Most smart struggling students are right brain kinesthetic learners, who learn best when they see and experience information.

For the right brain kinesthetic learner, private schools offer real advantages:

• Many have smaller class size
• Some have more hands-on activities, like labs
• Music and other programs may be stronger
• There are often fewer children with behavior issues — some private schools try to screen out these kids and when behavior issues do occur, the private schools may be less tolerant of these issues, and may ask the parents to find a different school for their child
• Private school staffs may have more time to work with collaborative parents, 
• Some offer specialized tutoring — which often helps with reading fluency — how well a student reads out loud.

The three biggest challenges we see with private schools, especially in Florida, include:

• The problems with reading comprehension, math and writing often persist and may widen.
• Many private schools do not offer additional tutoring, and when they do, they are either:
  • More focused on reading fluency and do not teach the way a bright right brain kinesthetic learner learns best and/or
  • They may be expensive.
• Private school demand is higher than at any point in recent times. due to an expanded voucher program.

This blog post has three key themes:

1. Collaboration with private school is much more likely to succeed than confrontation
2. If you suspect your child is a right brain kinesthetic learner, there is real value in Assessing for Success
3. If your child is a lot smarter than present results would indicate, there is real value in considering a Transformational Program that could generate significant gains for your child within months

If we can help in any way, feel free to call us at 561-361-7495.

 

Collaboration is the Key

 

Already this school year, we have had parents complain and express their frustration that:

• Their child who has been in a specific private school for years was still way below grade level.

• For a couple of parents whose child has just enrolled in a private school, they are frustrated that the Special Education protections their child had in a public or charter school are no longer present.

• Their child’s school does not have the programs to close the gap for their child.

All these challenges are real.  Specifically:

–  Assessments done by psychologists and learning centers like 3D Learner expose reading comprehension and other gaps that were not apparent to the family.  Note, in the post pandemic era, we are seeing public, charter, private and homeschool students who are a lot smarter than present results would indicate and who are much further below grade level than what we were seeing a few years ago.

– IDEA Protections provided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act do not cover private school students

–  Private school programs to help struggling readers are often focused on reading fluency

To make matters more challenging for parents, the demand for private school, especially in states like Florida with an expanded voucher program, far exceeds the seats available.

We strongly recommend parents work with private schools in a collaborative way. We have helped a number of private school parents to partner with private schools to resolve the situation.

If you would like a no cost conversation, call us at 561-361-7495

 

Outside Assessments Can Really Help

 

Three very common challenges we are seeing in students include:

• Many are bright right brain kinesthetic learners, and the parents were not aware of the benefits and challenges this presents.  Click here for our screening tool focused on:

 “Is my child a right brain kinesthetic learner”

• Many of the students we see have a visual processing issue.  Click here for screening tool focused on:

“Does my child have a visual processing issue”

• Reading comprehension gaps are often larger than parents thought they were.

At 3D Learner, we often start the process with parents by discussing a parent’s concerns and if appropriate, discuss how we might assess for success.

 

If you would like a no cost conversation, call us at 561-361-7495

 

3D Learner Offers Transformation Learning Program
that Can Change a Child’s Life

 

Two cases highlight what is possible:

A rising third grader was almost retained at a good private school.  The parents got a private evaluation from a psychologist. The psychologist recommended a dyslexia treatment and ADHD medication.  

Mom called a friend who asked her a few questions.  When it became clear the young lady was a hands-on learner, the friend recommended she call 3D Learner.

Mom called us and it was quite clear after a few minutes that her daughter:

• Was a right brain kinesthetic learner who learned best when she saw and experienced information
• Had a combination of attention, anxiety and related challenges
• Was really struggling at private school.

The next step was to do an assessment.

Our assessment:

• Confirmed her daughter was a right brain kinesthetic learner with an attention and anxiety challenge.
• Showed a visual processing issue, where her daughter skipped words and lines when reading.
• Showed her daughter read slowly and was 1.5 years below grade level in reading comprehension.

With our help

—Her daughter improved her reading comprehension to a year above grade level.

—Attention and anxiety issues were neutralized.

—Spelling scores went from 50 and 55 to 90s, 95s and 100s, with weekly spelling time reduced from 3.5 hours per week to under an hour.  As her father said, what was even more amazing was she remembered the words a year later

—She went from a reluctant reader to the most prolific reader in her class.  She read 720 pages in a month, when the average student in her class read 185 pages. Dad asked her how this happened, and she said, “3D Learner taught me how to visualize what I was reading and reading became fun”.

Another parent was told to not even consider a college prep private school.  Despite a gifted IQ, mom was told to lower her expectations for college.  The psychologist had recommended two more dyslexia treatments.  Mom asked if there was an alternative program that taught the way her child learned.  3D Learner was recommended.  We were able to help her son, who later became valedictorian at this prestigious private school and later graduated from Harvard.  Mom was asked what made the difference and she said, “You changed his attitude and that made 90 percent of the difference”, Kim F, Parkland.

Note, even gifted right brain kinesthetic learners struggle to reach their potential.  It is not uncommon for them to excel in certain areas and to struggle with reading comprehension, working memory, processing speed and self-confidence issues.

If you would like a no cost conversation, call us at 561-361-7495