Blog
“It’s OK to Let Your Child Feel Bad”
Somewhere along the way, guilt or feeling badly about something one has done, has gotten a bad name. This may be due to the fact that earlier generations of parents inflicted heavy doses of guilt on their children, often in front of others. As a reaction to this prior...
“Getting Dissed (or ‘Dys’d’)”
Without turning this into a confessional, when I look back on my schooling here are a few things I know: Math was far my strong suit. I probably needed tutoring, particularly as I had to suffer through geometry, algebra and calculus. So, did that mean I had...
“‘I Have Anger Issues'”
One of my favorite kids, Sam, came in to see me recently. Nearly six and starting first grade, I’ve been tracking Sam since he was three. Sam’s had issues with what was being called, “behavioral self-regulation.” Mostly, Sam had difficulty coping with the word "no."...
IEP’s & 504’s: What’s the Difference?
IEP's & 504's What's the Difference? Do you know the difference between a 504 Plan and an IEP? It’s fine if you don’t, but in case these are relevant to you, here’s a basic primer. 504 Plans 504’s only provide accommodations, not direct services. The provision of...
“Do You Have a ‘Marginally Ready’ Child?”
Over the years, I’ve been a bit of a hoarder. Like most things, there are advantages and disadvantages to this habit. One advantage is that I have held on to different journals that were in the dustbins of Temple University’s renowned Reading Clinic, which at one time...
“Is the Diagnosis of ADHD a ‘Mess?'”
“‘I think the current diagnosis of ADHD is a mess and has been wildly overdone. It blames a variety of symptoms entirely on the child’s brain, and ignores the child’s environment and the interaction with it." (Dr. William B. Carey, pediatrician, researcher, and...
“Spelling Really Doesn’t Matter”
Let’s say your 12-year-old, 6th grade child spelled the following words: bref (brief) susess (success) edcccate (educate) resolt (result) kicten (kitchen Then he wrote the following story to a picture prompt “Once a o pon a time there was a kid that was a million air...
“A Pediatrician’s Perspective”
The following quote is from the Foreword of The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child. I have always loved this quote and feel that it timelessly captures the impact that school struggling has upon the child and the family. "I have been a...
“10 Whys”
Here are 10 "Whys" that I don't have ready answers for: 1). Why are 504 Plans templated? Shouldn't they be made specifically for each child. Every 504 I've ever seen has "extra time," for example. What if the child doesn't need extra time? 2) Why teach phonics if...
“Jargon & Phonemic Awareness”
There are many terms within education and dyslexia that don't translate well. My criteria for determining whether something translates well is the person-on-the-street standard. That is, if you stop the average person on the street and asked them what a term means and...
“Dazed & Confused”
"What is meant by the phrase, "Italy was a quilt of city states?" "The government was like a blanket covering city-states of Italy." "The two spaceships, Eagle and Columbia, separate. They orbit in sight of each other one last time. Then the Eagle begins to...