Tutoring vs. Brain Training: Interventions for Students Who Struggle with Dr. Amy Moore and Sandy Zamalis

If your child or teen has every struggled in school, your first instinct might have been to enroll them in tutoring. It makes sense, as that’s the intervention most parents are familiar with. But there are two parts to smart: the knowledge you acquire (e.g., history facts or math formulas) and how we process that information (e.g., learning, memorizing, understanding how and when to apply that math formula). Brain training helps with the latter. Today, cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore and board-certified cognitive specialist Sandy Zamalis sit down to explain how to determine which intervention might best help your student based on their specific struggles, as well as how cognitive skills training addresses the root cause of learning challenges. They also offer some insight to help boost cognitive skills at home, including some free resources being offered to listeners. Whether you’ve tried tutoring with little (or temporary) results or are just starting your research into interventions to help your struggling student, you won’t want to miss this important episode.

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How to Build Strong Reasoning Skills & the Foundation of Critical Thinking with Dr. Amy Moore and Sandy Zamalis

On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore and board-certified cognitive specialist Sandy Zamalis continue our series on cognitive skills, focusing on logic & reasoning. Find out why this higher-level thinking skill is so vital—not only to subjects like math and science, but also reading and test-taking. You’ll even hear how behavior can be affected by underdeveloped logic and reasoning skills, including poor decision-making skills, and how parents can help guide their kids and teens to boost these skills. You’ll learn why critical thinking skills require strong underlying cognitive skills, as well as two free resources available for download.

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Frustrated at Having to Repeat Yourself? Unpacking the Impacts of Weak Memory on Learning, Parenting, and Life with Dr. Amy Moore and Sandy Zamalis

On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore and board-certified cognitive specialist Sandy Zamalis delve into the topic of memory. How many times have you asked your child to do a few chores, only to have them forget? You may have thought, “That kid just doesn’t listen.” But the reality is that your child’s probably got some cognitive skills—like working memory and/or auditory processing—that need a boost to help them think, learn, read, and remember. Or think about the time your teen studied late into the night for a test, only to get a poor grade. If they didn’t get a good night’s sleep to consolidate those memories, they forgot what they learned by the time the test rolled around. If you’re curious to better understand the two broad types of memory—working and long-term—and how those skills can be targeted and trained to help your student live up to their full potential in school, work, athletics, and life in general, you won’t want to miss this host-led episode. Listen to Dr. Amy and Sandy as they explain how these two cognitive skills play a vital role in learning, and why even smart kids can struggle if these skills aren’t strong.

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Attention: What It Is, Why It Matters, What To Do About It with Dr. Amy Moore and Sandy Zamalis

On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore and board-certified cognitive specialist Sandy Zamalisdelve into the topic of attention. Tune in to learn about the three primary types of attention, things parents can do at home to improve their child’s brain function, and different ways that ADHD is often addressed in the classroom. You’ll also hear about the findings of studies on cognitive skills, including the fact that attention isn’t actually the weakest brain skill in most people with ADHD. Find out what options you may have to boost your child’s cognitive skills to the point that they may no longer need classroom accommodations, and why perceived behavioral issues may actually be about dopamine levels in the brain. If you or someone you love struggles with attention-related challenges, you don’t want to miss this episode! 

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The 411 on Cognitive Skills: What They Are, How They’re Trained, and How Strong Skills Make Learning Easier with Dr. Amy Moore and Sandy Zamalis

On this episode, Dr. Amy and Sandy dig into cognitive skills. Learn what they are, how each of the major brain skills contributes to learning, andwhy someone—whether a child, teen, adult, or senior—might struggle if even one skill is holding them back from their full learning potential. Tune in to hear a sample demonstration from cognitive skills training and find out why accommodations and tutoring may not be helping your student, as well as which type of intervention might best address the challenges your child is facing. Join us for this high-level overview of cognitive skills before we tackle individual brain skills in future episodes.

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5 Pillars of ADHD with Dr. Amy Moore

Today Dr. Amy Moore takes off her hostess hat at The Brainy Moms podcast and takes on the role of guest expert. Co-host Sandy Zamalis interviews Dr. Amy about her 5 Pillars of ADHD and her own experience being diagnosed at age 18 with attention deficits. Join us for this in-depth conversation from a leading expert on attention and cognitive deficits!  

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Mini-Episode: Should We Let Our Kids Quit? Making Decisions Through The Lens of Your Family’s Values

On this mini-episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy Moore and Dr. Jody Jedlicka discuss their feelings on whether it’s ok to let your kid quit an activity (such as sports or music lessons). Weighing the pros and cons of things like keeping your commitments vs. supporting your child or teen if they feel overwhelming anxiety or dread related to the activity, our co-hosts engage in an honest discussion about the tough choices parents need to make, and how these decisions can be supported by viewing them through the lens of your family’s pre-established values. This was a reflection discussion following their interview with Dr. Melanie McNally. Be sure to tune in to Dr. Melanie’s interview next week!

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The Mother Load: Finding Balance When Your Life Feels Off-Kilter with guest Leah Remillet

On this episode of “The Brainy Moms” Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Leah Remillet, a balance strategist who helps women do less, but better. Join us to hear Leah’s suggestions around everything from scheduling joy and learning to say “no” to setting up systems in every part of your life. This high-energy and entertaining episode opens with Leah sharing her own story of how burnout led her to restructuring everything to prioritize her physical and mental health and how she came out the other side much, much happier!

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Mini Episode: Teri’s Son Just Got Married!

Teri’s son just got married! Today we have a special announcement from one of our regular Brainy Mom co-hosts, Teri Miller. She joined host Dr. Amy Moore and fellow co-host Sandy Zamalis to share some big news about her family and we made sure the cameras were rolling to capture this special moment among friends for our regular listeners who have come to know our podcast hosts. 

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