Moved - Discussing Merits/Legitimacy of Mid-Brain Activation

Early Learning Early Learning General Discussions
41

While I was working for the Aus Gov before I resigned I noticed the greater need to be processing information rather quickly. The bosses expected you to read an email and retain amongst all the other emails you got. I was always really lucky as I have always been able to retain information rather quickly. I put this down to two things I am left handed so therfore a little more in my right brain and I loved to play memory as a little kid. In fact I still love to play memory now against a 7 year old and enjoy beating them. Which is mean but makes me feel my brain is still working and not ageing.

I also once read “The Brain that Changes Itself” When reading thos book I realised how flexible the brain actually is to learning and different learning environments. They showed a number of studies where the high flashing has helped a number of people with disabilities to lead relatively normal lives. How people who had suffered from strokes when taken back to the skills they learned as a baby and built upon them developed whole new parts of the brain. I think we are skeptical because we have been stuck in the same of thinking for a long time. I think the rapid flashing opens a whole side of the brain that we have shut down because at that point of time it no longer served us to have those skills such as rapid memory recall, ESP perfect pitch because we stopped living in tribes and the threats to our safety diminished. We went through a stage of history where we wanted proof for everything, I think that time is coming to an end and now we are going back to develop the side of our brain we have long forgotten because it is now needed again. We need to move quickly we need to recall information quickly we need to be able to communicate at warp speed, we need perfect pitch to aquire a better understanding of the people around us and we need to acquire languages like we never have before.

That is why I think we are seeing such a huge gravitation away from school based learning because like Sugata says School is obsolete. We understand that with technology school can be anywhere in the world and having worldly experiences makes you are better job candidate than someone who does not.

I think also people want more time with their children want their children to be nice people and since right brain education is based on love and peace much like Montessori. People don’t want to send their kids out into the world like the last generation who have left much to be desired.

Montessori also said that education need to reflect the times the child is living in so it is necessary to be flexible in the world we are now living. She never copyrighted her work because she believed her research should always be continued and changed to fit the child and the generation they were living in.

Kimba

42

Ultimately, after analyzing all the information available it just comes down to following your gut which is different for everyone.

Dr. Shichida’s work was cutting edge and he was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about education. Have you seen his list of awards and recognition? http://www.angelfire.com/ak3/superachievers/z_founder.html Definitely nothing to be sneezed at. As far as experimenting on our kids, yes and no. There are 450 Shichida schools in Japan alone, plus schools in other countries and countless imitators. If inducing ADHD was a big issue to this method, there are many children who have gone before who would be dealing with this. I have only read about this anecdotally once or two and the children in question started RBE after age 5 IIRC and didn’t stick with it long term. So who knows if they were even related. And there are children who literally are parked in front of Nick Jr. by negligent parents day in and day out…not for 5 or even 30 minutes at a time. I think that kind of situation is a far greater concern.

I am still doing my research on how to best maximize my children’s potential through RBE, but I feel the potential benefits outweigh the potential risk for my own children. Also, there are lots of different hands on activities that they do in Shichida class, its not just straight flashing for 55 minutes. I do remember reading that Pamela Hickein says that the TW flashcards are paced to the beat of the heart and are more gentle than rapid fire fast flashing in order to avoid over stimulation which she did say she observed (most likely during her Shichida days). I’ll try to remember where I read/heard her mention that.

After reading about how musician’s brainwaves sync to each other and how easily brainwaves can be influences by music (frequency), I learned that the brain can be “entrained” many ways, including something as simple as during primitive drum ceremonies of indigenous people, sitting in a rocking chair, or patting a baby to sleep. At many American brain training centers, a staple of their curriculum is the use of a metronome to help increase the brain’s processing speed. Now I understand that these activities are flexing the muscles of the memory by asking them to complete activities while entraining the brain through the beat of the metronome. It is stressed that all answers are given on beat and to do so is especially difficult yet highly beneficial for kids with attention issues.With the interactive metronome, they even flash the information on screen and combine it with a motor response.

Here’s an example of how they combine a right/left brain connecting activity with the audio input of a metronome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aykuFhQIob4&list=PLAA538D82F819F5C6&index=61

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fSg97KOnUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1vSIBKudAg

Anyway, these commercial type franchise establishments are using their own methods to connect the left and right brain, as shown above. They even have the kids memorize mnemonic images of the 50 presidents and then recite them fwds and backwards to the beat of the metronome as quickly as possible. Shichida has their kids reciting 1,000 memory linking images in under 7 minutes…same concept on a grander scale. At the commercial American brain training centers, there is no major importance placed on the need to be happy, in fact trainers are encouraged to push their students to the limit just before they give up in frustration in order to maximize results. For the trainers and students to have fun while doing so is ideal, but the student needs to be trained more than they need to have fun, which is in conflict with E.L. style RBE more commonly discussed on this forum. Being happy and joyful probably better keeps the brain in an ideal brainwave state for learning, but it is obvious (to me anyway) that external audio and visual stimulation can push the brain into various brainwave patterns, as well…hence the alpha music and rhythmic flashing of TW, the metronome sounds used during speed reading programs such as EyeQ, and so on. If

In addition, synchronization effects in the beta and gamma range may contribute to the reported influences of rhythmic entrainment on cognitive functions involved in learning and memory tasks.
http://www.doctorspreferredprograms.com/research-articles/Brain%20Wave%20Synchronization.pdf

My point of all of this? If fast visual flashing is not your cup of tea, Shichida stresses the importance of the EARS. You can try to aim for a more audio approach if that is more acceptable (various brainwave stimulation music/metronome, random EK audio memorization songs, low and high speed stories in your native language and otherwise.) It would still be fantastic brain stimulation but I’m doubtful is would impact photographic memory abilities, I could be wrong though! There more I read, the more I think there are probably several viable options to “activating the interbrain” to differing capacities, and some are just less mystical than others. Many of these centers offer a 3, 6, or 12 month programs. I would be curious to know if these kids tried to play guessing games or read blindfolded, etc, would they be able to do it immediately or after a very short amount of practice because of all of the long term stimulation they received and their brains would be very well connected at that point.Could it be that they are just not taught the “mystical” aspect of it, and if they were, they may notice gains in those areas as well? Just pondering. It seems like anything can be trained.Why not?!

43

I wanted to say I have been following this discussion with interest… I honestly don’t know where I stand. I am not starting an argument because I am not pro or anti RBE/mid brain activation or rapid flashing.

But these are my thoughts and experiences…
The fist snippets of screen time my son saw was at 18 months. And it was only for a month to see how he did with Baby Signing Time. He then got introduced to the ipad a few months before he was 2. Then at 2 he got to watched very limited TV. An episode of Mighty Machines several times a week. I had a very well mannered young man, who never whined or threw a temper tantrum. Extremely mellow temperament.

A little before he turned 3 he started watching TV more. The more tv, the worse his attitude became. Of course it could be an age things… but I am not sure. i started to observe and take notes… yup i did little experiements on my son.
James is now 38 months and I have noticed that he is an angel on days he has no exposure to TV, and a little terror on days he watches a substansial amount of TV in the morning. Thereis strong correlation.

Now because I believe that he can learn so much from TV and the ipad, I have come up with a solution that saves me from dealing wit attitude all day.
James watches TV at night. And yes this may, include flashing programs like TW or Spark.

Have I seen any benefit from either or these programs? No. Not that I can tell. But I think it is early days for us.

Seastar asked about us doing RBE. I can’t stand photo eyeplay. It makes my head hurt right around my temporal artery. And it makes me feel a little nauseas. I assume it is doing the same thing to James because him and I both adopt these identical grimaces.

Long term, I don’t know what the effects will be, if any… But so far other than the attitude issues from morning tv exposure I a, not seeing any detriment.

And because of my old school avid reader tendencies that I want James to adopt, he doesn’t get TV until after he has done his reading each night.

44

To contribute to the discussion, I will relate my own experience.

For myself, I use mostly isochronic tones for well being and for study. I just play youtube isochronic tones in the background of my studies or to affect my mood. I have found great results with varying kinds of tones and note an immediate affect. I will say that I do not always use alpha waves during study. After reading TMT statement above about the coorelation of movement and certain tones, this makes sense to me. I have always been a foot tapper, and I found that gamma tones work best for me during my studies verses alpha tones.

I also put together photoeye play powerpoints for my kids. When I put them together, it takes me a long time to get the timing right (I really never get them right enough), and usually I do this activity right before bed. Every time, I will tell you that when I close my eyes I see with such incredible vividness that it is as if my eyes were open in a lit room when in fact I am in a dark room. This affect is certainly amazing and has made me a believer in the use of photoeye play. I however don’t recommend doing this right before bed as it can be very stimulating for the mind unless of course you would like to experience lucid dreaming.

For my children, I can relate this experience. All of the children but the baby respond very well to gamma tones verses alpha tones especially my oldest boy, and this might be related to their very intense need of physical activity. My oldest boy was walking at seven months and this was before Doman had entered my life. He has always progressed with ease and ahead of others in physical development while other developments especially speech suffered (I swear he spoke Japanese until he was three). The youngest boy of 18 months is the mellowest of all children (boy, am I glad for that break).

As far as photoeye play, I can not determine any affect on my children at this time. My personal results were from staring intensely at the screen. To get my mover and shakers to stare at the screen for photo eye play has been incredible difficult. I have tried all sorts of techniques from changing the songs to placing a dot in the middle, but for now I let a playlist of them play and hope for the best. I guess ten seconds here and there is probably better than nothing. As long as its circles, my mellow 18 month old will stare for some amount of time.

I have not seen negative affects from my 18 month old from watching specific early learning television shows like Sparkabilities, TW, YCCD and such. On the contrary, I have seen amazing results. He began at six months, and he has been going strong ever since. He has an excellent disposition. He is incredible curious and well advanced in almost all areas. He is the calmest of all my children and he has been exposed to more television than all of them. He has a very strong attention span. I haven’t seen anything like it in my other children when they were at that age.

As far as the effects of early learning television shows on the rest of the children, I will say that I do not see any ill effect as long as I keep a routine. If the routine is changed, of course I experience difficult behaviors. I think this is natural with anything. Its takes a while for a child to develop a habit. Certainly a year ago we did not do as much reading as we do today. It was certainly not an easy transition for anyone, but now we read a whole early chapter book, listen to audiobooks and several typical children books a day. They love it now. Its a habit. I now have a three year old bring me a chapter book with few pictures that are all black and white requesting me to read it to her. I never would of thought that possible with my children, but I learned that children’s desires and behavior can be guided and changed through habits. Their desire to read has not lessened from television exposure.

I am trying to understand mid-brain activation more, and I have never really tested my children in any way on their intuition and telepathic abilities which might be manifestations of mid-brain activation. On that note, here is an excellent lecture by well-known Dr. Rupert Sheldrake who has produce some amazing studies on such phenomenons . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnA8GUtXpXY

Dr. Sheldrake makes some very good points about the taboos placed on the human mind. These taboos seem to limit the progress being made in understanding all the capabilities of the human mind. He makes a point about how western culture has a very hard time accepting telepathic and intuitive abilites but other cultures like India, tribal people, and such accept them as second nature. I strongly believe that for western culture its certain religious taboos and not just academic taboos that make telepathic and intuitive abilities difficult to accept. The idea that these could be skills that could be honed and cultivated would be the greatest to accept due to the nature of religious taboos of magic and witch craft found in western culture (my previous reservations derive from these very taboos).

It is my greatest frustration to be so far away from Japan, and it seems cultural taboos will not allow me to see into Dr. Shichida’s work without learning to speak a new language and move all the way to Japan. The information available in English is incredibly limiting and considering the years of work Dr. Shichida has done you would think there would be some movement of his information to English sources especially considering the rapid and free movement of information through the Internet.

So what is the point of Midbrain activation? For me, its more about honing intuitive and creative abilities. The greatest minds lived and created mostly in their minds. My guess is that they had a strong and unique connection between the right and left brain that allow them to see and create in their minds in a very intense and 3D way. How was this bond created before our current teaching methods and technologies? My guess is that music might be the greatest tool of mankind to unlock its own mind. It is the only easily accessible tool that has been apart of every culture for thousands of years or hundreds of thousands (depending on your own beliefs). This discussion has been enjoyable to watch unfold, and I do hope more people will share their own personal experience with the use of midbrain activation and all related experiences of the right brain.

45

I have not had a chance to watch the above video yet, but here are some images I wanted to share. What’s the deal with the blindfolding? Aside from promoting the use of other senses, closing the eyes increases the power of brainwaves.

The first example is from a PHD in neuroscience who develops interesting gadgets with a technology and research group.

http://produceconsumerobot.com/thinkingcap/content/EEG_alpha_eyes_closing_400_01.jpg

http://produceconsumerobot.com/thinkingcap/content/EEG_alpha_eyes_closing_400_01.jpg

Tutorial: How to Measure Your Brainwaves (EEG) The following materials were prepared for a studio (workshop) "Measuring Biological Signals: Concepts and Practice" presented at the Tangible and Embedded Embodied Interactions conference, MIT Media Lab, Boston, MA.

Background:
There are around 100 billion neurons in the brain, which is approximately the number of galaxies in the universe. To prevent total chaos, the brain uses rhythmic syncopation at several timescales so that local networks of neurons can synchronize with one another and with distant networks to orchestrate elaborate behaviors. Basically, the idea is that when neurons fire in synchrony with one another, they are better able to communicate than when they fire out of sync.

The rhythmic synchrony of electrical impulses in the brain can be recorded as microvolt oscillations on the scalp (white trace) and this is called the Electroencephalograph (EEG). Different behaviors lead specific brain areas to synchronize at different frequencies. For example relaxation or meditation with your eyes closed leads to increased alpha (8-12Hz) waves over the visual cortex (rear of the head). On the other hand beta (14-30Hz) oscillations are associated with active thinking and concentration, while gamma (30-50Hz) oscillations are believed to reflect local neural processing, commonly activated during focused attention.

It should be noted that these statements are wild simplifications of what’s actually going on in the brain.


http://produceconsumerobot.com/thinkingcap/

And this second example is from a study published in Clinical Neurophysiology.

Fig. 3. Topographic effects of condition. Each row shows activity in one EEG band. The average power across conditions is shown in the left column. [b]The middle columns show power distributions for the eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions; note the reduction in power in each band with opening of the eyes.[/b] The column on the right shows the change (eyes-open–eyes-closed) expressed in standard scores within each electrode site; note the focal changes apparent in delta, theta and beta bands.

So the reduction in power is shown in the second to the third columns labeled EC (Eyes Closed) and EO (Eyes Open).

http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1388245707004002-gr3.jpg

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388245707004002

46

I’m in the middle of a ton of stuff right now, I appreciate everybody’s input on both sides of this. I am slowly slogging my way through the material.

I had an interesting conversation with my particularly astute 17 year old (raised by me, I might add :yes: ). He had looked into this for his own purposes a few years ago and then dropped it. His opinion after his research is that it is real and it works. His question is, “Works for what?” Ridalin works, but works for what, to what end? We don’t know. We don’t know enough about the brain to say for certain. And even if it is fine for adults does not mean that it is fine for babies. His exact words on this were, “Mom this is programming the brain. You are talking about programming Philip. I don’t want a programmed brother. I don’t want to be programmed. I want a real brother. This is like creating Stepford children.”

Something to throw out there…

47

And what’s the point of Linking Memory? Been doing a little “light reading” :wink: and perhaps something to do with this:

“Sequence learning” is inherent to human ability because it is an integrated part of conscious and nonconscious learning as well as activities. Sequences of information or sequences of actions are used in various everyday tasks: “from sequencing sounds in speech, to sequencing movements in typing or playing instruments, to sequencing actions in driving an automobile.”[1] Sequence learning can be used to study skill acquisition and in studies of various groups ranging from neuropsychological patients to infants.[1] According to Ritter and Nerb, “The order in which material is presented can strongly influence what is learned, how fast performance increases, and sometimes even whether the material is learned at all.[2] Sequence learning, more known and understood as a form of explicit learning, is now also being studied as a form of implicit learning as well as other forms of learning. Sequence learning can also be referred to as sequential behavior, behavior sequencing, and serial order in behavior.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_learning

So if “the order in which material is presented can strongly influence what is learned” and “how fast performance increases,” then lets apply that theory to training the memory. By sequentially remembering and reciting 1,000 images in 7 minutes as taught by Shichida, the ORDER in which this is learned (nonsensical or not, which definitely makes it easier to remember) will help determine how FAST the brain’s performance/memory improves. It makes sense that the more you practice sometime the better you become at it, but in this case, the sequence in itself seems to be a key part of accelerating memory skills (versus practicing various unconnected memory games). This backs up Shichida’s claim below (to quote Shen Li so I don’t have to type it out again):

“In Shichida’s book, he cites an example from one of the teachers regarding linking memory and what it does. The children in the class are encouraged to practice linking memory to help them remember a series of cards. They work at it until they can remember the entire series of cards all in order - it might be twenty cards, or it might be forty cards, or it could be more. What one teacher reported was that when the children could remember about 30 cards in correct order using the linking memory method, something strange happens. Some of the children are suddenly able to remember 40 or 50 cards by glancing at them without using words. It is as if linking memory is triggers the brain’s photographic memory ability.”

48

See I know at isn’t true for all kids. just some. :frowning: all my kids got to more than 30 in memory linking and their was no magical bullet. I think the main reason why they didn’t is because they got to 30 in just a few days of very limited practice. I am not sure it was supposed to be quite as easy as my kids ( and I) found it. Mostly we stopped because it bored than to do the same stories over and over. I could also see them hitting the limits of the program within a week or two. ( magic memory) we needed more resourses and they just arnt easy to get ahold of. Shenli has some card pictures on her blog, I just didn’t do anything about it as I needed loads more and then a story to go with it! To be honest the silly stories arnt hard to make up, but a packaged card set of 1000 with a story would be awesome!
For the record I can clearly see the benefits of memory linking. Practicing memory linking has given my girls another way to remember things they need for school. It is a skill already in use with them in their own way. I also believe that photographic memory has got to be the most useful skill you could give your kids. That and speed reading. I already have had success teaching speed reading but I can see it can be much faster than we have So far managed so our practice isn’t over :smiley: Tiana in particular is keen to read as fast as the Shichida kids can, flipping pages. :yes:
I guess anything that enhances photographic memory is worth my time to look into. Perhaps since my kids found memory linking so easy we may need to access photographic memory in another way. Maybe something more visual and with less audio? I was thinking mandalas might be our key, but they did really well on those too. Perhaps it is that they are not far off cracking the code and I just need to give them a bit more exposure?
Is after imaging the only other means to photographic memory we haven’t done much with yet? All the kids and I can see alternate colours in after imaging. But not with every picture. I think this may be the one that gives my kids the missing link. I think the other activities are probably practice laps for the main race. A practice lap is important to a successful race but not the race itself.
I could of course be completely wrong lol
I don’t see this as programming a child nearly as much as an encyclopaedic knowledge program is. The child wouldn’t be able to do anything that would harm him. Our bodies have plenty of inbuilt self defence mechanisms. Plus intuition on the part of both mum and child is strong with alpha training so I think mums would feel retry uncomfortable doing something that wasn’t healthy for their child.

49

Have another question for this thread:

What constitutes mid-brain activation?

I don’t associate traditional memory training with mid-brain activation. That might be my own ignorance. I also don’t see memory training as a questionable practice. The Greeks and Romans considered memory training a standard part of education.

Mental workouts like videos TMT placed earlier, especially the color on is a standard for basic brain training and I don’t see that as questionable either. Those types of activities are used at Learning RX, www.thebraintrainers.net (created by the founder of LearningRX), Dianne Craft, and NILD. I mentioned earlier that the before/after brain scans of severely traumatized children is amazing after what is called cognitive skills training. Dianne Craft calls it Brain Integration therapy.

Maybe my concern is over particular methods not with the concept as a whole. Thanks everyone for sharing.

50

I think we are programming our kids brains no matter what we do. Glenn Doman’s books are all about making brain connections sooner. When we use reading programs we’re programming their brain to be able to read. Some kids’ brains are programmed to recognize the smells on a farm. Others are programmed to function in a big city. So the idea that mid-brain activation is programming my kid’s brain, or that fast flashing wires the brains doesn’t necessarily scare me away. I thought that was what early learning was all about! Granted, I’m not trying to hypnotize them or anything like that. I want their brains to be wired to enjoy and love learning to give them the best chance for success in life.

As far as benefits of mid-brain activation, this parental testimonial is something that encouraged us to try it. Among other things she says her son became more caring, more creative, and more confident after the workshop.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMloCKikZfw

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The most comprehensive information I have found so far is http://www.blindfoldactivation.com/ , I forked over $37 to satisfy my curiosity and get some answers, now I am trying to back it up with supporting evidence and scientific “proof” that 1) It is really possible and 2) That it is indeed a naturally occurring “biological” phenomena in response to the correct stimulation. Hence all of my obsessive reading over the last few weeks. Even if you skip the guided imagery relaxation/suggestibility script (some may view it as hypnosis) they include and only use the less controversial aspects of brain training, there are still so many benefits like Sonya mentioned. If you really think about it, even common Memory games are a form of HSP training/guessing games on some level.

Also, Shichida offers some commercial brain training apps that are a simplified version of Shichida style training in a box! or rather, an app. :wink: Search “Unotan” in the app store, they offer Memory, Concentration, and Intuition (simple guessing, with no skill involved) or the $1.99 app for a three in one version. I bought all of them and later realized that the all-in-one was complete. From using these I am developing some memory ticks to help remember the colors and order of things. I try to play it in the dark before bed when possible, the kids play it whenever. It’s not SUPER engaging for a young child, but Owen really likes it nonetheless and I sit with him while he plays. (This link says $3.99 but I thought it was $1.99…http://www.theiphoneappreview.com/2009/09/brain-training-unotan/)

I guess it comes down to if a person thinks some of the more controversial training is acceptable or unacceptable.

-Are Brain gym style exercises mystical? or even worthwhile? Is vision training with fast paced items moving around the screen or rapidly flashing images messing with our brains to a negative affect?
-Is creating a “pretend” Shichida energy ball mystical? Is it any different that the mental tie tac toe mentioned below? Is deep breathing mystical only with the eyes closed while doing guided imagery (aka meditation)?
-Is listening to Alphawave music or using other entrainment methods to encourage brainwave synchronization mystical because waves are being intentionally manipulated into an “unnatural” state for that moment in time?
-Is even attempting to see things while blindfolded mystical or even “occult?” Some will view it as a supressed, biological, natural capability being drawn out and others may view it as trafficking with forces that should not be considered. That is a clearly a choice everyone must make for themselves.

Another program I have looked into myself recently is PhotoReading, another form of 1 second flash per page speed reading (unlike this, not limited by age). They have some dvd’s and ebooks online and they may still run seminars, I know they used to. There is some other stuff I want to share later, I feel like I have dominated this thread unintentionally with countless posts :wub: but I have just been reading a lot and would rather spare someone else the work and I love having some intelligent minds to discuss it with!

Re: The viewpoint of programming a child. I am of the mindset we are all “programmed” on some level. (ETA: Tasmyn, I see we were posting at the same time and share a view on this one!) Whether it is by our upbringing, our country/society, our religions, the media, the books we read…the resulting differences in our thinking impact the way we live, the choices we make, and what we beleive. Education is programming if you will, if that’s what one wants to call it. I would just MUCH rather choose to intentionally run beneficial programs that can draw out what I believe are my children’s natural talents and full potential. I really love that Tasmyn & Sonya sparked this conversation! Not from any kind of debate because I don’t think it’s turned into one, but from a desire to really examine and understand this stuff from all angles (both science AND psuedo-science! lol ).

52

I love your posts TMT! Keep dominating. :yes: You have really given a lot to chew on, and its very helpful! Thank you!

53

Why do some babies intuit phonics from YBCR alone and others do not? YBCR does work fully for some children who can decode anything other than the specific words they have been taught? We know that other kids simply need exposure to MORE WORDS (more brain stimulation) to reach that threshhold. So if YBCR has 300 or so words, and LR has 3,000, the odds are MUCH better with LR due to the level of exposure alone. Maybe a particular baby needs 1,246 words before they intuit are able to intuit phonics. Or maybe they need direct phonics stimulation (another approach altogether). Just drawing parallels here.

The other thing that Dr. Titzer had going for him was that it was HIM on the videos, it was HIS voice, HIS love poured into it. When we do LM, Lily remembers much better the first time if SHE makes up the story and I sit with her one on one and we co-create the experience. Lately we have been using Rory’s Story Cubes. After we make up the story, I take a picture with my phone. I plan to take a picture of each side of the cube and get them printed cheaply, 2 to a photograph so they can be stuck into our 100 chart like the Silly Story cards. After we make the story, I cover them up and take away a cube one at a time to see if she can identify what is missing. If you are indeed looking for a more audio directed approach, I would use that as inspiration and have the kids write and record their own stories in sets of 10, give it that personalized Dr. Titzer approach.

For Mandala, eventually they are supposed to graduate to more difficult Mandala that are more intricate with even more colors (have you seen the app for this? They have 4 levels of difficulty), and then draw it from memory after seeing it. You can also recreate 3 dimensional stacking shapes that are flashed. I think Shichida may use Nitikin materials for this, not sure but I have seen it done on youtube, duplos/legos are a good start though. You can also use Pixy Cubes, we just got a cute mini version from Chick-Fila-A last week and I will probably buy the whole version later. Learning RX also flashes tangram pictures that have to be recreated from memory (while a metronome is used) and they get really difficult. And I’ve heard you say that know spot the difference activities are good as well (we have a Kids Time Life book for this), so you know that, and there are loads of apps for memory in general.

For after imaging, eventually they will progressing to seeing the actual colors, not just the opposite ones, the longer they can hold the image. Also, Heguru uses their version of Linking Memory which is peg memory. This style requires students to also memorize the number associated with each image, at least that is my understanding. This might add a nice level of difficulty to challenge your kids?

Lastly, here’s one mom’s blog experience with linking memory.
http://101homeschool.blogspot.com/2009/01/shichida-materials.html

I have had maintenance people in my house all morning so EL has been out the window and I have been posting away :biggrin: …they just left so now I need to sign off for a bit and teach these kids!

54

Oh and I just remembered that on youtube I saw of the commercial brain training centers having kids do excercises with their eyes closed, too. Apparently, they instruct the kids to visualize others with their eyes open, as well, like mental tic tac toe described here at the bottom of this link http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/ask_an_expert/category/may-learningrx and here, too. http://lrxnwa.wordpress.com/

“Paperless Tic-Tac-Toe — Take the classic game of tic-tac-toe and assign each box a number. Have your child visualize this grid in her mind and call off the box number in which she wants to place her mark. Or, try playing tic-tac-toe by drawing the grid in the air and pointing to the box where you want to place your mark. The game is over when someone wins with three in a row, or when someone loses by taking an occupied spot. What it helps: Memory, focus, planning, visualization, problem solving.”

The closed eye game is the second activity shown in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG4GE7jGNTc&list=PLV22lJfjA2X0SA0L0OdhUb7wg_WgROiU5&index=16

They also talk about making up stories with eyes closed and using similar number/item peg memory like Heguru.

http://media.learningrx.com/2009/09/

There are countless compelling photos and videos here: https://www.facebook.com/midbrainactivationinfo Looking at the pictures gave me a better idea of what sorting and identification activities they are asked to complete while blindfolded.

55

Thanks for sharing the vid!

56

TmT if you’re here in Malaysia/Indonesia/Singapore all you need is a one time payment of approx USD400 for a 2 days course to activate your child’s midbrain. I heard that results are guaranteed for kids under 12 (I can’t remember the age actually)
I would like to try it out but I don’t have a kid that age to experiment with :frowning:

57

This might be of interest - http://gerryp.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/evaluation-of-superachievers-magazine/

Chris1

58

Very interesting blogpost Chris - thanks for the link. I guess it is exactly what I have been grappling with. I have never met anyone who has developed these right brain abilities through practice so I am naturally sceptical. That said, until last year, I thought it was impossible for babies to read (unless they had hyperlexia) so I am trying to be openminded about the right-brain education claims. With that in mind, I have decided to work on developing these skills myself before I use the techniques with my kids. At least then I may get some evidence (or not) for myself!

59

Hi Seastar

Blindfold reading or Dermo-optical perception is just the classic nose peek trick.

Chris.

60

lol I love it! Yes, I have to say that’s what I think too. I would love if it were true but I don’t think so.