Blog
Screens, Distractability & ADHD
"Children surrounded by fast-paced visual stimuli at the expense of face-to-face adult modeling, interactive language, reflective problem- solving, creative play, and sustained attention may be expected to arrive at school unprepared for academic learning—and to fall...
Part II: Helping Your Struggling Reader & Dyslexic Child at Home
In last week's post we started the discussion of how to help struggling children at home, many of whom are dyslexic (Helping Child at Home: Part I ) The case of Ruth helps further set the stage. Ruth, a Case Study To illustrate the experience of a child on the rough...
Helping Your Struggling Reader at Home – Part I
Imagine you are a child about to ride a bicycle, with a group of other children led by a teacher. You are anxious because you kept a big secret from the teacher and your friends. You don’t know how to ride a bike yet. You’ve tried, but you just can’t get the hang of...
“Maybe I Have ‘Golflexia'”
Let’s say you have a passion for golf, but by everyone’s estimation (yours included), you are a petty bad golfer. It is obvious that your swing is not fluid and there are clear flaws that get repeated the more you play. In order to address your poor golf skills...
“P.A.D. – ‘Pain Avoidance Disorder’ & the Reality of School”
In the landscape of modern childhood there is something that I have come to call, “P.A.D.” or “Pain Avoidance Disorder.” For children showing P.A.D., basic tasks/chores asked of them are viewed as enormous impositions and they will go to great lengths to sidestep the...
Math Word Problems – “I’m Just Not That Smart”
Mathematic word problems are quite popular in school. Starting in the early grades they become the primary vehicle for developing mathematic skills. Unfortunately, for many of the children, even if they show good mathematic facility, they start to believe they are...
Our Explanations & Theories of Struggling Children
While meeting with parents to discuss the concerns they have regarding their children’s struggling, numerous theories and explanations are often offered as to why children do what they do. Typically, the theories are linked to medical explanations or what I refer to...
Reaching “Decoding Nirvana” – Stage III
If your child is reaching Stage III of reading development, congratulations, you’ve reached the Promised Land!!! You’re in Decoding/Fluency Nirvana. Typically, Stage III corresponds to about the middle of third grade continuing through the upper grades, when the...
“Further Down the Road” – Stage II
Stage II of reading development is an exciting period of time, especially if the child is in this stage at the expected time - usually beginning in the second grade and ending in the middle of the third grade. In this stage your child has mastered most of the high...
Getting on the Bike: Stage I
Those of you who have read the last few posts, know that we have been talking about the Stages of Reading Development as a type of “road map” that helps you know where your child is at any given time (Getting a Roadmap). Understanding the Stages also helps with...
“Moving Down the Road: (Stage 0)”
In the previous blog post from 9/17/2 , we introduced an “old school,” but still very relevant, concept - “The Stages of Reading Development,” developed by Dr. Jeanne Chall in the 1960’s (Getting a Roadmap). Knowing the stages and what is expected typically at a...