Do you remember the first time your child rode a bike all by herself? You let go of the seat and ran alongside while she wobbled along? It was thrilling and a little terrifying at the same time, but very shortly, she was loving the feel of riding comfortably and independently.
Learning to read and being a successful student is kind of like learning to ride a bike. It takes guidance and support to get started, but before too long, you’re learning comfortably and working fairly independently – at least that’s what we hope will happen for our children.
Have you ever ridden a bike with a flat tire? It’s possible to do it – especially if there is someone there holding the seat – but it’s slow and laborious and takes much more energy and attention than riding a bike should take. And it’s certainly not a whole lot of fun.
When bright kids struggle in school, parents, special education teachers, and tutors come around them to hold the seat and help them make it through. But it’s usually slow and laborious, and getting though schoolwork and homework takes more energy, attention, and time than expected; and it is not a whole lot of fun for anyone.
A parent recently said to me, “I can’t hold the seat forever!” And he was right. As kids get older, they want to do things themselves and it is expected that their parents will be pretty hands-off with homework. Unfortunately, the support that they are receiving, while it helps them get through the daily assignments and move on to the next grade, it doesn’t seem to change the problem in the long run.
It’s time to fix the flat tire so you can let go of the seat!
Our 30 years of experience and the research on the brain and learning in the last 3 decades has shown that most learning and attention challenges can be dramatically improved or completely corrected. The key is identifying and developing the weak underlying skills that are not supporting the learner well enough. There are whole sets of underlying processing/learning skills needed in order to read and learn easily. These are skills (such as memory; auditory, visual, and language processing; processing speed; and more) that are not taught in schools or traditional tutoring, but that every brain needs in order to learn most effectively.
Weaknesses in any of these underlying skills cause roadblocks to learning, but in spite of the common assumption to the contrary, they can be developed and strengthened. Learning and attention challenges can be changed, permanently. You don’t have to hold the bike seat forever!
If you have a smart but struggling learner in your family (child or adult), chances are that the challenges can be dramatically improved or completely and permanently corrected.
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We serve children and adults with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning and attention challenges including learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, auditory processing disorders, and autism spectrum disorders.
Jill Stowell, M.S.
Founder and Executive Director – Stowell Learning Centers
#1 Best Selling Author:
At Wit’s End A Parent’s Guide to Ending the Struggle, Tears, and Turmoil of Learning Disabilities
The Dyslexia, Learning, and Attention Challenge Solution How to Build a Profitable Heart-Centered Business that Transforms the Learning Disability Epidemic
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