BrainFit Mailing List

Join Mailing List

BrainFit® Parenting Masterclass

We are proud to launch the BrainFit® Parenting Masterclass series! Conducted by Ms Cheryl Chia, Paediatric Physiotherapist, Founder and Director of BrainFit®, this Masterclass series will guide parents with young infants and toddlers on all the essentials of parenting through the most critical early years of an individual’s life.    

The first three years of a child’s life is one marked by rapid brain growth and development. Brain cells are growing and connecting at an astonishing rate. Many brain pathways laid down during these crucial early years will form the foundations for your child’s learning, behavioral and intellectual capabilities over the rest of their lives.

Each participant will be able to:

  1. Attend a one-hour class that involves sharing of brain development essentials and practical parenting strategies
  2. Participate in sharing of your child’s development with Cheryl and the other parent participants during the class
  3. Ask Cheryl any questions you have concerning your parenting during the class
  4. Access the BrainFit® Baby Whole-Brain Development App for 1 month 
  5. Access the BrainFit® Personal Brain Coach App with video contents and resources for 1 month     

Each class is limited to 50 participants.

Language: English only

Cost: $30 per session

BrainFit® Parenting Masterclass Series

Module 1: Key considerations in brain-based parenting (Registration closed)

Brain development and key considerations for parenting at each stage of development

Module 1: Birth to 12 months

In the first year of life, sensory and motor development is taking place at a rapid pace as the infant learns to process information coming in through all the key sensory learning channels of sight, hearing, touch and movement. The infant’s brain needs to be able to soothe himself yet at the same time learn about the external world amidst this barrage of sensory input. Concurrently, the infant is learning to organise his motor responses so that he can successfully navigate his new external world. This sensory-motor development will serve as important foundational blocks for the child’s future learning. At the same time, the emotional pathways in the infant’s brain are being developed as he bonds with responsive adult carers, which further sets the stage for future social-emotional processing.  

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The key areas of brain development from 0-12 months
  • How to identify and manage stress signs and sensory overload in an infant’s brain
  • Strategies to maximise overall brain development in the first year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years 

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 0-1 year of age.

Date: 30th June 2020, Tuesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm (Singapore time)

Registration is closed for this module

Module 1: 13 months to 24 months

The second year of a child’s life is marked by rapid language development as the toddler acquires basic vocabulary for communication. The brain has a truly fascinating machinery that allows a young child to progress from hearing seemingly “meaningless” sounds and noises to making sense of and producing speech for purposeful communication within a relatively short span of 18-24 months. With increasing understanding of the world and motor independence comes an increased curiosity which can also drive a child into a state of constant exploration and movement. Language development, together with the continuous sensory-motor, visual and focus development, will form the bedrock of the child’s learning and thinking processing later in school and life.   

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The key areas of brain development from 13-24 months
  • How to manage the environment to optimise the development of focus 
  • Strategies to maximise overall brain development in the second year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years 

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 13-24 months of age.

Date: 1st July 2020, Wednesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm (Singapore time)

Registration is closed for this module

Module 1: 25 months to 36 months

In the third year of a child’s life, she has developed greater independence, both in action and in thought. Sometimes described as the “terrible-twos” stage, children in this phase of development tries to exert their independence and self-identify through pushing of boundaries which can create frustrations and concerns for parents and carers. Understand how your parenting style at this stage and beyond can have a profound impact not only on your child’s social-emotional development but also learning and behaviours.  

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The key areas of brain development from 25-36 months
  • How to adopt the most ideal parenting style to optimise your child’s social-emotional development and learning outcomes
  • Strategies to maximise overall brain development in the third year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years 

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 25-36 months of age.

Date: 2nd July 2020, Thursday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm (Singapore time)

Registration is closed for this module

Module 2: Enhancing sensory-motor brain fitness, body control and sensory integration (Registration closed)

Sensory-Motor brain fitness development and key considerations for parenting at each stage of development.

Babies in their first 3 years of life are learning to process sensory information coming from their body through their sense of touch, movement and balance. This sensory information integrates with motor responses to form important brain pathways that help Baby to navigate his/her environments successfully. 

Spatial learning is accelerated as Baby explores his/her environments independently. A combination of a strong internal “body sense” and sharp processing of external spatial information helps Baby to lay down critical foundations for successful mastery of Math spatial concepts in the future. 

Solid sensory-motor processing also contributes significantly to a child’s developing self-confidence as he/she gains the ability to overcome gravity and develop movement independence and control. At the same time, a child with well-developed sensory-motor pathways in the brain will be able to pay attention with less mental effort, enhancing learning outcomes in the future.  

Module 2: Birth to 12 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The relationship between movement experiences and spatial learning  
  • How to stimulate baby’s balance senses and spatial thinking through your daily handling 
  • Physical activities to maximise sensory-motor brain development in the first year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 0-1 year of age.

Date: 28th July 2020, Tuesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm (Singapore time)

Module 2: 13 months to 36 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • How our internal “body sense” develops and its relationship with Math learning  
  • Identify signs of sensory-motor weaknesses in your baby for early remediation 
  • Physical activities to maximise sensory-motor brain development in the second year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 13-36 months of age.

Date: 29th July 2020, Wednesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm (Singapore time)

Module 3:  Building solid foundations for visual brain fitness and Math thinking (Registration closed)

A baby’s visual brain fitness has a profound influence on future school success, enabling both academic achievement, as well as sporting performance. About 75% of early learning in the classroom is dependent on the visual system. Optimizing visual brain fitness development in your baby through guided play in the early years can help him/her build solid foundations for learning success. 

Visual tracking 
The ability to coordinate eye movements to track effortlessly has a significant impact on the ability to pay attention, read and copy smoothly, and enjoy sporting activities such as ball games. Visual attention and tracking can typically be observed from 3 months’ of age and continues to develop through the early years. 

Visual perception 
From only being able to visualize stark contrasts in the first few months to being able to identify and discriminate colours, symbols, shapes, sizes, patterns and quantities by 36 months of age, a baby’s visual brain networks experience rapid development in the first 3 years of life. These visual skills are essential in preparing a baby to learn letters and numbers for reading and Math.  

Visual-spatial perception & Math thinking
Developing alongside the “internal” body spatial sense in the sensory-motor system, a baby’s visual brain develops the ability to perceive and judge “external” spaces. An accurate spatial perception and grasp of spatial concepts underlie Math thinking and influences the ability to successfully learn and enjoy Math.

Module 3: Birth to 12 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of eye tracking, visual attention and early spatial perception    
  • How early visual activities can be used to develop sense of pattern recognition and problem-solving skills
  • Activities to maximise visual brain fitness and Math thinking in the first year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years 

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 0-1 year of age.

Date: 25th August 2020, Tuesday 

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

Module 3: 13 months to 36 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of key visual perception and memory skills that are critical for learning success   
  • How visual-spatial skills determine success in Math learning what parents can do to facilitate its development 
  • Activities to maximise visual brain fitness and Math thinking in the second and third year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years 

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 13-36 months of age.

Date: 26th August 2020, Wednesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

Module 4:  Building solid foundations for auditory brain fitness, language and reading (Registration closed)

A baby’s auditory brain fitness governs the ability to process sound information, aiding in the development of speech, language and future reading skills. While early learning utilises the visual brain system heavily, the learning and critical thinking demanded from school shifts to a heavier auditory mode as a child moves up through the levels. Strengthening a
child’s auditory brain fitness and language development in the early years can provide a learning advantage for future learning success.

Rapid auditory processing
Processing language is one of the fastest tasks required of our brains. Without adequate speed, listening becomes more effortful and potentially inaccurate, creating challenges with language development, reading, paying attention and grasping information quickly. A baby’s auditory brain experiences rapid development in the first few months of life and continues to develop as a toddler acquires speech and language skills.

Phonological processing
In order to be a strong reader through life, solid phonological awareness and processing is critical. While children typically learn to read between 4 to 6 years of age, the auditory and visual foundations necessary for strong phonological processing and reading is being built over the early years.

Module 4: Birth to 12 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of auditory processing, receptive and expressive language skills in the first year of life
  • The use of “serve and return” strategy to facilitate not only language development but also emotional development in the brain
  • Activities to maximise auditory brain fitness and language development in the first year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 0-1 year of age.

Date: 22nd September 2020, Tuesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

Module 4: 13 to 36 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of key auditory and phonological skills that are critical for language and reading development, as well as learning success
  • Understand how best to help baby build solid reading foundations through a “memorizing” vs “critical thinking” approach
  • Activities to maximise auditory brain fitness and language development in the second and third year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 13-36 months of age

Date: 23rd September 2020, Wednesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

Module 5:  Building foundations for strong attention and memory (Registration closed)

A baby’s brain is designed to be sensitive to environment cues so that he/she is able to make sense of the world, develop language, make connections and learn. As such, being easily “distracted” is absolutely normal! However, as our brain behaves like a muscle, parents are able to shape the development of your baby’s attention and memory “brain muscles” through your daily interactions and play. 

Attention Span
Your baby’s ability to pay attention is a skill. Having a strong attention span and memory is a valuable asset for staying on task, successful learning, deep thinking and problem-solving. The attention and memory systems are closely connected. To form a new memory, a baby must first be paying close attention to the new information. Sharp processing through the sensory, visual and auditory channels become vital in facilitating the attention, retention and recall of new information.

Memory
There are many types of memory. There is also a difference between rote memorization and the remembering of meaningful, connected information with comprehension. Techniques such as flash cards are often used on babies to exploit their rote memorization ability. Find out the pros and cons of the flash cards technique and what other superior ways there may be in strengthening memory development in young children.

Module 5: Birth to 12 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of attention and memory brain networks in the first year of life
  • The use of the “shared attention” strategy to stretch baby’s attention stamina 
  • Activities to maximise attention brain fitness and memory development in the first year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 0-1 year of age.

Date: 27th October 2020, Tuesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

Module 5: 13 to 36 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of attention and memory brain networks in the second and third year of life
  • Understand how best to help baby develop working memory and executive function skills, critical for the development of emotional regulation, self-management, critical thinking and complex problem solving skills in the future.  
  • Activities to maximise attention brain fitness and memory development in the second and third year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years 

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 13-36 months of age

Date: 28th October 2020, Wednesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

Module 6:  Nurturing emotional security, emotional intelligence and resilience (Registration closed)

Emotional intelligence refers to your ability to not only be aware of your own and others’ emotions, but also to regulate and manage them successfully. In a young child, the emotional brain is developed from birth as the baby participates in “back-and-forth” social interactions with his/her caregivers. 

A baby’s social-emotional development can have a profound impact on his/her future abilities to form secure relationships, understand and regulate emotions, explore and learn. This is contributed by the wide and direct neural connections between the emotional brain, memory brain and thinking brain. Most importantly, emotional intelligence and resilience can be heavily shaped through daily parenting and interactions with your child. 

Module 6: Birth to 12 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of social-emotional brain networks in the first year of life
  • The unique temperaments in different children and how to provide the most supportive responses for each temperament
  • Activities to maximise the development of emotional security and emotional intelligence in the first year of life and lay down important foundations for the later years

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 0-1 year of age.

Date: 24th November 2020, Tuesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

Module 6: 13 to 36 months

Attend this session to learn about the following:

  • The development of social-emotional brain networks in the second and third year of life
  • The principles of emotional coaching and how to become an effective emotional coach for your toddler
  • Activities to maximise emotional intelligence and resilience in the second and third year of life and lay down important learning foundations for the later years

Suitable for: Parents and carers caring for an infant between 13-36 months of age

Date: 25th November 2020, Wednesday

Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm Singapore time

What our parents say…
Cheryl is an engaging presenter who provides excellent practical strategies for parents.

I have definitely learnt new knowledge on how to raise my baby

Cheryl is very knowledgeable and gives clear scientific yet easy-to-understand explanations.

Cheryl takes time to answer our questions. Really useful for me as a first-time parent.

Extremely informative. Didn’t realise there is so much I can do to help my baby’s brain development.

Every new parent should attend this!

About the Trainer

About the Trainer

Ms Cheryl Chia, Paediatric Physiotherapist and Founder of BrainFit®

With more than 20 years’ experience in brain fitness training, Cheryl is an accomplished paediatric physiotherapist, who is also the founder of BrainFit, an entity that specialises in scientific brain fitness training. Cheryl holds a Master Degree in Physiotherapy Studies (Paediatrics) from the University of Queensland, Australia. She was awarded a full scholarship from KK Hospital and was also the overall coordinator for paediatric neurology physiotherapy there. She has lectured in Nanyang Polytechnic and is a much sought-after speaker, including at events organised by MediaCorp-SMART Parents, the Child Guidance Clinic and schools. She is a frequent invited guest on Parenting Made Easy Radio 93.8, where she shares her expertise on brain fitness to help parents raise smarter and more resilient children. Cheryl is also an author and a mother to two young girls.

Registration closed