Blog
“Reading Comprehension Challenges & School Bus Problems: What’s the Connection?”
When Kids struggle with reading comprehension it is interesting that there often is an overlap in "real life,” that is in the way the child interacts in their personal world. In this era of automatically labeling and pathologizing behavior as “ADHD,” this overlap is...
“The House Looks Fine – What’s the Problem?”
Many times a parent (usually the mom) senses that something is amiss with her child and wants to have and evaluation conducted in school. If the child is getting decent grades, the response to the request is often denied. The parent may hear a version of the...
A Compound Interest Mentality With #Childhood
Change does not come easily for any of us. Think about how deeply ingrained our personalities, habits and proclivities are. Fundamentally, we are who we are. Parents spent a lot of time trying to change children and I sometimes...
In the Head & Out of the Head Factors
When parents come in to talk about their kids and why they are struggling there are the common list of factors that are usually discussed. Some of these include: Poor phonemic awareness Limited decoding skills Weak fluency Family predisposition toward dyslexia...
Anger You Can’t Make Me Parts II
In a recent blog post I discussed how anger can be depleting a child from the necessary emotional fuel to manage school. Many of the typical “ADHD” style behaviors such as avoiding responsibilities, procrastinating, not sustaining mental effort, may be due, in part,...
Piano Playing & Learning to Write
Let's say a child knows a few notes and chords on the piano and can play a handful of very basic songs. Would it make sense to ask him to play a challenging song that was clearly beyond his level? Or even learn the art of creating music using great software from...
On Floppy Rudders & The Day to Day Grind of School
It’s that time of year - the time when the kids with floppy rudders (mostly the boys) are starting to wear their parents down. They are the ones not handing in homework and playing on their iPads too long while their grades are plummeting. ...
Updates From Dr. Selznick & Shut-Down Learner
Dyslexia Teleseminar: Do you have questions about dyslexia/reading disabilities? Of course you do! Then join me for an open-forum teleseminar. Bring your questions for an open chat and dialogue. The seminar is free and is scheduled...
Dr Richard Selznick – School Struggles Shut Down Learners
Check Out Parents Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Coffee Klatch on BlogTalkRadio with The Coffee Klatch Special Needs Radio on BlogTalkRadio
A Frantic Mom: A Small, One Act Play
The Mom: (Coming in to the office for the first time sounding very frantic.) “Maybe I am overstressed, but I am starting to lose it. I have three kids. The first two were on what you called the ‘smooth’ road.’ They started out in...
“Prompt & Write:” Frustration in Kidland
Here’s a little interaction using an approach to writing that I call the “Prompt and Write approach” to teaching writing: Writing Prompt: “What is something you really wanted, but an adult would not let you have?”...