Embracing Inclusivity and Diversity – a learning centre design From the first entry to the Enhancing Learning Centre (a custom designed therapy and education support service in Western Australia) our commitment to doing things differently for families is evident. 1. No waiting room. We have a hang out “front” space. This space provides open access to every other part
It’s not just jumping: how the trampoline forms a critical part of our learning approach. Our trampoline is one of the most popular parts of our whole play space. Not the most, our pretend play zones and sensory pathways as well as bubbles still rate highly. But, for four years we have watched children engage with the trampoline and as ever with our curiosity lens
Accommodations are critical We need to change how children are supported rather than change the child. The Enhancing Learning system identifies how the environment and the adults supporting a child in that environment need to accommodate the unique needs of a child. When this accommodation is the right match the child can engage
The importance of parents and teachers understanding systems thinking Feeling inspired by an article by Leyla Acaroglu so I felt compelled to share how powerful systems thinking is for helping parents and teachers to better support children with developmental differences (children not making the same progress in certain skills). We start our training sessions about our learning framework with
What’s happening at Enhancing Learning Since we opened the doors to our Enhancing Learning Centre in Mandurah, Western Australia there has been a consistent focus - building a wonderful team and community who * value child agency, * embrace neurological and physiological approaches to learning, and * value growing great humans. We would like to welcome new members
A teacher’s challenge: keeping students switched on to learn in the classroom It’s the first day of term and you are standing in front of a class full of beaming faces. Well, maybe not all beaming. Some are still crying in the arms of their mums and dads. Others are wandering around the classroom touching things. Some are deep in conversation
Why the Safe Switch and Use Switch are so closely linked... The Turn on Learning framework has five switches that need to be turned on for anyone to develop and learn successfully. The first and final switches are very firmly connected - the Safe Switch and the Use Switch. Having control of our world helps us feel safe. When we use
Forget reading and writing. Let’s get talking and moving our bodies sorted first! Two skills are being focused on too early in a child’s journey into school. The skills of reading and writing. On my daughter’s first day of school as a nervous child of three, we were welcomed to Kindergarten (in Western Australia but known as PrePrimary in most other
Safe Switch 3 Things Big People Do That Unintentionally Contribute to Small People Becoming Distressed In crafting a fusion of therapy and education at the Enhancing Learning centre using a non-behavioural lens to view children, we adults are the ones learning in every single interaction in the space. It is a space where we use deep curiosity and a commitment to seeing only the actions
What are Enhancing Learning classes? The place where adults get curious and children shine. The Enhancing Learning centre cultivates classes with limited planned content and agendas for children with fragile learning switches (where their learning system needs additional accommodations for their skills and knowledge to progress). Critically, the classes are where the children find their
The learning challenge for too many children Learning is a treasure hunt seeking to make connections between one concept and another. Sadly, too many children in our schools don’t have the tools to successfully engage in that treasure hunt. Even worse they are seldom given the support and accomodation to develop these tools. Our first child
Appreciating the impact of dyspraxia on a child The neurological condition of dyspraxia is poorly understood by our community. Yet it affects children in every school in one of its many forms. The breakdown of the word itself is dys = difficulty and praxis = action. Quite simply the child cannot act to initiate movements needed for either their mouth
Get Curious Supporting a child's development when they have neurological differences requires the skill of curiosity. Getting curious about the intention behind their actions. This means you meet them where they are instead of imposing where you want them to be. Really, everyone should just get curious about the other
Welcome to Enhancing Learning Welcome from Anthea, Kendra and Sharna - three sisters working together with a fabulous team of people who want the world to better understand and support children. Our community is made up of amazing, talented and compassionate parents, teachers, day care educators and therapists who treat children like the human
