Welcome to the October 2014 edition of The Learning Brain.
This month I am delighted to tell you that Heidi Middlebrook, one of our most experienced specialists has won the Cogmed Coach of the Year award. Heidi works with many students who are seeking to improve their working memory via the Cogmed working memory program.
This month’s publication of The Learning Brain coincides with Term 3 school holidays. I hope you get a good rest (if you are a teacher), or enjoy the short break from the daily routine of getting your children off to school each morning.
Kind regards,
Latest Research
Neuroscientists Identify Key Role of Language Gene
Neuroscientists have found that a gene mutation that arose more than half a million years ago may be the key to humans’ unique ability to produce and understand speech.
Exercise before school may reduce ADHD symptoms in kids
Paying attention all day in school as a kid isn’t easy, especially for those who are at a higher risk of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
A new study from Michigan State University and University of Vermont shows that offering daily before-school aerobic activities to younger at-risk children could help in reducing ADHD symptoms in the classroom and at home. Read more.
What’s New?
Cogmed Coach of the Year Winner!
LearnFast’s Cogmed Coach, Heidi Middlebrook, has been named Cogmed Coach of the Year for the 2014/2015 year. Congratulations Heidi! Heidi received the award at the Australian Cogmed Conference in Melbourne last month. She was also on the expert panel at the conference.
Cogmed training is for people who are constrained by their working memory and who wish to improve their ability to concentrate. Cogmed is provided to both Schools and Home users by LearnFast. We will share further information about Cogmed with you over the coming weeks.
Free Download
How a Struggling Reader’s Brain Works Differently
Did you know? While home environment, access to books, and social and economic factors each play a part in children’s literacy development, brain differences also play a crucial role in the challenges faced by struggling readers. Download this struggling readers infographic and learn about intervention strategies.
Book of the Month
The Explosive Child
A Helpful Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene.
The Explosive Child offers a helping hand to parents who may feel overwhelmed by having to deal with children whose reactions to everyday stimuli may be far more extreme than normal. Read more.
App of the Month
Sequencing from I Can Do Apps
Sequencing from I Can Do Apps is a tool designed to work on sequencing and storytelling skills. It targets the concepts of first, last and next in the early levels and then applies these concepts in more complex tasks in later levels. It is ideal for parents, teachers and therapists to use with individuals of all ages. Learn More.
What’s On?

Is Auditory Processing Disorder Holding Your Child Back at School?
Recorded Webinar Hosted by Dr Martha Burns
Would you like a better understanding of what auditory processing is (and isn’t)? How auditory processing skills hold your child back at school? Join Dr. Martha Burns on this recorded webinar to learn all about this elusive, but important factor in children’s literacy development. Dr. Burns is the author of over 100 journal articles and multiple books and is a leading expert on how children learn.
Dyslexia Empowerment Week
19 to 25 October 2014
The aim of this very important week is to increase the community’s awareness and understanding of dyslexia so that children and adults with dyslexia receive the understanding and support they need! See how you can get involved.
Does Your Child have Challenges like Brodie?
“I would never have begun to imagine that he could make progress on the scale that he has. It ‘s been absolutely incredible”.
That’s Heather Walker, grandmother of Brodie, an 11 year old severely dyslexic boy, describing the extraordinary improvements that the Fast ForWord program made to his reading.

Watch Brodie’s mother and grandmother describe the changes Brodie got from using the Fast ForWord programs for 6 months, including how he is now reading Harry Potter novels, and how his confidence has improved.
Questions and Answers
Do you have questions about your child or students? Email us
Question: My son’s teacher thinks he may have dyslexia and has suggested he sees the school psychologist for an assessment. What does a dyslexia assessment involve?
Answer: As the name implies (Dys=difficulty, Lexia=word) dyslexia is difficulty with the written word, namely with reading, writing and spelling.
Initially we need to know that the student’s hearing and vision are sound.
Then an assessment for dyslexia should include evaluating the student’s cognitive abilities and the skills that underpin reading and writing known as phonemic awareness. This includes the student’s knowledge of sound-letter association and the ability to segment and blend sounds and syllables in words.
The assessment should include evaluating the student’s ability to read both real and non-words, read in context and spell. The assessment should also evaluate the student’s “ working memory” and their “rapid naming” ability which have been shown to be underdeveloped in students with dyslexia.
Sir Richard Branson
on being Dyslexic
“You should be proud of whoever you are” Sir Richard Branson speaks on
what it is like to have Dyslexia