Parents, Pushing the Limits, and Time Make Golden Globe Winners and Change the Future for Struggling Students Last night at the Golden Globe Awards, nearly every winner thanked their parents. They also thanked those who pushed them to their limits so that they could be the best they could be. When Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor for The Revenant, he mentioned initial talks about the film 2 years ago. What does this have to do with students with learning challenges? Parents, you are the anchor for your kids. I meet desperate, heartbroken, exhausted parents everyday that just want to find…
Read MoreWelcome 2016! My husband David and I spent the first day of the new year taking an 18 mile bike ride at the beach with old friends. What a great day! The bike path is fairly flat (always a plus!), has an unobstructed ocean view, and has a great sound track! There are just a couple of spots where we have to leave the beach and veer up onto the street, carrying our bikes up a set of stairs to get there. Those few spots are like little glitches in the pathway – a part that’s incomplete. Which got me…
Read MoreSeveral years ago, we had a student whose challenges with speech articulation were so significant that his mom explained on our first meeting, that there were certain sounds that he could not physically say. Grayson was 11 and had had private speech therapy as well as speech services at school for most of his life. After 3 weeks of sessions at Stowell Learning Center, Grayson was able to say every sound both in isolation and in connected speech. His speech therapist at school, who did not know he was attending the learning center, said at his IEP meeting, “Have you…
Read MoreMost of the parents I speak to would put “Self-Esteem” at the top of their list of concerns for their children or teens with learning or attention challenges. And rightly so, as confidence and self-esteem often take a beating when students struggle in school or with homework. You’re so awesome! You’re so smart! You’re an amazing athlete! Praise is good right? But what kind of praise? Our students with dyslexia, attention deficit, giftedness, and other learning differences are plenty smart, but praising them for being smart may have the opposite effect of what you might expect. New York Magazine published…
Read MoreDon’t let dyslexia and other learning challenges rob your child of confidence! Periodically, I get the pleasure of hearing from former clients or their parents. Last week, I got a call from a parent with an update on her son who is now happily married and a brand new father! He attended college and is now a valued worker in his job and laying the groundwork for starting his own business. But Mom was remembering that when she brought her son to Stowell Learning Center at 11 years old, he was a very discouraged, angry boy with spelling, writing, comprehension,…
Read More“No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” Alfred North Whitehead Everyday at Stowell Learning Centers, we get the privilege of helping children and adults with learning and attention challenges achieve success. More aware…better at making friends…better readers…higher grades…more confident…easier to understand…better at math…more coordinated…happier, healthier, more successful all-around learners! What a joy! I am so thankful for: Kids who never give up Parents who refuse to accept “coping” as a solution Grandparents who pour out time, love, and resources to help The bright, creative, persistent kids…
Read MoreI Can’t Read a Thing, but My Teacher Thinks I’m A Reader –Dyslexic Second Grader How is it possible for a dyslexic non-reader to fool her parents and teacher to the point that they honestly believe that she can read? Dyslexic learners are generally quite bright and often have very good comprehension. If they also have good language and memory skills, they may be able to memorize the stories – especially in first or second grade. I have found our dyslexic students, both children and adults, to be…
Read MoreParents and Teachers… Do you need simple strategies that you can implement immediately to help your struggling students? Do you wish you could help students with ADHD improve their attention? Then save this date: November 11, 2015 at 7 – 9 p.m. Jill Stowell, founder and executive director of Stowell Learning Centers, Inc. will be presenting at the Orange County CHADD meeting, 22 simple, practical strategies that parents and teachers can use to help struggling students improve: Reading Spelling Math Facts Memory Comprehension Proofreading Organization Test Study Independence Attention Where: Stowell Learning Center, Irvine 1150 Main Street, Suite C…
Read MoreAll the local theme parks advertising their fright-filled Halloween events, made me remember a deliciously scary Haunted House that I attended when I was 12. The creepiest thing was being blindfolded and feeling “eyeballs” (AKA peeled grapes). It’s fun to be scared when you know it’s not real, but many parents spend years of sleepless nights feeling truly frightened for their children who have learning or attention challenges “What will happen when my child gets to high school?” “Will my child be able to go to college or be an independent adult?” “What damage is being done to my…
Read More