Heard about RBE, really want to do it with your child but unable to proceed? While pursuing right brain education, there are a few common pitfalls that we hope you avoid. Here are some of the golden rules to follow-
Introduce a lot of variety- So you got excited after seeing some videos of what all RBE kids can do and order a few flashcards to get started? You’ll be surprised at the speed at which kids can go through flashcards. They might refuse to see a set after as little as 5 showings! What do you do then? Introduce lots and lots of variety!
Shuffle the order of cards- You feel the child remembers the order of cards after showing them a few times? You can shuffle the order within the sets and also shuffle the sets altogether.
High Speed- It’s not right brain if it’s not at a minimum speed of 1 sec per card! So practise flashing, buy a thumb grip if you like. It’s important to flash at a high speed because the right brain needs it!
Stick to a routine- It’s necessary to stick to a daily rhythm with your child. And incorporate the flashcards in that rhythm. Pick a time when your child is at their happiest best and do the RBE activities everyday at that time. It can also be a time when your child is sitting down for a meal. This way, both you and your child will never miss the sessions as you both know that it’s a part of your daily routine-just like taking a bath or brushing your teeth.
Same Place- Pick a corner of the house where you do the activities. Make it distraction free-no loud noises, no toys. You can even fix a piece of furniture that your child sits on when they do this.
Stop before the child wants you to stop- Enthusiastic parents will sometimes introduce a lot of flashcards at one go when they feel their child is showing interest. The key is to keep them wanting more. If you feel their interest is fading, park those cards for another time in the day. Slowly keep on building the number of cards in a session-doing no more than 200 cards.
Follow the child’s lead/customize- Child interested in cars? Show them logos! The key is to always put in some cards that the child is interested in.
Real life connect- Always include some topics that the child can relate to. While it’s good to introduce topics like rabbit breeds or the solar system, always keep some cards that are related to the daily life of the child-e.g. At the dentist, in the supermarket.
Do other fun activities- RBE is not just restricted to flashcards! Start with a quick meditation or a song and dance, do some fun memory games or plan a hands-on activity around a particular topic. Keep it fun!
We hope these tips help you in practicing RBE at home with your child. For our right brain education program, pls contact us.