Customer Reviews

The Dominance Factor: How Knowing Your Dominant Eye, Ear, Brain, Hand, & Foot Can Improve Your Learning

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this book several months ago and I have been slowly integrating into my work with special Ed children. Lots of good, solidly backed information that fits so well with Occupational Therapy in the Classroom. However, this book is not friendly towards the right-brained readers like myself. I had to read the muscle-checking section 20 times before I figured it out, and I am still a little confused. Three other OTs and two PT also struggled with her descriptions. I think this will be the downfall of this otherwise wonderful book.

Dr. Carla Hannaford is at the forefront of mind/body/heart integration. We are fortunate to have her sharing her expertise in Smart Moves and the present book. Muscle checking, like Brain Gym exercises, are understandably difficult to master just from a book. For over 20 years, I've been sceptical about muscle checking, wondering if it was due more to subjective variations in the application of pressure. But I begin to see more validity to its use now. Knowing the dominance factors and the 32 dominance profiles is a great help to appreciating our individual differences. There are also many suggestions for integration. One needs to go beyond the simplistic right/left brain dominance theories and even the 8 or 9 multiple intelligences. Education worldwide needs such a revolution in integration through physical movements and the development of heart intelligence and all the senses.

This is the book that started me on a wonderful journey of exploration in the world of accelerated learning. With Dr. Hannaford's companion book, "Smart Moves" I was able to get a solid handle on this facet of learning. When I talk to groups, this is one topic that seems to hold their attention more than anything else.
Brian E. Walsh PhD, author of Unleashing Your Brilliance

I had great hopes for this book, both for myself and my family. It was certainly easy to read, and to a certain point I felt that the instructions on how to determine the profile were well written.
However, when actually testing I was completely unable to come to a conclusion as to whether I am right or left brained - just to start with! And although many of the factors are obvious, the few that are not left me with too many points of uncertainty. I was unable to conclude and that left me dissatisfied. I think perhaps I would need to see a professional in the field to get to the bottom but I doubt I will. Maybe I am just very balanced. ;-)
To a certain extent the book can be read "backwards" - that is seeing which profile feels most like you and then checking if the dominance profile seems likely to match.

A great book! Changes the way you know yourself and others - examines the way each of us recieves information and processes it, and how we are effected by stress and learning situations. Gives a start to improving brain intergration, through exercies and recommended activites, depending on your individual profile.

Initially I purchased the book about 2 months ago and briefly browsed through it- because I was focused on doing my other coursework.

Recently, I attended a workshop in New York City where the author, Carla Hannaford accompanied by her muscially talented husband, Mr. Ahti, presented a workshop where this material was one of the topics discussed.

In the workshop also book, Ms. Hannaford talked about how these dominance profiles can help us better understand how teachers and students naturally learn. A comparison was also discussed on how the school system in the US has designed its learning processes to accommodate certain learning styles. This has meant that other people who are of different learning styles--are often labeled unfavorably..the book goes more into detail. The book also explains step by step how to determine your own and others learning dominance profiles, gives descriptions of each, and suggestions on how to help yourself or others during times of stress also how to compensate.

For example, with my profile, when I am stressed, I am limited with hearing, seeing & talking..but I move. So when I am stressed I do not talk and require movement. With learning, I am a kinestetic learner..which means a combination of hearing (lecture), pictures (visuals) and doing (applying through movement) what I am learning. An example of what I learned I can do to improve my learning is to write lists of what I need to do..also sit towards the back of the room where I can move without disturbing the others in the class.

These profiles can also be used in families or between couples to better understand each others' learning and communication styles and how to help the other person during time of stress.

In the workshop, I learned what my natural approach to learning is as well as what happens to that approach when I am under stress. This helped me accept and understand how I learn and what I can do to help myself going forward--both when learning and not under stress as well as functioning when I am stressed. I also worked with a partner in the workshop and by my understanding her profile, I was more patient and compassionate because I understood her needs for learning & communicating.

I would recommend this book especially to those who work in the school systems, educators, parents, healers, sports coaches and those who truly want to understand the people in their lives from a more compassionate perspective- based on their natural learning style.

I really enjoyed this book as I had read Carla's book 'Smart Moves'. It is a very easy to read and understand book and makes it clear how children and adults learn, how their dominance patterns affect their learning, the impact of understanding of brain, foot, hand, eye and ear dominace on learning. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the brain and learning.

I bought this book as a replacement for one that I loaned out and never got back. it is helpful enough that I was willing enough to buy it twice

I'm very pleased with my recent purchase of the Book: "The Dominance Factor". The book arrived in a very timely manner and the condition of the book was great, just like the seller said it would be.

This book was recommended to me by a friend who actually administered a brief 'test' on my 8 year old son. I was intrigued and curious so I purchased it. It is all I thought it to be. If you want to gain valuable incite into yourself and your children, this book is a must have.