you have children who are gifted, typically developing, or challenged with learning labels and struggles, there is something here for you.  As a bonus, if you are a mom that tends to be a perfectionistic or compare your home school program or results to other home schoolers there are life-changing recommendations for you.

Don’t miss the handout attached here with key references from the podcast and links to pertinent resources and discounts.

Special needs require special focus. Many parents must focus a great deal on their child with special needs, and rightfully so. Yet, how does the situation of having a special needs sibling affect the other children in the house? All family members of children with ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, developmental delays, CAPD, Autism, syndromes, and genetic disorders of all types are affected by these complicated issues. Are there particular ways that parents can help their other children through the ups and downs of daily life with a special needs family member?

In this episode, Dr. Jan brings in a special guest, an adult sibling of an individual with special needs.  You will enjoy this candid discussion of what went right and what could have been better for these siblings, one with moderate/severe special needs and one gifted/typically developing.

Your awareness will be heightened as to what the siblings are going through in such cases and how to open the lines of communication to improve life for all involved.  Be informed of the need for long range planning and options that might be available. Above all, be encouraged by the character development that God produces in the midst of hard things.   Dr. Jan says, “As a parent of an individual with special needs, I wish someone would have had this discussion with me when my children were growing up.”

 

 

 

 
Visit our Sponsor: CTCMath.com


 

 

Do your children want to go to college? Do you wonder if they can succeed? Are they struggling just to make it through high school? Is taking a test a daunting prospect? This week you will hear an inspirational testimony of a seventeen-year-old who realized his life-long dream of going to college by using The NeuroDevelopmental Approach.

As parents we want our children to achieve their greatest potential! Dr. Jan gives helpful tips about simple activities that can be performed with children of all ages do so they don’t struggle academically. To be successful learners, we need organized brains, good short-term memory and correct mental storage of information. All of these are requirements so information is found easily and used efficiently. This is what the NeuroDevelopmental Approach is all about! Dr. Jan has been working for over 20 years to bring hope to struggling learners.

Listen to the Brain Coach Tips for today to get your healthy dose of hope. These tips will help whether your child is in college or wants to go to college in the future. Checkout the handout for mentioned products and discount codes.

 

 



Special Thanks to our Network Sponsor!
CTC Math

Do your children have an awareness of the impact of good etiquette?  Today Dr. Jan Bedell speaks with Monica Irvine about how life-enhancing proper etiquette can be.

“If you are not taught, you don’t know,” is what Monica has learned from speaking with parents who have used her products. It is never too early to start your children on the road to good manners.  Monica has help for all ages.  Preschoolers to high schoolers can benefit from these life-enhancing social graces.  These lessons touch on everything from wedding and funeral etiquette to cellphone manners.  Monica has been told by many parents that their children have grown in confidence when they understand these etiquette skills.

“Children learn best when they can relate [to their environment] with the [proper] etiquette skill,”  says Monica.  Our society no longer teaches etiquette the way it has been taught in the past.  Our children need to be taught because we are sending messages to others no matter what we do.  Do we want to send a message that we are thinking of others or thinking of ourselves?  Tune in, to today’s Brain Coach Tips to learn how to teach your children how valuable it is to prefer others in social situations.

Sponsored by CTC Math.

Have you ever wonder if it is really necessary to teach your child cursive?
Do you have a child that just doesn't get it? Today Dr. Jan Bedell visits with Prisca Lecroy one of the co-owners of CursiveLogic.

Thank you to our episode sponsor, CTC Math.

Prisca shares how their method of teaching cursive came about when her mother was tutoring a 23-year-old young man who needed to be able to sign his name to take the driver's test. She developed a method that help this young man (age 16) sign his name in a 45-minute session. Since then many others have benefited from their easy method of learning cursive including those children with learning struggles.

They discuss the neurodevelopmental benefits of writing and reading cursive. As well as the importance of being about to read historical and family documents from the past. Tune into the Brain Coach Tip of the day to find out more about CursiveLogic.

Making Math Easier with Dr. Jan Bedell  Podcast #18
Be sure to download the handout below.

As homeschoolers we tend to teach the way we were taught or at the very least we are influenced by how we experienced school ourselves.  In this episode, Jan Bedell, the Little Giant Steps Brain Coach, challenges the standard way of doing a few problems to teach a “math lesson” and then sending the student off to “do it on their own”.
Myth Debunked
Then we grade the papers the child finished and then what?  Do we do more instruction?  Typically not, we just send the paper back with the child and tell them to correct it.  No wonder so many children HATE math.  The myth: If we help the student or do some of the student’s problems for them, it makes us somehow guilty of cheating.   That myth is debunked in this episode.
Episode Sponsor: Smash Maths
SMASH Maths provides 2 online Practices every week for children.
Each Practice contains at least 10 bespoke questions, so that means 20+ questions a week. The program is available for pupils in Kindergarten to Grade 6. The cost is $7.50 per month.
Use CODE: FELICE to receive your discount. Visit SMASHMATHS.org/homeschooling 
Find out more here: https://www.smashmaths.org/home-schooling/
 
Magic Cards
Also, what about those magic cards we hold up when “working” on facts?  In this podcast, the lunacy of that frustrating exercise is uncovered and an effective approach to learning math facts quickly and painlessly is introduced.  Just how much faster would math assignments go if math facts were instantly recalled?  How much time is wasted correcting problems where there was a math fact error?  How much better would the child’s attitude be if math assignments were more quickly done so there was time to spend on other interest areas?  What about dysgraphia? Yes, with the techniques and resources introduced here, those symptoms are reduced or go away. Find how to make math easier in this 25 minute podcast.

 

Don’t miss the handout attached here with links to pertinent information and discounts.Handout

 

Photo Credits: DepositPhoto.com All Rights Reserved. Copyright  ilona75

Making Reading Easier by Dr. Jan Bedell
Sponsored by Reading Eggs

A prerequisite to reading using the phonics approach is a good auditory processing ability (auditory short-term memory).  If processing is not well developed, reading with phonics past three letter words can be next to impossible.  Don’t go buy another phonics program!  It isn’t the phonics program that is the issue, it is the processing that causes the difficulty.  You will learn what to do when phonics is not working and how to prepare the brain to be able to use phonics in the future.

When you work on this auditory processing skill and the others mentioned above, it can be instrumental in reducing the symptoms of dyslexia and other challenges.  Specific techniques to make reading easier are taught in this session. You will also understand how to improve comprehension.

Be sure to get the handout attached for information and discounts.

 - 17-MakingReadingEasier


 

* Free auditory processing kit – here
* Help for math facts – here
* Brain boosting products – here

Neuroplasticity - Rewiring The Brain with Dr. Jan Bedell
Podcast #19
Neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain? Hmm? Do we really have to use such an unfamiliar word?  Yes, to describe the amazing gift that God has given us we can start with a big word and break it down.  It really is quite simple – “neuro” is having to do with the brain and “plasticity” is the ability to change.  Our brains are changing all the time. This is really good news when you have a struggling learner or a child with a label like dyslexia, ADD, ADHD or autism.  The key is knowing how to fuel the brain with the right kind of stimulation so it builds new pathways.  From these new pathways, the brain can receive, organize, process and store information well enough to bring it out and use it in everyday life.  With the right kind of stimulation, your brain can take little developmental steps to achieve giant strides in academics and overall function.  That is what happens when you use the products and services of Little Giant Steps.
In this episode, you will hear the experience of a teacher that had taught first grade for 17 years before using The NeuroDevelopmental Approach in her classroom in year 18.
It made a huge difference for her students and can make a difference for you and your family as well.  Applying just a little information can make all the difference in your child’s future.  We shouldn’t leave out the adults either!  It is never too late to change the brain.  Two ladies in their 50’s, one a reading tutor and the other a Montessori teacher who had always struggled with reading comprehension, raised their reading comprehension score by 3 ½ years in only four months’ time.   And guess what? They didn’t do any specific reading program.  All it took was organization and specific stimulation to the brain and their abilities radically changed.

 

 

Visit our sponsor Little Giant Steps for information about

* Free auditory processing kit – here
* Help for math facts – here
* Brain boosting products – here



 

Another label has emerged for individuals that are having learning challenges – it’s CAPD. CAPD stands for Central Auditory Processing Disorder and is also referred to as APD or Auditory Processing Disorder.  There are different aspects of this “disorder” that negatively affect a person’s ability to function fully.  Symptoms include:

* Difficulties in recognizing and interpreting sounds, especially voice tones
* Inability to hold sufficient information in sequential order in one’s auditory short-term memory (sequential auditory processing).

This label, like other labels in our educational system, is a symptomatic label.  That means if there are enough symptoms on a checklist, the label is given.  As always in NeuroDevelopment, the question is: what is causing these symptoms to occur? Our society’s practices are the culprit again!  In this episode, Jan Bedell, the Brain Coach, will provide a broader understanding of CAPD and its far-reaching effects.

If you know someone that has trouble following directions, staying on task, reading with a phonics approach, or comprehending what is said and read, this podcast can offer some real answers.  Many times the same symptoms that are associated with CAPD are also experienced by individuals that have or are suspected of having ADD, ADHD, dyslexia and other learning struggles.  This podcast will discuss how low auditory processing presents challenges for every sector of our society.  It will also include ways to improve the inefficiencies found in the symptoms of these labels. By learning how to improve these inefficiencies, you can help your child’s auditory processing improve greatly!

 Don’t miss the handout attached here with links to pertinent resources.

Special Replay this week from The Brain Coach: Is your child struggling with math? Do you have a gifted child that needs to secure a good math foundation that will let them soar? Is your 5, 9 or 15 year old having trouble remembering their math facts? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, this is the podcast for you!

Dr. Jan will lead you through the foundation and cornerstone of math.

Foundation:
1. Rote counting – Counting CD
2. Understanding quantity – first count accurately, then be able to look at fingers, pictures on a page, and dice and be able to recognize the quantity
3. Counting from any random number to a specific number
4. Skip Counting
5. Concept of math operations:
a. What is addition, subtraction, multiplication or division?
b. Progression through the different aspects of each operation, i.e. multi-digit addition all the way through 2 and 3 digit division. This progression is made available through Visual Circle Math
(downloadable & printed copy), a way to advance quickly through understanding of concepts if a child is advanced in math. Great also for remediation if a child is struggling with math as
they can go at their own pace. Also available in: Visual Circle Math (download only)

6. Word problems – holding pieces together long enough to figure out what is important information requires good auditory processing.

 

Get your free Auditory Processing Test Kit at LittleGiantSteps.com
Cornerstone:
Math Facts – Rapid Recall System be sure to choose the operation you want (addition, subtraction, etc. or get all four operations at a major discount).
See handout for special Ultimate Home School Radio discounts on all products mentioned on today’s podcast.

The almost militant battle of how to best teach reading has been waged over the last 150+ years with proponents from both sides being adamant about their recommendations.  As the reading curriculum pendulum has swung back and forth from phonics to sight to phonics the controversy roars on with little attention given to anything except technique. This narrow view of reading has resulted in millions of individuals being diagnosed with dyslexia and other reading and language delays.

With the introduction of learning styles even more reading techniques abound.  Phonics is an auditory approach to reading. One must hold each sound in auditory short-term memory long enough to get the word “sounded out”. If the child’s auditory short-term memory (processing) is low, phonics doesn’t work well, and the parents typically finds themselves moving from one phonics program to the next.  This is often the case in the home school community because phonics is viewed as “THE” best way to teach reading.  Don’t get me wrong; I love phonics and it is a terrific way to teach reading IF the child has good auditory processing. If not, there is frustration, tears and feelings of low self-esteem.

A visual learner might pick up sight words easily but struggle with phonics because of the learner’s visual bend.  For the tactile learner, reading is a real challenge as it is time consuming and inefficient to create each word you need to learn out of pipe cleaners or the like.

In this episode, the Brain Coach will give you tips on what functions must be working well in the brain for reading to take place as she reveals the best way to teach reading.

 

Don’t miss the handout attached here with links to pertinent information and discounts.
Visit our sponsor –LittleGiantSteps.com

Have you ever wonder if it is really necessary to teach your child cursive? Do you have a child that just doesn't get it? Today Dr. Jan Bedell visits with Prisca Lecroy one of the co-owners of CursiveLogic.

Prisca shares how their method of teaching cursive came about when her mother was tutoring a 23-year-old young man who needed to be able to sign his name to take the driver's test. She developed a method that help this young man (age 16) sign his name in a 45-minute session. Since then many others have benefited from their easy method of learning cursive including those children with learning struggles.

They discuss the neurodevelopmental benefits of writing and reading cursive. As well as the importance of being about to read historical and family documents from the past. Tune into the Brain Coach Tip of the day to find out more about CursiveLogic.

Do you attend Homeschool conferences?  If the answer is no, you may want to reconsider your decision not to go. Today Dr. Jan Bedell visits with Leslie Nunnery who along with her husband David, started the Teach Them Diligently Home School Conferences.

Leslie shares the call they felt to encourage homeschool families to stay the course in their ‘High Calling’.   Our very own Brain Coach, Jan Bedell will be speaking and exhibiting at all the Teach Them Diligently locations this year. The new locations have been expanded for this coming year’s conference season so they are more convenient to more families or make a great family get away.  Today, you will also learn what Teach Them Diligently offers to homeschool families outside of the conference arena.

The Little Giant Steps team will be conducting NeuroDevelopmental Screenings at all of the Teach Them Diligently conferences.  Discover exactly how a screening can benefit the individuals in your family by tuning in to today’s Brain Coach Tips and by following this link - NeuroDevelopmental Screenings.  These screening are helpful if you have a gifted child because the way the brain is organized, even when the individual has a high IQ, makes all the difference in the ability to use that intelligence.  Screenings are valuable when you have a child that is doing “OK” in your eyes but you know he is having to work much harder than you would expect. Screening are also valuable to help you identify the root causes of learning difficulties or even when children already have learning labels like ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, CAPD, OCD and Learning Disabled.     When you know the root cause of learning struggles, you can become equipped to change the outcome for that child.

Do you have a child that struggles to maintain focus when completing tasks?  Do you have to supervise every minute of your teen’s school day?

Today Dr. Jan Bedell visits with the founder of Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum, Dr. Ron Johnson.  Doc, as many like to call him, was formerly a public-school principle and superintendent who saw the need to reestablish virtues and values in today’s society.  Doc was an executive in a major home school curriculum provider for 21 years.  He saw the effects of fatherlessness on our society and, coupled with all this experience, set out to create curriculum that gives students positive male role models.  It is the mission of Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum (www.PACworks.com) to recover at risk children and build a better foundation for those that are not struggling.

Tune in to today’s Brain Coach Tip to learn the hidden gems of his many years of experience. Dr. Johnson shares his personal experiences and will give you gems to motivate your students. So, whether you have typically developing students or you are dealing with the effects of labels like ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia or behavioral challenges, this episode will encourage and equip you.

Special Replay: Neuroplasticity - Rewiring The Brain with Dr. Jan Bedell
Podcast #19
Neuroplasticity, hmm? Do we really have to use such an unfamiliar word?  Yes, to describe the amazing gift that God has given us we can start with a big word and break it down.  It really is quite simple – “neuro” is having to do with the brain and “plasticity” is the ability to change.  Our brains are changing all the time. This is really good news when you have a struggling learner or a child with a label like dyslexia, ADD, ADHD or autism.  The key is knowing how to fuel the brain with the right kind of stimulation so it builds new pathways.  From these new pathways, the brain can receive, organize, process and store information well enough to bring it out and use it in everyday life.  With the right kind of stimulation, your brain can take little developmental steps to achieve giant strides in academics and overall function.  That is what happens when you use the products and services of Little Giant Steps.

In this episode, you will hear the experience of a teacher that had taught first grade for 17 years before using The NeuroDevelopmental Approach in her classroom in year 18.  It made a huge difference for her students and can make a difference for you and your family as well.  Applying just a little information can make all the difference in your child’s future.  We shouldn’t leave out the adults either!  It is never too late to change the brain.  Two ladies in their 50’s, one a reading tutor and the other a Montessori teacher who had always struggled with reading comprehension, raised their reading comprehension score by 3 ½ years in only four months’ time.   And guess what? They didn’t do any specific reading program.  All it took was organization and specific stimulation to the brain and their abilities radically changed.

 

Visit our sponsor Little Giant Steps for information about

* Free auditory processing kit – here
* Help for math facts – here
* Brain boosting products – here