Ready to try a new strategy for Dyslexia

Let’s face it. Struggling to read and spell is a nightmare.  You feel stupid in school and hate the thought of homework and spelling tests that make you feel sick.

But, thanks to neuroscience, I discovered how to teach bright, creative, imaginative children and adults how to improve literacy in minutes, not months.  Using your existing visual skills, you can conquer Dyslexia with just a few simple “how-to’s”.  You have amazing visual strengths, and it is time you learned how to use them for the English Language. Choose one of these 3 live sessions when I will teach anyone how to visualise words and improve their literacy in minutes, not months.  As a bonus, confidence and mental maths will improve too. 

Can you imagine what it would be like to read fluently and find spelling easy?  Just think of that and how it could reduce your anxiety levels. If you are tired of spending hours sounding out words and it just doesn’t work for you or your child, come along and see how easy it is to learn using your natural skills to create pictures in your imagination. Mastering these simple skills will accelerate every aspect of literacy.

Thousands of children are confused with the phonics only approach to literacy. Learning how to picture words is so easy when you know how. I believe that everyone can learn the elements of improving literacy and Dyslexia in just 60 minutes. It works for children and adults alike.

To help parents whose bright creative children maybe struggling, this is offered for free.

So click here to book your place now on one of the next 3 sessions Monday March 14th(11am), Wednesday 16th (7pm) or Monday 21st(11am). This will take you straight to zoom.

And for Wed 23rd (7pm), Monday 28th (11am) or Wednesday 30th 7pm book your place here.

Can you imagine how much happier your child would be if they could spell and read fluently? In just 1 hour you will know the answer for yourself.

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#empoweringlearning #olivehickmott #Dyslexia #literacy #phonics

Ready to try a new strategy for Dyslexia

Thousands of children are confused with the phonics only approach to literacy. Learning how to picture words is so easy when you know how. I believe that everyone can learn the elements of improving literacy and Dyslexia in just 60 minutes. It works for children and adults alike.

To help parents whose bright creative children maybe struggling after all the restrictions of the last 2 years, this is offered for free. So click here to book your place now on one of the next 3 sessions March 7th, 14th or 21st

Can you imagine how much happier your child would be if they could spell and read fluently? In just 1 hour you will know the answer for yourself.

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#empoweringlearning #olivehickmott #Dyslexia #literacy #phonics

[Recordings live] The Secrets of Dyslexia and ADHD

“This all makes so much sense.” This is what parents and adults say to me over and over again when they find out these secrets.

Over 22 years I have had so many lightbulb moments when working with families, and many people have benefited from the live classes for the last 4 weeks. Now you can gain access to the whole series of videos plus extra material, where you too will learn the secrets and how to immediately help neurodivergent adults and children. It’s been a fascinating journey and now it’s your opportunity to share it. And it is fun for you and those you want to help. In addition the Q&A sections are being regularly extended.

Module 1: “This Makes so much Sense”

The Secrets of Dyslexia and ADHD: Recordings and extra material

Introduction to neurodiversity, and its common themes, in the frame of a neurodiverse human race.  This module includes a holistic view of learning differences, what is behind co-morbidity, working with causes rather than symptoms, the extensive research. “My child hasn’t stopped grinning, since learning these simple tools” parent

Bonuses:

• Mysteries and Contradictions (txt)
• Question and answers (txt)

Module 2: The Sources of Neurodivergent Strengths 

How to use and control mental imagery to expand any learning skills. Introducing neurodivergent strengths and how they relate to the Xtraordinary strengths of high visual people.  “I now understand how my different brain works” 10 year-old

Bonuses:

• Neurodivergent strengths (txt)
• Question and Answers (txt)

Module 3: The Impact of Anxiety

Learn about the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), and how it relates to breathing, sleep, grounding and primitive reflexes and is magnified in highly sensitive people. Learn how you can reduce anxiety and touch on primitive reflexes. “Learning differently created so much anxiety for me; I thought I was thick” Teenager

Bonuses:

• Question and Answers (txt)

Module 4: Ways forward for all Students.

With “Sherlock Holmes” curiosity, finding what is behind the symptoms is key and this module will take you through so many of the challenging behaviours, giving you the skills to detect the problem and discover simple functional skills to explore. “Like you, I have started ignoring the behaviours and turned to the triggers, that I can solve”. Very grateful mum

Bonuses:

• Questions and Answers (txt)

The Secrets of Dyslexia and ADHD: Recordings and extra material

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#breathing #sleep #neurodiversity #empoweringlearning #olivehickmott #Dyslexia #ADHD #makingsense #lightbulbmoments

Are you in?

To enable creative children and adults to learn in a way that matches their strengths. It is only common sense (that often doesn’t seem very common these days), to teach students in a way that matches their strengths. Creative students learn easily when calm through mental imagery, those pictures we all have in our head; some people have fabulous colored pictures, others may just picture cartoon, it matters not, they are all pictures.

I have been teaching creative students for 22 years how to picture words, especially for the English language that has so many rules, words that break the rules and crazy homophones.

If you are brave enough to break the barriers and learn in the way that matches your strengths, join my Secrets of Dyslexia and ADHD series, here https://olivehickmott.wordpress.com/2022/01/01/the-secrets-of-dyslexia-and-adhd/

This week I am covering the effects of anxiety on learning, something that thousands of children and adults are currently experiencing; are you prepared to join us and make a difference? In addition, you will learn how breathing and grounding dramatically improve anxiety, plus many more skills to add to your toolbox.

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#dyslexia #adhd #creative #empoweringlearning

The Secrets of Dyslexia and ADHD

“This all makes so much sense.” This is what parents and adults say to me over and over again when they find out these secrets.

Over 22 years I have had so many lightbulb moments when working with families, I wanted to give you, for free, a New Year’s present of 4 live video presentations, where you too will learn the secrets and how to immediately help neurodivergent adults and children. And it is fun for you and those you want to help.

The content is:

Part 1: 5th January 8-9pm uk time: This makes so much sense, including a holistic view of learning differences, what is behind co-morbidity, working with causes rather than symptoms, the extensive research. “My child hasn’t stopped grinning” parent

Part 2: 12th January 8-9pm uk time: The sources of Neurodivergent strengths and misunderstood greatness. How to use mental imagery to expand any learning skills. “I now understand how my different brain works” 10 year-old

Part 3: 19th January 8-9pm uk time: The impact of anxiety: The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) connects with breathing, sleep, grounding and primitive reflexes and is magnified in highly sensitive people. Learn how you can maximise your life. “Learning differently created so much anxiety for me; I thought I was thick” Teenager

Part 4: 26th January 8-9pm uk time: “Sherlock Holmes” curiosity : Finding what is behind the symptoms is key and this module will take you through so many of the challenging behaviours, giving you the skills to detect the problem and discover simple functional skills to explore. “Like you, I have started ignoring the behaviours and turned to the triggers, that I can solve”. Very grateful mum

These session are free when listened to live and there will be a small charge for recordings when they have been edited and uploaded to my new learning platform in February. Register here for free: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkdOqurjovH9XuzM0Xs0hdJOlH3s4zR6kL

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#breathing #sleep #neurodiversity #empoweringlearning #olivehickmott #Dyslexia #ADHD #makingsense #lightbulbmoments

Increasing focus with Patrick Mckeown

I have been benefiting from Patrick Mckeown’ work for the last 2 years, reading his books (starting with the Oxygen Advantage) and watching his Youtubes. I have spoken with hundreds of adults and students about improving their breathing and not surprisingly realised just how many people have no idea about the effects of poor quality breathing and sleep.

These Breathing techniques plus the bonus of improving sleep and grounding, have benefitted:

• my neurodivergent students and those who have worked with my Empowering Learning Practitioners
• their families
• those I have spoken to about minimizing Covid and reducing the exhaustion from long Covid
• my health

His latest book, Atomic Focus, is a real gem, and added even more to my work with ADHD. Coming from the base of breathing he has made the breathing exercises very simple for everyone and expanded into many coaching tools that I too have used.

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#patrickmckeown #breathing #sleep #neurodiversity #empoweringlearning #olivehickmott #atomicfocus

Neurodiversity in the workplace: A Neurodivergent Workplace Coach

Neurodivergent people don’t need to be cured, they need accommodation, in some cases a variety of help and in many cases be offered skills they missed in childhood. 

Today I had the privilege of delivering a presentation for the International NLP Confex for Business Excellence entitle Neurodiversity in the Workplace. I covered neurodivergent strengths, why companies are looking at this pool of untapped talent and the challenges for employers.

I finished by explaining how employees can learn skills to assist with workplace adjustments and more importantly empower themselves and others to understand and develop their own skills, with the benefit of modern research and neuroscience. This is not therapy – it is learning new skills, many of whicthey h may have been missed in childhood.

Here is the recording of part of my presentation. If you have questions and comments please mail them to olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk.

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#neurdiversity #workplace #empoweringlearning #NLP #olivehickmott

When will this government get the whole picture on literacy?

Just read Michael Rosen’s article entitled “Dear Nadhim Zahawi, the Tories vowed to ‘eradicate illiteracy’ years ago. What went wrong.” I have also responded to the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/09/dear-nadhim-zahawi-the-tories-vowed-to-eradicate-illiteracy-years-ago-what-went-wrong

I am with Michael Rosen, little progress has been made in the last 10 years. Lets hope that Robin Walker, the new school’s minister can come to understand the problem. Decoding words is part of reading but is not the destination; you need to store words in your Word Form Area (WFA) so that you can recognise them next time and use the image for spelling. This in turn improves fluency, understanding and comprehension.

Nic Gibb’s obsession with phonics ONLY is like learning to drive a car without practicing reverse or parking. Some people may stumble into reverse and learn it without tuition, others will find parking impossible. The word ONLY is not appropriate; we are teaching literacy, not just decoding.

How do we get Nadhim Zahawi to correct this mistake in every school. Answers please…..

During lockdown I produced a wealth of youtube videos that explains different aspects of this. They are all free and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott

I have personal letters (below) from government explaining the merits of decoding skills. They simply don’t understand the problem. Of course if literacy is poor, then children get labelled as Dyslexic, because the teachers are following government guidelines and its not working. So the school identifies a problem that the child must have a deficit. Give me a Dyslexic minister, MP or civil servant and I will soon get them to understand what got missed out of their education and apologise for this mistake in government policy

Peter Lilley and Michael Gove in 2011
David Laws in 2014
Bim Afolami and Nic Gibb in 2017

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#michaeilrosen #nadhimzahawi #literacy #nicgibb #bimafolami #decoding #wordformarea #dyslexia #empoweringlearning

Flipping Dyslexia 101: How could your school benefit from a Neurodivergent School Coach (NSC)?

It is every students’ civil rights to be taught in a way that works for them and in many cases plays to their visual neurodivergent strengths. Every primary school could have a Neurodivergent School Coach, who champions appropriate teaching and learning for neurodivergent students.

Here is a pre-lockdown recording when 5 Empowering Learning Practitioners shared their experiences of being a Neurodivergent School Coach, using Empowering Learning Techniques.

Why do you need a NSC? Teachers are experts in teaching, neurodivergent school coaches are experts in how neurodivergent children learn and how they can best access lessons. Our understanding of neurodiversity is gathering pace and it is impossible for teachers to keep up, whilst dealing with the pressures of a school day. This is particularly true for primary schools, where missing appropriate techniques at this age has a lifelong effect on every individual. This role is in addition to the SENCO role, that is largely focused on implementing government processes, procedures, assessments, etc..

Each school could benefit from a NSC (full-time or part time) who is a coach with expertise in how these students learn. Their role will be to teach children, parents and teachers the same skills for continuity in and out of school. They will run specific projects in the school to, meet the current needs, for example:

• Identify and explore their strengths and ensuring staff can teach to these strengths
• Teach visual learning skills to individual students and ensure nursery, reception and year 1 have the basics of:
  • Calmness with good breathing (can be incorporated in any mindfulness practices
  • Controlled mental images with grounding
  • Good left brain / right brain coordination
  • Using mental imagery for literacy, numeracy
• Assist teachers and parents to congratulate any successes and take a forensic view on behavioural challenges, checking out what is behind the behavior and so much more
• Learn from students and develop child-centered support for children in their reality, through the “right” questions.
• Teach simple skills to students to, for example, reduce anxiety, increase confidence and develop a growth mindset.
• Create student mentors.
• Call out students getting things right. “A student who is appreciated will always do more than expected”.

Who can do this? The NSC will have a real thirst for continually learning and implementing new skills, that fit every child, with an open mind, remembering that every child may think and learn differently.

Objectives:

Making neurodiversity teaching and learning a CPD priority will achieve the following:

• Students understanding how they best think and learn and the factors that affect them
• Students understanding how they can reduce their own anxiety
• Reduced SEN costs
• Better educated children
• More independent learners
• Improve mental health issues that so often result from learning differences.
• Greater confidence in all aspects of school work.
• A legacy in school for future years, that is self-generating amongst students.

This is part 4 of a series entitled Changing Dyslexia for a New Decade. You can find details here: https://olivehickmott.wordpress.com/practitioner-training/

If you want to learn more about how a Neurodivergent School Coach could help you and your students, please contact Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties

#neurodivergent #neurodivergentschoolcoach #SEN #mentalimagery #dyslexia

Flipping Dyslexia 101: The Lost Art of Picturing Words

People who are good at literacy picture words in their mind’s eye. So why aren’t we teaching this simple skill in school?

Back in the day we communicated via pictures that were drawn on walls. Eventually letter and words were added for great clarity. At this time we could no doubt recognize words. But life moved on and we made it more complicated, especially in the English language, where there is a big gap between what we say and what we write – a deep orthographic depth. The are words that obey rules, words that break the rules, silent letters and those crazy homophones (2 words that sound the same but have totally different meanings and spellings). My favorite is ate and eight. And a child’s expected progress in school was accelerated and put under more pressure.

Somehow many never grasped the idea of being able to picture words and left many, including me, with a learning difficulty, that is caused Dyslexia now. It is never too late to learn the skill and I am teaching the fastest way on earth to learn.

I challenge you to prove me wrong: You can learn to improve your literacy in just 30 mins. Join my zoom call on Wednesday 6th October at 8:00pm. Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84275608846?pwd=TXFFd3cxNWVEK095c0JxYll5aWx4QT09

My name is Olive Hickmott; I would be pleased to support you in any way I can.
You are welcome to contact me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk
Please register here to follow my blog at http://www.olivehickmott.co.uk
You will find other useful informationat http://www.empoweringlearning.co.uk
Here is my YouTube channel for more free resources: https://www.youtube.com/c/OliveHickmott
My latest books are:
The Elephants in the Classroom: using every student’s natural power of mental Imagery to enhance learning: Neurodiversity through the lens of mental Imagery.
Bridges to Success – How to transform Learning Difficulties
Recover Your energy– this book will energise you
You too can do health 

#dyslexia #literacy #empoweringlearning #flippingdyslexia101