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Health & Fitness

Moms and Dads of Second Graders--This Is For you!

Why is brain training a 7 or 8 year old the most effective? What happens when you take a look at how kids are learning instead of what they are learning?

Someone asked me just the other day, "So when is the ideal time for someone to do a cognitive skills training program at LearningRx?". After 8 years of working with parents, students, teachers and pediatricians, answering this question has never been easier. Second grade.

Second graders who go through a cognitive skills training program will not only be proficient readers, but will be comfortable with math and numbers, with listening and paying attention, and overall being successful in a classroom, whether that classroom is at home or in school.

Sure, we have had success with our youngest students at four years old and we continue to have incredible success with our college age students. Any age can benefit, but when we have the opportunity to work with a 7 or 8 year old at the beginning of their school career, parents have the opportunity to change the path their child takes for the rest of their school career.

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So you have either a rising second grader or your child is finishing his second grade year in school--what's the big deal, right? Well, if you're a parent, you can already answer this question. We can talk all we want about testing, attention issues, reading, listening, teachers, other students, IEPs, etc. Let's not forget about CRCTs as well; third grade is the first "big year" for that assessment and the measurement it takes of your child.  

What parents are telling me weekly, if not daily, is that they don't care about all As (or all 3s); they want their child to thrive in school.  Not just survive the year, but thrive. Hopefully you know the feeling in some aspect--maybe you're great at your job, or you were a star athlete, or maybe you can make a dinner dish that has your neighbors knocking at your door to come to dinner. That feeling of being really good at something is a great feeling. We want that for our kids, right?  We want them to rock at school. To love it. To do well at it. To read with the best of them and tackle math problems like they're no big deal at all.

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The best part of my job? Getting to share HOPE with parents. Your child can be great in school. We need to take a look at how her brain is working and make the weak parts strong. We need to find out why he can focus on a video game but focusing on homework is easier than pulling teeth; when we know why, we can help him. The other cool part to making those brain skills strong? Not only do kids start to thrive in the classroom, but outside life is affected, too. They start to read aloud in Sunday School. They start to hit the baseball farther and catch fly balls more consistently. They can listen to the coach and actually do what was asked. They can learn a dance routine the first time and remember it. They start to swim underwater and ride their bikes.

So bring on your second grader. Let's take a look at how her brain is working and see how we can make it a more efficient part of her. Ok, bring on your middle and high schoolers, too. We won't leave anyone out while we're making a stronger, more efficient learner.  

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