Overview of the Method
The best way
to explain this particular method is to think of it in the same terms as
when we learned to speak. If you do not remember how it happened
and if you are not a parent yourself, think about it. The way we
learned to speak and this reading method share three things. They
both use modeling, repetition, and tons of positive attitude and expectations.
If you ever get to a point in this program where you have a question or
unusual circumstance, think about the way you either learned to speak or
the way you taught your child to speak. Then apply those principles.
We learned to
speak only after hearing others speak a great deal. Next, someone, most
likely your mom, cuddled and snuggled you and said, "Say 'mom'."
She probably said this many, many times. She also smiled and kissed
you and asked you to make a sound that was within your capability.
She did not say, "Say encyclopedia." There was never a thought that
you would fail, and you did not. You had tons of modeling, repetition,
and a super attitude. That is exactly the way we designed this program.
For you cynics
out there who might say that learning to speak is a natural process and
therefore not comparable. Recent research has shown that learning
to speak is not "hard wired." In November of 1970, a famous case
illustrated this point. There was a very unfortunate child born to
parents who saw her as a nuisance. They never spoke to her or interacted
with her. They kept Genie tied to a potty-chair in a small bedroom providing
her only with food. This nightmare went on for over ten years. When
social workers finally found this girl she was unable to speak and had
many obvious problems. Even her distance vision was limited to the
size of the room.
They took the
girl to the University of California at Los Angeles so that she could receive
the "best" of care and instruction. After many years of trying, Genie
was able to learn many words and was able to convey her meaning but she
could not seem to learn grammar or syntax. Many things were
learned in this "experiment". First, if humans were born with the
ability to speak, why couldn't she? This and other tragic stories
have disproved the "natural language" theories.
The "Wild Boy
of Aveyron" or "Kamala, the Wolf Girl" are other examples like the one
above. They all learned locomotion, but none developed a complex
form of communication. Language, in various forms, is universal,
but it is one of the most variable of all human institutions.
Modeling, repetition,
and attitude are the keys to Neuro-Reading. Let us look at the three
components individually, the most important first. Attitude is tantamount
to success, a great attitude can overcome almost anything, and a bad attitude
can destroy even Herculean efforts. Every good teacher we have ever
met had a great attitude and every poor teacher we have ever met had a
bad attitude, no exceptions! Who would want to do anything if they are
expected to fail at it? Everyone we ever knew in high school loved
the subjects that they got good grades in. Or, is it that they got
good grades in the subjects they loved? Most likely, it was both!
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