| Did you know that the images you provide for | | | | Image 4: Literature |
| your child's mind are akin to food for the body? | | | | Read to your child! What image will he retain? |
| Healthy images can nourish and encourage | | | | Words, grammar, vocabulary, and most |
| positive growth, particularly at an early age when | | | | importantly, YOUR LOVE! |
| the brain is developing rapidly, setting a foundation | | | | Image 5: Phonic sounds |
| for thought and emotion for life. It brings whole | | | | Teach sounds before letters. Give your child the |
| brain balance to your child's intellectual (and | | | | gift of "phonemic awareness"--the ability to hear |
| emotional) development by stimulating the right | | | | the individual sounds of the language before |
| side of the brain. | | | | seriously learning the symbols. Play games to |
| Why is the right side of the brain important? | | | | increase awareness of these seed sounds: |
| Because the brain is laterally divided into two | | | | "c"-"a"-"t" is "cat!" |
| hemispheres: the right side and the left side. The | | | | Image 6: Lower case letters |
| left side of the brain is also known as the "logical | | | | Teach young children the alphabet using lower |
| mind." The right side is known as the "emotional | | | | case letters first. Think about it: How often do |
| mind." | | | | you read text that is written completely in caps? |
| In a nutshell... | | | | Children who begin with only upper case have to |
| LEFT BRAIN (logical mind) = thinking skills, | | | | relearn the symbols used for actual reading. |
| language | | | | Image 7: Informational readers |
| Teaching information using logic increases your | | | | Choose books that teach! When reading to your |
| child's intellectual understanding and practical | | | | child, select stories that teach science facts, |
| problem-solving skills. | | | | history or values. They make connections within |
| RIGHT BRAIN (emotional mind) = creativity, | | | | the brain that make later learning more of a |
| imagination, imagery | | | | breeze. |
| Teaching information using imagery builds | | | | Image 8: Math pictures |
| photographic memory, an instinctual, creative gut | | | | Teach quantities before numeric symbols. If a |
| understanding of the material. | | | | child sees "three" as three fingers, or three |
| Most early educational programs focus on | | | | apples, before learning about three as the symbol |
| left-brain cognitive development. But once the | | | | "3", then the brain is better neurologically wired to |
| right brain is involved in learning, you have a | | | | calculate and count later on. |
| balanced, whole-brain menu for your child. | | | | Image 9: Flash cards |
| TOP TEN IMAGES | | | | Ignite your child's understanding and curiosity by |
| When choosing images for your child, please | | | | exposing him/her to a wide array of subjects |
| consider the following "diet." (And, yes, auditory | | | | using flashcards. |
| data is recorded as a mental image, too!) | | | | Image 10: You! |
| Image 1: Nature | | | | And, last, but definitely not least, the most |
| Use pictures representing people and objects | | | | important image your child will record and refer to |
| from real life. Images formed by Mother Nature | | | | far into the future is you and your love. So, smile! |
| contain marvelously varied patterns, shapes, | | | | Encourage! Radiate unconditional acceptance and |
| geometric proportion, color and depth. | | | | respect. Think about what you would like your |
| Image 2: Art | | | | children to learn and model it. Because the right |
| Expose your child to works of art from artists | | | | hemisphere is considered the "emotional brain," |
| who reached a high level of mastery in their field. | | | | your loving heart is the very best image that you |
| Image 3: Music | | | | can radiate to your child: through loving words, |
| Play classical music in the background. | | | | kind action and unconditional belief in their success! |