#phocagallerypiclens 5-phocagallerypiclenscode-Education/ben-hur helps child.jpg

Dr. Meir Ben-Hur assists a stu...

HOLLY, Michigan – To Kristie Brown’s 5- and 6-year-old students at Rose Pioneer Elementary School, it was another fun exercise with dots, but in reality, the young students are getting a jump start on math and language skills.

It’s all part of a cognitive learning program set in motion last year by Dr. Noni Miller, superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, and her colleague, Kaye Thorsby, director of Instructional Services.

Partnering with Oakland Schools in 2008, Holly Area Schools became involved with the Feuerstein’s Instrument Enrichment (FIE) course offered by the International Renewal Institute (iRi) of Chicago. With the diligent guidance of Dr. Meir Ben-Hur, iRi’s lead trainer for Cognitive Pathways to Mathematics Achievement, Holly students are getting a dose of the cognitive training twice a week.

“Last year, the teachers became familiar with the philosophy and the instruments (exercises), but this is the first year we have tried to fully implement the program,” Miller said. “Our intent or hypothesis is to reduce the number of K-2 students that are being identified as requiring special services.”

As part of the program, Ben-Hur visited Brown’s room on Wednesday to observe and offer assistance as she took her students through a group FIE exercise before allowing them to “fly solo” on a similar assignment.

The exercise involved taking 10 dots, dividing them into groups of two, counting the groups, and determining the sum.

“All students are able to do the lesson with little or no help,” Brown said. “If they need help, I mediate with them during the lesson or at another time so they will feel confident that they will be able to complete a lesson the next time they try.”

Brown said the exercise encourages students to think and plan before they begin the actual exercise. “It helps control their impulse to be able to count objects (math) and hold onto the answer.”

Elise Schmidt, Early Childhood Academic Support teacher for the district makes her rounds to all of the elementary schools each week, working with K-1 teachers and students in completing the exercises.

“We’ve been through a variety of the instruments, and I’m very pleased by what the kindergartners and first-graders are able to do,” Schmidt said. “What it does is builds cognitive structures, teaches the child how to think, problem solve and manage their impulsivity,” she added. “It helps in class work and in behavior and transfers easily into every day life.”

In addition to FIE math exercises, Schmidt said students have been working with empathy instruments and others that focus on language concepts like time and size.

“Language is an area that we tend to get a lot of referrals,” Schmidt said. “Teachers are concerned about language processing and these instruments really do help with that.”

Using mediation, Schmidt said teachers are trained to help the child think through the problem. “It’s helping the child discover the answers by asking open ended questions to lead them to the correct answers on their own rather than just telling them.”

“I do see a difference in the students,” Brown said of the training. “They feel good about themselves when they have accomplished a task, and these skills will help them and are needed in all subject areas throughout their school career.”