Blog
“Feeling Cranky”
On any given week parents will come in seeking my advice about their child. Invariably they bring in work samples from the child’s school work. As they tell the stories and show me what’s being asked of their child, I can literally feel my “CM” (Cranky Meter) rising...
Parenting at the Root of the Problem (Not So Fast)
In addition to the myriad of labels and diagnoses offered as explanations for a child's behavior, it is often assumed that parenting is a significant variable, if not the sole reason for a child's behavior. As proof of this, when we see a child who appears to be...
Understanding & Enhancing Comprehension – (Part II)
Last week's post introduced concepts related to reading comprehension. (Enhancing Reading Comprehension: Part I) As previously noted, comprehension is an interactive process. The interaction involves ideas, concepts, images, background experience, fund of knowledge,...
Reading is not a one-directional process. Instead, it activates our prior knowledge, making the process more interactive than previously understood.
Inside Out 2 Helps Kids Label Their Emotions – Is That a Good Thing?
Is it healthy to label emotions, or are we over-clinicalizing childhood?
504 Plans: Avoid Templated Accommodations
504 plans make a lot of accommodations for children that sound good … until the child finds out, and has other thoughts about it.
Balanced Literacy vs. Bottom-Up Methods: Which is Better?
When they are given nonsensical methods that do not work for them, they remain shut-down and discouraged.
Getting a Roadmap – The Stages of Reading Development (Part 2 of 2)
Regardless of whether the child does or does not have a learning disability, the concept is that a child is somewhere on a continuum from the first stage through to the final stages.
Getting a Roadmap – Knowing the Stages
An “old-school” concept not discussed much anymore, but that is still quite relevant has to do with the “Stages of Reading Development.”
“‘The Blind Men & the Elephant'” #Dyslexia
"It was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant Though all of them were blind, That each by observation Might satisfy his mind." The above comes from the parable of "The Blind Men and the Elephant." A group of blind men touch an...
“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...