Blog
“Does Spelling Matter – Part II” (#Dyselxia)
Last week we raised the question of whether spelling matters (,https://shutdownlearner.com/does-spelling-matter-2/), as the issue of struggling spellers is often dismissed since there are a variety of spell check tools available. Almost always, struggling spelling is...
Self-Monitoring (Not really)
Flexibility of thinking and problem solving are two interacting skills impacting academic and social functioning. Children who have difficulty with these also have trouble with “self-monitoring,” that is the ability to be aware of the correctness of your output to a...
The ADHD “Test”
Rating scales frequently are used as the “tests” to determine whether or not the child has ADHD (as if ADHD can be diagnosed like a broken bone). (“Yep, it says here on these scale that your child has ADHD.”) The fact of the matter is the vast majority of kids...
“My IQ is in the ‘Not-Good-Enough-Zone'” – Still Need Help!
Those of you have read my blogs or the books know that there are certain aspects of this business (e.g., the over use of worksheets, lengthy IEPs that really aren’t individual, the way writing is taught, the rapid “diagnosing of ADHD, calling dyslexia a medical...
“Evidenced Based?” What about unmotivating?
As a psychologist specializing in dyslexia and learning disabilities, I have always valued and embraced reading instruction that has been referred to as “bottom-up” (skills based) for teaching struggling kids how to decode and read more fluently. Over the years I have...
The Micromanaging of Childhood
It’s an admirable goal that parents want to be kept informed of their child’s academic and behavioral progress. In the “Way-Back Machine” before modern technology (yes, that time did exist ), parents were periodically informed about how their child was doing in...
Phonological Awareness According to Hank & Claire
Phonological awareness refers to an individual's awareness of the phonological structure, or sound structure, of words. Phonological awareness is an important and reliable predictor of later reading ability and has, therefore, been the focus of much research. Trying...
Screens, Distractability & ADHD
"Children surrounded by fast-paced visual stimuli (TV, videos, computer games) 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...
“Smarts Draining From the Kid’s Ears”
This week I met a real cute, spunky, spirited 7 year old second grader, Noah, who was having the common struggles with reading, spelling and writing. When asked about three wishes he told me, “to be Superman, to fly, and to be able to teleport.” Once he wrote down his...
The Elements of Good Remedial Instruction for Struggling Readers
Last week we talked about how you need to get clear on what it is you are targeting in any type of remedial situation such as tutoring. Continuing that theme, let’s talk about tutoring/learning therapy for Type I (dyslexic) readers. Typically, it is recommended that...
Know What You Are Targeting
As the landscape of struggling children gets more and more complicated, with parents confused to know where to turn or what to do next, I do my best to simplify things. One area to simplify is the reading remediation your child is receiving. Presuming you have had...