Jen has a wonderful headline on her website: Learning was meant to be FUN!

We concur, of course.

And her mission at Kidzmet is: To help parents, teachers, tutors and coaches understand how to make learning FUN for each unique child.

This is a fun and enlightening interview where you’ll hear a real expert reveal:

The limits of conventional IQ Tests.

What the eight intelligences are that each child is gifted with.

The myriad ways kids learn because of their innate multiple intelligences.

Why we need to acknowledge these intelligences and realize they are elastic and change.

The damaging affects of our schools’ standardized testing regimen on your child’s multiple intelligences—and what you can do to remedy it.

Jen reveals how failure to recognize and facilitate a child’s multiple intelligences sabotages their career and later life opportunities.

Kidzmet has an on-line inventory test you can use to find where your child’s attention, key intelligences and true interests lay. And this can be used to facilitate and optimize your child’s learning and potential.

Learn why summer time activities (at school breaks) are so important . . . and much, much more.

Roger & Virginia at the Learning Curve

Mathematics is too often a difficult subject for parents asked to help with homework: it should not be. Today you will learn how to conquer that fear.

Today’s guest with Roger& Virginia is Marilyn Burns, the founder of Math Solutions, an organization that has been dedicated for almost 30 years to improving K–8 mathematics teaching through providing professional development and resources.

A former classroom teacher, Marilyn has written more than twenty books for teachers, including: About Teaching Mathematics and Math and Literature; and more than ten children’s books, including her first: The I Hate Mathematics! Book, and The Greedy Triangle.

Her most recent project has been to develop Math Reasoning Inventory (MRI), a free online assessment to help teachers find out what their students really know about mathematics. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Information about MRI, including more than 80 video clips of actual interviews with students, is available on the MRI website.

Marilyn continues to teach elementary students on a part-time basis, relying on her classroom experiences to inform her writing and speaking. In 1991, she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Bank Street College of Education in New York. In 1996, she received the Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award, given by the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics to one mathematics educator each year. In 1997, she received the Louise Hay Award for Contributions to Mathematics Education by the Association for Women in Mathematics.

Hear Marilyn explain how easy math is to understand along with why so many have had difficulty in “getting it.”

Hear Marilyn in what is Virginia’s favorite part of the interview: the story of The Greedy Triangle that thought it didn’t have enough sides! It’s the plot of a kid’s book Marilyn wrote which explains that as the triangle acquired more sides, it eventually became so round, it rolled own the hill! What a great way to excite kids about math and give them needed insights!

Math must be presented to kids in a manner that makes sense to them.

A question parents must learn to use is: “How did you get that answer?”

Start your kids early with math. Hear Marilyn explain how a parent can teach math to a child by having them help lay a dinner table.

You’ll get the answer to what the difference is between mathematics and arithmetic.

And much, much more.

One of her students WON an international award with OXFAM Canada in its contest on making toys out of recycled materials. Her team was the FIRST USA team in the contest in 20 years

Further she has been invited to be Geographic Awareness Editor on the site: Wandering Educators.com; and most recently has been nominated for a Presidential Award as a Science Teacher.

Hear Roger & Virginia talk with Lisa about the Global Achievement Gap as revealed by Tony Wagner.

We explore with her such issues as:

Is there a conflict between preparing students for the world of work and teaching them about their roles as citizens?

What does it mean in today’s world to be an active and informed citizen, and how does a democratic society best educate for citizenship?

What would be involved in created the ‘challenging and rigorous curriculum’ for all students that many are now demanding? What is even meant by ‘rigor’ today and how do we get more of it in our students’ classes?

Are students learning how to think critically, solve problems, work collaboratively, take initiative, communicate effectively, access and analyze information, be curious and imaginative?

Learn how the kinds of questions students are asked and the extent to which a teacher (or parent) challenges students to explain their thinking or expand on their answers are reliable indicators of the level of intellectual rigor in a class.

What about our kids’ future roles as world citizens? Are we educating them for it?

Given that, as a society, we become good at what we measure: are we measuring the optimum things in our students?

Learn how Lisa excites her students and interests them in science.

The benefit of all this to Jennifer’s two children is that, while they have to meet the state testing standards, she can allow the kids to progress through each item on the curriculum at the pace that best suits the child and also ensure mastery on all subject matter.

Hear how Jennifer practices Student Led Learning.

Hear how she works the interests and needs of each child into the lesson plans and material.

She is also able to allow each of her children to learn in the style best suited to the child—indeed she pays special attention to facilitating her children’s two different learning styles. And this further enhanced by her practice of Student Led Learning.

Jennifer says this method of educating her children has developed in them a wondrous love of learning, and the ability to discover and master anything they will ever have to deal with in later life.

And the big bonus Jennifer has found is that Home Schooling allows families to be flexible in meeting all of the needs of each member of the family.

Hear Jennifer answer these questions:

What is student-led learning?

How do home school parents incorporate their children’s interests during instructed learning time?

How do our children meet state and federal school requirements by following the student led philosophy?

Can traditional school settings incorporate a student-led philosophy?

Roger & Virginia at The Learning Curve

Our guest today with Roger and Virginia on The Learning Curve is Laurie Gray, the founder of Socratic Parenting. Laurie’s experience includes having been a high school teacher, a civil and criminal trial attorney and author of young adult literature. Currently she writes, speaks and consults through Socratic Parenting LLC as well as working as a child forensic interviewer and as a College Professor.

What would happen of you used “open inquiry” questions with your child instead of telling and indoctrinating? Would it lead to greater self discovery and appreciation of truth?

Socrates is said to have stated: I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.

Only the practice of “open inquiry” opens the mind for thinking.

Many wise educators have deplored the current educational system’s practice of treating kids as sponges to be filled with the attempt to wring them dry at exam time. It is an unwise parenting practice also.

As Laurie explains, there is nothing more useless than a mind filled with others’ thoughts.

Hear Laurie explain the principles of Socratic Parenting — principles such as:

Be aware versus beware.

Don’t cause a child’s life to be ruled by fear.

Have the child being present with interested.

Acknowledgement and appreciation is a very important first step.

Accept who your child is.

Appreciate the positives.

And much more.

Beth is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Cherokee Creek Boys School, which is a therapeutic boarding school for middle school boys, ages 11-15, in Westminster, SC. The school is dedicated to “challenging boys and their families to discover what is real and true about themselves and the world around them.” The program seeks to build character by offering a path of self-discovery that addresses the emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual needs of adolescent boys. Among her many accomplishments, Bet was an Adjunct Professor for Florida State University while teaching “Communicating Disney Style” and “Marketing the Good News About Schools,” as well as a facilitator for the popular program “Disney Approach to People Management”, designed to share Disney’s internal marketing and quality service strategies with business professionals.

Denise is Academic Dean, having been a teacher since 1992, she brings extensive classroom experience with her to Cherokee Creek Boys School. Denise has an exciting mix of strong language instruction skills, as well as extensive knowledge of Individual Education Plans, testing and interpretation, and experience evaluating and developing diverse curriculum models. At Cherokee Creek, Denise works to foster, in her own words, “enthusiastic and dynamic teaching as a means of creating and nurturing a lifelong love of knowledge.” She does this through Curriculum Development and academic oversight of a staff of teachers, by teaching a themed English and Social Studies class, and by preparing the boys for the moment when they actually leave the school. In a therapeutic environment, she feels her job is to get boys to reclaim their love of learning and back on an academic track so they are better able to perform as independent learners once they leave the therapeutic environment.

Learn why it is often better to have boys and girls separated in school . . . it’s to do with their learning styles tending to conflict with each other.

The public school system currently forces boys to learn in the style best suited for girls!

Did you know there is an association of Independent Educational Consultants who can help parents find the best learning environment/school for your child?

Cherokee Creek Boys School

Roger and Virginia at How to Learn Easily

Today’s guest is Peg L. Smith, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Camp Association, where she has been for over a decade. She has had a wonderful career and extensive experience in childhood, adolescent and young adult work. With her BS in early childhood and family studies, she began her career in 1974 as a Head Start Teacher. Later, in 1977 she created a career program that was implemented in five counties in Indiana for young people, following which she made Director of the Head Start Program for Child and Adult Resource Services.

Eventually in 1991, due to her performance in a number of other positions, Peg was appointed to the staff of the Governor of Indiana as Director of the Governor’s Step Ahead Initiative, and while there she also created the first Bureau of Child Development for the State and in 1995 became the director of the Indiana Youth Initiative.

Peg has vast experience in the service of and helping youngsters, so she is well qualified to give us some points of wisdom on how best to serve our children.

Hear Peg explain how best to select a camp for your child.

Should you make a whole family holiday out of it?

What special camp experiences are available?

How can you plan it so your child’s regular school grades benefit?

What other benefits can you anticipate from a properly planned camp for your child?

What funding and financial arrangements you can benefit from?

Peg is a font of wonderful information in this show with reference to the above and many other topics you’ll want to know about.

Contact the American Camp Association

Roger and Virginia at the Learning Curve

Today’s guest is Elaine Sigal who has had near 40 years of experience in education at all levels from grades 8-12 and teaching at university. At one point in her career in education she founded and ran a classroom based ‘brick and mortar’ educational company (from 1995 – 2009)

Based on this experience, Elaine founded STIZZiL.com.

STIZZiL is quite unique in that it is an online supplemental education company that offers tutoring, enrichment and support for students, parents and professionals of all ages. STIZZiL brings together the best US licensed, credentialed, and experienced educators from all over the United States and matches them to students, parents and professionals in need of help.

Elaine’s experience has shown that “not just anyone can teach.” So she created a service that enables students, from the privacy and safety of their own home, to work with STIZZiL’s vetted educators, who teach in a synchronous manner using the best and latest in modern technology: audio, video, chat, whiteboard, and archiving capabilities.

Hear Elaine answer our question of how can a parent best raise concerns within the educational system regarding concerns they have about the learning environment of their child. Who can or should you report to and how best to do it? What are the best avenues to take action on? How should you prepare?

What are the pit-falls in “No Child Left Behind”? How can you “work” this part of the system?

In actuality, No Child Left Behind has drastically altered educational practices . . . teachers have been driven away from educating with the end result of the children actually learning things of value: instead teachers are forced to “teach to the test.” This results in approximately half of teaching time being spent on practicing to pass mandated tests versus actually learning something.

It’s true . . . boys and girls behave and learn differently! Learn how best to work with the difference.

Learn how you can help your child get better grades by providing a better learning environment at home.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve

Just as exercise promotes physical fitness, exercising our brain improves brain fitness in four critical areas.

Memory
Attention
Processing
Sequencing

Today’s guest is Dr. Martha S. Burns who has been a practicing speech language pathologist for 45 years. Dr. Burns is on the Faculty of Northwestern University, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders and who also works with Scientific Learning Corp.

Hear Dr. Burns discuss how one of Scientific Learning’s programs, Fast Forward®, helps learners achieve up to a two year reading gain in as little as three months.

Hear Dr. Burns discuss (in layman’s terms) the architecture of the brain, its “plasticity,” and how it can be knowingly addressed and developed.

In this show we’ll be discussing the types of fun games and exercises you can use with your child (or use yourself) to build and strengthen brain fitness and learning capacity and speed. These are the types of exercises that can be done anywhere: at home, in the car, on walks, at school; anywhere you or your child can interact with the environment or another person.

We’ll also discuss the distinction between video games that only entertain versus those that both entertain and develop brain “muscle.”

Dr. Burns has a wonderful blog listeners should also go to.

And go to Scientific Learning’s website for further information.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve

Anne has had extensive experienced dealing with “troubled,” “disabled” or “disadvantaged” children in her clinical career — but something was discovered by her: many of these disturbed or troubled children were, in actuality, highly gifted children who’d been misdiagnosed with one of the many fashionable designations used nowadays to try and fit the too sharp kids into the very dull system that is the US educational assembly-line.

Many of these kids, mislabeled with any one of the acronyms ending with “D” for disorder, were actually very bright youngsters driven into displaying symptoms of boredom, rebellion, disinterest or distraction due to them not fitting into a system that isn’t geared to deal with exceptional talent and doesn’t know how to correctly cater to them.

These gifted kids get stressed-out because they end up feeling they are not being heard or understood . . . but who doesn’t suffer when that occurs to them!

Out of this experience Anne has developed a system of tools and game playing routines that enable all children: gifted, normal or “different” to have the best brought out in them.

This is the second half of our interview with Anne, and in this show Anne discusses how you can “get it right” with your child. The things you can do, the tools you can use, to help your child develop its full potential and reap the rewards in life it is due.

Learn the characteristics of a gifted child.

Learn the Three Stages and Types of Childhood Development.

Learn how to find out what is “in your child’s universe/mind” . . . this instead of blaming or incorrectly assuming what’s going on.

Hear Anne address The 10 Keys to Joyful Parenting.

Anne gives you an exercise of how to help your child realize its infinite possibilities.

Did you know children are often so perceptively sensitive they take on others’ emotions?

Learn how to honor your child’s uniqueness and not mold it into society’s expectations.

Did you know that “behavior” is often a form of communication.

Get Anne’s list of tools for happy parenting that will benefit your child.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve

Anne has had extensive experienced dealing with “troubled,” “disabled” or “disadvantaged” children in her clinical career — but something was discovered by her: many of these disturbed or troubled children were, in actuality, highly gifted children who’d been misdiagnosed with one of the many fashionable designations used nowadays to try and fit the too sharp kids into the very dull system that is the US educational assembly-line.

Many of these kids mislabeled with any one of the acronyms ending with “D” for disorder were actually very bright youngsters driven into displaying symptoms of boredom, rebellion, disinterest or distraction due them not fitting into a system that isn’t geared to deal with exceptional talent and doesn’t know how to correctly cater to them.

These gifted kids get stressed-out because they end up feeling they are not being heard or understood . . . but who doesn’t suffer when that occurs to them!

Out of this experience Anne has developed a system of tools and game playing routines that enable all children: gifted, normal or “different” to have the best brought out in them.

In this show Anne discusses how you can “get it right” with your child. The things you can do, the tools you can use, to help your child develop its full potential and reap the rewards in life it is due.

Learn the characteristics of a gifted child.

Learn the Three Stages of Student Decline that affect all kids, but particularly affect the gifted child in the current system.

The Federal Education Act requires that every child’s needs are to be met. Much has been done to concentrate of the “disabled” . . . it’s time to demand the needs of the gifted child be met.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve

Bullying and being bullied not only interferes with a child’s success at school, academically, socially and health wise, but it can have life-long lasting ill affects on a person.

Today’s guest on The Learning Curve with Roger & Virginia is Vicki Abadesco, the director of Soul Shoppe, an organization devoted to helping students, teachers and parents eliminate bullying in our schools by giving students, teachers and parents the communication tools and techniques proven to be successful in handling bullies, student conflicts and the effects of being bullied.

Soul Shoppe last year alone served 75,000 elementary students nationwide through its school-wide workshops and assemblies.

Vicki Abadesco has some wonderful resources at her website www.soulshoppe.com

Hear Vicki explain how Soul Shoppe’s program achieves:

Optimal Learning Environments based on a Foundation of Respect

Personal Empowerment based on awareness of choices we make

Skill Building to navigate life powerfully

Community Enhancement promoting empathy and a high level of functioning for all

Joyful Living—encouraging a sense of freedom on all we do

We see this as an important program for, as we state in the Professional Edition of our book, How to Learn-How to Teach: Overcoming the Seven Barriers to Comprehension, an “Area of Fear” is one of the vital fundamentals that must be handled if a student (or adult) is going to be able to actually correctly apply their attention to studying and learning anything. See: www.howtolearneasily.com

Vicki points out that in the presence of fear a person’s brain and ability to learn actually shuts down.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve — www.howtolearneasily.com

Jeffrey is a 34 year veteran of teaching in the New York City School System where he achieved spectacular results in the classroom. He and his work have been widely cited in publications dealing with education and is featured on the Education Resource Information Center at Teachers’ College, Columbia University and Indiana University. Also at the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, Illinois University.

Jeffrey is also a BAM! Street Journal Blogger at the BAM Radio Network serving the education community.

Jeffrey reveals the simple exercises and drills he used in his classroom to help kids become better readers.

Hear how Jeffrey taught his students that words can excite and incite young readers to create three-dimensional concepts and images; and that reading is like a 3D virtual reality created by the reader.

Jeffrey’s book is available at your local bookstore, Amazon.com and B&N.

Jeffrey can be contacted at jeffreyppflaum@gmail.com

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve

Jeffrey is a 34 year veteran of teaching in the New York City School System where he achieved spectacular results in the classroom. He and his work have been widely cited in publications dealing with education and is featured on the Education Resource Information Center at Teachers’ College, Columbia University and at the Collaborative for the Advancement of Social and Emotional Learning, Illinois University.

Hear Jeffrey revel how reading is all about “an internal life” and that there is a “reading process” that you can help your children learn.

Hear how Jeffrey taught his students that words can excite and incite young readers to create three-dimensional concepts and images; and that reading is like a 3D virtual reality created by the reader.

Jeffrey’s book is available at your local bookstore, Amazon.com and B&N.

Jeffrey can be contacted at JPP707@aol.com

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve links to http://www.howtolearneasily.com

Murray is an 83 year-old retiree who has some children enjoying reading books as early as 3 years-old! His “wards” are routinely doing it at age 4! What a remarkable story this is.

The Mission Statement of Murray’s registered Section 501c(3) non-profit, Tools of Learning for Children organization is:
“The Founders of this Nation envisioned a country populated and governed by literate, patriotic people. To fulfill their vision, Tools of Learning for Children commits to this mission.
“We will raise funds and provide materials for two purposes: to facilitate children being able to read — the foundation of all learning — and to help them understand that they are blessed to be citizens of the United States of America.”

This is important because:
The 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (published October 21, 2008) showed the following achievement levels for Californian public schools:
4th Grade reading — only 18% were proficient and 30% reading at a basic level. 47% are reading below the basic level.
8th Grade reading — only 20% were proficient and 41% reading at a basic level. 38% are reading below the basic level.

What a disaster!

Compare this example of what Murray’s organization is accomplishing with 3 and 4 year-olds at a cost of around $15 per child.

A letter from Judy Ingersoll, Vacaville Christian Schools, Vacaville, CA dated June 18, 2008.

“Murray,
“Out of 102 report cards for Early Kindergarten students (children who have not yet entered kindergarten)
102 children (all of them) know all of their phonics sounds
92 children can easily blend consonants and vowels
87 children can read one vowel words
56 can read two vowel words*
“* We have not stressed two vowel words in the past as our kindergarten teachers have asked us to focus on phonics and blending, but with front line phonics the children are more prepared to read so we have tested the children this year to see how they are doing.
“Please remember we still have 4 year-olds in EK, and some of these children started school very late in the year, even during the last couple of months so they did not have a full year with Front Line Phonics. Still, the fact that 100% of the children know their phonics sounds and 90% are blending consonants and vowels the first week of June tells us by the end of summer these children will be even more prepared than they are now.
“Thank you for all you do for VCS.
“Judy Ingersoll”

You can reach Murray at (707) 427-0744 or by email at mbass25@sbcglobal.net.
Gove him a hand . . . he could also use an extra dollar or two.

Roger and Virginia

Murray is an 83 year-old retiree who has some children enjoying reading books as early as 3 years-old! His “wards” are routinely doing it at age 4! What a remarkable story this is.

The Mission Statement of Murray’s Tools of Learning for Children organization is:
“The Founders of this Nation envisioned a country populated and governed by literate, patriotic people. To fulfill their vision, Tools of Learning for Children commits to this mission.
“We will raise funds and provide materials for two purposes: to facilitate children being able to read — the foundation of all learning — and to help them understand that they are blessed to be citizens of the United States of America.”

This is important because:
The 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (published October 21, 2008) showed the following achievement levels for Californian public schools:
4th Grade reading — only 18% were proficient and 30% reading at a basic level.
8th Grade reading — only 20% were proficient and 41% reading at a basic level.

What a disaster!

Compare this example of what Murray’s organization is accomplishing with 3 and 4 year-olds at a cost of around $15 per child.

A letter from Judy Ingersoll, Vacaville Christian Schools, Vacaville, CA dated June 18, 2008.

“Murray,
“Out of 102 report cards for Early Kindergarten students (children who have not yet entered kindergarten)
102 children (all of them) know all of their phonics sounds
92 children can easily blend consonants and vowels
87 children can read one vowel words
56 can read two vowel words*
“* We have not stressed two vowel words in the past as our kindergarten teachers have asked us to focus on phonics and blending, but with front line phonics the children are more prepared to read so we have tested the children this year to see how they are doing.
“Please remember we still have 4 year-olds in EK, and some of these children started school very late in the year, even during the last couple of months so they did not have a full year with Front Line Phonics. Still, the fact that 100% of the children know their phonics sounds and 90% are blending consonants and vowels the first week of June tells us by the end of summer these children will be even more prepared than they are now.
“Thank you for all you do for VCS.
“Judy Ingersoll”

Roger and Virginia

Currently, the system’s standards make the system more important than the children it is supposed to serve, hence:
A Declaration of Educational Independence.

Parental choice in education is needed rather than the new laws being foisted upon us.

We need to change the core common standards that perpetuate the current system along with its belief that all children can be cookie-cutters and all the same. This is a system that has not served our children well; and has only served itself.

Become your child’s best learning coach.

More freedom in education.

Today on The Learning Curve with Roger and Virginia we have the return of Linda Dobson, author of The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child, and eight other books on helping your child’s education.

Linda has a treasure trove of information on her website: http://www.parentatthehelm.com

Linda has been a columnist with Home Education Magazine “forever,” and was the first “Early Years” advisor for http://www.homeschool.com. She also participated with Barnes and Noble University on these issues.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve.

The Learning Curve links to http://howtolearneasily.com

This week we have the return of Dr. Robert Neuman, the retired Dean of Academic Development at Marquette University and author of Are You Really Ready for College?

Dr Neuman reveals there are too many conversations about what the schools are not doing, but not enough conversations about what parents are not doing!

What you and your child can do to prepare for college and then what to do when in college so we win.

Roger & Virginia at The Learning Curve — Overcoming the Seven Barriers to Comprehension

Our guest is Dr. Robert Neuman, the retired Dean of Marquette University and author of: Are You Really Ready for College? (http://www.areyoureallyreadyforcollege.com/)

Hear Dr. Neuman reveal the fact that good grades in High School do not guarantee good grades in college? No! — College takes personal skills as well as smarts. Students who don’t have the skills or who are not properly prepared have trouble. It is high school graduates with excellent grades that comprise the failure statistics cited above in our headline.

Parents, you need this information so you can avoid the financial strain of incurring the extra cost of the added years your child will take to graduate because of not really being ready for college.

Students, you need this information so that you arrive at college able to win at it and get the best results you deserve.

Did you know the US ranks only number 14 in the world for the percent of students who complete college? You don’t want to part of that sad stat!

Find out about the difference between passive and active learning, and why active learning is important in college.

Roger & Virginia at The Learning Curve — Overcoming the Seven Barriers to Comprehension — http://howtolearneasily.com

Linda has a treasure trove of information on her website: http://www.parentatthehelm.com

Linda has been a columnist with Home Education Magazine “forever,” and was the first “Early Years” advisor for http://homeschool.com. She also participated with Barnes and Noble University on these issues.

Hear Linda address such issues as:

Using “flow” in your family learning plan.

What are the health benefits of home schooling?

Are fluorescent lights contributing to our kids’ ASHD?

Did you know you can save time by home-schooling?

A declaration of Educational Independence!

And much, much more

We use the word “sovereign” in our conversation with Linda: by that we mean, having the child in charge of its interests and having a correct level of free choice. We also refer to this as “being at cause”—this as compared to being constantly held at effect or at the receiving end of a teachers dictates.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve http://howtolearneasily.com

Dr. Barnhill, affectionately known as “Dr. Huggy-Bear,” gives us answers to the following points:

What is the key to good discipline?

How to handle a child who fidgets.

The consequences of wrong diagnosis and unneeded medication.

Did you know pesticides disrupt childhood behavior?

What are the most common chemical contaminants affecting your child?

Check out Dr. Barnhill’s websites: http://adhdbehavior.com/mistakenforadhd2/ and http://mistakenforadhd.com

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve http://howtolearneasily.com

Linda has a treasure trove of information on her website: http://www.parentatthehelm.com

Linda has been a columnist with Home Education Magazine “forever,” and was the first “Early Years” advisor for http://homeschool.com. She also participated with Barnes and Noble University on these issues.

Hear Linda reveal address such issues as:

Is homeschooling more healthy for your child? Why?

The valid reasons parents homeschool.

What’s the difference between “un-schooling” and homeschooling?

One mom finds the secret to helping her son learn.

What are the common concerns parents have about homeschooling and how are they overcome?

And much, much more

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve http://howtolearneasily.com

This week’s guest, Dr. Frank Barnhill, M.D., author of Mistaken for ADHD, reveals the incidence of wrong diagnosis is something in the order of 20%-40%!

Kids in the conventional educational system are at real risk of being misdiagnosed, mistreated and mishandled.

This is a program that should outrage many parents.

Dr. Barnhill reveals some of the egregious reasons for this calamity. He reveals the classic symptoms too often mistaken for ADHD —and more importantly, he takes us through the lessons all parents, teachers and professionals need to be aware of so they can be sure to get a correct diagnosis and properly help their children.

Learn about the “Medical Zebras” that look, taste and feel like ADHD, but aren’t!

Hear how a 13 year old girl suffering from hypothyroidism was incorrectly diagnosed and treated incorrectly with nearly calamitous result. Hear how a boy being bullied when transferred to a new school became withdrawn and then misdiagnosed; and then hear how Dr. Barnhill got it corrected and saved the lad.

Learn how non-ADHD siblings are affected by their relationship with an ADHD brother or sister.

Learn what the three core symptoms of ADHD are. Knowing them will help you not be fooled.

Find out how to get a doctor who is properly trained and qualified to diagnose correctly this troubling condition.

Parents need to hear this interview of Roger and Virginia on The Learning Curve with Dr. Frank Barnhill, M.D. so they can protect their children from the system’s errors.

Dr. Frank Barnhill, M.D., author of Mistaken for ADHD www.ADHDbehavior.com and http://mistakenforadhd.com

Roger and Virginia www.howtolearneasily.com

Because children who are ready for school do better in all the other grades and have more chance of finishing school.

Because many children who enter school unprepared or behind their classmates stay behind.

But mostly because being ready for school starts long before getting there: it starts at home—this and parent involvement are shown to be critical factors in the child’s success at school.

Today’s Learning Curve interviews Barbara Allisen, the author of, 123 Kindergarten: Everything Your Child Needs to Learn Before Kindergarten. www.123kindergarten.com

Barbara has more then 30 years in the classroom. She speaks from experience.

Today’s show reveals:

How critically important the child’s early learning years are, and why.

Ninety-percent of learning and brain development happens in the first five years!

Early parental involvement is a key factor in a child’s success at school.

Why and how to make your home the child’s first classroom.

There are many, many precursors to basic concepts that we assume children know, but fail to ensure they know to the detriment of the child’s development and later success at school—how to be sure your child has these basic elements.

Children need to feel comfortable with the whole issue of learning—those children who know they can learn and who expect to learn are the most successful at school.

Find out how to use everyday chores as learning opportunities for your child.

Points to consider when determining when to first send your child to school.

Find out why kindergarten is a pivotal year for children.

Find out how to have your child prepared for and excited to go to kindergarten, confident in its grasp of the needed basics.

Roger & Virginia at The Learning Curve www.howtolearneasily.com

Today’s guest, Marina Ruben, is the author of How to Tutor Your Own Child: Boost Grades and Inspire a Lifelong Love of Learning—Without Paying a Professional Tutor.

Hear Marina describe the fun to be had by both parent and child in this activity, the easy successes to be had with it and the simplicity of the techniques that can be used.

More at her website: www.marinaruben.com

Marina answers many questions parents have on the issues of:

How can they best tutor their own child, if at all?

How easy or difficult is it?

What are the pitfalls if any?

What do I need to know to be able to do it?

How can I motivate my child?

What are the best methods to employ . . . and much more.

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve www.howtolearneasily.com

Melissa Binstock is now a 22 year-old college student and author of the book, Nourishment: Feeding my Starving Soul When My Mind and Body Betrayed Me.

Visit her website: www.nourishmentthebook.com

By the time Melissa was 11 years old, she had already been diagnosed with 6 disorders, taken 14 different medications, and seen 10 doctors. Some of Melissa’s disorders include Tourette’s syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, dyslexia, ADHD, anorexia nervosa, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Melissa has been honored for being an advocate for people with mental health concerns by the Tourette’s Syndrome Foundation and Mental Health America, and she has also lectured at Texas Women’s Univeristy and written articles for the National Anxiety Disorder Association and the OCD Foundation about the psychosocial issues children with psychological and neurological disorders face.

As Melissa herself says:

“I am a 22 year old psychology student who recently had a memoir published by Health Conmunications Inc. My memoir recounts my struggle and ultimate success in learning to cope with psychological and neurological disorders, including a learning disorder in reading, Tourette’s syndrome, ADHD, and a learning disorder in working memory. Although I am not yet an expert in the professional sense of the term (i.e. I am still in school), I believe my experience has made me an expert in the sense that I’ve learned to cope with my disorders. Despite my learning differences, I have a 4.0 GPA, have written a book, and, best of all, I am now getting to help others.”

Her book has been declared a “must read” and endorsed by several prominent professionals such as Joseph Janovic, M.D., Professor of Neurology and Director of the Movement Disorders Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine and Ira M. Sacker, M.D., Eating Disorders Specialist and author of Regaining Yourself and Dying to Be Thin.

Please be sure to tune in so you can ensure these horrors do not befall your child.

Roger & Virginia at The Learning Curve www.howtolearneasily.com

Murray is an 83 year-old retiree who has some children enjoying reading books as early as 3 years-old! His “wards” are routinely doing it at age 4! What a remarkable story this is.

The Mission Statement of Murray’s registered Section 501c(3) non-profit, Tools of Learning for Children organization is:

“The Founders of this Nation envisioned a country populated and governed by literate, patriotic people. To fulfill their vision, Tools of Learning for Children commits to this mission.

“We will raise funds and provide materials for two purposes: to facilitate children being able to read — the foundation of all learning — and to help them understand that they are blessed to be citizens of the United States of America.”

This is important because:

The 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (published October 21, 2008) showed the following achievement levels for Californian public schools:

4th Grade reading — only 18% were proficient and 30% reading at a basic level. 47% are reading below the basic level.

8th Grade reading — only 20% were proficient and 41% reading at a basic level. 38% are reading below the basic level.

What a disaster!

Compare this example of what Murray’s organization is accomplishing with 3 and 4 year-olds at a cost of around $15 per child.

A letter from Judy Ingersoll, Vacaville Christian Schools, Vacaville, CA dated June 18, 2008.

“Murray,

“Out of 102 report cards for Early Kindergarten students (children who have not yet entered kindergarten)

102 children (all of them) know all of their phonics sounds

92 children can easily blend consonants and vowels

87 children can read one vowel words

56 can read two vowel words*

“* We have not stressed two vowel words in the past as our kindergarten teachers have asked us to focus on phonics and blending, but with front line phonics the children are more prepared to read so we have tested the children this year to see how they are doing.

“Please remember we still have 4 year-olds in EK, and some of these children started school very late in the year, even during the last couple of months so they did not have a full year with Front Line Phonics. Still, the fact that 100% of the children know their phonics sounds and 90% are blending consonants and vowels the first week of June tells us by the end of summer these children will be even more prepared than they are now.

“Thank you for all you do for VCS.

“Judy Ingersoll”

You can reach Murray at (707) 427-0744 or by email at mbass25@sbcglobal.net.

Gove him a hand . . . he could also use an extra dollar or two.

Roger and Virginia www.howtolearneasily.com



Murray is an 83 year-old retiree who has some children enjoying reading books as early as 3 years-old! His “wards” are routinely doing it at age 4! What a remarkable story this is.

The Mission Statement of Murray’s Tools of Learning for Children organization is:

“The Founders of this Nation envisioned a country populated and governed by literate, patriotic people. To fulfill their vision, Tools of Learning for Children commits to this mission.

“We will raise funds and provide materials for two purposes: to facilitate children being able to read — the foundation of all learning — and to help them understand that they are blessed to be citizens of the United States of America.”

This is important because:

The 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (published October 21, 2008) showed the following achievement levels for Californian public schools:

4th Grade reading — only 18% were proficient and 30% reading at a basic level.

8th Grade reading — only 20% were proficient and 41% reading at a basic level.

What a disaster!

Compare this example of what Murray’s organization is accomplishing with 3 and 4 year-olds at a cost of around $15 per child.

A letter from Judy Ingersoll, Vacaville Christian Schools, Vacaville, CA dated June 18, 2008.

“Murray,

“Out of 102 report cards for Early Kindergarten students (children who have not yet entered kindergarten)

102 children (all of them) know all of their phonics sounds

92 children can easily blend consonants and vowels

87 children can read one vowel words

56 can read two vowel words*

“* We have not stressed two vowel words in the past as our kindergarten teachers have asked us to focus on phonics and blending, but with front line phonics the children are more prepared to read so we have tested the children this year to see how they are doing.

“Please remember we still have 4 year-olds in EK, and some of these children started school very late in the year, even during the last couple of months so they did not have a full year with Front Line Phonics. Still, the fact that 100% of the children know their phonics sounds and 90% are blending consonants and vowels the first week of June tells us by the end of summer these children will be even more prepared than they are now.

“Thank you for all you do for VCS.

“Judy Ingersoll”

Roger and Virginia http://www.tools4preschool.org

This week’s The Learning Curve is Part Two of our interview with Dean Larson, Director of Access for Knowledge Learning Centers. www.accessforlearning.org

The mission of Access for Knowledge Learning Centers is to: Empower kids to know that they know by providing an environment that promotes both academic excellence and personal growth for students of all ages.

This week’s Learning Curve gives you the principles and techniques you can learn and apply to benefit your child. It is a treasure trove of points you can apply with your child, here is an example:

How to focus on the ability and the positive.

Kids are changing today and old tools aren’t working well.

Kids are becoming more aware; often more aware than most of the adults around them. Without their (prior) knowledge or consent, because of and through their awareness, they feel the feelings and think the thoughts of others. In these conditions, being forced to pay attentions can create discomfort. If the teacher is not aware of this situation, the kids become more and more bewildering to the teacher. Both the teacher and the student start to see themselves as a “wrongness.”

So, what if this awareness is a gift? Or a talent? What if it is just what the world needs? What if it won’t fit in a box? Many of the diagnoses that kids bring with them to school are simply manifestations of this. There is a kind of an ugly duckling flavor here.

We have found that ADD, ADHD, Autism, OCD, have awareness components to them. You may notice that many autistic kids have very sensitive hearing, skin, sense of smell—these are all involved with expanded awareness. What if, while being in allowance of the child, we taught him or her to understand their awareness and deal with it positively? That sensitivity then becomes a talent.

As Dean Larson says:

“To me, there is an imperative here, to keep spreading the word; to teach people that learning can be done with ease and joy. There are no “throw-away” kids, nor are the irredeemable kids. There are just kids.”

Get answers to the following:

How to create new possibilities for your child.

Using Access for Knowledge tools to eliminate negative thoughts and attitudes towards learning.

A study shows kids only get 2 minutes of true one on one, direct contact with a teacher each week — what to do

What is Access for Knowledge?

How are Access for Knowledge Learning Centers different from others?

Access for Knowledge seminars and teleclasses

How are the Access Tools used with kids?

What about really troubled kids, like those with ADD, ADHD and so on?

Education—removing the fixed points of view that affect learning

Schools—methods for working with your school

Teachers—how to enlist the teacher to be your partner in learning

Parents—exploring fixed points of view about education, past and present

Students—testing for and seeing the rightness of children, catching them doing it right

Learning—“Now that I know that I know, what do I do with it?”

Homework—ways to have it work easily and joyously, even if you don’t know the material

Kids with labels and diagnoses—ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, OCD and more…

Gifted kids—special situations for special kids—the hidden gifted child

Questions for Roger & Virginia — questions@howtolearneasily.com

Visit our website: www.howtolearneasily.com

The mission of Access for Knowledge Learning Centers is to: Empower kids to know that they know by providing an environment that promotes both academic excellence and personal growth for students of all ages.

Is this something you want for your child? If so, listen to the principles and techniques you can learn and apply to benefit your child.

This week’s Learning Curve is a treasure trove of points you can apply with your child, here is an example:

Kids are becoming more aware; often more aware than most of the adults around them. Without their (prior) knowledge or consent, because of and through their awareness, they feel the feelings and think the thoughts of others. In these conditions, being forced to pay attentions can create discomfort. If the teacher is not aware of this situation, the kids become more and more bewildering to the teacher. Both the teacher and the student start to see themselves as a “wrongness.”

So, what if this awareness is a gift? Or a talent? What if it is just what the world needs? What if it won’t fit in a box? Many of the diagnoses that kids bring with them to school are simply manifestations of this. There is a kind of an ugly duckling flavor here.

We have found that ADD, ADHD, Autism, OCD, have awareness components to them. You may notice that many autistic kids have very sensitive hearing, skin, sense of smell—these are all involved with expanded awareness. What if, while being in allowance of the child, we taught him or her to understand their awareness and deal with it positively? That sensitivity then becomes a talent.

As Dean Larson says:

“To me, there is an imperative here, to keep spreading the word; to teach people that learning can be done with ease and joy. There are no “throw-away” kids, nor are the irredeemable kids. There are just kids.”

Get answers to the following:

What is Access for Knowledge

How are Access for Knowledge Learning Centers different from others?

Access for Knowledge seminars and teleclasses

How are the Access Tools used with kids?

What about really troubled kids, like those with ADD, ADHD and so on?

Education—removing the fixed points of view that affect learning

Schools—methods for working with your school

Teachers—how to enlist the teacher to be your partner in learning

Parents—exploring fixed points of view about education, past and present

Students—testing for and seeing the rightness of children, catching them doing it right

Learning—“Now that I know that I know, what do I do with it?”

Homework—ways to have it work easily and joyously, even if you don’t know the material

Kids with labels and diagnoses—ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, OCD and more…

Gifted kids—special situations for special kids—the hidden gifted child

Terry runs the “Home School Program” at www.home-schooling.org which we recommend listeners go to to feast on the available resources provided. It is one of the very best sites we’ve found to help parents help their kids get good grades. Coaching is available, as are curricula accreditations.

See the High School Manual here: http://www.home-schooling.org/High_School_Manual/high_school_manual.html

In this interview key issues are addressed, such as:

To home school or not — all questions are answered.

How to begin your home schooling endeavor.

How home schooling recovers and enhances your best relationships with your child.

Only 52 minutes in a six hour school day are spent actually learning in a conventional school.

Learn about the superior scholastic achievement of home schooled children.

Is the public school system really just tax sponsored daycare?

The Montessori Method works very easily with the home schooling environment.

Student learning styles are facilitated and worked with so the child’s natural ability to learn is enhanced.

Why some parents choose to home school to protect their children from the conventional system.

Choosing an accredited program so your home school work is accepted academically for college entry.

Erasing the unfounded fears of whether or not you will succeed in home schooling.

Did you know some public schools have been trying to sabotage some home schoolers?

The benefits of accreditation and how to get it.

How to handle the fallacy that home schooling impedes “socialization” of a child.

And much, much more.

Roger & Virginia www.howtolearneasily.com

Home School Legal defense: http://www.home-schooling.org/Home_School_Legal_Defense/homeschool_legal_defense.html

Terry runs the “Home School Program” at www.home-schooling.org which we recommend listeners go to to feast on the available resources provided.

See the High School Manual here: http://www.home-schooling.org/High_School_Manual/high_school_manual.html

In this interview key issues are addressed, such as:

To home school or not — all questions are answered.

How home schooling recovers and enhances your best relationships with your child.

Only 52 minutes in a six hour school day is spent actually learning in a conventional school.

Learn about the superior scholastic achievement of home schooled children.

Is the public school system really just tax sponsored daycare?

The Montessori Method works very easily with the home schooling environment.

Student learning styles are facilitated and worked with so the child’s natural ability to learn is enhanced.

Why some parents choose to home school to protect their children from the conventional system.

Choosing an accredited program so your home school work is accepted academically for college entry.

Erasing the unfounded fears of whether or not you will succeed in home schooling.

And much, much more.

Michelle Vallene is a qualified school teacher and the co-founder of Learners Lane which offers enrichment programs for children ages 4-12 and can be found at www.learnerslane.com.

Michelle is the author of the book: What Children Need to Learn to Read, which book was written because when her children were young she could not find easy-to-use resources to help her kids build early literacy skills and prepare them for school. Her three children are teenagers now, and the project to help them on the road to literacy has blossomed into the Learners Lane enterprise with her book becoming a finalist in the Foreword’s 2010 Book of the Year Awards. An avid proponent of early child literacy skills, Michelle is on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Early Learning, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help “children be socially, emotionally, and intellectually prepared to succeed in school.”

In this interview Michelle discusses such vital issues as the need for parent involvement in a child’s educational progress, the fact that parents are a child’s first and best teachers, and observations on the various learning styles of children.

Hear how Virginia discovered the secret to her own learning style and also overcame the learning problems she had as a child in school. She found that it wasn’t her fault — it was the fault of the teaching style and practice that actually prevented her from “getting it.”

Is your child being impeded by the teacher? Is your child being falsely labeled “slow,” “inattentive” or even “learning disabled” when in fact it is the teacher or educational practices that are to blame?

This is a must hear show for parents who truly care about their children winning at school and in life.

After all, all of life is a learning curve!

This is a must hear show for parents who want good grades for their kids.

There are now more than two-million children being home-schooled in the US, with numbers fast increasing each year. Jonathan reveals that home-schooled kids on average score 35% higher than the national average on standardized achievement tests! He also reveals that the US is spending $10,500 a year for each enrolled student in regular schools, but the average cost of home-school education is $500 per child . . . and what a difference in result!

Learn the reasons why parents opt for home schooling. Learn how easy it is, how to go about setting up your home school endeavor; what resources, help, free advice and services are available for potential home-schoolers.

Hear how parental involvement, even for non-home-schooled kids, is an important key to good grades.

Roger and Virginia take you through the process that handles and restores a student’s certainty that they can learn. It demonstrates to the student that learning is an ability we all have; and the procedure restores to the student their certainty that they can exercise it and actually, successfully learn anything they apply their attention to.

Last week we and our guests from www.3DLearner.com debunked the notion that dyslexia is a “disability.” We showed that dyslexia is not correctly understood; and that, instead, these folks are what can be called “right brain learners” who exhibit quite remarkable abilities not enjoyed by others.

This week we take on another of the myths held by the educational establishment.

At the end of Chapter One of our book: How to Learn-How to Teach: Overcoming the Seven Barriers to Comprehension, (www.howtolearneasily.com) we have a section dealing with how to recover the ability and certainty for your child that they can learn and succeed one-hundred percent at their school studies.

This week’s program reveals some of that important information.

For the full discussion of the material, folks who have Kindles or Nooks, can obtain the Parent’s & Student’s Edition of How to Learn-How to Teach: Overcoming the Seven Barriers to Comprehension, from either Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/How-Learn-Overcoming-Comprehension-Parents-ebook/dp/B004RR1QPA/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1) or Barnes & Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-learn-how-to-teach-roger-e-boswarva/1030457406?ean=2940012187093&itm=2&usri=how%2bto%2blearn%2bhow%2bto%2bteach)

Alternatively, you can download the Nook or Kindle application to you computer and read it there.

What we reveal in this show are the extraordinary abilities and true potential these children (and adults) have along with how to best harness and take advantage of what conventional wisdom mislabels as “disability.” We also discuss how these children excel in later life and in business when they are away from the stifling structure of the conventional school system.

These folks (children and adults) are holographic in their thought processes, and learning style, which mode of action actually gives them huge advantages in real life. Listeners will be able to benefit not only from getting a correct understanding of these phenomena, but learn how a correct address to them both in the learning process and in life can yield superior results.

Listeners will learn the symptoms by which they can correctly recognize this phenomenon in their children (or themselves). This is part two of our show with Mira and Mark Halpert of www.3DLearner.com.

For more information on this important subject, visit our website www.howtolearneasily.com.

In this interview Michelle discusses such vital issues as the need for parent involvement in a child’s educational progress, the fact that parents are a child’s first and best teachers, and observations on the various learning styles of children.