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3 Ways Brain Science Can Help You Be A Better Home Educator

8/10/2018

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Since 1734 when Christian von Wolff came up with the theory that the human mind is a separate entity than the rest of the body (see Faculty Psychology here), the education of American students — as well as students in other parts of the world — has been to exercise and strengthen the intellect of students through the educational model called “mental discipline.” For younger students this meant the tedious drill and repetition of basic skills. For older students this meant the eventual study of abstract subjects such as classical philosophy, literature, and languages.

While additional subjects like history, geography, and science have been added to what children are supposed to learn, many methods and even text books have remained the same. Noah Webster’s “American Spelling Book” (first published in 1783) and William Holmes’ “McGuffey Readers” (first published in 1836) are still in print and used by some educators today.

By 1906, the Carnegie Unit was adopted as the way to assure students received a an adequate education. Students are awarded credits for classes based only on seat-time (how much time the student spends in class). Carnegie Units are still used today to determine the credits necessary to graduate from high school or other accredited institutions.

While some things have changed in the last nearly 300 years, unfortunately in the case of educating children much has stayed the same despite modern research into how the brain learns best, even among children who are educated at home. Why? That’s not a debate I’m ready to tackle. :) But how can we better teach our children? That one is easy.

First, we need to make learning fun. Emotion is like an on/off switch for learning. Dr. Robert Sylwester said, “Emotion drives attention & attention drives learning, memory, problem solving, & just about everything else.” Our children need to have a positive reaction to what they are learning or their brains turn off. If all they are exposed to are worksheets, textbooks, quizzes, tests, and abstract learning, their brains will remember only that the content being taught to them is boring and not worth remembering beyond the test.
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Second, we need to realize that stress can cause our brains to shut down. Some educators try to reduce stresses in the classroom by using a philosophy called “Absence of Threat.” What this really means is a classroom free of stress — both real or imagined. All students should feel safe to learn, explore, share, and even exist within a culture of respect. If our students are stressed they cannot learn. This is equally true in the home. The more a child feels accepted, valued, and respected, the more teachable they are.

Third, fibers called dendrites grow from your neurons. Each neuron (our brains have at least 100 billion of them!) is capable of growing 10,000 or more dendrites. As you learn new things, new dendrites are formed. New dendrites can also grow from existing dendrites, similar to the way twigs sprout from the branches of trees, when you learn things that are connected or in a pattern. Your dendrites can connect with other dendrites to cause something called synapse when you learn things that are connected. Your neurological network grows stronger and stronger the more you learn. However, if the things you learn about are not part of a pattern, your dendrites may grow on neurons that are not connected. Those dendrites run the risk of getting weaker or shriveling. The same thing can happen if you stop learning. It then becomes harder to retrieve that information.
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We need to understand that our brains are able to change — for better or worse — at any age. The technical term for this is “neuroplasticity.” Our brains are full of cells called “neurons” which are capable of forming new connections or reorganizing old ones in response to changes in our environment or to adapt to new situations. By providing an environment that is conducive to learning, we give children a better chance at building new connections or strengthening old ones.

Our brains are pattern-seeking devices. To take advantage of that, parents should ascertain what each child knows so they can build upon that existing knowledge. They should then present new information in a way that relates to what the student already knows. This gives children the opportunity to strengthen dendrites already existing and to grow new ones, enabling the child to come up with answers more quickly.

While there are many other ways to take advantage of current brain research when teaching our children, these three can start helping you make a difference in your homes.

To receive a FREE 10 point guide on teaching in a brain-compatible way, click here.
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Newsletter  Vol. 1

5/1/2018

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EPIC Adventures -
The Beginning

I get asked all the time about how EPIC Adventures got their start. It was Karen Kindrick Cox who coined the term EPIC and created the first EPIC Adventures. She was a homeschooling mother, looking for ways to inspire her children and provide them with an education worthy of their precious time. These are her words:

"Early on a dear friend told me about Susan Kovalik and her work with teaching children, teachers and administrators. I sought her out and learned how to create brain compatible, year-long learning adventures. My sister Cynthia and I loved it from the start. Our encounter with Susan changed our homeschools (and our lives!) dramatically and brought magic and memories to our years.

Before long we were Associates with Susan Kovalik and Associates, presenting and helping to train public and private school teachers and administrators in the Integrated Thematic Instruction model during the summer week-long trainings and Advanced Curriculum Writing Workshops.

In time I developed the EPIC pattern and blueprint, and crowned our year-long learning adventures EPIC Adventures."

"We always felt there was something better and more enjoyable for all of us than the dull rituals commonly associated with school."

Solar Eclipse

In August of 2017, I made a life-changing decision. Instead of staying home to watch a partial solar eclipse, I made a last-minute decision to take my family and make the trek to Rexburg, Idaho to see the total eclipse of the sun.
"For a truly enriched environment, we need to begin to supply our children first with the real experiences from which they can make connections and form patterns as they move into more symbolic and second-hand forms of information." Karen Kindrick Cox
Read More
Write Your Own Adventure!
Do you have an idea for an adventure you'd like to take your children on, but don't see one already written? Write your own adventure! Personalize it to your family's needs. Take your children to the lands of your ancestors or to ancient ruins. Discover how and why things work, then create your own masterpieces. Study great and noble people, thoughts, and ideas. Everything you need to know in order to write your own adventures is included in this book.

“Being There” Experiences

A “being there” experience actually involves ALL of your senses, not just one, two, or three. By activating all of your senses, you hard-wire the experience into your long-term memory. The next time you are exposed to something you learned through a “being there” experience, you can recall it in vivid detail.

Keep Reading

Upcoming events

We will be participating in the LDSHE Homeschool Conference in Logan, Utah on May 30 - Jun 1. Stop by and visit by our booth at the vendor hall. You can see our curriculum and talk with us! We will also be presenting at the following days/times:

Thursday, 9:45 am - What Ignites True Learning?
Thursday 1:45 pm - Product Presentation: How to Write an EPIC Adventure
Copyright © 2018 EPIC Adventures, All rights reserved.
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  • Home
  • EPIC?
    • How it Works
    • Research
  • Shop Now!
  • Adventures
    • A Noble Birthright >
      • Noble Birthright Samples
    • Renaissance Minds
    • Heroes >
      • Heroes Sample
    • Down the Mississippi
    • Magic Carpet Ride
    • How To Write
  • About
    • Karen
  • News
  • Contact
  • Resources