KoolMinds West Idaho

⭐️INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT⭐️

This is Jackie!!

She is an amazing instructor in our Meridian office and this is what she loves most about working at KoolMinds West Idaho

"The kids! Every child has their own special qualities and I love getting to know each one of them. It gives me so much joy to watch kids from 6 to 16 as they gain confidence in themselves and accomplish things they never thought they could."

Reach out to learn how you can see this change in your child!

Understanding Spelling Challenges

Did you know that spelling difficulties often stem from either orthographic or phonological processing issues?
📝 Orthographic Processing: This affects how we visualize and remember letter patterns in words.
🗣️ Phonological Processing: This impacts our ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words.

Both can make learning to read and spell tricky, but with the right support, progress is possible! 💪

Learn more about how to support learners facing these challenges in our latest blog post. https://www.koolminds.com/blog/orthographic-and-phonological-processing

Fluent readers rely on orthographic processing to identify words quickly and accurately. It's all about recognizing patterns and familiar letter combinations! Image: A brain visual with "automatic word recognition" and familiar word patterns, like "-tion" in "station". Click Here to learn more: https://www.koolminds.com/blog/orthographic-and-phonological-processing

Vision Therapy: A Path to Better Reading
For children struggling with reading, vision problems might be the root cause. Vision therapy offers a targeted approach to improving eye coordination and visual processing, helping young readers focus better and overcome reading challenges. Don't let vision struggles hold them back—explore how vision therapy can make a difference today!

Reading Struggles? It Could Be Vision-Related!
Children who struggle with reading may be facing undiagnosed vision problems, such as blurry vision or trouble focusing. Learn more: https://www.koolminds.com/blog/vision-issues-and-learning
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👀 Vision Matters for Learning! 👓
Did you know that vision problems can affect a child's ability to read, write, and concentrate in school? Early detection is key! Stay informed and support your child's academic success. Read More https://www.koolminds.com/blog/vision-issues-and-learning

This month we are highlighting one of our licensees in Greeley, Colorado who is providing valuable resources in their community. Learn more about Bridging the Gaps Dyslexia Center by clicking the link in our bio or visiting https://www.koolminds.com/blog/licensee-profile-colorado

In our latest blog post, Sliding Into Summer, we talk about some ways to combat the summer slide and have your kiddos learning all year long. While they won't be getting the constant instruction and reminders from teachers, there are ways you, as a parent, can be consistent and constructive at home.

First is to keep a regular schedule as much as possible. The routine might look different than the school year but setting expectations and structure to their day is key to keeping them on track.

Second, try to offer a variety of learning options. Whether you're shelling out the big bucks for camps and classes or getting resourceful at the library, it's important to keep their young minds engaged. Maybe not all the time though as boredom is productive too.

Third, encourage their creativity. As much as it pains me for my kids to destroy the basement making a pillow fort castle, I have to just let it happen. (I do draw the line at glitter slime, though.) Crafts, cooking and cardboard cities are perfect ways to keep their imaginations at work.

Lastly, if there was significant progress during the school year or your children require remediation in any subject, it would be wise to consider private tutoring or resources through your school. To learn more, read our latest blog at www.koolminds.com/blog/summer-slide

Let's talk about the 'Summer Slide,' which is simply a playful way of referring to learning loss over the Summer months. To learn more about this silly side effect of Summer, check out our latest blog post, "Sliding Into Summer." Check the link in our bio or click here https://www.koolminds.com/blog/summer-slide

While Summer is fun for most, it can be a slippery slope when it comes to education. Learn more about the summer slide and how to combat it this year!

Remember the Abacus. Our oldest form of manipulative is a block of wood with some beads on it and it has been effective in teaching math methods for hundreds of years!
Now most of us don't have an abacus lying around but we can make a number line. A quick trip to the junk drawer will probably find you some coins and a ruler. The clock, which ultimately runs our lives, is most likely hanging on your wall. Manipulatives are all over the place and they are the easiest way for Dyscalculics to "work the problem." Physically moving the pieces and explaining what they're doing not only helps you or their teacher see how they're thinking but it's literally building neural pathways in their brain. Now do you see why you should remember the abacus?

Subitizing might not be a familiar term to many of us but when it comes to recognizing Dyscalculia, it's an important one. Subitizing is the ability to instantly recognize an amount with actually counting the items. This is a skill that most dyscalculics struggle with and why you'll often see them counting on their fingers. To learn more about Dyscalculia, click the link in our bio to read this month's blog! https://www.koolminds.com/blog/remember-the-abacus

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability which affects a person's ability to understand number based information. Number based information is pretty much how the world goes 'round... time, distance, speed, money, quantity. It's in every aspect of our lives!

To learn more about Dyscalculia and why it's important to spot it early, read our latest blog post.

Learn more about Dyscalculia in our May blog post! Click the link in our bio or https://www.koolminds.com/blog/remember-the-abacus

X Marks the Spot is an exercise we use in our Cognitive Skills program to help build Visual Spatial Awareness. Once the student has memorized the picture chart from previous lessons we'll move on to a blank chart where the parent or instructor points to a spot and the student will recall the picture from that spot. Another variation is the instructor or parent naming the picture, then having the student mark the spot it should be with a dry-erase marker.

Check out Jackie and JJ working the program at home! She's a proud mama 😊

Here are some fun and easy ways to work on improving visual spatial awareness skills with your child at home:

- Building an obstacle course in the backyard with household items is a fun way to challenge their bodies and minds to navigate their environment.

- Creating and building together with guided instructions helps children develop spatial talk (over, under, on top, beside, etc)

- Simply using descriptive language when you're out and about is a very simple way to build this skill. Instead of saying 'They're over there, " try specific or directional language like "Your shoes are to the right of the front door."

To learn more about how you can practice at home, read our latest blog by clicking the link in our bio, or click here https://www.koolminds.com/blog/visual-spatial-awareness

For Visual Spatial Awareness issues, here are some common signs and symptoms you might notice. To read more about this cognitive skill, visit the link in our bio to read this month's blog post, or click here https://www.koolminds.com/blog/visual-spatial-awareness