I remember going to a “Haunted House” on Halloween when I was in the 6th grade. At one point, we were given peeled grapes in the dark and told that they were eyeballs. It was so deliciously creepy! What is it about that little thrill of fear that is so fun? Maybe it’s that we get to experience that little adrenaline rush while knowing deep down that the fear is temporary and not real. Fear causes our senses to elevate to high alert: Our pupils get large to take in as much light as possible. Our ears become hyper-sensitive to…
Read MoreHave you been to a pumpkin patch yet? When my kids were young, this was one of our favorite Fall activities. Such excitement and such a hard choice – picking exactly the right pumpkin! In addition to pumpkins and Breast Cancer Awareness, October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. I find that our dyslexic students are some of our most creative and talented students and at the same time, often the most angry and defeated when faced with reading and writing. In spite of good intelligence and strengths in many other areas, dyslexic students can be completely confused or overwhelmed by print. …
Read MoreDavid Letterman and Jay Leno both used to do “man-on-the-street” interviews. In spite of all kinds of documentation on the contrary, a “man-on-the-street” interview would reveal that many people equate a learning disability with low IQ. Parents with smart but struggling students see far too much evidence of their child’s ability to accept the low IQ theory. Learning Disability Defined: According to the U.S. government, “specific learning disability” means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,…
Read MoreChris Botti is one of my favorite artists. When asked the key to success as a musician, he said, “Four things – Practice, Practice, Practice, and being friends with Sting!” It is generally accepted (and generally true), that if you want to be good at something, you have to practice, practice, practice. In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says that for someone to become really expert at something, they have to put in their ten thousand hours. When students have trouble reading, most people believe that more reading, more practice, will solve the problem. If only the student were more…
Read MoreI learned something this weekend. I was in New Hampshire and while I didn’t expect a foliage change yet, many people that we ran into were apologetic for the lack of colorful fall leaves. They sadly predicted that the leaf change this year would not be as good as expected because it is too dry. (They are apparently having their own version of a drought, which will affect the leaf change). Now I know this is going to be a bit of a stretch, but I thought about all the discouraged parents who tell me that their children are getting…
Read MoreLast week, I got to spend some time with a dear friend who is a third grade teacher. This friend was not only my college roommate, but is also a phenomenal teacher. School had already started for her and she was telling me about a little boy in her class who was the most delayed reader she had ever had in all her years of teaching. Though she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve and will do anything for her students, she did not know what to do for this one. She described him as having good understanding…
Read MoreWith Back-to-School excitement waning and the reality of the new grade level expectations kicking in, struggling students are probably starting to become apparent. The first and most obvious symptom of a learning challenge is poor attention. This may cause worried parents wonder if their child has ADHD. In our experience, attention challenges can mean many different things. Foundation for Learning and Attention Sitting in a chair, listening to the teacher, remembering and following directions, sticking with a reading or writing task through completion – these critical school skills, all require good attention. And attention requires a solid foundation of underlying…
Read MorePeople are creatures of habit. If we create structure and habits around homework from the very beginning of the school year, there will be fewer battles and negotiations later! Important Note: These may seem obvious to you, but they are not obvious or easy for many students. Each strategy will take instruction, practice, and monitoring in order to become comfortable and routine. Invest the time – it’s worth it! Determine a set-in-stone Homework Time for each day that will be kept free of appointments, phone calls, texting, etc. Set up a specific Homework Space that is well-lit, quiet, free from…
Read MoreI woke up this morning a little bit panicked from a dream I was having about the first day of school. I was attending a new school that was essentially cabins spread out in a huge area in the woods. (I know – crazy – but it was a dream)! My mom was with me and knew where my first class was, so I managed to get through my first class, but I spent the rest of my dream wandering, and then running through the entire campus trying to figure out where I was supposed to go. I didn’t have…
Read MoreHave you ever tried to write your name with your non-dominant hand? It’s pretty funny, right? And really challenging! So when we see a person who is ambidextrous and can use both hands equally to do things, it’s seems pretty amazing. In baseball, switch-hitters (players who can bat either right-handed or left handed) are in demand. But…when it comes to reading and writing, ambidextrous is often a deterrent and a symptom of a learning problem. It is an indication that the student has difficulty crossing the midline of his or her body. Why is crossing the midline so important? The…
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