Nurture for the Future

Right Brain Development is More than Academics

by 4 Comments

This is probably one of the most detailed articles I have ever read about the Shichida program.  It is written by Aileen Kawagoe from Education in Japan.  The article is titled: “Dr Shichida’s spy-kids school“.

I’ve always wanted to read more about what Makoto Shichida says about right brain education but have never been able to get my hands on a copy of any of his books.  They seem to be out of print.  Anyway, the article linked above gives a pretty good overview of the program and the background.

To continue on a discussion I was having with hubby about right brain education…

One of hubby’s concerns about my zeal to develop our childrens’ right brain is that I might be going overboard with their academic development.  He wants our children to be all-rounded individuals, not just academically brilliant (which he believes is a given anyway because of their genetics).  Well, I want that, too, which is why I think right brain development is the perfect start to the whole education program for our children.

Right brain development isn’t just about having a photographic memory, speed reading, and being able to perform computer-like calculations.  It is an all-rounded program designed to help children develop abilities that allow them to make wise decisions, help other people, make discoveries and inventions, produce creative works and to excel in sports.

The testimonials from Shichida not only talk about children who are good at academics, but also in sports and music.  Shichida not only helps these children learn to excel in various areas of life, but it also teaches them discipline and self-control.  I think these are admirable traits.

Hirata Hayato, a Shichida child, said:

“If I image before playing sports, I can see the moves of my partners in advance.  Here are some examples.  When I play basketball, I can predict, most of the time, the next moves of teammates and opponents.  When I play baseball, I can predict the pitcher’s moves and act accordingly.  If I image the outcome before I hit or throw, things will turn out just as I have imaged.  This happens many times.  In Taekwondo classes which I attend twice a week, I know where my partner is going to attack and dodge accordingly.”

Interestingly, this was exactly the kind of thing hubby said he was able to do when he played hockey for his school – which is another reason why I think hubby’s manifestation of those special abilities that Shichida talks about is due to his extensive Lego and jigsaw puzzle play as a child.

Who is to know which skills and abilities my sons will develop.  Will they be able to do everything but to a lesser degree, or will they excel only at one thing?  Who knows?  If right brain education helps them develop something, no matter how slight, my time spent researching and implementing right brain education for my kids will all have been worth it.  Maybe they already have their father’s genius genes, maybe all this is completely unnecessary.  Well, I don’t think I’m comfortable taking that bet.

MELSCIENCE

All the coolest Chemistry experiments in one subscription


Right Brain Education: Shichida, Heguru, and TweedleWink

by 8 Comments

Want to learn more about Right Brain Education and how to practice at home with your child? Subscribe to our free newsletter and get a bonus Right Brain Education activity manual free!

During my research about right brain education online, I’ve come to realise that there are a lot of queries on forums regarding what the differences are between Shichida, Heguru and TweedleWink.  Having had the same questions in my mind, I tried to find out as much as possible and this is what I have been made to understand about these three programs.

There is a pretty good introduction to how right brain education came about in “How to Bring Out Your Child’s Genius in Just 10 Minutes a Day“.  This is the gist of it:

The forerunner in early childhood education was Glenn Doman.  His work began with brain-injured children.  His program focused on helping brain injured children catch up with their developmentally normal peers.  When his program worked so well, he decided to try it on “normal” children as a form of an accelerated learning program.

About the same time, Sperry released his ground-breaking research about the difference personalities of the left and right brain.  This research opened the doors to further brain research and the development of many accelerated learning programs by names such as Tony Buzzan, Edward de Bono, Ivan Barzakov, Barbara Meister Vitale, Colin Rose, Betty Edwards, Don Campbell, and Eric Jensen, etc.

The story then continues that Makoto Shichida took this information and developed an educational program targeting very young children following these accelerated learning techniques. However, according to the Shichida brochure, however, it states that Makoto Shichida had already begun talking about the importance of harnessing the right brain potential three years before the release of Ornstein and Sperry’s research.

Shichida’s methods were so successful that a Japanese business man bought his methods and created a franchise of Shichida centers all over Japan.  Okay, this is the part where rumour comes in – I read somewhere that Shichida and Heguru were originally the same group, so I’m assuming that the business man who bought the Shichida method was Hirotada Henmi, founder of Heguru.  For unknown reasons, they separated to form their own right brain schools – Shichida and Heguru.

This would definitely explain the similarity between the Shichida and Heguru programs.  Some parents who have taken their children to both classes have said that they are pretty much the same, although one parent has told me that there are some differences.

TweedleWink is slightly different.  Founded later than the other two programs, the TweedleWink program originated from a Montessori school that began to incorporate the accelerated learning techniques with the principles of the Montessori Method.  Some of the other teachings they adopted were from Glenn Doman, Makoto Shichida, Betty Edwards, Barbara Meister Vitale, and Colin Rose – to name a few.

Though there are similarities between TweedleWink and the Shichida/Heguru program, the distinct differences are:

  • Pace – TweedleWink believes in following the body’s natural rhythm.  Flashcards should be presented at the same pace as the heart beat.  Both Shichida and Heguru flash cards very rapidly – as seen in the Heguru video.
  • ESP – there are no ESP activities in the TweedleWink program.  Both Shichida and Heguru incorporate activities designed to develop a child’s ESP potential.
  • Repetitions – TweedleWink believes there should be fewer repetitions because repetition is the learning style of the left brain.  The right brain, which is photographic, captures new material instantaneously and does not require repetition.  Repetitions in Shichida and Heguru fall in between Doman’s 3 x day for 5 days and TweedleWink’s once a day for 3 days.
  • Movement – TweedleWink believes in the importance of movement to enhance learning.  Children, especially boys, need to move to absorb new material.  Shichida and Heguru is more structured.
  • Testing – TweedleWink believes that there should be no testing of the children as this promotes left brain bridging and reduces the right brain potential.  The philosophy is relationship first.  By virtue of the activities performed in Heguru (I don’t know about Shichida since I’ve never attended their classes), there is some testing occurring although it is very low-key.

There are some similarities and differences between the activities conducted in class.  This is where I will talk only about Heguru as I do not have any Shichida experience.

TweedleWink classes are set up to cover the following categories per lesson:

  • Art
  • Science
  • Culture
  • Perfect Pitch
  • Vocabulary
  • Math
  • Phonics
  • Poetry
  • Classical Music
  • Language

Activities in Heguru that are not included in TweedleWink:

  • Linking Memory (at least not for children under 4 years)
  • Mandala practice
  • Tangram puzzles
  • ESP games

Shichida, Heguru, Right Brain Education

MELSCIENCE

All the coolest Chemistry experiments in one subscription


A Snapshot into Heguru

by 1 Comment

Newsletter button

If you want to know what to expect in a Heguru class, the following video gives a pretty good snapshot:

http://www.hegl.info/movie/digest.html

Unfortunately, it’s not in English, but I think the images speak for themselves.  It’s only a small part of what they do in class, but it’s still something.  So just in case they refuse to give you the trial class like they did with me, you know a little more about what you’re getting before you sign up.

The classes that Gavin has been attending are pretty similar except that they are conducted in English.  The activities that Gavin does are not quite as advanced either.  For instance, towards the end of the video, they show an activity where the kids are shown a grid with pictures for a moment.  They are then required to do an activity requiring them to recreate the grid by placing the pictures in the correct squares.  Currently, in class, Gavin’s grid is only 2×2.

They also do other activities like Mandala, quantity recognition, ESP activities, physical activity, mental imaging, speed reading, counting with the abacus, and breathing exercises.  They also learn Math, Japanese, sing songs, and write.  The lesson concludes with a short story.

To learn more about Right Brain Education, visit the Right Brain Child.

Newsletter button

MELSCIENCE

All the coolest Chemistry experiments in one subscription


Right Brain Education: Home Materials – Mandala

by 9 Comments

Newsletter button

Learn more about Mandala Activities on the Right Brain Child.

Ha!  Looks like I don’t have to rely on the Shichida center for right brain education materials after all.  These days you can find anything online if you look hard enough.

Mandala

Thanks to Serene, I found this link for Mandala home practice called Everyday Mandala.  If you’re not familiar with Shichida or Right Brain activities, you can watch the videos below to find out more about the Mandala activity.

Mandala Practice – 1

Mandala Practice – 2

The Mandalas are pretty similar to the ones we do in Heguru but the level is somewhere in between.  To be honest, I often end up doing it for Gavin in class because he insists on colouring each square fully before moving on to the next.  Before he’s even done colouring one part, the answer is flashed up on the screen.  Sometimes, he starts colouring while the picture is up on the screen.  I guess a little more home practice is in order…

I found when I started doing home practice with the linking memory activity, Gavin’s recall in class improved visibly.  I guess if we practiced doing Mandalas at home, it would help him, too.

Photographic Memory Kit

I can’t remember how I came across this website – Right Brain Education Shop – whether I found it on Google or through another website.  The sell flashcards and CDs and a photographic memory kit.  It was the latter that caught my interest because it is pretty similar to one of the activities we do in Heguru where you have to remember the positions of pictures on a grid.

Newsletter button

MELSCIENCE

All the coolest Chemistry experiments in one subscription

Raising Successful Children

In Education


feed-dreamstale27 facebook-dreamstale25 twitter-dreamstale71 instagram-dreamstale43 linkedin-dreamstale45
Comodo SSL