Students With Giftedness Can Benefit from SOI Assessment

Students With Giftedness Can Benefit from SOI Assessment

There are many kinds of giftedness. One of the most common misconceptions about gifted individuals is that they will excel in all areas. Some individuals who are highly academically gifted can be very average when it comes to creativity. The reverse is also true. Some of the most highly creative individuals have gaps in their ability to thrive in a primarily academic setting. Dr. Mary Meeker, who was given the Torrance Creativity Award (a prestigious national award given to an educator of gifted children), was concerned about meeting the emotional needs of the gifted child. She wrote, “Since the gifted…

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How to Take Education Out of the Land of Oz

How to Take Education Out of the Land of Oz

Step 1: Find Some Courage Become a lion! Education needs a paradigm shift and it takes courage to initiate improved methods when the present system is an ineffective one for students. Step 2: Find Some Patience It takes lots of patience to wait for the results of this investment. Use the courage and patience you have today to learn the SOI way of teaching those intellectual abilities that underlie learning curriculum. Though they may not pay off as a return on your investment until students have left the school, you will see improved academics within six months. Step 3: Get…

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The Importance of Immediate Feedback

The Importance of Immediate Feedback

Last week, I chuckled as I monitored one of our students, Deacon, doing the Certified Learning module called "Look and Learn Words." Deacon is in kindergarten, and I have noticed all throughout the school year that Deacon ducks his head right before the little green square lights up either red or green to let him know if his answer was correct or incorrect. Deacon really wants to be correct and he can’t stand the thought that he might be wrong! We have worked with him to keep practicing on those modules that are more difficult so that he can gain…

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Working with Adults and SOI: A Life-Changing Experience

Working with Adults and SOI: A Life-Changing Experience

When people ask me what ages I use SOI with, I usually say “4 to 94.” That surprises them because they assume that I only work with school-age children and teenagers. It is true that over the last 10-12 years, most of my clients have been young, but one of my best experiences was with one of my adult clients, Lester. When I first tested Lester, he was 43 years old. Lester was sent to me by his mother, who was very concerned about her son. Lester was so lonely and depressed that he confined himself to his apartment, only…

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SOI Basic Reader

SOI Basic Reader

Do you have students who have trouble reading? This program could be your answer! Basic Reader is a complete reading program designed for elementary age students who are struggling with reading. There are three major causes of reading difficulties: students do not have the necessary perceptual skills; students are not ready cognitively; or the teaching method does not match the students learning style. Basic Reader addresses all of these causes and helps students read better in five easy steps. The goal of this program is to enable students to read. To reach that goal, we need to achieve these enabling…

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Case Study: Atypical Gifted/Learning Different

Case Study: Atypical Gifted/Learning Different

HOW SOI IDENTIFIES, DIAGNOSES, AND TREATS THE MOST DIFFICULT CASE: A SCHOOL REPORT As a psychologist and the director of the SOI Diagnosis and Testing Center of Manhattan Beach, I assessed Ryan, 11, using a variety of ecologically valid tools to measure neuro-processing, including the following: developmental history, parent and teacher-report checklists, clinical interview, visual motor screening, the Structure of Intellect (SOI) Test of Learning Abilities, the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), and the House-Tree-Person Personality Screening. Ryan presented with a history of poor reading comprehension, hyperactivity, sensory issues (difficulty turning pages while reading), an awkward pencil grip, “quirkiness,” poor frustration…

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The Least of These: A Conversation About Education

The Least of These: A Conversation About Education

Twenty five years ago I stood in front of the storage closet in my special education classroom. It was the second semester of my first year of public school teaching. The bloom was off the rose. Tired and depleted, I had spent money that I didn’t have to supply and equip my classroom with items that were truly needed, but not in the budget. I sighed and closed the door, wishing I could go home, but knowing there was still much to do to prepare for the next week. My resolve and enthusiasm was giving way to the harsh reality…

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The Two Most Important Variables in Education

The Two Most Important Variables in Education

The entire movement toward teaching-to-the-test can be boiled down to two achievement variables:  comprehension and time – how much is learned and how long it took. In almost every achievement metric, one of these variables is held constant – and the other is the variable of measure.  So, the prevailing paradigm in almost all formal education is to hold time constant and have comprehension be the variable. An important corollary to the achievement axiom often goes unnoticed; namely, if the established education has opted for lock-step instruction, then it has already opted for the paradigm of holding time constant and…

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The Link between Evaluation, Employment, and SOI-IPP

The Link between Evaluation, Employment, and SOI-IPP

SOI-IPP GETS TO THE ROOT OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES BY ADDRESSING THE ISSUES THAT OFTEN CAUSE POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. Employers, employment retraining programs, and school career counselors could all benefit from understanding the crucial link between developing evaluation skills and an individual’s success in their work world. Evaluation skills are key to the following: to being an effective executive and leader to becoming successfully employed to being a valuable employee What is evaluation? SOI defines evaluation as judgment decision making critical thinking working in gray areas where no single right answer prevails - only better choices In the workforce, individuals with…

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Cognition Training I

Cognition Training I

Cognition is a psychological term for comprehension. It is more than perception; it is the immediate discovery, awareness, rediscovery, or recognition of information in various forms for comprehension or understanding. Cognition is often the primary process for learning, so it is important to have this ability well-trained and ready to use! Exercise – Cognition of Semantic Classes Cognition Training Objective: To develop the ability to recognize common properties of words, ideas, and objects. Directions: This task introduces matrix concepts. Students are to place any four-letter word across the top of the box, one letter in each square. Place four categories…

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