Writing

You made it!  This year more than ever, with all the changes that the Coronavirus has brought, the end of the school year is a big relief. I remember the excitement of the last day of school – both as a student and as the parent of school-age students.  No more worries about getting to…

After repeatedly reversing the d in his name, Braden told his teacher, “Just call me Braben!” I laughed when I heard this because this young boy is so delightful and good-natured. But on further reflection, this is the very last thing that I want for our dyslexic students – to have to spend their life…

From Break to Meltdown in 30 seconds – How Did that Happen? At mile 20 of a 21-mile bike ride, my husband and I stopped to take a little break.  It had gotten warm and we wanted to remove a few layers.  When we started riding again, my legs let me know that “enough is…

My son was a music major in college and is currently in the music industry as Production Coordinator and Tour Manager.  If you know any really gifted musicians, then you probably understand what we mean when we refer to the “musician personality.” Musicians often seem to be in real need of a manager as their…

I have some avid game players in my extended family, so when we get together for the holidays, we play all kinds of games, particularly word games, of which my mom is a wizard! For a dyslexic child or adult, word games can be an absolute nightmare. I met a neurosurgeon once who shared with…

Next year, struggling students will have more schoolwork than this year, and it will be more difficult. What can be done to prepare struggling students for the new challenges this fall? Common Questions About Summer Intensive Programs “What kinds of students make the greatest gains?” “Is it for everyone?” “Do some get greater gains than…

This is my Father-in-Law with my husband David when he was a little boy.  Today is Veteran’s Day.  I’ve been thinking about my father-in-law who went up on the beach in Normandy on D-Day and all of the other service men and women, who throughout all the years of our county, have helped preserve our…

Hunkered down in our condo, with the food and water hastily grabbed off the nearly empty shelves of the market, we prepared to wait out Hurricane Lane in Hawaii.  As it turned out, we were over-prepared, thankfully suffering no more than spending a windy, rainy few days indoors. If your child has traditionally struggled in…

I recently spoke with a parent who was confused and distraught because he sees his child struggling with anxiety and frustration over school work every day, yet the school testing did not show a learning disability. Does that mean that the parent is crazy?  Over-protective? Does it mean that the student really could do the…

My husband accuses me of being a “Ready, Fire, Aim” kind of a person.  I just want to say, that is probably not the best way to start off the school year! Three Ways to Avoid Homework Battles If you are facing Back-to-School with some trepidation, remembering the stress and tears of last year’s homework…