Developed by linguistic scientist, Helen Doron, over 30 years ago and supported

by a multidisciplinary team, the unique Helen Doron methodology has also been
found to excite and enhance language learning for children with special needs.  

The Helen Doron method was developed to teach English as a foreign language

to children of all ages in a fun, engaging and stress-free environment- easily and
naturally in the same way they learn their mother tongue.  In fact, many of the
130,000 children that learn with the Helen Doron method every year claim that
what they enjoy best about their Helen Doron English classes are the music and
games they play during the lessons.  Their parents are equally amazed by how
easily and effortlessly their children are learning to speak English.

 The Doron method teaches English in a fun way, often usingmusic.[5] There is also listening,
watching teacher's body language and gestures and student repetition involved in the
method.[6]

She and other teachers who follow that method teach through song, music,
movement, games, special activities. She promotes pleasure in acquiring new
skills and learn through positive reinforcement and support builds self esteem
and enhances confidence. Groups are small (5-8 persons), material is adapted to the level,
qualified teachers use updated books and varied teaching aids.

Each lesson lasts about 30 minutes. But that is not all. The basis is listening to specially prepared
recordings at home. The child will succeed if he or she listens to it twice a day. It gives fifteen
lessons a week. Meeting the teacher is only one element of the method.

"Over the years we have found that our classes also benefit children with various
physical and mental challenges. For me this was an especially pleasing
discovery," recalls Ms. Doron, founder and CEO. "And when you think about it, it
makes a lot of sense. When you boil it down, all children's basic needs are
primarily the same. The need to feel loved and cared for, the need to grow and
develop, the need for social interaction and acceptance, the need for
accomplishment."  When a child learns to understand and speak English, the
sense of accomplishment has a profound impact on their well-being."
Many of the Helen Doron English teachers around the world reported that they
have worked with children with learning challenges- students who always saw
themselves as 'different' from those around them and were comforted to learn of
a wider world with many cultures and norms in which everyone could be different
and valued. Some of them told us how the methodology enhances the lives of
children, making them feel more competent and successful both in and out of the
classroom.

Research shows that bilingualism, even partial bilingualism, has a multitude of

beneficial effects on brain development and function. When it comes to learning
multiple languages, the important thing to remember is that all children,
regardless of ability, have the potential to learn more than one language.
Children who are exposed to multiple languages from birth, or in early childhood,
are more likely to be dual language speakers. These children have increased
abilities to communicate with more people, and the same is true for children with
special needs.

An excellent example is Gabriel, a 7-year-old autistic boy from Mexico whose

mother enthusiastically related how Helen Doron English "Jump with Joey"
classes helped her son: "Gabriel doesn't learn like other children and Helen
Doron classes have helped him. He was very excited about the 'Hello My World!'
save the orangutan campaign and was very happy to get involved. His video
received 82,000 votes which made him feel very good about himself!  Autistic
children are often bullied and I believe barriers are only in our minds."

Click here to hear the interview with Gabriel's mother on Helen Doron Radio.

Tihana Uzelac, Helen Doron English teacher and franchisee from Zagreb,

Croatia told us: "Children with special needs, in addition to the challenges of
everyday life, often face the problem of social marginalization. Parents with
special needs children often thank us for opening our doors and providing them
with an opportunity to learn when others were not willing to do so. Working in
small groups and in a stimulating environment is what our students benefit from
the most. The structure of our classes, a multitude of different activities which
enable every child to demonstrate all their knowledge and skills and a lot of fun
games allow each child to feel comfortable and enjoy the lesson. Although most
parents who have a child with special needs come primarily with the aim of
improving their child's social skills, all of our parents are positively and pleasantly
surprised with the progress their children show in regards of English language
acquisition. While working in a group with a child with special needs requires
some adjustments, we consider it a welcoming challenge and an opportunity for
us to learn something new and become better teachers, and also better people."
Snjezana Javurek, Helen Doron teacher from Velika Gorica, Croatia, added: "In
our experience, children with special needs can benefit from the Helen Doron
method. Owing to the cheerful and relaxing atmosphere in our school, the
students do not feel that attending class is a boring and tedious task that needs
to be completed, so they do not exhibit any unwillingness to learn. In time, the
children who were at first reluctant to participate started showing their interest in
the activities in the lesson, as well as in other students in their group. Games and
exercises that we do in class require peer interactions which help develop
emotional and social skills in children. They learn how to communicate with each
other, cooperate, consult with each other, accept other group members and
respect the opinions of others, as well as how to deal with certain emotions
(happiness as a result of winning a game, anger and/or disappointment as a
result of losing a game). The activities in class switch rapidly, which helps the
students stay focused. In class we regularly engage in kinaesthetic activities
where children have a chance to "let off steam" i.e. satisfy their need to move,
thus allowing us to hold their attention. This ultimately facilitates knowledge
acquisition. When the children feel relaxed and safe, they are willing to use
English. Even though at first they merely repeat certain
words/phrases/sentences, with a little bit of encouragement from the teacher, the
children make an effort to express their thoughts and create their own
sentences."

Leior, a Helen Doron teacher from Israel, had similar experiences with the "Botty
the Robot" special needs class she worked with recently: "This was a joyful
experience. They had so much enthusiasm to learn English, they were eager to
work hard and learn everything I had to teach them. They arrived every week
excited to participate in the lessons and also spent a lot of time practising at
home. They enjoyed the whole concept of the lesson; playing games, singing
songs, group competitions, working in the workbooks, etc. They were never
bored, always engaged in each activity, taking it very seriously and working hard
to succeed."

Language enables individuals to engage socially, initially within their families, and
later in an ever-widening network of relationships and cultural experiences. Such
experiences create a sense of belonging and enhance general well-being.
Language enables children to give expression to their feelings, ideas, and
concerns. This is equally important for children with learning disabilities who can
take advantage of an additional language to better communicate and find their
places in the world, and the Helen Doron method makes learning English
possible for everyone.  

About the Helen Doron Educational Group 

The Helen Doron Educational Group stands at the forefront of innovative
educational systems, providing exclusive learning programmes and quality
educational materials for babies, children and adolescents the world over since
1985. The company's flagship franchise, Helen Doron English, along with Helen
Doron Kindergarten, MathRiders, Ready Steady Move! franchises today
encompass over 880 learning centres in almost 40 countries
in Europe, Asiaand South America. Today, more than two million children have
learnt with the unique Helen Doron methodology.

The Helen Doron Educational Group invites entrepreneurs to join a successful

business operation that benefits children around the world. Visit us
at http://www.helendorongroup.com.

Contact:

Marilyn Glazier