Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Thomason.
Hi Erica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My why involves the story of my younger sister who had learning needs that were undiagnosed (this was a normal thing back in the ’80s). I watched as she spent her youth feeling overwhelmed, confused, and minimized when compared to my academic ability. Present-day, my sister is my best friend, and seeing the pain this inflicted on her self-esteem back then and its effect on her trajectory was where my purpose and passion for working with children was born. As I began to work with children and their families, I realized a talent I have in translating a child’s expressions into language parents can understand, which continues to be the area that continues to fascinate me. I’ve earned undergraduate degrees in psychology, educational psychology, and a master’s in counseling, all in the pursuit of understanding how humans, especially little ones, optimally learn and perform. In 2017 I responded to this question with the creation of my in-home educational company, The Dynamic Child. I discovered in my years working in education, wellness, and coaching that solely relying on the development of intellectual ability is not enough training for a child to successfully navigate today’s world. The Dynamic Child rounds a child’s education by infusing social-emotional intelligence, the ability to relate to one’s own emotions and regulate behavior, as a tool. When combined with academic intellect, social-emotional intelligence allows students to make sense of the challenging and uncertain problems of the future and respond appropriately.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Some of the obstacles we’ve faced as a company are educating the public on how important early education truly is and how incredibly beneficial individual instruction is for young humans. From birth, babies are built to learn, explore and integrate. Every human has an optimal learning time that begins at birth and extends to age 5. During this period, a child brain is wired to do the most efficient learning they will do their entire lives. Many parents are unaware of the ways they can harness this precious time and how building strong foundations in early development positively impacts future learning. Through our in-home lessons, parent support sessions, social media, public speaking engagements, and online courses we work diligently to educate parents on this vital time and deliver tangible tools to children and parents that they can utilize in their everyday interactions both academically and socially.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Dynamic Child?
The Dynamic Child’s In-home services are 45 minute- 1-hour classes with curriculum consists of a 4-week rotation of Reading, Writing, Math, and Problem Solving. Each session stimulates academic enrichment, enhances social-emotional skills, and takes play from floor to the classroom. Our Robotics Curriculum takes problem-solving to the next level and consists of strengthening a child’s knowledge of 3D spacial assembly, manual remote control, theoretical programming, coding simple and complex tasks, and circuits.
The Dynamic Child Parent Support Sessions are designed to support parents through education, compassion and encouragement. Parenting is a difficult job that does not come with an instruction manual. We meet with you to provide education and support around parenting strategies and skills that fit you and your child’s unique needs.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
My family moved to Dallas when I was just one year old, so I like to consider myself a native Texan. I love Dallas’ growing diversity in population, its excellent education opportunities, its strong philanthropic roots, and cultural offerings in museums and exhibits. We have a strong business and entrepreneurial environment that makes this city a great place to find your niche and grow.
Pricing:
- Individual academic lessons $80-100
- Robotics lessons $70-100
- Parent support $150
Contact Info:
- Email: thedynamicchild@gmail.com
- Website: www.thedynamicchild.com
- Instagram: @thedynamicchild
- Facebook: thedynamicchild
Image Credits:
Arturo Barbera
Danielle Doby
