When I was young my family lived in northern British Columbia, Canada and it was normal to have fourteen feet of snow accumulating every winter. In fact, there were times when we could toboggan off the roof. Now as a youngster it was entertaining; to an adult – not so much. Lesson #1: Practice Does […]
From K to three you learn to read, from grade four and for the rest of your life you read to learn. What if you miss the window? Most of our school systems are set up in a certain way. They assume that by the time a child reaches grade four, he or she will […]
Many parents are devastated when they discover that their child is struggling in school. Reading, the most essential component to learning, is often the stumbling block for many struggling students. After exhausting all of the in-school resources and expertise, parents often are at a loss for what to do or where to go for assistance. […]
Many parents of children with learning disabilities hear this far too often. What your child may be trying to communicate with you is that he or she feels different from the other kids, is frustrated with a particular situation and/or rarely feels successful or competent. As a parent, when you hear this, it is definitely […]
What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Students with dyslexia may experience difficulties in other language skills such as spelling, writing, and speaking. Dyslexia is a life-long status; however, its impact can change at […]
The concept of “Wait Time” as an instructional variable was formerly developed by Mary Budd Rowe back in 1972. “Wait-time” was the period of silence between a teacher’s question and the students’ responses. It was found that the period of silence that followed a teacher’s question and students’ completed responses, rarely exceeded 1.5 seconds in typical […]
In earlier articles, I wrote about the need to advocate for your child should you think there is a problem. In this article we will explore the “rules of the road” when it comes to advocating for your child once you suspect a difficulty. We have all heard the horror stories of parents who tried […]
The frustration of children with dyslexia often centers on their inability to meet expectations. Their parents and teachers see a bright, enthusiastic child who is not learning to read and write. Time and again, dyslexics and their parents hear, “He’s such a bright child; if only he would try harder.” Ironically, no one knows exactly […]
The Economics of Literacy To be perfectly honest it is hard to find a problem in today’s society that is not linked to literacy levels. We live in extraordinary times and extraordinary times require extraordinary measures from all citizens of this country. Currently in Canada we have 46% of our Canadian adult population who struggle, […]
“Mom, I’m just not smart like the other kids.” Hearing this statement, as a parent could be your worst nightmare. Perhaps your nightmare is your child coming home from school with an increased level of frustration, as homework time takes forever the list of assignments and unfinished lessons continues to accumulate while your child’s self-esteem […]
