About Wasdell's SMaRts
 "Education for
our children
needs to accommodate a
child’s thirst for understanding while developing
underlying individual cognitive
capacity."
This
combination can be challenging because we each have a unique style for
learning. While our brains are technically physically similar, the way we
each shape the growth of neuron-based connections (our dendrites)
determines what pathways-of-understanding and competencies we build. Hence,
in each of us there are natural strengths and weaknesses. Both
strengths and weaknesses need to be directly attended-to during the
education process with strengths developed further and weaknesses
corrected.
The
basis of this approach is an understanding of the human brain, its
functions and, its potential difficulties. The unique school setting of Wasdell Centre for Innovative Learning provides a
direct response to both sets of needs (gifts & challenges) for each
individual.
First, For
the student with learning challenges ~~ due to weak key
‘underlying’ skills that support ease of learning (particularly
reading and math) ~~ their world can feel
overwhelming regardless of how bright they may be. Repeated failure
to grasp concepts leaves them not only farther behind their peers
academically it leaves them vulnerable to feelings of depression, anger and
low self-worth.
Justin
was one such child who experienced very little success at school.
However to watch him now would lead you to wonder if this was the same
child, . . .. In class he is more engaged and
interested in learning. He builds confidence with each success.
And, this confidence translates into a desire to give more effort because
the learning process is easier. Both skill-building and academics
take on new meaning, . . . with the right programs ~~
Among
his academic programs Justin is actively engaged in skill building
exercises to support reading, reasoning, processing, memory and math.
Some of these programs feel like games! To pass he must achieve 90%
accuracy and of this 90% accurate calculations 70% of the answers need to
be in rhythm and this over several sets of puzzles. He pauses before
starting the next series of 30 puzzles, . .
30
minutes later ~~ Fireworks and a message ~~
“Congratulations
Justin ~~ A Stupendous Effort!” as the computer
reports! Justin has passed his level and is now welcomed on to the
next higher and more strenuous level. Justin feels great
accomplishment. And, he should. This is a particularly taxing
exercise designed to increase the ability to ‘see’ and discern
relationships so important to reasoning and seeing cause and effect.
Wasdell’s
SMaRt Programs are programs unlike most.
They dig below the normal remediation process and address the skills needed
to increase ‘ease of learning’ when learning within the
conventional way. The programs at Wasdell
are based on the concept of neuroplasticity --
which is the belief that the brain is elastic, and that through mental
exercise neural pathways can be stretched and strengthened. Hence,
the responses to learning challenges are different forms of brain-based
exercise. In many ways the remediation plan is physiotherapy for the
brain.
This
view is supported by brain research conducted by Alexander Luria who studied Russian soldiers who suffered from
war-inflicted brain wounds. He concluded that complex cognitive
activities, such as reading, writing and mathematics, require the
interaction of several areas of the brain and that each individual brain
area has a very specific role to play. If one brain area that is part of a
specific learning activity is weak, e.g. memory, reasoning, processing speed, motor dexterity, the performance of
that learning activity will be impaired in a way particular to the
contribution of the weaker brain-skill area. This weakness is the source of
a specific learning challenge.
This
view is also supported by Mel Levine’s ‘One Mind at a
Time’ philosophy.
Dr. Mel Levine argues the need to
develop one mind at a time.
“To treat everyone the same is to treat them
unequally. We are making a plea for the understanding of diversity, for
greater flexibility in education and parenting, so that every child can
find success in his or her own way.”
All
kids' minds have the potential for great growth, . . .
“Too many kids struggle needlessly simply because the way in which
they learn is incompatible with the way they're being taught. Schools are
filled with kids who have given up on themselves and conclude that they are
"stupid." It's tragic. It's also painful ~~~ painful for the
student, teacher, and parent.”
“All of these
individuals may be unaware that the "wiring" of a child's brain
simply is not in sync with the demands of the situations at hand. Telling a
student "You can do better..," doesn't help, particularly when he
has done his best to no avail. Criticizing him for an inability to complete
a particular task in a particular way, similarly, is ineffective - not to
mention inappropriate. And humiliating him inadvertently, in private or in
public, for circumstances beyond his control is simply hurtful and
unnecessary.”
“Yet these types
of responses to children with learning differences are all too common. The
fact is that these kids often have good minds with real and obvious
intellectual strengths. However, they suffer from what are often subtle
dysfunctions – patterns of brain wiring that make certain aspects of
learning exceedingly difficult. These children are highly vulnerable
– and they're slipping through the cracks.”
Hence
the lack of (strong) specific skills are the
puzzle pieces that contribute to learning challenges.
At
Wasdell it is the student who is the key for
determining what programs are required. We test the student
extensively to determine their core strengths and areas of challenge.
Once a profile is created then both the strengths and weaknesses are addressed
with the weaknesses determining the initial priorities for response.
Click Here to see the specific weaknesses these programs
can address include (Directly influenced by Dr. Mel Levine’s
Cognitive Taxonomy):
Effectively
impacting academic learning problems means that we must prepare the brain
for learning by strengthening or developing the underlying thinking
processes and sensori-motor memory that support
academic skills. Programs that are pulled from leading edge providers
to address specific student issues include:
Wasdell’s own SMaRts Programs, designed to address challenges across attention,
language, mathematics, processing speed, reasoning, memory, social
cognition, higher order cognition (critical thinking, synthesis
of thought, organizing & planning), neuromotor
(vestibular & proprioceptive perception,
handwriting and written expression), temporal & sequential ordering,
and sequential ordering.
SMaRts programs are
integrated very carefully within an academic setting such that skills are
built and then applied to academic subjects immediately. There is an
interweaving of building skills and academic content following the
guidelines of the Ministry of Education’s Ontario Curriculum.
Skills are built to support academic learning and when the student is ready
for content then they are introduced to their foundational reading and
mathematics levels. For some students this means remedial reading and
pre-reading remediation, and for other students this means entry into a
rigorous academic program in keeping with Ministry of Education grade
specific curriculum. As the student builds knowledge based on a solid
academic foundation more complexity is added. On an academic basis we stretch
and strengthen using the same model to build underlying cognitive
skills. Each student has their own individual schedule and program
(skill-based & academic) dependent on the test results of testing that
is completed yearly.
What are Wasdell SMaRts Programs?
SMaRts
Programs
are brain-based exercises designed to strengthen specific weakened
areas of the brain. SMaRts Programs are designed
to enhance the brain’s ability to integrate information, improve
cognitive skills, memory, concentration and organization that leads to
successful learning.
As teachers and parents we want each child to
reach their full potential academically, socially and physically. We want our children to be happy, well
grounded and confident. All human beings have areas of strength as well as
areas of weakness or challenge. Each one of us is a complex puzzle. As we
discover where our gifts and challenges lie we can build towards our
potential.
To support this goal, Wasdell
has established an approach of direct intervention by implementing
brain-based exercises to assist students to achieve their potential. Through testing we define areas of
strength and weakness. With this information, we design individual student
programs to strengthen underlying cognitive skills that support successful
learning. Wasdell Centre for Innovative Learning
provides an environment where students become active participants in
programs that lead to the following improvements:
Improvements in Graphomotor
skills
This
is the ability to write with increased accuracy and speed. Not having to concentrate on the
‘act of writing’ frees up cognitive space allowing for the
ability to follow a classroom discussion or lecture while writing; and,
frees up the cognitive space allowing for greater freedom of written
content. A flow of ideas can now be
captured on paper more easily; and, there is more opportunity for these
ideas to be organized and further developed by the student spontaneously.
There
are two programs that address graphomotor skills:
1)
GM1 focuses on the
development of writing accuracy, then increasing speed.
2)
GM2 focuses on the
development of writing speed using auditory cues.
Both
programs focus on proper pen grip, proper posture, precision, and writing
directionality.
Improvements in Reasoning
This
is the ability to understand relationships. Improved reasoning leads to
improved reading comprehension of information presented in written form,
understanding abstract mathematical relationships and interpersonal relationships.
There
are several programs that address reasoning:
1)
ReasoningSMaRts and CompassSMaRts programs work in tandem to
build a student’s raw ability to ‘see’
relationships. These exercises are
designed to work the angular gyrus of the brain
believed to be important for this skill.
2)
Reading Comprehension SMaRts develops a student’s
ability to critically think about what they read (i.e. cull out the
important information and discard secondary information) and synthesize the
key information into one main idea.
3)
SocialSMaRts is an integrated program
with the objectives; first to build raw skills to ‘see’
nonverbal stories (through still pictures & silent video clips); then,
develop social skills through the kinesthetic experience of role playing
(which actively focuses on building in Character Education and
‘social-moral skills’); and finally, develop the
capacity to go beyond understanding one’s own personality and the
building of nonverbal skills to being able to personify another character
and ‘work with’ other characters in a full-length drama
engagement.
Improvements
in Processing Speed and Mental Math Agility
This is the ability to
grasp, assess and regulate the use of incoming information for the purpose
of immediate response. Improved processing speed leads to quicker responses
and the freeing up of additional ‘mental working space’ for
higher order thinking.
There are several programs
that positively affect processing speed:
1)
ReasoningSMaRts & CompassSMaRts work to positively affect the speed of ‘seeing’ and
‘assessing’ relationships.
2)
MathSMaRts works towards building immediacy in the reaction to mental math
calculations. Mental math
calculations can be straightforward or require concurrent processing.
3)
MathSMaRts FC works the students’
ability to ‘own’ key mental math tables in the areas of
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
4)
WordSMaRts works the students’ ability to
automatically ‘read’ phonetically and ‘see’ word
structure so important for reading fluency.
Improvements
in Memory
Memory
is the foundation of all learning. Without it, we must
‘relearn’ the same thing in perpetuity. There are 4 areas of memory within 3
broad types of memory used in learning.
The 4 areas of memory we focus upon:
Visual
Memory – the ability
to see and remember
Auditory
Memory – the ability
to hear and remember
Spatial
Memory – the ability to visualize placement in space
Visual-Auditory
Memory – visual and auditory connections
(V-A memory is an important pre-reading skill
that allows for growth of vocabulary.)
Within the 3 broad types of memory:
A) Short
Term Memory (cache). This is the ability to take in and retain
information long enough to allow the working memory to process it. Within this type of memory the 4 areas of
strengthening exercises include:
1)
MemorySMaRts-ST(Visual); Numbers, letters, numbers & letters,
etc. are used.
2)
MemorySMaRts-ST(Auditory); Same using
auditory stimuli.
3)
MemorySMaRts-ST(Spatial); Same using
spatial stimuli.
4)
MemorySMaRts-ST(Auditory-Visual); Same
using pairings.
B) Working
Memory (RAM). This is the ability to mentally suspend information while
using or manipulating it. Within
this type of memory the 4 areas of strengthening exercises include:
1) MemorySMaRts-Wky(Visual);
Numbers, letters, numbers & letters, etc. are used.
2) MemorySMaRts-Wkg(Auditory); Same using auditory stimuli.
3) MemorySMaRts-Wkg(Spatial); Same using spatial stimuli.
4) MemorySMaRts-Wkg(Auditory-Visual); Same using pairings.
C) Long
Term Memory (filing and retrieval).
This is the ability to retrieve and permanently store information,
including knowledge, skills and experiences. Within this type of memory the 4 areas of
strengthening exercises include:
1) MemorySMaRts-LT(Visual);
Numbers, letters, numbers & letters, etc. are used.
2) MemorySMaRts-LT(Auditory);
Same using auditory stimuli.
3) MemorySMaRts-LT(Spatial); Same
using spatial stimuli.
4) MemorySMaRts-LT(Auditory-Visual);
Same using pairings.
Other Complementary Programs include:
PACE, a
program that has been described as a "mental boot camp." It
trains cognitive processing skills that directly affect academic
learning. These skills include: Attention (the ability to stay
on task even when distractions are present); Simultaneous
Processing (the ability to handle more than one thing at a time, to see the
whole or "gestalt"); Sequential Processing (the ability to
learn step by step, linking a series of inputs over time) ;
Planning/Problem Solving ; Processing Speed ; Memory ; Auditory Processing
(including phonemic awareness or thinking about the sounds inside of
words); Visual Processing (the ability to perceive, analyze, and think in
visual images)
Fast ForWord, a program series that has been described as
"glasses for the ears." It attacks the underlying
difficulties that an individual may have understanding and using language.
The program utilizes a series of graduated mental drills that
ultimately enable the required learning skills to become automatic.
The Fast ForWord Program is an intensive
cognitive retraining program designed to improve language, auditory
processing and reading skills. The program is based on the premise
that many individuals who are experiencing language processing
difficulty/delays and/or auditory perceptual difficulty do so because the
brain does not accurately process the acoustic information. Through
adaptive training the brain can be taught/retrained
to process acoustic information faster and accurately. The changes
made are permanent.
ReadingPlus, a set of instructional programs
that are comprised of three integrated components focused to develop
essential skills for reading proficiency.
Fluency
development ensures accuracy in eye tracking (eye-teaming) and ease and
comfort in reading; improved accuracy in seeing, instant word recognition;
strong visual memory; adequate silent reading rates that ensure good
comprehension.
Focus
on vocabulary and then comprehension is meant to increase the mastery of
major comprehension skills, improve flexibility in reading at accelerated
rates and influence a refinement of study skill strategies.
If
a student is not yet ready for reading, pre-reading development is the
focus towards building basic visual skills and accuracy in tracking,
accurate letter recognition and letter order awareness and phonemic
awareness of letter clusters.
THE INTERACTIVE METRONOME® program is
a new computer-based technology to measure and improve Timing, Rhythmicity, Motor Planning, Sequencing and Cognitive
Capabilities.
The Interactive Metronome program is an innovative approach
for improving attention and concentration. Initially developed to assist
athletes improve performance, it has since been adapted to assist
individuals improve concentration/attention, motor sequencing and motor
planning, sound localization, figure ground discrimination and to diminish
auditory hypersensitivity/hyperacusis.
This program is based
on adaptive training theories where the individual is coached using
auditory cues to repetitively and precisely perform a simple motor movement
to an auditory cue (the metronome beat) over an extended period of
time. Research has documented significant improvement in attention
span and academic performance in children with identified attention deficit
(differences).
Sensory/Vestibular
Integration (or Smart Moves using NEURONET & OT techniques)
Every
day we receive a great deal of information from our senses. We use
this information to organize our behavior and successfully interact in the
world. Our senses give us information about the physical status of our body
and the environment around us. Think of the senses: sight, hearing, touch,
taste, and smell. Yet, there are many other sensations that are just as
essential to survival. Our nervous system detects changes in movement and
gravity.
These
sensory systems include: 1) balance and movement (our vestibular sense -
the knowledge of the position of one's head in relation to gravity and
movement, which is used to come down a slide or ride a playground swing
without falling off), and 2) muscle and joint sense (proprioception-the
internal awareness of the position of one's joints and muscles in space),
which allows you to lift a spoon to your mouth without spilling your soup.
Our
brains must organize this information so that we may function in everyday
situations such as in the classroom, at home, on the playground, and during
social interactions. When one reveals all of the sensory modalities,
it is truly amazing that one brain can organize input from all senses
simultaneously and still come up with a response to the demands of the
environment.
The Wasdell
Centre crest depicts the principals of:
a) Communication
--- is the key for understanding. Open communication between
all key stakeholders: students, parents, and staff. Open
communication builds trust and a sense of persona
b) Courage
--- to move swiftly forward into the unknown. In this
school we take a direct interventionist approach towards addressing
learning dysfunctions and learning giftedness. It takes courage to
face personal difficulties and turn liabilities into strengths, and this is
what we do every day.
c) Growth
--- the harvest starts
with growth and maturation of the seed . Personal growth through
repeated success and mastery is a central theme in all that we do.
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