Does anyone know why the timing/metronome thing is so important?

[Laurie4b]

Several interventions require children to do things to a beat. (Interactive metronome, Brainware Safari, vision therapy...) Why is that important? Does anyone know?

I know for ds, part of it is that it curbs some impulsiveness. If he answers too soon, it's wrong (in Brainware Safari, for instance). But is there more to it? He really has to concentrate to keep a beat. Why would that be? (I have not taught my other kids that specifically, for instance. Everyone raised in the same household and all that. One is an outstanding musician. ) So what keeps a kid from being able to keep a beat? And why is it important for cognitive development?

I would have thought not being able to keep a beat was only related to dancing or singing or something like that--in other words, something that some people are good at and others aren't but that doesn't really affect life elsewhere.

Just curious.

[Miss Sherry]

My 2 oldest children used a reading program that used a metronome. They were started out at a slow pace but the pace was gradually increased.

As far as I could tell, the beat of the metronome helped them to keep focused on the material they were working on and it helped them to learn to read at a continual pace and to gradually increase that pace.

Perhaps someone else has more information.

Being able to maintain your concentration and to speed up your reading I think does have an affect on things other than reading.
For instance, being able to listen to verbal instructions and focus on what is being said, will be an important skill throughout life.
Imagine the frustration an employer feels if he/she needs to explain something verbally to an employee more than once on a regular basis becasue the employee cannot concentrate on or remember what is being said, or needs to hear it said at a slow pace.

[Laurie4b]

That's interesting. I've never heard of reading to a metronome! (That would drive me out of my mind! ) What was the name of the program?

The stuff ds has used it for has been speed of motor movement and being able to keep the beat with motor movement.

[Rod Everson]

Several interventions require children to do things to a beat. (Interactive metronome, Brainware Safari, vision therapy...) Why is that important? Does anyone know?

Just curious.

This is a bit of a guess, but an informed guess. The cerebellum (midbrain) was once thought to deal mainly with motor activities, but over the past decade or so researchers have found that it's really much like the switchyard between brain and body and that a great deal of processing goes on in the cerebellum. But it's processing in the form of routing signals from body to brain and vice versa.

One theory of reading struggles (which I think will be proven correct eventually) is that an underdeveloped cerebellum is a root cause. The Dore Centers actually were formed for the express purpose of assessing the particular weaknesses and addressing them with specific exercises, for example....they are now having trouble with their business model, but a lot of parents claimed their therapy helped their children.

Many of the Dore Center's activities were based on the earlier Balametrics therapy involving bean bags, balance board, etc., and possibly a metronome as well (I'm not sure), so Balametrics probably got at certain aspects of development of the cerebellum as well. Vision, hearing, automaticity, even the ability to sit still and attend, all have some degree of reliance on the cerebellum, apparently.

So, my guess is that to the extent a metronome makes any difference, it's working on developing strengths in the cerebellum, strengths that are already present in the average child, but not in children who have various developmental delays. In other words, I think they'll eventually find that the locus of those delays is the cerebellum.

Regarding vision therapy, most of the work involves getting both eyes functioning together efficiently. However, developmental optometrists are well ahead of the curve on developmental issues generally, and I suspect this is why one sees balance boards and metronomes in a lot of VT departments. They're working on issues secondary to vision, but primary to development (and they're probably also developing a poorly-developed cerebellum in the process.)

You ask why it's done. The real reason is probably the same reason that a lot of therapies are done--because someone tried them and they worked often enough that they developed advocates and practitioners. My pet theory is that the reason there are so many unusual therapies for struggling readers is because all of them get at training the cerebellum in one way or another, often without even realizing it. All they know is that it works for some kids, so they keep trying it. This theory could also explain why various therapies fail some kids--they address an aspect of the cerebellum that doesn't need work in a particular child.

Note all the tentative language I've used above. I'm not sure of any of this, but as I said I suspect this is what we'll eventually learn is the case, at least in part. For example, google autism and cerebellum and you'll find work is even being done there. This is why I tend to view a lot of developmental issues as being part of a continuum with autism on one end and mild dyslexia on the other, all genetically determined, and all related in some way to cerebellar development.

Rod Everson
OnTrack Reading (http://ontrackreading.com)

[Laurie4b]

Interesting. Thanks.

[cillakat]

Several interventions require children to do things to a beat. (Interactive metronome, Brainware Safari, vision therapy...) Why is that important? Does anyone know?


I don't know, but I'm guessing you're right
1)impulse control - having to stick with set pattern rather than going for it
2)concentration-
3)working memory....keeping the beat, counting to 'x', while remembering what task needs to be completed once one gets to 'x'.

K

[Sandra in FL]

dd (10 yr. old) has been doing NeuroNet for 1 1/2 years, and every exercise is done to the beat of a metronome. Dr. Nancy has CDs for each level, and she's big on head rotation and midline. Ds does ball tosses (eyes and head following the ball) while saying something (gets progressively harder) in time to the rhythm. He also does jumping jacks (passing a ball over his head) while saying something again in time to the rhythm. He writes the two letters after a letter heard on the CD while saying the 2 letters in time to the rhythm.

Maybe next session (in a week and a half) I'll ask her. Ds has shown vast improvement in his coordination (especially in his handwriting) since doing NeuroNet.

HTH,
Sandra

[Laurie4b]

I'd love it if you would ask her and post what she says. Neuronet is on the list of potential future therapies for us.

[Sandra in FL]

She says it is important because of post synaptic depolarization. She says to call her. I guess you could try googling it too.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Nancy Rowe. She really knows her stuff - very experienced.

HTH,
Sandra

[Laurie4b]

Thanks so much.

Next question is "What is post synaptic depolarization"? LOL! I'll google it!