Table of Contents

• Introduction: Strengths-Based Learning (vii)
• Preface: The Story of How It All Began (1)

Section One: Shifting Perspective (11)

Chapter One: Reclaiming Our Creative Children (17)

• How Does the Brain Work? (18)
• The Right-Brained/Left-Brained Label (19)
• The Right-Brained/Left-Brained Trait Differences (20)
• The Right-Brained/Left-Brained Communication (21)
• Why Does the Brain Dominance Information Matter? (21)
  • Education (21)
  • Work (22)
• How Do I Determine Brain Dominance? (23)
  • Right-Brained Adult―Right-Brained Child (24)
  • Left-Brained Adult―Right-Brained Child (25)
• How Many Right-Brained Learners Are There? (25)

Chapter Two: When an Apple Is an Apple (30)

• Expert Building Blocks (32)
  • Howard Gardner (33)
  • Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. (35)
  • Jeffrey Freed, M.A.T., and Laurie Parsons (36)
  • Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D. (37)
  • Dr. Dana Scott Spears and Dr. Ron L. Braund (39)
  • Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D. (39)
• Making the Connection (40)
• It’s All in the Name (40)
• Let’s Make More Room (41)

Chapter Three: Unraveling Right-Brained Labels (45)

• Our Left-Brained Value System (48)
  • Academic Labels. (48)
  • Social Labels. (49)
  • Sensory Labels (50)
• The Myth of Labels (52)
  • Overlapping Criteria (52)
  • From Disability to Creativity (54)
  • Creativity Can’t Be Measured (55)

Chapter Four: Earlier Is Not Better (58)

• Comparing “Old Fashioned” Upbringing with Current Trends (59)
• Delayed Formal Academics (8 to 10 Years) (60)
  • Research Evidence. (60)
  • Global Evidence (61)
  • Historical Evidence (62)
• How Academic Instruction Is Delivered (63)
• When Academic Instruction Is Delivered (63)
• Stages of Learning (66)

Section Two: The Core Traits (71)

Chapter Five: The Universal Gifts (77)

• Core Traits (79)
• Universal Gifts (81)
  • Reality vs. Imagination (82)
    • Costume Play (82)
    • Figure Toy Play (83)
    • Stuffed Animal Play (84)
    • Imaginary Friends (85)
    • Skewing the Line between Reality and Pretend (86)
    • Reality-Based Play (88)
    • Object Manipulation Play (88)
  • Word Based vs. Picture Based (90)
    • Visual Imagery (90)
    • A Comparative Example (92)

Chapter Six: The Creative Outlets (97)

• The Role of Creative Outlets in the Early Years (98)
• Inherent Benefits of Creative Outlets (99)
• Creative Outlets in Action (100)
  • Computers/Video Games (101)
  • Art/Photography (104)
  • Puzzles/Mazes (106)
  • Building/Electronics (108)
  • Math/Numbers (110)
  • Music/Dance (112)
  • Theater/Showmanship (114)
  • Cooking/Gardening (115)
  • Fashion/Sewing (117)
• Life Work from Creative Outlets (118)

Chapter Seven: The “Right” Time for Learning (121)

• Stages of Learning Time Frames (123)
• Symbolic vs. Three-Dimensional (124)
  • Foundation Stage―Developing Universal Gifts (125)
  • Transition Stage―Symbolic Development (126)
• Sequential vs. Global (127)
  • Arithmetic to Mathematics―The Left-Brained Way (129)
  • Mathematics to Arithmetic―The Right-Brained Way (129)
• Part vs. Whole (130)
  • Learning to Read (131)
  • Foundation and Transition Stages―Writing/Spelling the Left-Brained Way (132)
  • Integration Stage―Writing/Spelling the Right-Brained Way (132)
• Memorization vs. Association (135)
  • Math Facts―The Left-Brained Way (135)
  • Math Facts―The Right-Brained Way (135)
  • Visual Resource Tools (136)
• Logical (Mind) vs. Intuitive (Heart) (138)
  • Showing Your Work (139)
  • Holistic Imagery―All at Once (139)
• Stages of Learning Time Frames Summary (141)
  • Foundation Stage (5 to 7 Years) (141)
  • Transition Stage (8 to 10 Years) (142)
  • Integration Stage (11 to 13 Years) (142)

Chapter Eight: Loves to Learn; Hates to Be Taught (145)

• Compliant vs. Resistant (149)
  • Mismatched Teaching Style (150)
  • Mismatched Teaching Time (150)
  • Undeveloped Skills (151)
  • Inexperienced Communication Skills (151)
  • Inability to Delete Information (152)
  • Lacking Personal Relevance (153)
• External Perfectionism vs. Internal Perfectionism (155)
  • Perfectionism Support―Mistake Coaching (156)
    • Modeling Healthy Self-Talk (156)
    • Practice Makes Perfect (157)
    • Reconnect with Previous Success (158)
    • Gentle Pushing (159)
    • Give It a Try (160)
  • Living with Perfectionism (161)

Chapter Nine: Creative Results (164)

• Product vs. Process (166)
  • The Product of Learning to Read (166)
  • The Process of Learning to Read (167)
  • The Product of Learning Math (169)
  • The Process of Learning Math (170)
  • The Product of Writing (170)
  • The Process of Writing (171)
  • The Purpose Is the Creative Process (172)
  • Deadlines―The Left-Brained Way (173)
  • Deadlines―The Right-Brained Way (174)
• Time vs. Space (175)
  • Time for Creative Flow (176)
  • Time for Percolating (177)
  • Time for Active Thinking (178)
  • Time Schedules (179)
  • Where Am I? (179)
• Helping vs. Changing (180)
  • I Needed to Change (181)
  • A Little Bit of Help (181)
• You’re Daughter Isn’t Sick, She’s a Dancer (183)

Section Three: Common Subject Differences (185)

Chapter Ten: Reading Fallacies (193)

• Different Types of Readers (194)
  • Information Reader (195)
  • Pleasure Reader (195)
  • Instructional Reader (196)
• Joyful or Hard? (197)
  • Different Learning Patterns (198)
  • Individual Readiness (198)
• Reading Time Frame (201)
  • Typical Right-Brained Time Frame (201)
  • Verbal Ability Exception (202)
  • Spatial and Energy Exceptions (203)
• Resources vs. Curriculum (204)
  • Meaningful Reading Opportunities (205)
  • Make the Resource Work for You (206)
• Types of Visual Reading Resources (208)
  • Right-Brained Criteria (208)
  • Beware of Fitting In (209)

Chapter Eleven: Reading Stages of the Right-Brained Learner (213)

• Pre-Reading Stage (5 to 7 Years Old) (215)
  • Building a Library of Pictorial Images (216)
  • Developing Strong Visualization Skills (217)
  • Enjoying a Positive Relationship with Print (218)
• Learning to Read Stage (8 to 10 Years Old) (220)
  • Word-to-Picture Translations (220)
  • Picture and Story Context (222)
  • Sight Word Base (224)
• Pre-Fluency Stage (9 to 11 Years Old) (225)
  • Visual Resources (226)
  • Book Series (227)
  • Silent Reading (227)

Chapter Twelve: Building the Road to Math Competency (232)

• Math Pre-Skill Development (2 to 4 Years Old) (234)
  • The Spatial Approach (235)
  • The Visual Approach (238)
• Beginning Mathematics (5 to 7 Years Old) (240)
  • The Spatial Approach (241)
  • The Visual Approach (242)
• Beginning Arithmetic (8 to 10 Years Old) (243)
  • Exploration through Percolation Time (243)
  • Common Myths about Right-Brained Math Processes (246)
• Formal Math Resources (11 to 13 Years Old) (247)
  • The Spatial Approach (248)
  • The Visual Approach (248)
• Career Path and Gift Development (14 to 16 Years Old) (249)
• The Spatial and Visual Approaches (251)

Chapter Thirteen: The Art of Writing (254)

• Pictorial and Oral Expressions of Ideas (5 to 7 Years Old) (256)
  • Advancement through Copying (257)
  • Mirroring a Story Line (259)
  • Oral Storytelling (261)
  • Bookmaking (262)
• Visual and Technological Expressions of Ideas (8 to 10 Years Old) (264)
  • Comic Books (264)
  • Computer and Video Games (265)
  • Movie Making (266)
• Written Expressions of Ideas (11 to 13 Years Old) (268)

Chapter Fourteen: Writing Traits of the Right-Brained Learner (273)

• Copying: Mentoring or Cheating? (275)
• Creative Writing Outlets (277)
  • Color Inspiration (277)
  • Computer Graphics Inspiration (248)
• Builder Storytelling (280)
• Acting Out Storylines (282)
• Make Technology Available to the Young (283)

Chapter Fifteen: The Act of Writing (286)

• Penmanship/Handwriting (288)
  • Teaching Methods (288)
  • Right-Brained Time Frame (290)
  • Letter Reversal (290)
  • Settling Down (292)
  • Developmental Differences (293)
• Spelling (296)
  • No Lessons Required (296)
  • Invented Spelling (297)
  • Spelling Words are Like LEGO® Building (298)
  • Spelling through Real Writing (300)
• Grammar (300)
• Vocabulary (302)
  • Maturity and Environmental Influences (303)
  • Use It or Lose It (303)
  • Raising the Bar through Mentoring (304)

Chapter Sixteen: Early Subject Strengths (308)

• History (310)
• Cultures and Geography (311)
• Mythology (313)
• Animals (314)
• Nature (317)
• Science (319)

Section Four: Common Labels (325(

Chapter Seventeen: Paying Attention to the Connection (331)

• Inattention (333)
  • Matched Learning Environment (334)
  • Listening Strategies (336)
  • Gender Differences (337)
  • Co-Morbidity Situations (337)
  • Focus Strategies (338)
• Hyperactivity (339)
  • Extroversion Factor (340)
  • Gender Factor (341)
  • Emotional Regulation Factor (342)
  • Maturity Factor (343)
• Impulsivity (344)
  • Lack of Self-Regulation (345)
  • Coexisting Behaviors (346)
    • Telling Stories or Compulsive Lying? (347)
    • Food Focus: Pica or Stress Relief? (348)

Chapter Eighteen: Dissing the “Dys-” Phenomenon (352)

• Dyslexia (354)
  • Comparing Dyslexia Symptoms to Right-Brained Traits (355)
  • The Right-Brained Reading Path Is Valid (360)
  • Straighten Up Your Attitude (361)
  • Does Dyslexia Exist? (362)
• Dysgraphia (363)
• Dyscalculia (366)

Chapter Nineteen: Input Modalities (372)

• Auditory (374)
  • The Word Hook―The Left-Brained Way (374)
  • The Visual or Kinesthetic Hook―The Right-Brained Way (375)
  • Broken Child Paradigm (378)
  • Strengths/Weakness Paradigm (379)
  • Auditory Processing Disorder (380)
• Visual (384)
  • The Eye-Brain Connection (384)
  • The Brain-Modality Connection (386)
  • The Eye-Time Frame Connection (387)
  • The Time Frame-Resource Connection (388)
  • Does Vision Therapy Help? (389)
• Kinesthetic (Touch) (392)
  • Sensory Differences (393)
  • Energy Differences (395)

Chapter Twenty: Giftedness―Twice as Nice? (397)

• Intelligence Mislabled (398)
  • Asynchronous Development and Twice Exceptional (399)
  • Asperger’s Syndrome (400)
• May I Have Your Attention Span (401)
  • Learning (401)
  • Social (402)
• Deep Thinkers (404)
  • Learning (404)
  • Social (405)
• Adult Understanding (407)
  • Learning (407)
  • Social (408)
• Laughter Is the Best Medicine (410)
  • Learning (410)
  • Social (410)
• Caution: Road Block Ahead (411)
  • Magic Mirror on the Wall: Being Highly Self-Aware (411)
  • Picture Perfect (414)
  • Why Do I Exist? (414)
  • You Either Got It or You Don’t (417)

Chapter Twenty-One: Sifting Autism Spectrum Disorder from Right-Brained Learning (420)

• Interests: Perseveration vs. Passion (422)
  • Family Connections (423)
  • Interest Expansion (424)
  • Socialization (426)
  • Fine Motor Development (427)
  • Career Development (428)
• Sensory: Self-Stimulatory Behaviors vs. Sensitivities (430)
• Obsession: Obsessive-Compulsive vs. Emotional Regulation (433)
  • Compulsion (434)
  • Addiction (435)
  • Obsession (436)
• Shifting Perspective on Balance (436)
  • Label Stereotypes (438)
  • Add an Asterisk―Plus More (439)
• Academics: Delayed Learning or Delayed Time Frame (440)
• The Right-Brained/Left-Brained Continuum (442)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Shift Begins with Us (446)

• Shift Begins with Us―Empowered Parents (448)
• Shift Begins with Us―At Home (449)
  • The Power of Observation(450)
  • Bring Them Home (451)
• Shift Begins with Us―At School (452)
  • Alternative Time Frames (453)
  • An Early Strengths-Based Focus (453)
  • Diverse Teaching Methods(454)
  • Individualized Assessments (455)
  • Gift Development through Goal Setting (457)
  • Additional School Options (458)
• Shift Begins with Us―In Research (459)
• Shift Begins with Us―In the Right-Brained Movement (460)
• Shift Begins with Us―Empowered Parents in Action (463)
  • Collectively (463)
  • Individually (464)

Index (473)