Blog
Brief Tip: Know What You Are Targeting
Many children referred for assessments are related to struggles with reading, spelling and writing. Not knowing what direction to go, parents feel a sense of desperation and need guidance on appropriate next steps. Once the issues are identified, the remediation,...
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.
Layered Skills & Compound Interest
Since the Shut-Down Learner came out some time ago, I have tried to write a blog once a week and have largely stayed in that rhythm. At this point, I believe there are some 400 blog posts on www.shutdownlearner.com. Even though it is self-imposed, by Wednesday of...
Trying to Get Rid of the Clutter
One of the things about this time of year is my annual ritual of trying to beat back the clutter and piles surrounding me. Admittedly over the years I have been plagued with SHD, aka "Sentimental Hoarding Disorder." For example, if a magazine had anything about the...
Finger Pointing
In Struggling Kidland There’s often a lot of finger pointing taking place. Played out ritualistically on a near daily basis, there’s the classic parent finger-pointing dance. It’s the, “You’re too soft on him – You’re too tough on him" ballet. While the parents...