Hi, Prin:
Shichida teaches that the right brain is open through age 6 and then closes. We do not agree with the part that it closes, and do not teach that right brain education alone is the answer to early childhood development. With our blend of Montessori and other techniques (see the 12 techniques of TweedleWink), we teach with a more "whole brain" approach.
Sorry about the long answer, but your question cannot be answered without actual brain development information.
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ALL ABOUT THE BRAIN :-)
THE LEFT BRAIN
There is a theory that the brain develops from right to left--children access the right brain before the nerve fibers (corpus callosum) for a bridge to the left brain. This left brain pathway becomes active at around age 2, but it can be before--and it can be later, especially with boys.
The left brain organizes information in the brain and is considered the "thinker." You know when this left brain pathway is active by observing a child's speech. If he/she is able to express thought into words (or sign language), then you know that the left brain "language brain" is functioning.
THE RIGHT BRAIN
The right brain is more subconscious. It is the "feeler." It can soak up information like a sponge and is integral later when working with photographic memory and speed reading, etc. The right brain pathway is wide open beginning prenatally. IMPORTANT: It does not close when the left brain pathway opens up. But can be overridden if there is no right brain stimulation.
Also, the right brain is really sensitive. It is the "feeler" and considered the "emotional brain." So, it can also shut down when a child experiences trauma of any kind--parent discord or inharmony, disapproval, or unkind disciplinary techniques.
THE WHOLE BRAIN
So, the goal is to provide a lot of healthy right brain stimulation while a child's brain is in the "right brain window"--before bridging to the left brain. Then, once the left brain opens naturally, to provide 2 types of education:
1 - right brain education (LOVE, FUN, flashcards, classical music, world language
exposure, tuning forms, etc.)
2 - left brain education (PRACTICALITY, puzzles, Montessori lessons, workbooks,
hands-on activities that play with writing, reading, math, etc.)
So, with this as a backdrop, here are my answers:
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QUESTION 1a: If we do the right brain training from birth to 6 years, does that mean they will automatically know how to tap into their right brain for the rest of their life?
ANSWER 1: Only if you encourage it, and more importantly, teach your child how to USE IT meaningfully beyond the first six years--applying it to school and life in a practical way.
That's why we have two programs.
If you teach a child TweedleWink from birth, the left and right brain pathways learn to function together because it is a more "whole brain program." We use TweedleWink for early childhood education, and then graduate the child to Wink when the left brain has fully emerged and needs more right brain support.
Step 1: TWEEDLEWINK (early education) includes 12 techniques to stimulate the whole brain:
4 techniques --> right brain enrichment
3 techniques --> development of the corpus callosum (the bridge between left and right)
4 techniques --> left brain enrichment
the last technique --> whole brain integration and prepares them to graduate to Wink
These techniques are gently, gradually presented as the child grows and develops. A newborn would receive techniques 1-7 in a lesson, for example. Little infants are in a pure right brain state and do not need left brain enrichment until later months. Once a child is at the 12th technique in TweedleWink (between age 4-7), we graduate them to Wink, which helps them keep developing the right brain through photographic memory, speed reading and alpha wave training.
Step 2: WINK (preschool to adult) encourages the right brain to stay open after the left brain self-expression of thought emerges.
Most educational systems utilize left brain education. Wink can be used in schools before teaching academic material, or during breaks--or at home after school or at night as a "balancer" to keep the right brain strong. It only takes 10-15 minutes a day to keep the right brain open--and once it is really active, children and teens don't have to do much to keep it open. As long as a child feels LOVED, they can keep that pathway open and active and enjoy learning with both sides of the brain.
Once a child has consciously learned Wink techniques, and use their photographic or speed intake abilities often, they don't really need games or activities or lessons from us to maintain their abilities. They often use their knowledge to help mentor others.
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QUESTION 1b: They will have photographic memory, etc for the rest of their life?
ANSWER: We all have photographic memory. Early visual stimulation, as long as it is free from stress, will open the visual pathway so that their intake and recall of visual information is crystal clear. The later Wink activities help them develop this to a more mature technique, but even without it, a child will have photographic memory.
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QUESTION 2: We do not need to train them anymore after 6 years old? Anything we need to do after 6 years old?
ANSWER 2: We do! :-) Once the child is at the PRESCHOOL stage of development (please see the "TweedleWink Overview Chart"), we begin to teach Wink. 10-15 minutes a day is all that is needed.
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QUESTION 3: How will a right brain kid differ from a kid without right brain training as they grow up?
ANSWER 3: When done with love, then they understand their world, can interact with it intelligently (left brain), sensitively and creatively (right brain). They can pick up information really quickly and this makes them feel empowered and excited about learning. As long as parents keep the family system loving and kind and strong and help their child acquire their abilities with humility and respect for others, the child will grow up balanced and happy.
To be honest, in the past, we've had a mixed bag of children who came out of the program with different attitudes. We have twenty-something and teenage graduates from the early learning program now. All have memory and speed reading--some with the mental math and perfect pitch abilities. But their attitudes are different. Some, sadly, have arrogance and intolerance for others who had less abilities then themselves. And those with strong families who had a moral or spiritual foundation are more humble and compassionate.
Our newest phase of training is on "inner family" psychology--helping parents create happy families so that this is possible.
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QUESTION 4: What are you hoping to achieve or give your childs when you are doing right brain training on them?
ANSWER 4: Here is an excerpt from our Right Brain e-book. You can download it for free on the internet--just go to our home page
http://www.rightbrainkids.com And if you want to see the summary of TweedleWink, we have a free e-book for that as well.
The 5 goals of right brain education are...
The 5 Goals of Right Brain Education
Every right brain (whole brain) classroom should have a large colorful poster with the “5 Goals of Right Brain Education.” These goals remind us not to take ourselves too seriously and get off-track. They remind us to continually put relationships before results. They remind us what the true purpose of learning is all about!
Goal 1 Build a Loving Bond Between Parent and Child
A loving family is the foundation of all learning. This is the most fulfilling goal of all. When a parent-child team enters the classroom as a dysfunctional unit, in most cases, it is because the mother or father is a left-brain auditory learner and the child is a right-brain visual learner. They’re simply on different tracks, and communicate in different ways. Once the adult begins to speak to the right-brain, many of the child’s “learning problems” dissolve, bringing the whole family closer together.
Goal 2 Heighten Senses
This part of the program is truly ground breaking. Heightening your senses is like washing the windows of your mind—increasing your conscious awareness of everything that is happening around you. Simply put, you notice a lot more. When hearing instructions, you receive every detail. When hearing a lecture, you walk away with more memory. When seeing a landscape, you notice every nuance—each blade of grass, the way the sun hits tree branches, the multiple shades of color in the clouds above. All the great masters of art and science have relied upon their heightened senses to bring forth the highest form of perfection. Sight, sound, taste, touch, smell and your natural intuitive senses are all sharpened through fun right brain play!
Goal 3 Increase Mental Creativity
The right brain is a universe of unlimited possibility where ALL YOUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE! When children use the right brain pathway, they know no limits. They can invent, play and create anything their heart desires. One day, when imaging with 8-year-old Gabriel, I asked him to design a car for me. I asked him to build a car that could go over the mountains instead of having to follow the roundabout pathways that can make driving in Montana so tedious! He was quiet for quite some time. When he opened his eyes, he drew a picture. His design included jet packs, and intake panels on the front of the car that took in air and forced it down to lift the car off the ground. Later, he showed his picture to his mechanically-minded father who commented on its efficacy—he had just created a form of VTOL aircraft!
Goal 4 Make Learning Easy and Joyful
Did you know that you have a personal computer sitting atop your shoulders? The right brain takes images in every split-second and records and files it there for later use. That’s why, when you tap into right brain memory, learning simply becomes a matter of gathering information and playing with it!
Goal 5 Let Your Child’s Genius Shine
Helping our children realize their highest potential, free from our expectations, is the greatest gift we can give back to life.
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I hope that these answers were helpful.
Kindly,
Pamela
www.rightbrainkids.com
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