Classrooms · inspiration

The Missing Link to Learning

soisystemsLeave a comment

“I’M NOT DOING THIS ANYMORE! My head hurts, I keep losing my place, and I can’t remember what I read!”

These words assailed me as I walked into our fifteen year-old’s room. Her text book landed on the floor in front of her, just before her words landed on me. As a parent, these are not the words you want to hear from you son or daughter. Needless to say I was dismayed.

Aside from adolescence, what had changed this person from an enthusiastic student who claimed reading as her favorite subject, to the frustrated student sitting dejectedly on the floor of her room? I was an educator, a specialist no less! I was supposed to know what to do!

Little did I know, the next week Continue reading “The Missing Link to Learning” →

The Basics

What is SOI?

soisystemsLeave a comment

WE KNOW THAT LEARNING CAN BE HARD, AND WE’RE HERE TO HELP CHANGE THAT.

We work with every type of person in every learning situation – parents, students, teachers, individuals, special education instructors, tutors, and more.

Our focus is always on the learners and what we can do to make them successful. We have:

  • tests that profile learning ability strengths and weaknesses
  • materials to improve and strengthen learning abilities
  • innovative programs designed specifically to assist struggling students to get them back on track
  • screening products for gifted and talented programs
  • managed programs that provide students with the very best educational   foundation

SOI is for you. Actually, SOI is for everyone because we are all unique and learn in a Continue reading “What is SOI?” →

training

SOI Personalized Program

soisystemsLeave a comment

SOI HELPED AND AIDED THIS STUDENT IN HIS READING AND LANGUAGE ABILITIES.

Good readers are phonemically aware, understand the alphabetic principle, apply these skills in a rapid and fluent manner, possess strong vocabularies and syntactical and grammatical skills, and relate reading to their own experiences.

Difficulties in any of these areas can impede reading and language development. Learning to read begins far before children enter formal schooling. This child in second grade was referred to us with the specific problem areas of reading and understanding. He also didn’t like the school subject Language.

  • Spells poorly and has  difficulty recalling facts and numbers
  • Has trouble learning new skills (compensates by relying on memorization)
  • Has trouble following directions or instructions
  • Struggles to recognize letters, match letters to sounds and make a sentence
  • Inability to read simple 3 letter words or associate them
  • Can’t comprehend what he reads or listens in the classroom

We started with his personalized workbooks and CDs, which are available based on students’ test results. These workbooks have an added advantage in that tasks are articulated within the book. In other words, the easier part of a given module is presented early in the sequence and the more difficult part is presented later. Continue reading “SOI Personalized Program” →

Testing · training

Classification: A Skill for Life

soisystemsLeave a comment

Comprehension of Figural Classes (CFC) at a lower level is the ability to group and sort. It is how we begin to comprehend. These are yellow; these are red. Beginning with same and different, we ask ourselves, “In what way are these things the same or different? Is this the only way they are the same or different? How else could they be grouped?”

The skill of logical thought is classification. In a very basic way, it helps us to make sense of our world. In a young child’s world it explains, “This is mama’s. This is daddy’s. This belongs to sister. It is not mine…unless I am two.”

At a young age, classification is what helps us make sense of our world. It gives order to our thinking. An older child may think, “These are crayons. These are markers. These are pencils.” We separate them for ease of use. As they enter school, they learn to organize their time. Now is the time to work. Now is the time to play. Classification is the skill that makes order out of chaos. Classified is the opposite of random. Continue reading “Classification: A Skill for Life” →

Testing · training

SOI CFU: Filling in the Blanks

soisystemsLeave a comment

What’s the big deal about CFU? Ask Brian.

“Brian can’t tell the difference in a 5 and a 3 and he sure can’t begin to read! He’s severe! Good luck on that one!” That was my first introduction to a very “special” student as I began my career in education.

Brian had a problem with CFU. CFU is just one of six intellectual abilities that you have to have to be ready to read. What does that mean? And what does identifying a picture tell me about being able to read?

In the world of the Structure of Intellect, CFU stands for Cognition of Figural Units. It is the ability to look at a picture or representation of an object that has been partially erased and to be able to tell what that object is. In other words, it is the ability of your brain to fill in the blanks and make sense of what seems at first to be only random marks on the page. This skill, when applied to letters or symbols, makes up the gateway to reading.

Remember picture finding in your “Highlights for Children” magazines? It wasn’t just a fun activity, or a not so fun activity if you were unsuccessful. There was a reason for it! I now know that each of Brian’s eyes were seeing something different. That “dreamy” look he had when I looked at him now makes sense. How do you tell the difference in a 5 and a 3 when one eye places the right angle at one spot on the page and the other eye places it elsewhere? And, maybe it doesn’t place it in the same place the next Continue reading “SOI CFU: Filling in the Blanks” →

Testing

SOI Online Learning Abilities Testing

soisystemsLeave a comment

Have you ever wondered about your learning strengths and weaknesses? This is the perfect opportunity for you to learn how you learn best! With our new online tests, you will find out more about your learning style and abilities – memory, comprehension, evaluation, critical thinking, and more – and the roles that they play in your life, education, and career.

We offer three testing packages: PLA (kindergarten – third grade), ALA (third grade – adult), or ALA with careers. Each package includes a pre-test consultation, a learning abilities profile/analysis, and a post-test consultation.

Upon completion of your (or your child’s) test, you will receive a full learning abilities analysis. You will also have a consultation with a member of the SOI staff to review the results, discuss any concerns, and receive suggestions for areas that may need improvement. Personalized training materials are available at an additional cost.

Please contact us for details and pricing, and with any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you take this next step in learning more about yourself!

soi-ipp · Unique Issues

SOI-IPP Program and Concussion Care

soisystemsLeave a comment

Avoiding concussions and treating concussions is a big topic in the news today. This morning the national news question of the day was, “Should high school football be banned?” Here in Texas, high school football is “king” so I don’t see that happening anytime soon. On the news, they were saying that perhaps there should be a licensed trainer present at every football game with a concussion protocol that is followed to the letter. That’s not a bad idea.

Coaches are sending players back onto the field after concussions. Last week one of my high school clients told me about a friend who plays select soccer.  Last summer during a tournament, this girl went for a header and collided heads with a member of the opposing team. The girl on the other team was rushed to the hospital. After answering a few questions this friend was sent back onto the field to play. It was not until she fell on her head two more times that the coach decided to pull her from the game. This girl suffered severe problems from concussion in the weeks and months that followed.  This formerly straight-A student is still struggling to pass her senior classes. When my client asked me if the SOI program could help her friend, I answered with a definite “yes!”

I have seen the SOI Program help several of my clients who had suffered from brain trauma. One was a sixth-grade boy brought to my center a few years ago. A year before he came to see me, he had fallen from the school’s eight-foot-high monkey bars onto his head. His neurologist had released him from care and declared that he had completely recovered, but his mother knew that everything was not completely back to normal. Continue reading “SOI-IPP Program and Concussion Care” →