Pre-Lesson
Tips & Notes
Pre-Lesson Profile & Post-Lesson Profiles
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Using IdeaChain Outside the Lesson
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Frequently Asked Questions
Lesson 1
My student thinks the hand signs are silly? I am
not sure how to respond.
It's like pulling teeth to get my son started. What
do I do?
I keep telling my student how to describe a good
picture, but he doesn't seem to understand. How do I make him understand
how to do it?
My student says she doesn't "make a picture."
What do I tell her?
My student gives me the absolute minimum in description.
What should I do?
My student does everything fast, fast, FAST! I think
he could do much better if he just slowed down. How should I handle
that?
What do I do if my daughter becomes restless with
the repetition of describing pictures?
My child is concerned that using the hand signs and
key questions at school is 'cheating.'
My student thinks the hand signs are silly.
I am not sure how to respond.
It does feel silly doing the hand signs in the beginning! Laugh and
have fun with it. Assure the student that the silliness helps with
memory. Whenever the key questions or hand signs come up, do them
with the student. It is also a good idea to show the student how to
use the hand signs at school or in public, without being conspicuous
about it. When the student is trying to remember one of the signs
or one of the key questions, remind them in a sly, silly way.
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It's like pulling teeth to get my son started.
What do I do?
Please understand that you are not alone. It is not at all uncommon
for a student who is already working extra hard to keep up with school,
to be reluctant about doing anything else that involves 'learning.'
Your commitment tells your son a lot about how the two of you will
make it through IdeaChain. Use every motivation that you can think
of, but above all, do the program through the teeth pulling. Most
students do not have the maturity to see the big picture of how IdeaChain
can help. Your vision must carry them through the early stages.
Once the first ten minutes of the lesson are underway, most students
become engaged with doing MindPrime's IdeaChain program. You may want
to consider some incentive that is linked to only the first ten minutes
of the lesson. That way there is a reward for the starting itself.
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a question
I keep telling my student how to describe a
good picture, but he doesn't seem to understand. How do I make him
understand how to do it?
It is almost second nature to teach a student how to do something
by giving them instructions to do this (whatever it is) first, and
then next you do this...and so on. For a student to learn with this
method of instruction assumes that the student can organize information
and integrate it with what is already known. Students with poor imaging
ability do not seem to respond well to a set of instructions.
A method that works well for this type of student is to teach indirectly
by asking questions about what you need in order to form your own
image. You are working in context, not giving instructions. You and
your student are actually doing the process.
For example, if a student is describing a picture in a way that you
can't form a very good representation in your mind, don't "tell
him how to do it", rather tell him your problem with the communication.
"Emile, I have a good picture of the dog and I know there is
a girl somewhere, but I don't know where to put her. If you need to,
show me with your hands and I'll help you put words with your gestures."
Or, "Emile, I know there's a girl with brown hair, but I don't
know anything else about her. I need to know more about her to make
a mental picture. Let's go through the key questions (using the hand
signs) to give you ideas about what to tell me."
When you ask for information in this way, you are doing some powerful
'teaching.' The student begins to understand why you are asking for
information (to create your picture) and what kind of information
you need (sizes, shapes, colors, background, etc.) You have also given
the student a way, with the use of the hand signs and key questions,
to independently figure out what information is needed. You may need
to provide structure by asking questions and prompting the student
what to do next, but the student can successfully figure out the information.
Some students are very slow at this process in the beginning. Give
them the time they need to think.
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My student says she doesn't "make a picture."
What do I tell her?
Some students are very literal about the word picture. To them a 'picture'
means something like a photograph or a magazine picture. They get
disturbed when what is in their head does not look like that photograph
or magazine.
Talk to her about how mental pictures or images are not like photographs.
Suggest that she imagine (pretend) that she has eyes inside her head
that 'see' differently than her real eyes on her face. The 'pictures'
that inside eyes see are different than a magazine picture or photograph.
Tell her you want to do a little exercise that will show her what
a mental picture looks (and feels) like.
Ask the student if she can remember what __(name a friend or teacher)__
looks like. Have the student give you a brief description - hair,
eyes, height, and/or some distinguishing characteristic. Say, "Right
now, while you're thinking of __(whoever)__, that thought is a mental
picture. That memory is what you do (and feel) when you 'see' with
your inside eyes. That's a mental picture or mental image. You do
make mental pictures. Mind pictures or mental images look and feel
different than pictures you see with your outside (real) eyes. When
we're doing your MindPrime IdeaChain exercises trust that what we're
doing is helping you create mental pictures."
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My student gives me the absolute minimum in
description. What should I do?
This is not uncommon behavior in Lessons 1 through 4. The student
does not see how much this process will help in school. When the student
begins to see how much creating mental images can help with communication
and school work, you will usually see a change.
In your lessons, keep asking for information. Say very specifically
what you want. "Give me a full description of the things you
see in the picture." When the student does provide enough information,
ask, "What should I see for …? Tell me more about…."
Sometimes a simple "And?" will draw out more information.
When you describe pictures to the student be sure that your descriptions
are full of detail. The student is creating images with your words
and grows from that experience.
When you get close to the end of a lesson, suggest, "If this
description is really rich in detail, we'll stop after this picture.
Otherwise, we'll need to do another one to get enough practice."
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My student does everything fast, fast, FAST!
I think he could do much better if he just slowed down. How should
I handle that?
There are many reasons why some students do everything at warp speed.
Consider this possibility that will help you understand more of what
may be going on with your student.
When a student has a hard time holding on to incoming information
(remembering and organizing), he can develop the habit of slinging
it back as fast as possible before it goes away. If he gives it back
in a flash, he has a better chance at retaining some of it even if
the information is not integrated with anything else.
Now when this behavior starts, it is a very unconscious response.
It is simply an adaptation that works for the student some of the
time. After a while it becomes a habit with no conscious connection
to the reason for the behavior.
It is impossible at a distance, and even one to one, to tell you why
your student does this. Respond by focusing your attention on the
quality of the response. If the response is off course, be persistent
and ask again for a more appropriate response. From time to time you
may want to comment that you think it would take the student less
time to think for a moment before responding. Make this comment and
go on, don't harp on this. Again, focus on what is going right.
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What do I do if my daughter becomes restless
with the repetition of describing pictures?
There are several ways to create diversity in the sessions. Do lots
of switching places, with you doing more descriptions than are suggested
in the lesson script. Include more objects as well as pictures for
description. Have your daughter describe an object in the room where
you are working, or something out the window. The "Tell Me About…"
game in the Other Activities section is a good application of the
lesson principles.
Students also like to collect their own set of pictures from magazines
that they like. This should be done outside the lesson time. Your
daughter could put her pictures in an envelope so that you do not
see them ahead of time. You may even want to purchase a new magazine
for this. Use album and video covers also. Make sure the pictures
on the covers are not too complicated.
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My child is concerned that using the hand signs
and key questions at school is 'cheating.'
Many students who are poor at imaging have had few strategies that
supported memory and recall. They are unfamiliar with having a system
that actually gives them support.
Explain that there is a difference between sneaking in answers to
questions and using a strategy or support to find the answers in your
own mind. The goal of much learning is to use your mind to figure
out an answer or how to do something. The hand signs and key questions
help you use your mind better.
You may also want to talk to your daughter's classroom teacher. Most
teachers will welcome that a student is using a strategy to remember
and organize information. The teacher could even encourage your daughter
to use the hand signs at school.
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