Professional Development
& Consulting Services
Kristen Higdon can equip your teachers with Brain-Based Teaching strategies and philosophies that inspire student learning while physiologically increasing their ability to read!
As a classroom teacher, I knew that many of my kids couldn’t read on grade level but I didn’t know what to do differently to catch them up and still teach my regular reading standards.
Then one year, Dr. Fritz Mengert consulted with my school on how the brain functions in conjunction with how kids learn. When I began implementing his Brain-Based Teaching philosophies and strategies, I saw a real difference in the reading ability of my struggling readers!
All teachers can grow their Upper Elementary Struggling Readers by using the same effective Brain-Based strategies I used for 12 years in my classroom!
Professional Development Workshops
My workshops are designed for 3rd-5th grade reading teachers excited to try new and different ways to grow their readers.
Each half-day workshop shares effective Brain Based Teaching strategies and how to implement them through modeling, practice, and brainstorming. Printable materials are also provided!
I am passionate about helping teachers grow their students’ reading ability using Brain Based Teaching and can’t wait to work with your staff! Click on each Workshop title for more information:
Teachers will learn the importance of brain chemicals in focus, mood, & motivation and how to create a positive emotional learning environment.
They will also redesign their classroom into a brain-friendly physical environment that physiologically enables students to learn better.
Teachers will learn why physical movement is crucial for increasing learning and reading ability and how to incorporate it into their daily teaching.
They will also learn how bodily movement issues are connected to reading difficulties and practice movements that will improve those issues.
Teachers will learn how to create and use a Word Wall daily to build their students’ sight vocabulary (the first line of attack in improving reading fluency and comprehension).
They will also sing songs and play games that motivate students to participate during Word Wall and hear ways to formally and informally assess students’ mastery of words.
Teachers will learn creative ways to use Repeated Choral Reading to improve reading fluency and comprehension.
They will also review and practice teaching “Stop Light” Repeated Choral Reading, the #1 intervention that grew even my lowest struggling readers!
Teachers will learn fresh and fun ways to increase student excitement for reading inside the classroom using music, art, and drama!
They will also hear how I got my students excited to read outside of the classroom by using my Sticky Note Reading System (and try it for themselves!).
Teachers will learn the test-taking strategies and test anxiety tips I use to effectively prepare my students for standardized Reading Testing.
I will walk teachers through whole group practice, how to group students for remediation and partner work, how I boost student confidence and more!
School Consultation and Mentoring
If you are looking for a more “needs specific” thought partner, I offer consultation services to delve more deeply into Brain-Based Teaching or work together to problem-solve student learning issues unique to your school.
Examples of ways I can help include:
- Grade level/Reading Teacher small group coaching
- In-class modeling of Brain-Based techniques and strategies with your students
- Brainstorming sessions personalizing implementation of Brain-Based Strategies into daily teaching
- Teacher Work Sessions to prepare classrooms, create routines, and gather materials to begin Brain-Based Teaching
- Working with students to personalize strategies that might benefit them
Consultation sessions are the perfect complement to any of my workshops but can also be scheduled independently.
I would love to work with you to create an environment in your school where teachers are excited to teach and students are excited to learn!
Bring Kristen to your school!
Novelty and creativity in teaching help both students and teachers thrive!
I want to show your teachers how they can incorporate Brain-Based Teaching elements like music, physical movement, Word Wall, and more to make learning rigorous, more effective, yet fun while supporting their own unique ways of including these elements in their classroom.
When students are taught by teachers who understand how important the brain-body connection is, they engage more readily in learning, build confidence in themselves, and grow their reading ability in ways they’ve not been able to before!
If you’re thinking, “My teachers and students would love this!”, contact me for more information on how we can work together!
