Blog
“‘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."...
Blog #1 from 2009
Started in 2009 upon the release of my first book, The Shut-Down Learner, there have been nearly 600 blog posts completed on a weekly basis over those years.. I thought it would be fun to look back on some of the earliest ones (slightly edited), to see what I was...
“Hemming & Hawing”
OK… Among other disorders that I seem to have, readers of this blog know I have confessed to my “PBD” or “Pushback Disorder.” PBD usually manifests whenever parents tell me something that has a hypothesis (i.e., an opinion) as to why their child is doing or not doing...
“‘Barn Kids’ & the ‘Populars'”
In my ongoing education, this week I learned about the “Barn Kids” and the “Populars.” Mother of 12-year-old Marla explained to me that her 12-year-old daughter was one of the “Barn Kids" and not one of the "Populars." Instinctively, I sort of knew what she meant,...
“Low ‘Oomph'”
"oomph" noun Informal: energy; vitality; enthusiasm. I don’t know how to describe it in more clinical or scientific terms, but there are a bunch of kids I’ve assessed recently who seem to me to lack “oomph.” While “oomph” may be one of those words that are not...
“Nicholas & the ‘Child-to-Mother Sideways Glance'”
Over the last year or so, I’ve noted an interesting trend – I’ll call it the “Child-to-Mom- Sideways Glance.” Here’s how it goes. Take William, age 8, who comes in to meet with me for the first time accompanied by his mother. They sit next to each other perhaps two...
“Common Sense & ‘Passing the Smell Test'”
Last Sunday there was a feature article in the New York Times on the science of reading emphasizing that “science” has confirmed the need to teach children phonics. (Science of Reading - New York Times) While this comes after decades of debate, the article notes that...
“And, So a New Chapter Begins”
With the arrival of newborn Emmett Gaetano Selznick last weekend, an official new chapter begins in our lives. As I said a while ago, in a previous blog on grandparenting, I’m going to try and do my best to do what grandparents are supposed to do – spoil and “zip it...
“‘What’s the Matter With Kids Today?'”
“The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think nothing but of themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is...
“Scattershot”
IIn last week’s post, I made the following statement as part of the primer on reading: "Whether in the classroom or in tutoring for struggling children scattershot remediation will not be effective for either Type I or Type II categories." A parent contacted me who...
“Part I: A Reading Primer”
As we discussed last week (https://shutdownlearner.com/a-primer/) the next few weeks will be primers in major categories of parental concern. This week, in 400 words or less, we offer a primer on reading. Here we go. When you boil it all down, there are essentially...