The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode: 1KHO 703 - If Reading is Hard, Everything is Hard
Guest: Dr. Janissa Jackson, Clinical Psychologist & Director, LearningRx
Host: Ginny Yurich
Date: February 7, 2026

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, Ginny Yurich sits down with Dr. Janissa Jackson, an experienced clinical psychologist and LearningRx center director. They dive into the critical role of cognitive skills in learning, the wide-reaching impact of reading struggles, and how modern childhood—shaped by technology and reduced outdoor time—affects children’s brains. Dr. Jackson explains neuroplasticity, the limitations of traditional interventions, and shares insights about hope, practical solutions, and life on her family’s cattle ranch.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Dr. Jackson’s Background & Motivation

• Early Passion:

  • Dr. Jackson recalls being driven from a young age to help people, especially those who struggled to “bounce back” in tough situations.

    "I just saw differences in people, and some of them were easily resilient... and some really seem to struggle. And I wanted to be a part of the solution for those people..." (02:13)

• Professional Experience:

  • Over 20 years as a clinical psychologist, seeing childhood pre- and post-smartphone era.

2. Impact of Technology on Cognitive Skills & Childhood (03:11 - 06:00)

• Screen Time Explosion:

  • Early 2000s: AAP recommended max 1 hour/day; now average is 6 hours/day for 8-year-olds.

    “In 20 years... it was one hour and now these kids are on average six hours." - Ginny Yurich (05:26)

  • This shift is linked to declining attention spans and executive function, especially in kids with genetic vulnerabilities.
  • Technology erodes “the ability to wait, manage time, efficiency and focus.” (03:14)

• Shrinking Home Range:

  • Past generations of children explored farther; today’s kids are “often like, you can’t leave our yard.” (04:30)

3. Identifying and Addressing Learning Struggles (06:02 - 10:00)

• From Diagnosis to Hopeful Action:

  • Dr. Jackson observed parents overwhelmed by diagnoses with little help for what to do next.

• Limitations of Traditional Interventions:

  • Frustrated by interventions that “work around” vs. strengthen underlying weaknesses.

4. The LearningRx Approach: Neuroplasticity & Brain Training (10:00 - 14:42)

• Brain Training Philosophy:

  • Focuses on improving the cognitive skills that underlie learning—memory, attention, processing speed, auditory processing—rather than only targeting academic symptoms.

• Real-Life Gains:

  • "Kids I've known in my clinical practice for years that were just not making progress have made tremendous progress." (09:24)

• Short, Intense, Effective:

  • Typical program: 12-24 weeks, 3x90min sessions/week, producing “years” of growth in months.
  • Retention is impressive: "Our research shows consistently 97% retention of the gain a year out... that's not a different school year, that's a different life." (19:37)

• Quote:

  “If reading is hard, everything is hard. There is nothing that stresses out a child and a parent more than when reading isn’t working...” (11:31)

5. Why Traditional Interventions Often Fail (12:55 - 14:42)

• Incomplete Approach:
  • “They’re building one skill, but there’s these other skills foundational for learning that are being left behind.” (13:49)
  • Interventions lasting years can shape a child's identity as “the kid who needs help.”

6. Core Cognitive Skills in Learning (21:02 - 26:28)

• Skills Often Overlooked:

  • Auditory processing, phonetics, processing speed, short-term memory.

  • Dr. Jackson highlights processing speed as a key bottleneck—unique, research-backed exercises can build it.

    "Processing speed... if they are a slow processor, then their brain doesn't have time to process where they can get to a fluency level..." (22:01)

• Short-Term Memory’s Role in Reading:

  “If you don’t remember what you just read, then reading isn’t fun at all... [It] becomes a futile process.” (26:10)

• Impact of Movement:

  • Incorporating movement (like beanbag tosses) enhances neural wiring and processing.

7. Dyslexia: Myths & Realities (28:01 - 29:10)

• Not Just “Seeing Backwards”:
  • “There is not a strong organizational system in the brain for managing the English language.” (28:29)
  • Children with dyslexia may “randomly” approach reading, struggling with memory and encoding.

8. Attention Span Crisis & Nature-Based Solutions (29:18-34:47)

• 30% Drop in Attention Span in 20 Years

  • “When you have that struggle genetically and then you've declined what you have... coping in the world becomes very difficult.” (29:38)
  • Technology-driven environment exacerbates attention and emotional regulation challenges.
  • Spending time in nature helps restore attention, even if you don’t “enjoy” being outside. (30:22)

• Practical Exercise:

  • Grounding exercises using the five senses to bring kids back to the present. (33:57)

9. Concussions & Brain Injury (34:53 - 37:10)

• Conventional Advice: rest and wait—but time matters.
• LearningRx research shows:
  • Targeted brain training accelerates recovery.
• Hopeful Accounts:
  • “A teacher who’d had a car accident... already driving again and making gains towards getting back to work.” (35:05)

10. Support for Adults (37:10 - 42:07)

• Adults Benefit, Too:

  • Memory decline, late-diagnosed ADHD, professional struggles all see improvement.
  • Story of a dentist who built new reading skills and became a role model for his kids. (38:14)
  • Typical adult program: ~14 weeks.
  • “If you could get some freedom and minimize some of those symptoms... in 14 weeks, what more would you have to offer your kids and your job and your family?” (40:56)

• Common Challenges:

  • Executive functioning, time management, “being in the present moment.”

11. Life on the Cattle Ranch (42:12 - 47:08)

• Balance & Grounding:
  • Dr. Jackson lives on a 140-acre ranch; her husband is a cowboy cook with a YouTube channel (Horse Pen Ranch) and works at Silver Dollar City’s Cowboy Harvest Festival.
  • Ranch life is “grounding”—homemade soup, animal care, kids learning life skills.

12. Testing, Diagnosis, and Early Intervention (47:08 - 49:54)

• When to Seek Assessment:

  • Trust your gut—parental intuition is often correct, even if pediatricians miss things.
  • “It takes courage to put your child under a microscope, but you’re going to learn so much.”

• Parenting Advice:

  • “Choose your battles… Don’t be afraid to tell your child no, but choose what matters... Not everything becomes a battle.” (49:13)

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On reading & identity:

  “Kids know if… they’ve repeated a grade... that gets attached into their identity.” (13:49)

• On the power of intervention:

  “When you can post test a year out and you’re showing 97% of those results, that’s not a different school year, that’s a different life.” (19:37)

• On movement and neurodevelopment:

  “The body builds the brain through movement and that’s a big difference. Kids are not moving, they’re sitting.” (23:57)

• On hope for adults:

  “The earlier the better... but it’s never too late. If you’re struggling and tired... there’s likely a strategy and hope and individualized program we could create for you.” (39:11)

• On ranch life:

  “My husband has a YouTube channel... Passionate about teaching kids to cook, especially outside, because it’s fun.” (44:24)

• On parent intuition:

  “If you have a gut feeling that something isn’t working right... that parent intuition is correct... it’s probably better to get in line and rule that in or out.” (47:53)

IMPORTANT TIMESTAMPS

• 03:11 - Decline in attention/focus due to technology
• 05:26 - Six-hour daily screen time statistic
• 11:31 - “If reading is hard, everything is hard.” (Dr. Jackson)
• 12:55 - Identity and emotional impact of long interventions
• 18:53 - Cognitive gains and retention post-intervention
• 22:01 - Processing speed and reading fluency explained
• 26:10 - Short-term memory and love of reading
• 29:35 - 30% decline in attention over 20 years
• 33:57 - Sensory grounding exercises for kids
• 35:05 - Real example: teacher's recovery from brain injury
• 38:14 - Dentist’s story: adult reading improvement
• 42:12 - Life on the cattle ranch described
• 47:53 - Advice on testing and trusting parent intuition
• 49:13 - “Choose your battles” parenting wisdom
• 51:39 - Dr. Jackson’s favorite childhood outdoor memory

HOST & GUEST CLOSING REMARKS

Dr. Jackson:
Reminds listeners that success is possible at any age and encourages seeking assessment if something feels off—early intervention offers hope, but it’s never too late.

Ginny Yurich:
Reflects on the hopeful, practical insights Dr. Jackson offers and highlights the link between hands-on experience, nature, and thriving brains.

For families, educators, and anyone who has felt stuck or hopeless in the face of learning struggles, this episode offers evidence-based hope. The key takeaway: When we support the brain itself—not just work around difficulties—we pave the way for lifelong change, freedom, and joy.