From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
If evaluating (assessing) reading problems is done correctly—if it’s more that an endless list of standardized test scores and brief test descriptions—it can pinpoint what’s blocking progress in reading and offer valuable insights and ideas about how to correct them. Unfortunately, when professionals with little knowledge of reading disabilities evaluate children’s reading, parents and teachers rarely get more than lists of scores, embedded in software-generated boilerplate. This wastes paper.
To correctly pinpoint remedial instruction, parents and teachers need to request answers to the right questions before the evaluation. Here are four: Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, evaluations of reading, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, learning evaluations, Parenting, questions, reading diagnosis, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluations, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Are stress and anxiety really important? Yes: often, far more important than parents, schools, and politicians think. Here are some reasons.
Many children with reading disabilities and other learning disabilities feel excessively anxious about learning. Many believe that no matter what they do, no matter their effort, they will fail. And so they resist reading or put little effort into it:
If a child thinks he’ll fail, no matter his effort, he’s unlikely to try, he’s likely to resist. He’ll think: Why fail? Why prove to everyone I’m dumb? Why embarrass myself? (http://www.reading2008.com/blog/reading-disabilities-how-to-calm-a-struggling-reader.htm) Read more...
anxiety, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, helplessness, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, stress, stressors, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Quote 1: “The gap between proficient and less proficient readers widens over the elementary years and remediation of reading problems becomes increasingly difficult after third grade. Moreover, the long-term negative effects of illiteracy have been well documented.” (Al Otaiba & Fuchs, 2006). Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, reading assessment, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading problem, reading problems, reading specialist, reading tests, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, testing
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
If your child has problems with reading comprehension, ask yourself, “Is his listening vocabulary equal to or better than that of most children his age? Does he understand the meaning of the vast number of words he’s asked to read?” Below, Dr. William H. Rupley of Texas A&M University and Dr. William D. Nichols of Western Carolina University emphasize the importance of vocabulary for helping children develop reading comprehension: Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, reading comprehension, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, vocabulary
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Ever wonder why your child behaves in troubling ways that drive you crazy: dawdles, won’t read, fights with David and Brian? We can’t explain everything that might influence his behavior, like his genes, his DNA, his neurology, his body chemistry, or David and Brian’s behavior. We know little about these. But we can tell you about PEATERR (pronounced Peter). PEATERR identifies many important factors that cause behavior. Using it might help you learn what’s currently causing your child’s troubling behavior, an important step in finding solutions. Read more...
behavior, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, problem solving, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, troublesome behavior
Why Is He Behaving “That Way?” The Answer: PEAT
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Ever wonder why your child behaves “that way?” Wonder why he dawdles, why he won’t read, why he fights with David and Brian? We can’t tell you about his genes, his DNA, the chemicals in his body, each of his neurons, or David and Brian. We don’t know all the causes of troubling behaviors, especially for individual children. But we can tell you about PEAT. Using PEAT might help you learn what’s currently causing his troubling behavior, an important step in figuring out a solution. Read more...
berhavior, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, problem solving, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, troublesome behavior
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Many parents face this problem: their child struggles severely and unsuccessfully to learn how to read. Yet, the school will not classify him as having a specific learning disability. He can’t get help that’s sufficient and explicit enough for him to overcome his reading problems. One reason may be the vague, ambiguous, inexact definition of “specific learning disability” used by the federal law and its rules and regulations.
The Federal Definition As you might see, the federal definition of specific learning disability is open to different interpretations: Read more...
definition of specific learning disabilities, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Federal Register, IDEIA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, specific learning disabilities, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
Free Podcast at www.reading2008.com
Getting And Keeping Special Education Services In Tough Economic Times
Staci Greenwald, Esq.
Special Education Attorney
Sussan & Greenwald
1249 South River Road
Cranbury, N.J. 08512
www.special-ed-law.com
************************************************************************************************************************************
Chapters 7 through 13 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds discusses federal special education laws and shows how you can apply them to improve the odds of getting and monitoring the services your child needs.
*************************************************************************************************************************************
A Note on Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com) Read more...
Advocacy, attorney, due process, IDEA, IEP, Parenting, related services, Special Education, special education laws
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
For parents to effectively help evaluators and teachers develop a reading program that’s likely to help struggling readers become proficient, parents need to ask focused, knowledgeable, insightful questions. Easier said than done. Fortunately, many of these questions have already been written. In Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds, you can find questions on the critical aspects of kindergarten and first grade reading in chapter 3, critical aspects of reading in grades 2 and above in chapter 4, evaluations in chapter 5, monitoring progress in chapter 7, and developing and monitoring IEP’s in chapters 10 through 13. Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, learning evaluations, Parenting, questions, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluations, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
by Richard Gentry, Ph.D.
In my first post, I discussed quick tips for teaching your preschooler how to read. In this post, I’ll answer a question that confounds many parents (and some teachers): What do early spelling and reading development look like? By knowing the answer, you can avoid worrying about problems that don’t exist, and quickly identify problems that might exist.
What Does Early Spelling and Reading Development Look Like?
Read more...
bonding, early intervention, Parenting, preschool, preschooler, reading, Reading Disabilities
