I am a normal mom. I lose my cool and yell more than I want to – I expect things from my children that (while I may feel should be accomplished) never seem to occur.

I love my babies and snuggle them constantly. I read bedtime stories, cook twelve different meals a day, and throw random dance parties. I also see just how unique each of my five children is – deep in their core of what makes them, THEM.

Watching them grow and develop differently has always interested me. When my oldest struggled to learn to read, I came across information about right versus left-brained people. Once I figured this out, I was able to relate and work with my children in the best ways to help them!

Knowing what side of the brain your child is dominate on allows you the ability to understand how to help him. It will help you teach, guide, discipline, and relate to him throughout his life!

The brain is constructed of two parts – hemispheres, but most commonly labeled as halves. Children are predominantly right-brained until 3 years old, when blood flow typically shifts to the left hemisphere of the brain. Between ages 4-7, the left side takes over until about 10 years of age when the brain begins to balance itself out.

Right Brain Children

The right hemisphere of the brain is linked to the creative, social, visual, and emotionally intuitive aspects of life.

These children:

• Are athletic
• Prefer to be shown rather than told
• Solve problems with emotional connections, past experience, and personal need
• Work well in groups
• Lose focus easily
• Day-dream
• Organize materials before beginning a project
• Typically disorganized in daily life
• Tend to lie down while coloring, reading, or watching TV
• Can visualize outcomes
• Act intuitively
• Seek change

Children who are dominated by the right half of the brain tend to be passionate and follow more artistic careers. Musicians, animal involved careers, designer, craftsman, actor, the list goes on. They are more visual, spontaneous, emotional, and expressive; their senses are almost on overload.

They absorb and learn best by:

• Using visual techniques
• Role playing
• Colors and pictures linked to numbers and strategies
• Physically manipulating objects
• Constant interaction and one-on-one learning
• Seeking patterns
• Discussions versus readings

Most children reach the point of being overpowered by their left-hemisphere. Our society has created a situation to which left-brained children have the brightest future. There is a mold that is expected to be fit – BUT EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT.

If you start to dig into the worldwide research of children and education, you find that most countries do not push any type of formal learning until at least 7 years of age. This aligns perfectly with the typical transition of brain hemispheres. We need to take a cue from the research and the world on this. Most learning before the age of 7 should be play-based and meant to be absorbed by the right hemisphere of the brain. Even after age 7, there should be variations of instructions meant to help each child succeed. It is not wrong to be right-brained. It anything, these are the ‘out-of-the-box’ thinkers, the ones who will change and impact the world in ways we cannot imagine.

Left Brained Children

These are the perfectionists and rule-followers. They:

• Tend to seek structure
• Memorize easily
• Are early readers
• Work independently
• Feed off verbal instructions
• Organize outside of just the activity at hand
• Pursue careers that require structure (science, law, finances, politics, etc)
• Enjoy quiet time alone
• Meet goals with ease
• Are natural with mathematics
• Do not need much encouragement

There are many more balanced and left-brained people in the world than pure right-brained, but it is not reason to conform your child to today’s standards. If she is struggling, look beyond the surface and find another way to teach her. Intelligence does not lie in the test scores, as a left-brained child will outscore a right-brained one.

Children with ADD, ADHD, SPD, social, behavioral, and academic problems tend to have an extremely imbalanced brain domination. Not everyone right-brain dominate has issues, but most children suffering tend to be dominate in the right- hemisphere. Our modern day education system is geared toward left-brained children. You may help your child by working one-on-one together, speaking to the teacher about small group or partner work rather than independent things, and asking for manipulatives for her to touch while learning. It is completely normal to not be balanced! The goal is to know and help guide your child.