Educating the Wholehearted Child

by Rachael Breneman  (And I'm thrilled to have Rachael as one of my very special daughters-in-law! ~ Lois)
 

After reading this blog post by Sally Clarkson <http://www.itakejoy.com/the-inestimable-value-of-a-wise-mother/> I was reminded of why I do what I do.  Even though my days can be somewhat mundane and monotonous as a stay-at-home mom, I am so thankful for the reminder that this is an incredible ministry! 

This quote taken from Sally's post especially spoke to my heart:

"It is indeed the personal touch of a mother’s heart that creates grand civility, deep affection, care and commitment to the foundations of a family. When the invisible strings of a mother’s heart are tied to the heart of her children through loving sacrifice and nurture, the stability and foundations of a nation become secure and stable.  A mother, living well in her God-ordained role, is of great beauty and inestimable value to the future history of any generation." 
 

Wow!  I am influencing the "stability and foundations of a nation."  That is a pretty high-calling!  So I will rest in the daily-ness of motherhood, knowing I am making an inestimable difference in the shaping of two little lives to love God and follow Him wholeheartedly. 

 

I highly recommend the resources provided by Whole Heart Ministries.  I have been personally inspired and encouraged by many of the writings of the Clarkson family.  You can find their resources at www.wholeheart.org

Reflexes, Learning, and Behaviour

New and updated edition of ‘A Teacher’s Window into the Child’s Mind’

A very informative and helpful book by Dr. Sally Goddard Blythe
http://www.inpp.org.uk/research-publications/books-publications/books/reflexes-learning

 

This unique and brilliant book explores the physical basis of learning difficulties, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), with particular focus on the role of abnormal reflexes and the effect upon subsequent development.

 

Sally explains how the reflexes of infancy (primitive and postural) can affect the learning ability of the child if they are not inhibited and integrated by the developing brain in the first three years of life. Each reflex is described together with its function in normal development, and its impact upon learning and behaviour, if it remains active beyond the normal period.

 

Simple tests for the reflexes that are crucial to education are described, together with suggestions for suitable remedial intervention. The effect of abnormal reflexes on balance and sensory processing is also described. A brief history of how current methods of intervention designed to correct abnormal reflexes have evolved and a summary of some of the relevant research in the field are included.

 

This book is essential reading for parents, teachers, psychologists, optometrists and anyone involved in the assessment, education and management of children and their problems. It explains why certain children are unable to benefit from the same teaching methods as their peers and why they remain immature in other aspects of their lives.

 

Please click on the following link to order this book from Fernridge for $29.99, about one third the price at Amazon!

Active Learning for Babies

by Lois Breneman - 2003 -Heart to Heart Newsletter, jhbreneman@juno.com

Hanging a mobile above a baby's crib will get his attention to a certain degree, but will only provide passive learning. Active learning, however, is much more gratifying for both baby and those watching the wheels turning in the minds of these babies in action!

Recently I have been reading the book, Baby Minds - Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love by Linda Acredolo, Ph. D., and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D., who are also authors of Baby Signs. This is a fascinating book! Dr. Carolyn Rovee-Collier of Rutgers University has found that not only infants as young as two to three months are capable of figuring out how to make things move, but that they take enormous pleasure in the opportunity. Hundreds of babies who had been given a way to control the movement of the mobile hanging above their cribs have provided this conclusion.

The technology to do this is extremely simple. All you need are bells or a mobile attached to the infant's foot by a soft ribbon! That's it! Not one battery is needed! And it really works to the delight of baby and his audience, if he has one.

At the beach, while playing with my 4 ½ month old grandson, I didn't have a ribbon, so I pulled out a very long piece of plastic wrap and squeezed it into a long ribbon. I tied about a dozen small colorful balloons and toy rattles to the long strip two to three feet above the floor. I loosely attached one end of the "ribbon" to the light and fan pull cord on the ceiling and gently tied the other end to my grandson's foot.
He immediately loved the colorful balloons and toys and showed his approval as he kicked and waved all four limbs in excitement. 

In only a minute it seemed as though he realized that the movement of the toys was contingent to his kicking, which made him step up the kicking even more! His bright eyes, smiles, squeals and longer attention span assured us that he knew what was happening! Later I attached the "ribbon" to Justin's hand, with equal results. What fun it was to watch him entertain himself for quite a long time, even while teething!

Dr. Rovee-Collier is convinced after having watched many babies rapidly solve the mystery of the mobile, that they hit the ground running (or at least kicking) when it comes to solving problems. Babies are eager and willing to work very hard to understand how their world works.

It is rewarding to researchers and parents that even Down's syndrome babies will work hard to figure out this specific problem, and are fascinated with controlling the mobile.

Because researchers have been so impressed with the joy generated from this experience, they have used the contingent mobile, where movement of the mobile is contingent upon an infant's own movement, with emotionally disturbed babies.

One eight-month-old emotionally disturbed baby gives testimony to an inborn thirst for figuring things out. This baby was so withdrawn that he rarely moved and no one had ever known him to smile.

After being hooked up to the mobile, within two hours, all that had changed! He was not only kicking vigorously to move the mobile, but he was smiling broadly for the first time in his eight months of life! How rewarding that must have been to see!

I highly recommend this book to mothers, grandmothers and anyone who works with babies or young children.