About Joanne Smyth
I am an elementary teacher (OCT) with special education qualifications and years of experience supporting children/youth with learning differences. I also have a degree in early childhood education and am a Circle of Security Parent®️ Facilitator. I have also completed the RIE®️ (Resources for Infant Educarers) 60 hour Foundations: Theory and Observation™ course.
https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/
https://rie.org/upcoming-foundations-courses/
I am a licensed BrainGym® Consultant/Instructor and a Blomberg Rhythmic Movement Training Consultant. I continue to take specialized training in the area of reflex integration and developmental movement to add to my toolbox. https://brmtcanada.com/ https://braingymcanada.ca/
Previously a teacher with the Toronto District School Board, I have been successfully running my program since 2008 and have years of experience facilitating early literacy music programs for families and their young children at the Guelph Community Health Centre, Ontario Early Years Centre and Kidsability Centre for Child Development.
Specialized Training
In addition to my early childhood education and teaching degrees, my ongoing training in reading intervention programs includes courses in the implementation of Orton Gillingham , RAVE-O (Retrieval, Automaticity, Vocabulary, Engagement-Orthography) and Reading Tricks reading programs. All three programs are researched-based and very effective.
Some of the specialized movement based courses I have training in are; Brain Gym® for Special Education Providers, Introductory to HANDLE (Holistic and Neurological Development Learning Efficiency), Bal-A-Vis-X® (Balance, Auditory, Vision eXercises) Levels 1, 2 and Adapted for special needs learners, MNRI®Dynamic and Postural Reflex Pattern Integration, Rhythmic Movement Training®, Movement Exploration and Neurodevelopment Movement Program. I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study with Harald Blomberg, Carla Hannaford, Candi Cosgrove, Carol Ann Erickson, Cecilia Koester and many other wonderful teachers. For more information on these programs please refer to the Developmental Movement page of this website.
Past Workshops
Brain Moves: Brain Gym® in the Classroom- a workshop for teachers (2021) @ GCVI and College Heights Secondary School.
Brain Moves: Brain Gym® for Parents (May and June 2021)
Guelph Parkinson’s Support Group : Introduction to Brain Gym® including a follow up workshop for members (October 2014 and May 2015)
Upper Grand District School Board Parent Advisement Committee: Introduction to Brain Gym® (Feb. 2015)
Upper Grand District School Board :Brain Gym® and the Physical Skills of Learning (April, 21015)
John Galt Public School, Guelph: Introduction to Brain Gym® (June 2015)
Guelph Homeschool Group: Introduction to Brain Gym® and the Physical Skills of Learning (June 2015)
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