TweedleWink: Is the Right Brain a Myth?
Many people believe that the right brain is a myth. That it has been debunked. For those of us who work with right brain education, it took us a bit by surprise! So, we looked at the research and found that the “debunking” was not quite clear.
Let me explain.
The brain’s plasticity is remarkable. It will regrow connections when physically harmed or damaged. So, when studies were made documenting hemispheric characteristics in patients who had experienced trauma to one side of the brain or the other, the results were understandably skewed by the brain itself.
That said, at the same time, I think, as educators, we do need to be open to our methodologies and philosophies being wrong. The whole premise behind an honest education is to be open, seek information, embrace change, and to transform.
In this case, however, I believe that to disregard the right brain, or to avoid training children up in a unique method designed to maximize the intuitive, creative aspect of the mind, is a mistake.
Dr. Ornstein and Dr. Sperry’s Nobel-prize winning split-brain research gifts us with an important understanding: we have two approaches to how we make decisions, build relationships, live our lives and teach our children.
It is not necessary to believe in an actual split brain—that is pretty archaic. We have actively taught that both sides work together and are intricately connected. But, to say that the function of the right brain should be discounted completely ignores the potential in its capabilities and in this beautiful method.
Our children need creativity. They crave exploration and discovery. They flourish with movement and play. And they are capable of speed learning that is as gentle as it is dynamic.
They must be taught how to access information that is beyond logical thought systems. It is time to embrace a learning approach that fosters empathy, cooperation, creativity, music, play, movement, sponge-like learning techniques and imagination.
Albert Einstein once said: “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
By all definitions, we have lived in a left-brain world. To achieve balance, we must awaken the right brain— whether it is “real” or embraced as a symbol. This world needs the right brain—and everything it represents.
In TweedleWink classes, we can see children gravitate toward a preferred set of activities early in life. Just ask any infant or toddler teacher and they’ll describe the look on the children’s faces as they pull out our different learning boxes— Music, Art, Science, Math, Reading... Even babies will lean in when they have a strong preference for the content!
When you know your child’s strengths, you can easily teach the 3Rs—reading, writing and arithmetic. Think of ways to blend math and language with your child’s favourite intelligence. Have a bodily-kinesthetic genius? Teach multiplication with skipping and hopping! Have a musical genius? Teach science concepts with songs! It really works!
TweedleWink is for subconscious enrichment.
We use this program during the early right brain dominant stage before your child has reading skills or logical reasoning abilities. TweedleWink activities include flashcards, music, tuning forks and other gentle forms of input which encourage the brain to make connections needed for IQ and EQ.
Wink is for conscious empowerment.
We recommend using this program when your child's logical mental organization (i.e., his or her left brain) is developed enough to have reading ability, is able to verbally express thoughts and ideas, can estimate time intervals and can understand sequential processes.
Wink activities include photographic memory, speed reading and other actions which tap into the right brain's ability to see and recall images instantly. Simply put, Wink helps us reconnect with the wonder of the right brain!
TweedleWink plants the seeds.
Wink helps them grow.