Lynne Kenney – 2-Day Advanced Course: Executive Functioning Skills for Children & Adolescents: 50 Cognitive-Motor Activities to Improve Attention, Memory, Response Inhibition and Self-Regulation

Outline

Priming the Brain for LearningPriming the Brain for Learning

• Impact of brain stimulation, stress, ACE’s and trauma on learningImpact of brain stimulation, stress, ACE’s and trauma on learning
• Create low-stress-high-connection learning environmentsCreate low-stress-high-connection learning environments
• Biological precursors to learningBiological precursors to learning
• New preliteracyNew preliteracy
• Executive function precursorsExecutive function precursors
• 5 early predictors of academic success5 early predictors of academic success
• Create a calm classroom culture with kindness, respect & trustCreate a calm classroom culture with kindness, respect & trust
• Importance of collaboration, agency and creativity in learning and behaviorImportance of collaboration, agency and creativity in learning and behavior

Foundational Motor Competencies that Proceed LearningFoundational Motor Competencies that Proceed Learning

• Balance and weight shiftBalance and weight shift
• Postural control for better learningPostural control for better learning
• Foundational movement patterns & sequencesFoundational movement patterns & sequences
• Types of patterns and elementsTypes of patterns and elements
• How to build a movement sequenceHow to build a movement sequence
• Activities Activities
  • Balance activityBalance activity
  • Teaching weight shiftTeaching weight shift
  • Head, shoulders, hips & kneesHead, shoulders, hips & knees
  • Can everybody countCan everybody count
  • Initial brain primer sequences for attention, memory and self-controlInitial brain primer sequences for attention, memory and self-control

Musical ThinkingMusical Thinking

• We are musicalWe are musical
• Using The Love Notes Measures are magic!Using The Love Notes Measures are magic!
• “We Move on the Beat in Time Together”“We Move on the Beat in Time Together”
• Sequence is the secretSequence is the secret
• Activities Activities
  • Musical thinking rhythm cardsMusical thinking rhythm cards
  • Communicating need sets musicallyCommunicating need sets musically
  • Movin’ and Groovin’ movement mixesMovin’ and Groovin’ movement mixes
  • Creating your own standing patternsCreating your own standing patterns

Thinking Interventions for Better Learning and Behavior Thinking Interventions for Better Learning and Behavior

• Executive functions CAN be learnedExecutive functions CAN be learned
• Build core executive functions for achievementBuild core executive functions for achievement
• Cognitive skills building processCognitive skills building process

“I am the Best Coach for My Brain” – Lessons for Students “I am the Best Coach for My Brain” – Lessons for Students

• Teach children about their brainsTeach children about their brains
• Make executive functions transparentMake executive functions transparent
• “Cognitive Conversation”“Cognitive Conversation”
• Activities Activities
  • 8 brain lessons for students8 brain lessons for students
  • Cognitive conversation promptsCognitive conversation prompts
  • The THINK Cards SAM Call and response cardsThe THINK Cards SAM Call and response cards

The “Cognitive Conversation” about Attention The “Cognitive Conversation” about Attention

• My Attention EngineMy Attention Engine
• Attention is more than one thingAttention is more than one thing
• Attention cycleAttention cycle
• Types of attentionTypes of attention
• Activities Activities
  • Prompts and questionsPrompts and questions
  • Raise mindful awarenessRaise mindful awareness
  • My Attention EngineMy Attention Engine
  • Songs and chantsSongs and chants
  • Interactive conversational practiceInteractive conversational practice

Seated Work For Better Attention Seated Work For Better Attention

• Alert AttentionAlert Attention
• 1-5 minute desk percussion activities1-5 minute desk percussion activities
• Stadium effectStadium effect
• Compositions & orchestrasCompositions & orchestras
• Activities Activities
  • Table top tapTable top tap
  • Repeat the beatRepeat the beat
  • CogniTapCogniTap
  • ParadiddlesParadiddles

Cognitive Engagement – Music, Piano & DrummingCognitive Engagement – Music, Piano & Drumming

• Role of music in learningRole of music in learning
• Build musical skills through auditory channelsBuild musical skills through auditory channels
• Imagination in spatial drummingImagination in spatial drumming
• Meludia MethodMeludia Method
• TaikoTaiko
• Activities Activities
  • In Time (Advanced Brain Technologies) SolfegeIn Time (Advanced Brain Technologies) Solfege

Developing Your Own Patterns and Sequences Developing Your Own Patterns and Sequences

• PatternsPatterns
• SequencesSequences
• ElementsElements
• Sound and movement mixesSound and movement mixes
• CueingCueing
• ActivitiesActivities
  • You’re a conductorYou’re a conductor
  • We’re an orchestraWe’re an orchestra

Language, Dyslexia, Reading and LearningLanguage, Dyslexia, Reading and Learning

• What the research says about the precursors to readingWhat the research says about the precursors to reading
• Different types of dyslexiaDifferent types of dyslexia
• Role of speed of processing in readingRole of speed of processing in reading
• Temporality, timing and prosody in readingTemporality, timing and prosody in reading
• Are rhymers really readers?Are rhymers really readers?
• Activities Activities
  • Narrative language in daily lifeNarrative language in daily life
  • Visual story-telling – sequencing and patterning in picturesVisual story-telling – sequencing and patterning in pictures
  • Lullabies, folk songs and rhyming songsLullabies, folk songs and rhyming songs
  • Circle pattern rhyming activitiesCircle pattern rhyming activities

Visual-Motor Language: Spotlight Visual-Motor Language: Spotlight

• What is Spotlight and how was it developed?What is Spotlight and how was it developed?
• Collaboratively reading the visual-motor languageCollaboratively reading the visual-motor language
• Importance of cognitive cueingImportance of cognitive cueing
• Use spotlight in various settingsUse spotlight in various settings
• ActivitiesActivities
  • Initial instructions to the student(s)Initial instructions to the student(s)
  • Mirror and alternateMirror and alternate
  • Planer, lateral and contralateral movements for learningPlaner, lateral and contralateral movements for learning
  • Create your own sequencesCreate your own sequences
  • The one spotlight movement circleThe one spotlight movement circle

Brain Primers (Mike Kuczala) Brain Primers (Mike Kuczala)

• Developmentally progressive cognitive engagementDevelopmentally progressive cognitive engagement
• Increase cognitive-motor demandsIncrease cognitive-motor demands
• Engage creativity and collaborationEngage creativity and collaboration
• Engage the reluctant learnerEngage the reluctant learner
• Advanced mix and match elements, patterns and sequencesAdvanced mix and match elements, patterns and sequences
• ActivitiesActivities
  • Brain primersBrain primers

The “Cognitive Conversation” about MemoryThe “Cognitive Conversation” about Memory

• Working, short-term, long-term, visual working, verbal (auditory) working memoryWorking, short-term, long-term, visual working, verbal (auditory) working memory
• Encode and retrievalEncode and retrieval
• Art, music and movement improve scienceArt, music and movement improve science
• Activities Activities
  • File cabinet visual promptFile cabinet visual prompt
  • Retrieve math facts with Quick RickRetrieve math facts with Quick Rick
  • Encoding spelling with Slow MoEncoding spelling with Slow Mo
  • Working memory enhancement strategiesWorking memory enhancement strategies
  • Visual memory enhancement techniquesVisual memory enhancement techniques

Improving Behavior with Cognitive-Motor Movement Improving Behavior with Cognitive-Motor Movement

The “Cognitive Conversation” about SelfControl (Response Inhibition) + Impulsivity The “Cognitive Conversation” about SelfControl (Response Inhibition) + Impulsivity

• Achieve better classroom cohesion, socialization and behavior with responsive movementAchieve better classroom cohesion, socialization and behavior with responsive movement
• Difference between self-regulation and self-controlDifference between self-regulation and self-control
• Response inhibition and impulsivityResponse inhibition and impulsivity
• Types of impulsivity (motor, verbal, cognitive)Types of impulsivity (motor, verbal, cognitive)
• “Felt-Sense” of slowing down (self-control and selfregulation)“Felt-Sense” of slowing down (self-control and selfregulation)
• 5 quick effective responses to dysregulated kids5 quick effective responses to dysregulated kids
• Between urge, action and behaviorBetween urge, action and behavior
• Trauma, cognition, and dysinhibitionTrauma, cognition, and dysinhibition
• Block repetitive anxious thoughtsBlock repetitive anxious thoughts
• ActivitiesActivities
  • Think-UpsThink-Ups
  • Mary and Her Me Me Me’s!Mary and Her Me Me Me’s!
  • Periwinkle and PacePeriwinkle and Pace

Self-Regulation: Heavy WorkSelf-Regulation: Heavy Work

• Push, pull and holdPush, pull and hold
• How does proprioceptive feedback calm the brain and body?How does proprioceptive feedback calm the brain and body?
• What does the counting or cueing sound like?What does the counting or cueing sound like?
• Activities Activities
  • Successful transitionsSuccessful transitions
  • Stationary holds with the Musical Thinking Rhythm cardsStationary holds with the Musical Thinking Rhythm cards
  • Large-motor heavy playLarge-motor heavy play
  • Hand playHand play

Self-Regulation: Achieving an Alert State of Calm Self-Regulation: Achieving an Alert State of Calm

• Self-regulation: emotional, cognitive, sensory/motorSelf-regulation: emotional, cognitive, sensory/motor
• Self-regulation as energy managementSelf-regulation as energy management
• Use entrainment to reciprocally regulate 3,5,7,9 for calming in timeUse entrainment to reciprocally regulate 3,5,7,9 for calming in time
• Activities Activities
  • Co-regulationCo-regulation
  • Retro Walking Dressage PatternsRetro Walking Dressage Patterns
  • Yoga patternsYoga patterns
  • Tai Chi patternsTai Chi patterns
  • Mirror writingMirror writing
  • Self-monitoring worksheetSelf-monitoring worksheet

Attention, Memory and InhibitionAttention, Memory and Inhibition

• How bean bags engage visual trackingHow bean bags engage visual tracking
• How bean bags engage attention and memoryHow bean bags engage attention and memory
• Hand-eye patterns & sequencesHand-eye patterns & sequences
• Activities Activities
  • One and two person bean bag activitiesOne and two person bean bag activities

Rhythm Ball for Calming Rhythm Ball for Calming

• One and two person ball activitiesOne and two person ball activities
• Change cueing & counts for alerting and calmingChange cueing & counts for alerting and calming
• Activities Activities
  • Co-regulating with one personCo-regulating with one person
  • Back-to-back listening activityBack-to-back listening activity
  • Use music and metronomesUse music and metronomes