LINDA FASTE, M. Ed, M.A.

Education and experience

Master’s Degree in Child Development, 
Tufts University, Eliot Pearson Department 
of Child Study, 1971

Master’s Degree in Special Education, 
Santa Clara University, 2003

Has studied and received advanced 
training in these areas:

The Physical Realm:
The Masgutova Method of Neuro-structural 
Reflex Re-patterning and Integration
Brain Gym®
Balance-Auditory-Visual-Exercises (Bal-A-Vis-X)®
Learning Breakthrough Program®
Kinergetics
Touch for Health

The Emotional Realm:
Center for Intentional Living
Brain Gym®
Total Biology

The Intellectual Realm:
Left and Right brain learning styles
The Slingerland Approach
Lindamood
Clay Mastery
Schools Attuned® with Dr. Mel Levine
The Listening Program®
    
Linda is a licensed Brain Gym® instructor and 
consultant and teaches Brain Gym classes locally 
and abroad, including Brain Gym 101, Optimal 
Brain Organization, and Vision Circles.  

She is a sanctioned Bal-A-Vis-X® instructor / 
consultant, and a graduate of the Center for 
Intentional Living, a psychology program 
with a psycho-spiritual approach.  

In addition, Linda has created and teaches 
these workshops:  The Nurturing Circles of 
Color, and Finding Your Slender Self.  
She is the co-creator, with Shirley Kelley, of 
Bags, Balls and Brains, a program to keep adults 
active, agile, flexible and balanced while aging. 

Linda and Shirley teach seminars, in-services, 
and healthy living retreats in this modality.  
Linda divides her time between Stanford, 
California and La Conner, Washington.

Suggested reading:  
Sally Goddard, A Teacher’s Window Into 
the Child’s Mind
Sally Goddard, Reflexes, Learning and Behavior

L I N D A   F A S T E
L e a r n i n g   S p e c i a l i s t

Linda Faste has a unique and successful approach to working with children. This approach encompasses the three areas necessary to be successful with learning:

• The physical
• The emotional
• The intellectual

Because Linda knows how a child’s age corresponds with developmental stages, she can advise about whether a child’s physical, emotional and intellectual skills just need more time to emerge, or whether a definite lag needs to be remediated. Yet, any child can benefit from integrating emotions, mind and body.

Learning consists of taking information in through the sensory channels (eyes and ears primarily), processing that information in the brain, and then sharing what one knows through the output of the motor channels.  A glitch, blockage or slowdown in any one of these areas or pathways can manifest as a learning, behavioral or emotional problem.

Working with the body first to make sure all the patterns and pathways are open, efficient, and working together in harmony is the first part of the solution. This work can be done with a series of simple yet specific movements that any child or adult can easily learn and practice. Then the child’s natural intelligence and learning style can more easily take over, allowing him or her to benefit more fully from teaching and life experiences.

Because of her knowledge, her keen observation skills, and her many years of experience with children of all ages and ability levels, Linda can skillfully develop a specific, individualized program for each of her clients.
 

Examples of how emotional issues can present themselves might be: if a child is a passive learner; is anxious about school; has low energy or no spark or enthusiasm around learning; refuses to read or write – or does so reluctantly.  If these behaviors are present, this child would benefit from both soothing the anxieties and enhancing excitement about learning. 

Examples of how physical issues can present themselves might be:  if a child slumps over while reading or writing; wraps his or her legs around the chair legs; or sits on his or her legs while doing academic work. Other body / physical issues might be: if the two eyes do not track together, if the child is left eye dominant; if one eye does not support the other eye in following across a line of print; if eye tracking is uneven or erratic; if both ears are not listening appropriately; if there is hyper- or hypo- sensitivity with vision and hearing or any of the other senses, including tactile, kinesthetic, balance or proprioception (knowing where your body and limbs are in space and in relationship to each other); or if the reticular activating system (the attention apparatus) is on high alert, causing the child to display symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

There are simple processes to determine if any of these issues are significant for the child, and there are strategies for making changes and improvements in all these areas, which will enhance any child’s ability to learn.  

Linda bases her innovative strategies on body and brain development principles that help the body and brain work together to support each other in the best way possible. Developmental movement patterns underlie reflex patterns, influencing conscious movement, choice, and behavior. Linda helps the child develop the mature reflex patterns essential for ease and joy of learning, patterns which affect and enhance the sensory and motor systems.

Linda bases her academic tutoring on The Slingerland Approach, a simultaneous multi-sensory learning program. This program addresses visual learning (reading), auditory learning (spelling and dictation) and tactile kinesthetic learning (writing).  These three processes are taught together so that the stronger modality supports the weaker.  For example, if someone is primarily an auditory learner, he or she would always hear the sound of the letter or word while seeing its printed representation.  Other techniques and processes are woven into the day’s lesson plan appropriate to each child’s learning style.

 A typical session at the beginning of their work together might consist of 50 to 80 % body or emotional work and 50 to 20 % academic.  As their work together continues, the hour changes to 90 % to 100 % academic / intellectual work and 10 % or less for physical or emotional processes.

Linda gently guides and enhances each child so his and her own learning style is enlivened, encouraged and allowed to prosper. She has abundant patience and respect for each child’s strengths, abilities, learning style and personality.