Hi, we're Marietjie and Berno, founders of Boss Your Brain.
We are a dedicated mother-and-son duo based in Stellenbosch, South Africa. I am a certified teacher and Montessori directress with decades of experience, and combined with Berno's education in languages, psychology and philosophy and lived experience as a "functioning dyslexic", we have a unique and powerful insight into the dyslexic mind and offer proven, results-based insights and solutions for your learning journey.
We believe that while we are warm and friendly with our students, it’s crucial for you to learn to be strict with your brain. You must take charge of your learning — your brain should work for you, not the other way around.
Marietjie van Zijl
Berno van Zijl
A UNIQUE APPROACH TO OVERCOMING LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
OUR APPROACH
We offer a transformative approach to helping individuals with dyslexia and dysgraphia conquer their learning challenges and thrive in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Our programmes are for Grade 1's to adults and are in English or Afrikaans.
Our holistic and multi-sensorial programmes are tailored to meet the unique needs of each person, helping them recognise their strengths while strengthening their weaknesses.
We use a multi-sensorial method that teaches you to decode words into sounds, removing the need for memorising words and empowering you to read unfamiliar words correctly.
Unlike traditional phonetic methods that can feel overwhelming, our tools simplify these concepts into formats that resonate with your learning style. Instead of lists of phonetic rules, we teach a structured system that is easy to apply. By stabilising the connections between sounds and letters, you will not only enhance your reading skills but also improve your spelling.
We also incorporate handwriting as a crucial element of the learning process, providing a comprehensive strategy for mastering literacy.
STRATEGIES THAT WORK
WHAT WE DO & DON'T DO
Not all interventions work.
We see many dyslexia interventions that just don’t work. Two common methods are avoidance and memorisation.
Avoidance: Relying on audiobooks, C-Pens or extra help during tests, which might help you score better but ultimately keep you from practising reading and spelling, making the problem worse.
Memorisation: Learning to recognise a lot of words without understanding their sound-structures, filling your memory without helping you read new words. This often leads to quick fixes that don’t last.
We help you become self-aware.
A key part of our programme is teaching you how your brain works. Understanding yourself allows for self-awareness and self-correction, because recognising and fixing your mistakes is crucial.
Many people with dyslexia don’t notice when they make errors, which can lead to misunderstandings about their abilities.
We help you develop the skills to identify and correct small mistakes, affirming that these do not reflect your intelligence or capability.
This changes how you see yourself and your learning journey.
DON'T WASTE A GOOD QUESTION
FAQs
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