Right or Left Brain Training Conundrum - Which Lobe of Brain is Your Children on?

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Hi,
What might be common to these legendary personalities - Thomas Edison, Picasso, Walt Disney, da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Mozart, Bell and Beethoven? Obviously, they are some of the most brilliant minds of human kind. Apart from their brilliant career, what might be similar to their personalities? Most experts agree that such legends think and act in an unconventional manner that usually defies the common. Speaking in a holistic manner, they might be very strong in their right side of the brain that allows them to unlock their hidden skills, talent and potentials in an explosive manner.

The current debate between right brain and left brain learning exponents has been quite fierce and hot, as the existing learning theories are somewhat confusing to people. However, proponents of brain learning agree on one common theme - that right brain individuals find conventional learning in a traditional classroom very difficult although they have immense talent and skills hidden inside them. They also need an encouraging environment to let out their unlocked potential.

To optimize learning potential and learning, children may need to use both sides of the brain and integrate them to retain available information for immediate retrieval and use. For a right brainer, this could be somewhat difficult as his or her brain is not tuned to retain information for long term memory retention. This is where, the concept of right brain education and training becomes very useful. With proper training and methods, parents can overcome the so called “right and left brain training conundrum”. Have a great week ahead!

Thought for today:
"Every man can, if he so desires, become the sculptor of his own brain" - Santiago Ramón y Cajal

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Q1: I have a 16 month old daughter and we were told by a teacher in our playgroup that she is gifted. She has always been extremely alert. She smiled at me when she was 2 days old. She said her first word at 6 months (hello) and her first sentence at 7 1/2 months (mumma, bird cheep cheep cheep) in response to a bird chirping outside. She said about 100 words by 1 year of age, and over 1000 by 14 months. She is making 3-4 word sentences now (mummy, diaper wet, change it) and knows the full sentences of many songs....Is she gifted? Is this something we would know at this age? What should we be doing for her?

A: From your description, she is most certainly showing developmental milestones ahead of her peers and is potentially gifted. Especially so if you realize similarities between you both when you were a child - then, there is a very high chance that she is indeed gifted. In fact, this is a great age to explore with anything and everything as children are most curious and you would be able to monitor their interest in any particular area... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Signs of Early Giftedness here.

Q2: My son aged 9 is dyslexic. He recently had his IQ tested . His FSIQ is 104 however his VCI is 126, PRI is 102, WMI is 27, and PSI is 13. There is a huge variation between the highest and lowest scores. Can the overall FSIQ be a true reflection of his capability given such huge variations in the scores of the individual tests?

A: The FSIQ (Full Scale IQ) score on the WISV-IV which represents overall cognitive ability, is derived from four other composite scores; the Verbal Comprehension index (VCI), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), Processing Speed Index (PSI) and Working Memory Index (WMI). The FSIQ is generally a rather objective way to gauge general intellectual functioning of an individual. Your son scored in the superior range for VCI, with average on PRI; however, very low on both WMI and PSI... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on The WISC-IV and Dyslexia here.

Q3: I would like some help interpreting my son's WISC-IV scores, which I was told make him HG with some processing issues, but no learning difficulty. He was 12 years and 11 months in 2012 when he took the test...He hit ceilings on 13 out of 18 subtests, in WISC, WIAT and other areas, some of which have not been given percentile scores. So, I am confused about how these characteristics interrelate. I would really appreciate more information about his processing issues and how they can be addressed?

A: Based on the WISC IV composite score that you provided, your son has scores in the superior range for VCI and WMI, superior for PRI and average for PSI. His FSIQ is in the very superior range - based on what you have given, it should be about 135, which qualifies him for admission in most gifted programmes.... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Interpreting the WISC IV Score here.

Teaching for the Two-Sided Mind
By Linda Williams

Recent research on the brain has revolutionized our concept of how we think. The two sides of the brain serve radically different functions. The left hemisphere is associated with linear, analytic thought; the right hemisphere governs spatial, integrative thought. The book explores the application of this important research to the classroom, summarizing current knowledge, discussing its implications, and providing practical teaching techniques that draw upon the right side of the brain.

Students need right-brain strength to achieve balanced thinking skills and to activate a full range of cognitive and creative abilities. Right-brain techniques are remarkably effective in teaching children with learning disabilities and provide a valuable boost to gifted and average students. Specific classroom activities employing visual thinking, fantasy, metaphor, multisensory learning, music, laboratory experiments and field trips are described in the book.

Right Brain Education: Changing the World, One Heart at Time
By Pamela Sue Hickein

Right Brain Education is an exciting learning method developed to help utilize both sides of the brain -- the logical left brain and the (generally under-utilized) creative right brain. Children and adults alike can learn how to enhance the abilities of the right side of the brain, nurturing one's natural photographic memory and speed-learning capabilities, so that the "whole brain" is equally engaged. When both sides of the brain are used, a person's true genius can shine! Hickein's heart-based approach to right-brain learning consists of two main programs, which correspond to two distinct stages of development.

Pamela Hickein is the developer of the two Right Brain Education learning programs TweedleWink and Wink. She has been learning, developing and teaching children -- and their parents! -- these methods through many different ventures since the 1980's, and has followers in every corner of the globe. As a Montessori-trained teacher, Pamela recognized that respect for a child's self-guiding instincts was missing in many learning programs.

Do Toddler Apps Turn Young Brains To Mush?
Hereandnow Mar 26, 2013

But while the American Academy of Pediatrics has long discouraged passive media use, the academy hasn’t weighed in yet on interactive applications. Research is limited, since apps are so new, but the debate is polarized. Psychologist and author Aric Sigman told The Telegraph, “We risk infantilising the child's mind by spoon-feeding it with strong audio-visual sensations.” He argued that computers should be banned from schools until children reach age nine.

The Child, the Tablet and the Developing Mind
NY Times Blog Mar 31, 2013

Dr. Small says we do know that the brain is highly sensitive to stimuli, like iPads and smartphone screens, and if people spend too much time with one technology, and less time interacting with people like parents at the dinner table, that could hinder the development of certain communications skills.

The Power of Talking to Your Baby
NY Times Blog Apr 10, 2013

By the time a poor child is 1 year old, she has most likely already fallen behind middle-class children in her ability to talk, understand and learn. The gap between poor children and wealthier ones widens each year, and by high school it has become a chasm.

Early learning leads to lifelong success
Pine and Lakes Apr 09, 2013

The importance of high quality learning activities for children during their early years, from birth through age 5, has been identified as leading to lifelong successes as an adult. How can that be?

Breastfeeding May Lead to Better Brain Development, Studies Claim
Beverly Hills Courier Apr 8, 2013

Researchers claim to have found a connection between the development of a child's brain and the amount of time spent breastfeeding. In an experiment involving over 17,000 infants aged from newborn to six and a half years old, scientists have concluded that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding led to improved brain development.

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