Henry Ford said, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t.” There’s a lot of wisdom and truth in that statement, but there are times when gutting it out just doesn’t work. I once knew a young man in his twenties who couldn’t read or spell. His dyslexia was so profound, that he could not write or recognize his middle name. Howe`ver, he was bright and determined and had somehow managed to graduate from high school. He had the most amazing collection of coping strategies I’ve ever seen. Determination and a solid “I can”…
Most teachers and parents seem to have strong, emotional opinions about Common Core, the current emphasis in school curriculum. It puts a huge emphasis on working with information as opposed to memorizing and reproducing information. If we want children to become good problem solvers and self-initiating learners, they need the kind of thinking skills developed in Common Core. The challenge seems to arise when students don’t have a strong enough foundation of basic academic skills to actually be able to evaluate and manipulate the information. Common Core may be leaving some students behind because it doesn’t place enough attention on…
Tyler was a motivated high school junior, potential Ivy League football player, and solid AP (Advanced Placement) student. But he was SAT-Challenged! Jessica was also an excellent student in her junior year in high school, but her test anxiety was so great it could only be controlled with prescription medication. Cheryl is a 50-something baby-boomer with more and more of those embarrassing “senior moments” that leave her at a loss for names and having trouble finding the words she wants to say. Ryan is a 12-year old dyslexic learner, bright but struggling to read and write. As diverse as these…
A parent recently shared with me that her high school son came home from school one day saying, “Mom, I need Adderall.” Adderall is a medication commonly used to manage Attention Deficit Disorder / ADHD. It’s easy to blame attention for students’ struggles in school because that’s often what it looks like in class and certainly with homework where there are so many ways for kids to distract themselves. But is attention the real culprit, or is the attention loss a symptom? Have you ever had to carry on a conversation in a very noisy restaurant? Or had a bad…
One of my favorite childhood books was The Little Engine That Could. I loved that little blue engine! He never ever gave up. No matter how steep the hill was, he always went after it – he always believed he could do it. “I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!” he’d puff. My husband says that I just never consider the possibility of failure. I just keep pushing ahead with that “I think I can” attitude. I look at some of our students and parents with awe. No matter what, they just keep pushing ahead. …
5 Things Parents and Teachers Should Know About Their Struggling Learner AND 5 Ways to Support Them We recently held a Simulation and Strategies Event at Stowell Learning Center, Chino. The parents and teachers who attended got the opportunity to see what it might feel like to be a student in class with dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, or attention deficit. Going through the activities was an emotional experience for participants as they realized the excessive amount of effort, attention, and energy it took to try to listen to a lecture when they couldn’t hear all of the words clearly or…
In Southern California, we are the very definition of a “melting pot.” We have people of every color, culture, and religion from every part of the world. I love that! I think it makes us interesting. One of the things I’ve noticed, working with thousands of families who are dealing with learning and attention challenges, is that no matter what differences are evident on the surface, parents are parents. If their child is suffering, so are they. They shed tears over their kids, they search for answers, and they willingly sacrifice to help. Last week we talked about how…
A mom walked by with a baby who was wearing a soft helmet. Being an unusual sight, I and most other people they passed glanced a little longer than typical at the baby. Why was a baby wearing a helmet like that? The question was quickly answered by the statement printed in large colorful letters on the helmet that said: JUST FIXING MY FLAT. And just like that, no one gave it another thought. Most people don’t really want to stand out in a crowd. They don’t want to be “different.” This is a big concern for parents whose children…
We’re getting to that time of year that some parents are getting the news that their child is “in danger of retention.” “In danger” indicates that retention is a bad thing. While it is something that should certainly be decided with careful thought, there are there times when retention is actually a good idea. Children grow and develop at different rates, especially in those early years. It is not unusual for a child, particularly a boy, to be developmentally young for his (or her) chronological age. Developmental age is not about achievement or intelligence, but rather the child’s overall maturity…
“Look at me!” “Watch me do a handstand!” “Look at me jump!” Young children love to show off their physical prowess. What parents may not realize is that the antics kids use to get attention are often building blocks for developing attention! I had a momentous birthday last week so I don’t do a lot of handstands anymore, but when I was a kid, this would have been me! All that running, jumping, climbing, doing handstands, and rolling downs hills that kids love to do when they have the time and space to do it, plays a tremendously important role…