Blog
Dyslexia (aka “Voldemort”) – “He Who Must Not Be Named”
Parents frequently raise questions of dyslexia with their child’s school. When they report back to me how the conversation went, I get the feeling that the school goes into a sort of quiet hush mode, like they are talking about Voldemort – “He Who Must Not Be Named.”...
Dyslexia Mythology Part 1 – Two Minute Tidbit Tips
In today's Two Minute Tidbit Tip, Dr. Selznick discusses common dyslexia myths, including parents' confusion over the idea of dyslexia itself- What is it? Does it even exist?
Big Word Problem – Two Minute Tidbit Tips
In today's Two Minute Tidbit Tip, Dr. Selznick revisits to an essay in his book "School Struggles" on the difficulty many children have with large words.
Children Who Give Up Easily – Two Minute Tidbit Tips
In today's Two Minute Tidbit Tip, Dr. Selznick discusses how to help children who give up easily when confronted with difficult problems.
Musing on 504, ADHD & the Pie Chart
Accommodations in school are typically formalized in what is called a 504 Plan. 504 (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) grew out of ADA (Americans with Disability Act) legislation. Since the 1990’s, 504 found its way into the schools and has been firmly...
Training Active Working Memory – Two Minute Tidbit Tips
In today's Two Minute Tidbit Tip, Dr. Selznick discusses his interview with Dr. Peg Dawson and how to train active working memory.
Getting “Buy-In” – Recharging the Battery
A major premise of “The Shut-Down Learner” is that children who are struggling by degrees become discouraged over time. Effectively for these children the air leaks out of the tire and it becomes increasingly difficult to motivate them. They shut down. Since much of...
The Lens Through Which We See or the Doorstep We Land
To help parents better understand the issues with their kids, I have so have so many expressions that I use that are in heavy rotation. Among my favorite are the following two: “It depends on whose doorstep you land on.” “It all comes down to the lens through which...
The Soup Pot of Variables – Two Minute Tidbit Tips
In today's Two Minute Tidbit Tip, Dr. Selznick discusses the Soup Pot of Variables, an imagery technique he uses to help parents make sense of complex situations.
And Then There’s Mathematics
Beside my status as a certified oldster, there are many things that parents bring to me or talk about that make me feel increasingly cranky. One that gets me regularly irritable is the current state of affairs relative to the teaching of mathematics, in particular in...
Stages of Reading Development – Two Minute Tidbit Tips
In today's Two Minute Tidbit Tip, Dr. Selznick discusses the stages of reading development put forward by the famous Harvard psychologist Dr. Jeanne Chall.