Bette Fetter

In this episode, I describe the traits and qualities of left and right brain thinkers. Join me as I explain how left and right brain thinking works and the difference between the two. I also describe what it REALLY means to be right brain, visual thinker and how that affects kids in school. Education and culture is left-brain focused and our right brain (visual thinkers) are often misunderstood and underachieving but there is hope. This is THE episode to understand visual thinkers and what they need to be successful.

ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, is used to describe kids who can’t sit still, focus or follow directions, are easily distracted, seem bored and cannot get or stay organized. The good news is - for the majority, none of this is about a deficit – or a disorder. It is about being a visual-spatial learner; a right-brain thinker with a fast paced, powerful mind that struggles to fit into logical, linear, language-oriented classrooms. Tune in as I offer ideas to help children with ADD and visual-spatial learners feel more confident in their classroom.

Doing homework with visual kids can drive the best of us crazy, but it’s hugely important you come to homework time without emotion or frustration. And if you can’t, then you’re not the right person for homework helper.

Back-to-school season is upon us! Parents have done so much to get children ready for the new year, so what's next? In my early years as a parent, I felt that I had done a great job in preparing my kids for school; they were in bed on time, had a healthy breakfast, finished their homework, and I was involved at the school. There is always the fine balance between preparing our children and being the notorious "helicopter parent". During my oldest daughter's second grade parent-teacher conference, Mrs. Johnson gave me a bit of a course correction and reminded me to "pay more attention". She nicely reminded me that school systems are big with many challenges to meet the needs of different kinds of students. In Episode 30, I share my story and encourage you with ways to prepare your children but to always pay close attention! As parents, it is our job to make certain that our children are getting their needs met, especially those visual learners who may not fit the mold of the left-brain learner. For notes and resources from Episode 30, please visit www.bettefetter.com.

Back-to-school time is upon us! There is much excitement in the air - new backpacks, new shoes, new teachers, new classmates! Parents are even excited about the return of school routines. Yet, there can be a bit of anxiety which accompanies the fun, especially for those visual learners who may have struggled in the past in certain subjects. It is important as parents to recognize the very real anxiety without being overprotective. In Podcast #29 - School Anxiety, I share some techniques for how we can manage the anxiety, help our kids to cope and enjoy a successful school year! For notes and resources from Episode 29, visit www.bettefetter.com.

I share great feedback from a parent about her second grade visual learner and especially her struggles with math. I have great ideas for how to help with math for your visual learner. Your school really has a lot of resources available but if the school is lacking those resources, there are also outside sources for tutoring in all sorts of academic areas. I share what to look for in these tutoring centers.

First and second grade is the time that most children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. But many of the same characteristics of visual learners are the same traits that point to an attention deficit. If you are in this situation, be open to all the possibilities for helping them be more successful in the classroom.

From an overstimulating classroom environment to questionable discipline practices, first grade was a challenging experience for a visual learner. The expectations of high test scores and achievement just didn’t allow for differences in learning styles.

High school brings bigger, more detailed projects that require a lot more planning and organization. The reading requires a lot more evaluation and math gets much deeper into new concepts. The good news is that even in the upper grades, many of the same strategies work for helping your visual learner. Tune in as I interview a parent with high school aged kids and talk to her about what she does with her big kids to keep them ready for school.

It is not often in business that you get to tell a story and get to feel that everyday, no matter what you do, you affected the life of a child. That you affected the life of lots of children in lots of places. Tune in to episode 24 of Living Life as a Visual Thinker and learn the passion and the purpose of Young Rembrandts.