How To Learn: Tips, questions, answers, solutions

Mid-Year School Motivation For Your Child

2008-01-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that right after the new year begins, your child's interest in school starts to, shall we say, slow down?

Teachers give lots of reasons like the low pre-vacation test scores that just came back, or students get discouraged and feel like they can't do any better, or maybe just plain ole' boredom.

But years of teaching have proven to me that it doesn't have to be that way.

I always found new ways of motivating my students to cross the finish line at the end of the school year using quick and easy learning strategies that boosted their belief in themselves and their grades.

A lot of schools these days are struggling with poor test scores, low grades and kids who are really down on themselves.

But, showing the kids how to play the school game and win turns everything around.

Reading and Remembering What's In A Textbook Can Actually Be Fun!

For example, does your child know that simply drawing a circle, putting the heading of the chapter, and spokes with the subheadings, then creating humorous pictures of what the ideas remind them of, boost memory many times over?

Or if they are reading and the words don't look like they should, doctors say colored overlays can improve reading levels by more than a year in less than a week?

If your child has the mid-year motivation blues, there are over 20 easy and proven learning strategies in e-books like Instant Learning For Amazing Grades.

It's jam packed with 200 pages of easy, fun and long proven strategies to increase motivation, master spelling and math facts in half the time, learn new vocabulary as fast as you'd like, and what to do if your child learns differently than he's tested or has learning challenges like ADHD or reading.

Check it out and transform your child quickly into one who's motivated and knows how to learn anything fast.

Copyright 2008 Pat Wyman

Science Project Stumped? Miami Herald News Has Answers

2007-12-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Today's Instant Learning Tip from the Miami Hearld News:

Are you and your child stumped for a science project this year? Gone are the good old days when these projects were easy.

But Miami Herald News Columnist, Cindy Goodman, solves your science project woes in her December 12th, 2007 column. - click here for more.

Relax, get balanced and pick up those unique science projects you need.

P.S. - When you want more tips, subscribe to How To Learn's Instant Learning Parent Tips and leave a comment on this blog about your science project experiences. I'll send you my son's blue ribbon project that won him the $100 first prize!

What Your Doctor May Not Notice That Can Cause Your Child To Struggle In School

2007-11-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, I worked with Ivan, a third grade boy, whose reading and handwriting problems told me he had vision issues. As a reading specialist, I knew from experience, these were not the kind of problems he'd "grow" out of.

Not only was reading hard for him, but there were no spaces between the letters when he wrote the words in the book we were making.

Ivan is much like the one in 10 American kids that USA Today and the American Optometric Association say have undiagnosed eye problems. When I asked, Ivan told me he'd never had an eye exam.

What's even more worrisome, when nearly 70% of our kids do not read at grade level, is that an "estimated 85,000 children will enter kindergarten with lazy eye" (USA Today) - which can lead to serious eye and vision problems, and maybe even blindness later on.

Doctors can easily miss a lazy eye during a routine well child check, because it's not always obvious. It's not easy for parents to spot either, unless a child's eyes are crossed. Sadly, lazy eye causes so many problems both in school, in sports and at home, a child's self-esteem can virtually be destroyed if this problem is not diagnosed.

Ivan told me he thought he was dumb, but I knew better. I assured him that his eyes were playing tricks on him and that he might want to ask his parents for an eye exam.

This seemed to make him feel a whole lot better, and he even laughed out loud.

In the meantime, I had Ivan put one finger between his words, and write on paper with large lines and spaces. We also used graph paper for his numbers.

Then, we started practicing some tracking activities from the I Read I Succeed Kit and Ivan went home much happier that day.

Tip: If you have a child under 12 months, former President Jimmy Carter is the national spokesperson for a program called Infantsee at infantsee.org. Your baby can have a free eye exam and you can give your child the gift of good "eyesight" and "vision" to make sure reading is fun, and like James Patterson says, a "page turner."

Tip: If your child is older, go to http://www.covd.org/ or http://www.oep.org/ and find and eye doctor now. It's never too early, and definitely, never to late. Then make sure to tell your pediatrician the results so everyone is on the same page...

Thankyou!

2007-11-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

My deepest thanks to all our readers and Thanksgiving blessings to you and your families.

The second greatest gift you can give your child, after your love, is the ability to learn and understand how to apply that learning. How To Learn is here to help you do that, answer your questions, and give your child learning success today and in the future.

Our family celebrates Thanksgiving on Saturday this year, as my daughter is is helping her patients at the hospital until then. What are your special plans?

I encourage you to share your Thanksgiving stories here and thank you again for your love and trust. One of my former students, who I helped years ago, invited me to her college graduation "with high honors" at USC this year. She wrote a beautiful note and thanked me for believing in her from the very beginning.

Every child is truly a precious miracle and has a special genius you can help them unleash. Step back for just a moment and allow your "genius" child to grow up happy and healthy, and "pay it forward."

Blessings to all,
Pat Wyman

FREE Answers To Your Most Important Learning Questions Telephone Seminar - Wed. Sept. 26th

2007-09-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents and Teachers,

How often do you have access to FREE learning answers from a veteran teacher and learning expert with nearly 30 years experience getting stellar results for students?

Well, on Sept. 26th, you will.

After you've taken just one minute and gone to survey monkey

to ask your most important question about helping your child get higher grades

(so far, study skills, memory, and motivation) are the neck in neck results,

I'll answer as many of your questions, including the one you write in at the bottom, during our 60-90 minute FREE telephone seminar on:

Wed. Sept. 26, 2007 at 6:30 PST
Number to call is (507) 726 3200 , then enter your PIN at the prompt: 33551#

(this number is just like calling your favorite Aunt in Toledo (most likey about 2-3 cents a minute)

We are starting right on time so check http://www.time.gov/ to verify your time zone. We are on Pacific Standard Time (daylight savings time) right now, in California, U.S.A.

Let all your friends and family know, and if you're a teacher, send this page on to the parents of your students, and we'll "meet" on the call.

Hint: We'll have a special surprise for you too!

Enjoy Faster Learning,
Pat Wyman
Best selling author, Learning vs Testing
University Instructor of Education
Founder, http://www.howtolearn.com/

What Is Your Number 1 Question About Helping Your Child Get Higher Grades?

2007-09-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

Want expert answers to help your child get higher grades?

Ask your number 1 question here and I'll answer your most pressing questions on our back to
school, HowToLearn.com, telephone seminar on Sept. 26, 2007 at 6:30 PM, PST.

Visit:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7JYsozdqHRl_2buJo7vGdYZw_3d_3d

Forward this on to your friends and family who have children struggling in school, and get the
learning answers you need from a veteran learning expert and best selling author - FREE!

Looking forward to "meeting"you on the call.

Watch your e-mail next week, and you'll get the call in number, VIP pin number and a preview
of the most pressing questions we receive.

Live, learn and "make a difference",
Pat Wyman
http://www.howtolearn.com

Vision Problems Can Be Misdiagnosed As ADHD

2007-08-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today, I was researching information to help me testify on some pending vision screening legislation that could truly make a difference in your child's learning success.

In addition, I received an e-mail from a mom of a 10 year old, who asked for help, because despite a regular eye exam, her son was still struggling in school. A portion of my reply to the mom is below, as well as a link to the NBC news segment on how vision problems can often be misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD.

For more than 30 years, American schoolchildren have suffered from declining reading scores, and today, the National Center for Education Statistics says that nearly 70% of America's 4th, 8th and 12th graders are not reading at grade level.

As I've said so many times, you want your child to beat these odds. My daughter did, and is now a pediatrician helping heal children. Hundreds and even thousands of others have been helped in the same way my daughter was. Had I not discovered the source of her vision problems early however, it could have negatively affected her entire school career and she might not be a doctor today.

As a parent, howtolearn has worked very closely with multiple optometric associations and developed an inventory that can help you give your eye doctor more information about what may really getting in the way of your child's learning progress.

If you're concerned that your child may have ADD/ADHD, which one of our medical doctor experts recently told me may be the latest "fad" diagnosis, you may be very interested in the NBC5 Chicago newstory on why vision problems may be mis-diagnosed as ADD/ADHD.

I welcome and encourage your comments and we have several free Instant Learning tips newsletters that you may want to receive or show to your friends.

3 Biggest Back To School Mistakes That Will Lower Your Child's Grades

2007-08-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

My niece was visiting last week, and as we played a board game, I noticed she was making the kinds of errors proving she had a vision problem.

Knowing she was going back to school, I asked her lots of questions and quickly discovered she could barely see the calendar on the wall 10 feet away, and held her book right up to her nose when she read.

The warning flag was up - so I told my sister what to do to help my niece see perfectly.

Your child is going back to school so after you've purchased all those supplies, if you ignore these 3 things, you can unintentionally create lower grades and lower self-esteem,

Read over the 3 listed here then act right away to help your child have the best year ever.

1. You Don't Know How The World Looks Through Your Child's Eyes

The ability to read is key to learning. Your child's vision changes when reading increases, so if you don't know how the world looks through your child's eyes, your child may be at risk for low grades and test scores, simply because he may think everybody else sees things the same distorted way.

The solution: Eye doctors say to make sure your child has a thorough eye exam before school starts every year. That distance school vision screening eye chart has nothing to do with reading a book.

To give your child a comprehensive eye and vision exam, visit these sites to find a doctor in your area, then use the free Eye-Q Inventory to show you exactly how your child sees the printed page.

Two former U.S. Presidents had kids or grandkids and their vision problems went unnoticed until serious problems showed up. Follow their lead and go to COVD.org, OEP.org to find a doctor who can give your child the type of learning related vision exam that sets him up for success.

Great news. You can start early and identify and fix vision problems before your child is 12 months old for free. Former President Jimmy Carter will tell you how at Infantsee.org.

If your child is already reading, check out the free Eye-Q reading inventory to find out for sure how your child sees the world and their books at at HowToLearn.com

2. You Don't Know Whether There Is A Mis-Match Between Your Child's Learning Style And The School's Written Testing Style

Kids learn in many ways, but schools test in only one.

If your child happens to be a visual learner, who thinks in pictures, they are likely to get the highest grades, because it fits how they are tested.

Kids who learn more by hearing or kinesthetically, through movement (often labeled with ADD or ADHD), need to know how to add some visual learning strategies so they can learn faster and be at or even above grade level.

The Solution: Your whole family can take the free Personal Learning Styles Inventory and I suggest you read it aloud to your kids. It will self-score for you and you'll know how your child learns best.

If you discover your child prefers the kinesthetic style, act now to show your child those visual strategies he'll need to get higher grades.

3. You Can't Tell Whether Your Child Knows The Memory Strategies Needed To Get High Grades and Test Scores.

Teachers are overworked and don't have time to give your child the one-on-one attention she needs to teach "how to learn" and the memory strategies that A+ students already know.

Check out the 155 free test taking tips and memory made easy program at this site.

America's Reading Crisis: Nearly 70 % Don't Read At Grade Level

2007-08-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Former President Jimmy Carter said, "Vision is the single biggest handicapping problem in children."

If you're stumped as to why your child struggles to read, school eye chart exams won't give you the answer. They are for distance eyesight only, and no child reads a book at 20 feet away while covering one eye.

Before heading back to school, give your child a comprehensive vision exam, listen to your child read aloud and ask the following questions to get to the bottom of the problem and how to solve it.

E-Learning: The Future Or A Big Waste of Time?

2007-08-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched people playing games on cell phones, computers and other electronic gadgets and wondered if they were just wasting their time?

Click here for a new article to find out whether E-Learning is our future, a time waste, and exactly what it's doing to your brain.

Log in and let us know what you think...

New Way To Motivate Yourself To Burn Fat

2007-07-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

New Way To Motivate Yourself To Burn That Fat and Strengthen Your Brain

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about why all the hype on low fat and low carb diets is absolutely false.

Your body needs good fats and has to rid itself of the bad ones -like trans and hydrogenated fats that keep you fat, and make you even more hungry.

We keep hearing that obesity in both children and adults is at an all time high. Did you know that carrying around extra weight and fat affects all your organs, reduces your ability to remember things and creates a virtual waterfall of other problems?

My daughter, now a physician, says that one of her main goals is to get kids and adults into shape - so they feel better, have a high performance memory, and have fewer health issues.

So this week, I'm keeping my promise to share strategies that actually show you, once and for all, how to burn that fat off, and feed your muscle. Plus, it's easier than you think.

Click here to read the tips and program.

One mom had this to say:

"This program has changed my life. I have lost 3 dress sizes in 4 months and feel better than ever before. I now have my husband on the program.

If we can do it with 4 kids and full time jobs -- anyone can."

L Ramirez,California, USA

Another person said this:

"I like the nutrition program because I can customize it to my liking. I never get bored."

J. Crowe, B.C., Canada

As for me, I'm always reviewing and using the best available methods for learning and health. They really do go hand in hand.

If you don't feel your best, you won't do your best, in life, in school or in work.

Click here for more..

Here's To a healthier You and Your Family,
Pat Wyman

Beware of iPhone and fingernails - forget it as a back to school gift

2007-07-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

I sat on a plane and actually used the new iPhone last week because the fellow sitting next to me was kind enough to let me "try" to learn something new and post it on my blog.

He laughed and said, "Go to your own website" and just try clicking on a hyperlink.

He got me because he knew something that I didn't. Forget the iPhone if you happen to have fingernails - it only seems to work with the sensors on your fingertip.

And here I really wanted to share some back to school tips from HowToLearn.com (even before the plane took off) ... guess I'd better trim my nails first...

Can Visual Thinking Show Your Child How To Learn, Raise Grades and Actually Change Your Family's Life?

2007-07-06T15:49:00.001-07:00

And so, the Back to School jitters begin...

As parents, we know schools test our kids endlessly these days. Just like the energizer bunny, this written testing 'keeps on going' through college, grad school and even beyond.

So who gets this and aces the tests? Well, it turns out, kids who think in pictures, the "visual" learners, have long unlocked the secret.

They naturally have all the traits that match the school's written testing system just the way it is - (Hint - ask any teacher what the class grade roster looks like -- all the kids are not getting A's every time - and it's a real shame -- because, as I've heard someplace before, we do have the technology) :):)

So, as much as I'd love to see the world change, and schools adapt to your child's learning style, sad to say, it's unlikely that either school or employers are going to shift quickly enough to help kids who struggle today The tests go on...

Question: So, what next?

If you notice that institutions often change very slowly, how can you help your child pass all those darn tests now? Remember, you need a RIGHT NOW PLAN, not a five or 10 year plan.

Answer: Applaud, revere, respect your child's learning style, and then show your child how to learn faster and easier by thinking visually.

Why? Because, a whole lot of neuroscience and good old fashioned experience shows that come crunch time, the child who has just a few of these simple, how to learn visual memory strategies, now has precisely what they need for the zippy fast study and recall methods they need to succeed on the tests.

O.K., sounds simple enough, but have you ever tried to tell your kid to "picture" something he just read and then remember it? A lot of kids have real problems with this.

It's not that they aren't smart, it's just that they either don't know and don't know HOW to use the visual learning strategies they need to read, remember and retrieve the information during a test.

So, after 30 years or so in the education world, (parent, teacher, reading specialist, school administrator, etc.), I've refined this "here's HOW TO LEARN ANYTHING FAST to help your child succeed RIGHT NOW" -- into a system that is literally the fastest ways to A's and B's (assuming of course that your child actually uses the strategies).

Yes, and I agree. There's only a gazillion programs out there telling your kids how to do better in school.

But they all omit this one biggie - kids who get A's are mostly visual learners. They are neater, more organized, can really "see" things long term, and when they remember what they read for the test, they see it all in pictures - which is far faster that trying to recall how they feel about it or what it sounded like. Brain basics 101.

So, now it's up to you. Knowing "HOW TO LEARN" and think visually in school, can literally change your child's life and your family's life. Imagine the peace and quiet - no more homework hassles, no more horrific report cards and really low test scores...

I'm quite serious about this one. Imagine how you'd feel if you and your child learned a few of these visual strategies and then got A's and B's in oh, say a week or two.

I coach people how to do this all the time. It's not rocket science, it's a visual piece of cake. And... when it's used, I've watched kids beam... "Hey Mom, I failed my spelling tests for the past three years, but am getting "A" 's all the time now, cuz I use those visual picture thingy strategies we learned before school started this year..."

So, whether you want this "top secret" RIGT NOW information live, with me, in real time, or the CD version, here's more on How To Win The School Game, by thinking visually...

What are your thoughts on this testing business since you know it isn't going away any time soon?

What Does Independence Mean To You?

2007-07-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

If you are in the USA, today is the official Independence Day.

As I write this, after watching a beautiful fireworks display last night, in my very small town, (why they do this on the 3rd, I still wonder?), I've read a lot from people asking the same question today...

What does Independence mean to you?

As a parent, do you ever think you'll feel "independent" or do you even want to? Even as my daughter graduated from medical school and my son from college, I realize I have no need to feel "independent" from them and still love it when they come home, call and ask questions, and share their lives.

As an entrepreneur and author however, independence means a great deal to me and always has.

I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs - my grandmother started a company, at a time when women always stayed home, that eventually became the largest of its type in the country. My mother and father purchased a store, and my mother built that business even after my father passed away.

Since you already know I love learning new things, and how to help others learn them faster, I am reading a fascinating new book called The 4 Hour Work Week where the author shows you:

* why less is more
* how to achieve whatever your personal indenpendence, whatever that means to you
* how to escape the 9-5 grind if you want to and how to show your kids to do the same
* how to ask yourself the tough question during your day: Am I being active or productive?

There's so much more here that people like Jack Canfield, former teacher and creator of Chicken Soup For The Soul, now best selling author of The Success Principles: How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be, says it's truly time such a book was written and it's destined to be the manifesto for everyone.

We'll see about that - although Tim does believe in outsourcing what you can and showing you how to free up your time so you can enjoy life now and not put that off till later... maybe we'd all agree with that part.

What do you think? Leave your thoughts and I'll post them for our learning community...

8 Secrets For Getting Into College

2007-05-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Free teleseminar on the 8 Secrets For Getting Into The College Of Your Dreams. May 23rd. Register here.

Welcome! 52 Instant Learning Tips For You

2007-05-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Want to learn faster? Grab your FREE 52 Instant Learning Tips here