Learn Different

When being called “Special” has its irony in Society.

2012-02-17T00:21:00.001-08:00

“Is this a special needs school?” is the question many of us encounter when “Learn Different” is mentioned.

It seems there is not full agreement of the term “Special Needs Education” simply because we all have our own understanding of it. It’s a case of different strokes for different folks. For some, if not most, the traditional definition Special Needs stands firm; physical disabilities that require varied attention, a cognitive impairment that is severe enough to prevent opportunities in a mainstream environment, or being visually impaired, hearing impaired or mute. Google “special needs and Singapore” for the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) definition (www.moe.gov.sg/education/special-education/) and all roads lead to anything but mainstream education – special schools for special people. Life skills, vocational skills and opportunities serve the special needs community through special needs education. That’s it?

In 2007, the Organisation of Economic Co-Operation and Development (“OECD”) published a paper on “Students with Disabilities, Learning Difficulties and Disadvantages” together with policies, statistics and indicators for the common good. Rich in data, it makes good fodder for policy makers and educators. But what got me hooked was the admission that special needs education lacks a single, unifying definition. The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) set the record straight with the term “Special Needs Education”. It now covers “those who are failing in school for a wide variety of other reasons that are known to be likely to impede a child’s optimal progress.”

It sounds harsh to say “failing in school” because a large population are not necessarily “failing” but are just getting by albeit with some challenges that are obvious enough to raise concerns amongst the classroom teacher, the school head and parents. It is not about passing a test or an exam, it is more about the journey. The biggest hurdle has to do with the individual challenges themselves, and for every minute of intellectual demand placed on the learner to deliver like the norm, think of multiplying a hundred times for its emotional equivalent. Note that recent local research indicates at least 10% of Singaporeans have some form of learning difficulty; Asperger’s Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) and Dyslexia. From a numbers perspective that is nothing to shy away from – we’re not all that “gifted” as purported to be.

The OECD paper proposed a straightforward classification scheme for students on special needs education. A tripartite system was drawn up with three categories, one of which is the cross-national category “B/Difficulties” whose focus is on the student with a behavioural or emotional disorder or, a learning difficulty.

When you visit the MOE website and key in “special needs education”, (www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/support-for-children-special-needs/) you are now witness to a government that has made leaps and bounds in special needs education and is proactive in addressing the concerns of those with “mild special needs” “including Dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD”, the latter being nothing “mild” to say the least unless the student is on a good dose of medication.

Schools adopt an inclusive approach for this group of learners who are in desperate need of additional support. This translates to engaging Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support) for literacy or other skills. But does the curriculum change? Sadly, not at all. The difficulty is in the number of learners and large classroom sizes. Not all schools have the luxury to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of the diverse learner. So students with ASD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger’s, ADHD are going to have to adapt and change to meet the demands of the curriculum. We have an additional 3,200 teachers who have been trained in special needs to assist students with mild special needs to date, according the MOE website, but are we really able to include these learners when inclusion means a form of accountability to deliver and, that means remodelling the achievement tests marking system? This automatically translates into a conflict between the student and the educational context. These diverse learners sit for the same tests as everyone else. A dyslexic learner for example, is going to make noticeable blunders unintentionally because that is how his/her brain works. Yet, the marking criteria remains the same for everyone. The question of real learning then arises. Truth is, the actual aptitude of a diverse group of learners is being masked by testing that does not accommodate their needs and ultimately short changes them, denying equal opportunity to excel.

One parent put it in a painfully graphic way, “It’s like failing a wheelchair-bound individual for not being able to run”. Do we make that differentiated learner work for the system or should the system work for the individual? Parents, you decide; are we a special needs school or a school that provides special needs education?

- Sharon Sophie Solomon, Director

1Learn Different Academy strives for inclusion but we adopt a pragmatic approach.

Gross Motor Skills

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Gross motor skills are important to develop during childhood. A lot of our gross motor skills are learned through play. Gross motor skills are defined as the amount of control and coordination we have over the large muscle movements that our bodies make. These muscular movements include activities such as running, walking, jumping and maintaining balance.

There are many ways to help improve gross motor skill development:

Playing “Simon Says” and doing movements like jumping jacks, hopping on one leg at a time and jumping with both feet. This will get the child moving and using their muscles.
Ask your child to shadow or mimic your actions. This will not only be fun for the child, but it also gets them moving around while having fun!
Imitate different animals with your child: Jump like a kangaroo, waddle like a penguin, crawl like a mouse, creep like a tiger, gallop like a horse. Activities like this encourage children to move their muscles in different ways from the way they normally move when doing activities such as running or walking.
Activities like swimming, riding a bike or tricycle, skipping or hopscotch help to increase muscle endurance and strength.
Playing catch! The larger the ball the easier it is so start with something big like a beach ball. Also, try rolling a ball or kicking it.
Walking on curbs and low barriers (sometimes found in parks) improves balance and coordination. However, if your child is walking on curbs, ensure that it is in a safe environment!

Gross motor skill development is a fundamental part of growing up. By developing gross motor skills, children are able to increase their strength, endurance, coordination and balance. This in turn helps children with their self-care, social skills, handwriting, postural stability, navigating through their environment safely, and their daily routines and activities.

- By Sirida Johnston (Occupational Therapy Student & LD )

Keeping It Simple!

2011-12-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Our Director, Sharon, came across an article this week published by wired.com and authored by Jonathon Liu about the '5 Best Toys of All Time'. It is the holiday season so I took some time to think about it; after all I have two preteen children and good amount of experience buying toys. With all the literature lately about getting back to the basics, I had a hunch the list would be surprisingly simple: balls, chalk, crayons, blocks and maybe play dough. All wrong, but not far off! You can read the article for yourselves to discover his actual list at http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/all/1.

It got me thinking, however, about gifts and what we buy our children these days. Furthermore, I wonder about the general expectation associated with owning new technologies. Does an eight-year-old child really need a telephone? Does a ten-year-old need the latest iTouch version when he has only owned the old one for eight months? Do I need a new phone because my old phone doesn’t have a flash? Oh, the perils of marketing! Are we complicating things for ourselves? For younger children we should ask ourselves, can an eight-year-old have as much fun with a ball of string as with an iTouch? Given a choice between a dirt pile and a stack of video games, what would a six-year-old choose these days? And, if he chose the dirt pile, does that affect his preparedness for their future? I raise these questions not to answer them, but rather to arouse thought as we all venture out and brave the holiday shopping madness! We, as educators, talk about the importance of imaginative play, yet we encourage the brain drain with some of these new technologies. I guess I’m asking you, as parents, where, when and how do we draw the line?

Happy Holidays!

The long wait is over: www.learndifferent.com.sg is LIVE!

2011-12-05T23:35:00.000-08:00

We are very happy to announce that our website is live! New modules will be added in due course, but for now we are thrilled to have an online voice again! Yay!

Introducing 'Movement Time Mornings' & 'Brain Breaks'!

2011-11-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

This week at the Academy we introduced ‘Movement Time Mornings’ & ‘Brain Breaks’. First thing in the morning, students will participate in fifteen minutes of stretching and selected movements led by their classroom teachers to shift their focus from their busy morning routines to their learning journey. Also during the course of the day students will have shorter 5-minute breaks before lessons to help them transition to new tasks.

The connection between physical exercise and mental clarity is not new, but it seems researchers have explored the benefits deeper and have been able to specifically pinpoint how it promotes brain cell growth related to learning. The benefits of taking these physical breaks during the day are invaluable to young minds. Movement provides students a sensory outlet, increases alertness, and optimizes brain functioning leading to better attention and improved memory.

Young children learn best by doing, and doing requires movement. If understood and embraced by the education system, the typical classroom with one teacher standing and all students seated at their desks, should become is a thing of the past. Imagine students mastering their multiplication tables while standing on a balance board or reciting poetry while jogging on the spot. Sounds fun, doesn't it?

As often as possible we hope to integrate movement into our lessons to continue to provide a dynamic learning environment where students are able to understand their own learning style and teachers can tailor appropriate methodologies for each learner.

If you would like to learn more about movement and the brain, may we suggest a book by Dr. John Ratey called Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Education and the Brain. More about his work can be found at www.johnratey.com.

Jennifer Ireland Chadam

Head of Communications and Development

Learn Different

The Importance of Play! by Bianca Ravi, Occupational Therapist

2011-11-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

The two primary occupations for a child are to play and learn. Children learn best through play as it provides them with a medium to explore their world and make sense of their surroundings. Children learn and grow through play; it promotes physical development (gross and fine motor skills, in hand manipulation skills, balance and sensory integration), cognitive development (logic and reasoning, visual/spatial skills, language skills), creative skills (aesthetic appreciation, creative expression, risk taking and initiative, flexibility and relaxation) and social and emotional development (interaction skills, autonomy and independence, positive self-esteem and self-expression).

Ways to engage a child in play

choose an item that they are motivated to play with (e.g. a favourite toy) and use this as a starting point. You can begin by making a conversation about the toy e.g. the cat likes to sit on the grass and lick his fur...and see if the child will add to that.

messy play is also another really good medium for children to learn about themselves and their world; allow your child to do some finger painting, get some sponges and do some painting with sponges or different materials such as old brushes and see what the child can create!

allow the child to play outside as much as possible, climbing up ladders, through tunnels, as this will not only develop motor skills but also encourages sequencing skills.

If a child is experiencing difficulty with imaginative play, play dress up and begin to create different characters and then stories with the child

maintain a light and positive affect in your voice to keep the child interested and willing to continue playing

Lastly, remember that there is not much that you can do wrong by playing with your child as any interaction they have with other people and their environment is going to foster their development.

Holiday 'Kick-start' Program for Students Transitioning from Primary 6 Post PSLE to Secondary 1.

2011-10-30T23:34:00.000-07:00

Does your child spend a lot of time "spinning wheels" — working hard without getting things done? Studying, but not retaining information? Start assignments but not finish them - or just does not know where to start? Is he/she starting to struggle in some classes? Is he/she just “getting by” but with plenty of effort and feeling frustrated? Are you beginning to notice signs of learning difficulties with the increasing demands over the last one year? Is your child worried or unhappy about school?

Learn Different’s kick-start transitioning program offers students from post PSLE to Secondary 1 the opportunity to discover and practice academic skills and strategies that will improve their ability to learn and help to facilitate their “big leap” into secondary school. The program has been developed by Ms. Sharon Solomon, Founder and CEO of Learn Different. Ms. Solomon has spent the last 13 years working with diverse learners making significant changes in helping each learner discover their strengths, developing skills that suit their own learning profile, and providing an intrinsic model to learning that results in motivation, empowerment and confidence.

Our 3-day intensive kick-start program is all about learning new strategies for studying to ensure success in school. We know that everyone learns in their own unique way. Our experience with young adults suggests that a sense of self and a good insight into one's own individual learning style can make a big difference in outcomes at school.

This program specifically addresses some of the challenges students face as they transition into secondary school and teaches helpful strategies to manage their growing workload as more is expected of them. We offer a learning environment where students—and teachers—understand and share the learning journey geared towards their individual needs. Students join a learning community in which all members are dedicated to academic achievement, mutual respect, and personal change and growth.

The program will help students:

to understand their individual learning needs

by exposing students to various writing genres expected of them while providing basic techniques to write succinctly, and with fewer struggles
develop better reading and study skills

to integrate strategies and practices into core subjects

to focus on the development of better daily habits

develop concepts of self-understanding and self-advocacy in a nurturing, safe and challenging environment.

work with brief texts and materials relevant to Secondary One classes

Subjects introduced: English Literature, Writing, History & Geography

For More Information:

For questions or assistance, contact Learn Different via email info@learndifferent.com.sg and type “jr2sec1” in the subject heading. Please provide your contact details and one of our program officers will be in touch by the next working day. Come join us and know what smart students know! LEARN the NEW way!

Please visit www.learndifferent.com.sg for other programs including session 2 of this workshop.

Notes from Therapy: Ways to Improve Motor Skills at Home! by Rachel Vig, Occupational Therapist

2011-10-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the therapy department! This month the occupational therapists wanted to give you some ways to improve your child’s fine and gross motor skills that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. Fine motor skills require using the small muscles of the hands and fingers and assist with activities such as handwriting and completing clothing fasteners. Gross motor skills use the larger muscles in the body and assist with activities such as jumping, running, and throwing.

Fine Motor Activities:

Encourage your child to complete his or her own clothing fasteners independently. Depending on the difficulty of the fastener, you may need to provide some assistance.

Give your child a pair of tongs or blunt tweezers to use to eat a snack such as small crackers, grapes, or cereal.

Ask your child to manually sharpen the pencils you have at home.

When you arrive at home, encourage your child to unlock the door using the key. Or if you have a keyless entry, ask your child to unlock a cupboard or drawer.

If you use twist ties or clips to keep food fresh, ask your child to put on or remove these items. You can also encourage your child to open small containers or zip lock bags.

Gross Motor Activities:

While waiting in line, see how long your child can balance on one foot.

Ask your child to help carry in grocery items that are appropriate for his or her size and strength.

While walking to school, encourage your child to skip, hop, or gallop part of the way.

While cooking or baking, ask your child to help stir thickened mixtures such as dough.

When you are finished with a piece of paper, ask your child to crumple it and try to throw it into the bin.

Art Therapy and Me, by Learn Different's Licensed Art Therapist, Mr. Oz Ouchoka.

2011-10-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

My name is Oz and I’m an art therapist.

For many of you, the phrase ‘art therapist’ will have little or no meaning, and that’s OK. It’s not something you hear every day for one thing, and nor is it a discipline you would have come into contact with in any significant way.

But that’s why I’m writing this. To hopefully shed some light onto a therapeutic process that has many, many benefits; a therapeutic process that taps into creativity and unlocks the potential for insight, personal growth and understanding.

I have always had an interest in art and pursued it through secondary school up until I received my BA in Fine Art whilst training to be a teacher. I remember at the time a tutor of mine suggesting I looked into art therapy practice as a way to bolster the final dissertation I was writing. I did, and while I barely scratched the surface of the discipline some of what I read remained at the back of my mind as I began my teaching career. It wasn’t until much later, when I found myself in my early thirties, that art therapy once more became a part of my life. And there it remained as I undertook an MA in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths, University of London.

So what is art therapy?

At its core it is rooted firmly in the psychodynamic/psychotherapeutic domains. This means, essentially, that a client is free to explore and express whatever is on their mind. How art therapy differs from the more traditional view of psychotherapy however is the added inclusion of art materials. There is no therapist’s couch, but instead a safe and nurturing environment conducive to creativity. The subconscious plays a very large role here, and as an art therapist it is my job to facilitate the creative process but never to lead. It is also not my role to interpret what the client has made, allowing the client to discuss freely whatever the process of tapping into their creativity has brought up for them.

The sessions are held in the designated art therapy space in the art studio here at Learn Different. Sessions are strictly private and confidential and clients are made aware right from the outset that the space is for them to use any way they desire, the materials are there for them to use any way they desire and they can say, or not say, whatever they like. The idea being that the room becomes a safe space and ‘container’ for their emotional issues. The only boundaries that are placed on the client are those of time and safety. As the therapy develops a three-way relationship is formed between the client, the therapist and the artwork, with the art therapy space acting as the container. It is important for clients to feel at ease in the space and a relationship of trust between them and the therapist is very important. If I felt a client was in danger, or had divulged information that I felt needed to be shared with other significant persons, I would make it clear to them that this is my intention – this is the only time specific details of the sessions will be discussed outside of the therapeutic space. All artwork made during the course of the therapy is kept in the art therapy space, in the same place, until the therapy has come to an end. It is not on display for others to see and is kept within its own folder. This again reiterates for the client the important containing aspect of the room. Session length is fifty minutes (the traditional ‘therapist’s hour’) for adults, and between thirty and fifty minutes for children.

People come for art therapy for many different reasons. I cannot reiterate this enough, but it is not something that requires you to be ‘good at art’. It is not so much the product that is the important thing here but the process, and how it enables the client to express him or herself in ways the more traditional talking therapies may not. I have worked with elderly clients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, to young adults diagnosed with all manner of psychoses, to young children with behavioral difficulties. Age is not an issue and neither are the reasons for being in therapy.

Individuals can be in art therapy for a relatively short number of sessions, whilst others require therapy for much longer periods. There is no set time period. Art therapy is not something that can be considered a ‘quick fix’. The benefits of Art therapy can include: gaining a greater understanding of oneself; gaining a greater understanding of the reasons behind emotional difficulties; relief from painful or difficult feelings; and an increase in general wellbeing.

I have been witness to the benefits of art therapy on many occasions. One of my first placements as a therapist saw me volunteering for Kid’s Company, a UK based children's charity. I was placed within a school in north-east London and worked with a young boy of eight years old for the duration of an academic year. I shall call him ‘Jay’. Jay had emotional and behavioral issues and as a result was failing academically. The school felt that an intervention was necessary and so enlisted the help and support of Kid’s Company. As the therapy progressed Jay was able to utilize the art materials in a way that reflected the very messy internal feelings he was carrying. Through his use of paint he was able to explore and express himself in a way that made sense to him - his images became a very real and concrete reflection of what he couldn’t say verbally. As often difficult as this was for him, his behavior began to improve slowly as he realized that our sessions were a much better outlet for his frustrations and angst than his classroom or playground. He began to improve academically as his self-confidence grew and through close collaboration with his teacher, parents and other significant adults we were able to change what had the potential to be a very difficult time for him.

This is just one of the many incidences where art therapy has helped someone. I feel very fortunate to have discovered a process that has so many benefits, one that appeals to my creativity as well as my desire to help others understand themselves. If through being an art therapist I have helped change at least one person’s life for the better, then I know I have succeeded.

If you would like any further details, or would like to make an appointment for an initial consultation, or would just like to chat about what art therapy is and what it can do, I can be reached at ozouchoka@learndifferent.com.sg or by ringing Learn Different on +65 6836 1128.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words!

2011-10-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Learn Different Facts

2011-10-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

1. Opened doors in 2008 and is registered with the Council for Private Education, Singapore.

2. Mission is to challenge, nurture and empower the differentiated learner.

3. Believes that every child deserves to be taught in the way he or she learns best.

4. Offers three services that operate together and separately: the Academy, Integrated Therapy, and Learning Support.

5. Is an IPC (“International Primary Curriculum” UK) accredited school.

6. Has an equal expatriate and local student population.

7. Is an inclusive learning environment which embraces all students, and bridges the gap between special needs education and mainstream education in Singapore.

8. Recognizes the science of teaching through measuring grades, but it also considers the human element to learning.

9. Academy curriculum gives students opportunities to learn, synthesize and apply.

10. Has qualified teachers, facilitators and therapists from around the globe.

About our Founder and CEO, Sharon Sophie Solomon.

2011-10-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ms. Sharon Solomon began her journey as a student, struggling to learn. Her own experiences shaped her decision to venture down a path to help the differentiated learner – the one who “falls through the cracks”, the “teacher’s nightmare”, the “parent’s dilemma”.

After teaching in private clinics, working with diverse learners over several years, and partnering with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) to set up its first ever library catering to the dyslexic reader, the vision for Learn Different was formed.

In 2008 this vision became a reality. Covering ten-thousand square feet of lush grounds in Singapore, Learn Different Academy, LD Integrated Therapy and Learn Different Centre for Language & Literacy is a unique and simple model: an inclusive learning setting for the differentiated learner. Its small student-to-teacher ratio allows for a complete education involving both the academics and socio-emotional skills for every learner. In January 2011, the junior school took shape. Now students can continue their learning according to their abilities in a safe and nurturing environment, bridging the best in academia and what is relevant in our world.

Ms. Solomon is currently working on a Masters of Education in Leadership from the University of Minnesota, USA, and she holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Australia). Certified by the College of Teachers (UK) in Dyscalculia Studies, she has also earned a Diploma in Instrumental Enrichment ICELP (Mediated Learning, RTI, Cognitive Modifiability; Israel), and a Diploma of Associateship in the Teaching of Speech and Drama from the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama. A former journalist at CNBC Asia, Ms. Solomon has held executive positions in AWARE (Association of Women for Action & Research), and currently holds executive committee positions for the Manasseh Meyer International School and Ronald McDonald House Charities®.

A new day at Learn Different!

2011-10-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself 'old school', but setting up a blog and marketing using social media have left me feeling a little out of my comfort zone. Alas, it is a new day at Learn Different (literally and metaphorically) and as I hear giggles and the shuffling sounds of little feet scuffling by my office, I am reminded that our students have just returned back from an exciting field trip to the Pasir Ris Kid's Kampong. Seeing their smiling faces I am also reminded why this blog is necessary and why embracing new technologies in marketing can only encourage awareness of our mission: to challenge, empower and nurture the differentiated learner.

Today is also the last day of Term One before a week long break. Reflecting on the term, I have a personal highlight I'd like to share. During our IPC (International Primary Curriculum, UK) unit, "Dressing Up", we held a fashion show that was well worth being late for an important board meeting! The students each wore something that they chose or something they felt represented themselves. The teachers set up a little runway in the performance studio and each class strutted their stuff. It was amazing to witness some children transform themselves! Children who don't usually engage in eye contact were sashaying themselves down the runway like little professionals; giving the obligatory static pose at the end for the photographer (me)! Some even introduced themselves and spoke about their outfits. Seeing kids so self-possessed and confident at a young age is a testament to their hard work, to their teachers efforts and to the learning environment we provide at Learn Different Academy.

Of course, there were many, many other highlights and as this blog continues more will be shared. But for now, Learn Different has an official blog which will soon be linked to our website. Like our Biweekly Newsletter, we intend to share articles, resources, important events, snippets or your child's learning journey and much much more as time goes on.

Jennifer Ireland Chadam
Head of Communications and Development
Learn Different