A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Sometimes, we need a vacation. We need relief from painful stressors. We need a breather. To recuperate our energy and optimism, we need to change locations, activities, and mindsets.

If your child struggles with reading, should you and his school give him a vacation from reading? The answer is found in answers to questions like those below.

The Questions

• Does reading usually frustrate your child?
• Does reading emotionally drain or anger him?
• Is his distaste for reading and school surging?
• Is his reading progress minimal or plateauing? Is he regressing?
• Does he resist reading? Does he do whatever he can to escape it?
• Is he much happier on school vacations than on school days?

If he needs a vacation, the length and nature of the vacation is found in the particulars of your child’s reading program, his typical day at home and in school, and his personality and likes and dislikes.

Recommendations

Consider working with your child’s school to give him a two or three week vacation from more than incidental reading. Replace reading with lots of activities he’ll enjoy and want to discuss, like playing volleyball, singing in a choir, and visiting a wildlife refuge.

During his vacation, work with the school to analyze his reading program. Seek reasons for your answers to the “vacation” questions. Learn why he’s frustrated, or plateauing, or resistant to reading.  Are his reading materials too difficult, is he embarrassed by membership in “the low” reading group,” does he think that even titanic efforts will not reverse his “reading failure?”

Outcome

If the vacation is handled correctly—if it’s long enough to give him a breather, if it helps him enjoy himself—he might return to reading more refreshed, more energetic, more optimistic. But this won’t last unless the school adjusts his reading program to effectively and efficiently meet his social, emotional, and academic needs.

For a struggling reader, the need for a vacation from reading often signals that his program is failing his needs. It’s not working for him; it’s working against him. So, consider his vacation an opportunity to give him a breather, to modify his program so he’ll likely succeed and feel successful, and to energize his optimism (“I will succeed”). The questions in chapters 4 and 5 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.amazon.com) can help. Chapter 6 offers guidance for helping at home.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

If struggling readers do not have strong knowledge of the vocabulary they hear in class and see when reading, they cannot become good readers. Below are three easy principles for helping struggling readers develop strong listening and reading vocabularies. Of course, you need to adapt these principles to the developmental level of your child or student. One more “of course”: Make the activities fun and interesting.

Ask Struggling Readers to Go Beyond Dictionary Definitions of Words: If the word’s important, help your child or student discuss its meaning, its parts (e.g., prefix), and its use. If possible, use lots of pictures, diagrams, and skits. If the word is grimace, start grimacing; ask your child or student to start.

• “Knowing a word is much more than simply matching it with a definition. Truly knowing a word means that the word is embedded in a rich concept base and that the reader can use and understand it in multiple contexts. We learn most words by listening and by reading, but vocabulary instruction can also play an important role in expanding a student’s meaning vocabulary…. Students should learn how to determine word meaning from context, but this involves their understanding of context’s limitations. Word meaning can also be enhanced through discussion of morphemes, such as endings, prefixes, and roots. It is important that students be engaged in activities that contribute to active engagement, such as personalizing word learning … and comparing words.” [Caldwell, J. S., & Leslie, L. (2005). Intervention strategies to follow informal reading inventory assessment: So what do I do now? Boston: Allyn & Bacon, p. 116].

Give Struggling Readers Repeated Exposure to Important Words: Provide your child or student with repeated exposure to important words, words you think he needs to learn, remember, and use. Make sure he sees the words in a variety of reading materials and often hears them at home or in class. When he writes, encourage him to use these words.

• “Repeated exposure to vocabulary in many contexts aids word learning. Students learn new words better when they encounter them often and in various contexts. The more children see, hear, and work with specific words, the better they seem to learn them. When teachers provide extended instruction that promotes active engagement, they give students repeated exposure to new words. When the students read those same words in their texts, they increase their exposure to the new words.” [Bonnie B. Armbruster, B. B., Lehr, F., & Osborn, J. (2001).  Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIER), p. 36]

Help Struggling Readers Relate Their New Word to What They Already Know: Ask your child or student how his new word resembles or differs from words he knows. Ask him to associate his new word with what he thinks it relates to, such as “asteroid” reminds him of space.  Ask him to use his new word to explain what he already knows.

• “Vocabulary development in any subject can proceed by asking students to reveal any vocabulary framework that they already have. Those known words may help them associate meaning with new vocabulary. In that way, definitions and the particular meaning within a given sentence have a context and a set of relations to build on…. [Have] students … list synonyms and/or definitional phrases that they already associate with the topic….. Suppose, for example, an article on protecting the environment includes the word ‘menace.’ The teacher lists words that students associate with threats to the environment. Associated terms and synonyms are then listed in [a] T-bar chart.” [Smith, Carl B (Undated). ERIC]

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

Monday’s Radio Show

How Response-To-Intervention Can Help Maximize Your Child’s Potential

• When: Monday, 12/12/2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST
• Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential
• Guest: Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo

 Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

 PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Last week I visited a great school for children with reading disabilities: the Benchmark School in Media Pennsylvania. Benchmark’s founder, Dr. Irene Gaskins, and the Head of School, Dr. Robb Gaskins, asked me a question that I’ve been asked by dozens of parents of children with reading disabilities, one that I’ve given much thought to, especially in these stressful economic times when school budgets and family incomes are under continual attack. The question is simple, but the answer not:

If my child has severe reading problems and we can afford tutoring only once a week, will once help him?

Without knowing the emotional make-up of the specific child, his history, and the severity and nature of his difficulties, for him I cannot answer the question. However, in a general sense I can. The more quality tutoring a child gets each week, the more likely he is to progress. The two critical words are more and quality.

More. Most activities have a diminishing point of return. Some children will enjoy five hours of football practice a week, will tolerate eight, and resist twelve. Similarly, some will like and benefit from three hours of quality tutoring a week, tolerate four, and actively resist eight. For some, these hours are unrealistic. It depends upon the specific child—his passion to improve his reading, his ability to concentrate for sustained periods, any regrets he may feel about the good things he’s missing, such as playing basketball with friends.

Quality. If tutoring is tedious worksheet after tedious worksheet after tedious worksheet, robotic drill after robotic drill after robotic drill, one hour a week may backfire. But if the child thinks that tutoring is fun, that he’s being taught important things, that he’s making important progress, that his tutor is a good person whom he likes and respects, four hours of tutoring a week may not be tolerable—instead, it may be fun, it may be a something he looks forward to, it may be something he values greatly, it may be satisfying, and thus four hours may prove highly effective, especially if it motivates him to read a lot more by himself.

Money. So what should parents do when they identify a high-quality tutor they can afford for only an hour or so a week, but believe their child needs much more tutoring?

Suggestions. Our first suggestion is to ask the tutor to reduce her rates. Sometimes, quality tutors will do this. However, they too need to earn a living and may not be able to discount their rates dramatically. Thus, our second suggestion.

Ask a counselor at a local college to recommend several competent, trustworthy college students who are interested in tutoring your child for a reasonable hourly rate, one that’s a fraction of the tutor’s rate. With the tutor, interview the college students to identify a promising one. Then have the tutor instruct the student in what and how to teach your child and how to monitor progress. A central part of the tutor’s instruction should be demonstrating a few simple methods to use with the child. Ask the tutor not to overwhelm the student with too many methods. Teaching the student a little bit more every few weeks is better than too much at once.

Once the tutor has trained the student in how to work with your child, the student’s job becomes developing a positive relationship with him, following the tutor’s instructional plan, and monitoring progress. Every three to four weeks, the tutor should observe the instruction, analyze the monitoring information, and meet with you and the student to develop instructional plans for the next few weeks. If schedules prevent real-time observation or if real-time observation would upset tutoring, consider videoing occasional sessions for the tutor’s review.

If you choose the right tutor and the right college student, a student who can follow and positively add to the tutor’s directives, and whom your child likes and respects, your child may benefit considerably. Is this a guarantee? No. But if your child needs several hours of quality tutoring a week and doesn’t get it, his reading may deteriorate further, causing severe academic and emotional difficulties. This problem—costs versus your child’s needs—is frightening and emotionally-draining. Using a tutor as to train and supervise a trustworthy, intelligent college student may not be as good as having a quality tutor directly provide lots of tutoring, but it may solve the problem.

Of course, quality tutoring must be focused, must build your child’s confidence, and must strengthen his motivation to do lots of reading on his own. Chapters 4, 5, and 9 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds can help with all three. Chapter 5, Using Reading Evaluations, may be especially helpful as quality tutoring begins with a high quality reading evaluation.

Other Suggestions. If you have other suggestions for tutoring, especially suggestions that have worked for you, please share them with our readers. Let’s help lots of children by giving parents lots of worthwhile ideas.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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 To Help Children: The Special Needs Talk Radio Network

The Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

  Monday’s Show (11/21/2011): Make Reading Evaluations Work

• When: Monday, November 21, 2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST
• Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential
• Guest: Howard Margolis, Ed.D., Editor, Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties

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 Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Linda Aragoni’s Interview of Howard Margolis

Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was named one of 2010′s three best books about education by PsychologyToday.com. The book blends the reading and special education expertise of author Howard Margolis, Ed.D., with the educational psychology expertise of Gary G. Brannigan, Ph.D.

Although written for parents of children with reading or other learning disabilities, the book is one I recommend to writing teachers. As the sticky notes in my copy shown above attest, the book is one that gave me new insights into the reading-writing connection.

I asked Howard Margolis about some topics discussed in detail in Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds.

As a practical matter, how do you think teachers should define disability? Do we have to have a clinical diagnosis before we attempt to intervene?

Howard: A clinical diagnosis is not needed. Instead, teachers need to know what the student can and cannot do easily and what they need to do to help him learn what he struggles with.

In other words, if the student appears to be struggling, the teacher should focus on the struggle.

Howard: Teachers should do what they can to eliminate the struggle. First, they need to identify what’s important for the child to learn. Then, they need to figure out how they can successfully teach this to the child the next time they meet. This may mean analyzing what’s important into smaller tasks. The key is to make it easy for the child to successfully learn what’s important.

Knowing what learners struggle with ties in to one of the ideas that intrigued me in your book: the three levels of reading difficulty. Could you explain those three levels.

Howard: At the instructional level, teachers work directly with children—they instruct them directly. Teachers believe that if children make a moderate effort to succeed with materials at this level, they will, and they’ll feel satisfied. Children also believe they can succeed with materials at this level.

Anything easier is independent level material for children to work on by themselves.

Anything harder is frustration level material; too many materials at this level overwhelm children and cause burn out.

Is that why you say a struggling reader can’t improve by reading difficult material?

Howard: Occasionally, a struggling reader can handle difficult material if he’s strongly interested in the topic and has a good background. But struggling readers can’t handle lots of difficult materials. Again, too many difficult materials overwhelm and frustrate struggling readers.

You say struggling readers must become fluent readers or they won’t become proficient. What do you mean by that?

Howard: Slow, laborious reading is not fun. Children who read this way tend to avoid reading.

Moreover, slow, laborious reading interferes with comprehension. So much of a child’s mental resources are devoted to word recognition that comprehension and the joy of reading are lost.

I think a similar case could be made that teens and adults need to develop fluency in the writing process or they don’t become proficient writers.

Howard: I agree. To become a fluent reader requires a child to do lots of reading. Similarly, to become a fluent writer requires a teen or an adult to do lots of writing.

Another emphasis in your book is the importance of teaching explicit strategies. What do you mean by explicit strategies, and why are they important for youngsters who have reading disabilities?

Howard: A strategy tells youngsters what to do when. Simple strategies reduce confusion and make learning easier. For example, the RAP strategy: Read the paragraph, Ask what is the main idea, Put it and two supporting details on paper.

Are strategies good only for students with reading disabilities or other learning problems? Do they have value for those without disabilities?

Howard: Mastering strategies can help lots of students. If, however, students are very good at doing something, they’ve probably developed their own strategy and don’t need another one. They’re achieving what they need to. In other words, a strategy is a means to an end and they’ve achieved the end without needing the teacher’s strategy.

Writing teachers sometimes tell me that teaching strategies takes the fun out of writing. Do you get the same comment from reading teachers?

Howard: No. If teachers are enthusiastic about a strategy, if they breathe life and interest into it, if they show students how the strategy will help them achieve something the students believe is important, and if the students are interested in what they’re reading and writing, they’ll probably find the work fun and the strategy a satisfying means to an end.

I suspect the teachers who tell me strategies take the fun out of writing were not very enthusiastic about them to begin with.

Thank you for sharing your insights about teaching students with reading disabilities with You-Can-Teach-Writing visitors. I enjoyed picking your brain.

Source: http://www.you-can-teach-writing.com/reading-disabilities.html

For an excellent website on writing, visit Linda Aragoni’s website:  http://www.you-can-teach-writing.com/

 YOU CAN TEACH WRITING:

RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING

EXPOSITORY WRITING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND BEYOND

The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

Next Monday’s Show: Reading Disabilities

As many parents, teachers, and children know, reading disabilities can emotionally devastate children and frustrate academic success. It can destroy potential. To address this problem, Dr. Nancy Padak of Kent State University will talk about Helping Children Overcome Reading Problems.

When: Monday, October 31, 2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST (Yup: the 31st is Halloween)

Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential

If possible, also look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

If your child reads at a second grade level or above, and reads words and sentences accurately—-but slowly and laboriously or without adequate expression—-he needs help with reading fluency.  If his school won’t provide adequate fluency instruction, discuss these questions and answers with school personnel. They may not be aware of fluency’s importance and the ease with which teachers can help many students become fluent readers.

What is reading fluency?

A good analogy for understanding reading fluency comes from public speaking. Fluent public speakers embed in their voices those same elements that are associated with reading fluency – accuracy in speech, appropriate speed, and phrasing and expression. The speaker’s use of these aspects of fluency facilitates the listener’s comprehension. Speaking in appropriate phrases, emphasizing certain words, raising and lowering volume, and varying intonation help the listener understand what the speaker is trying to communicate (Rasinski, 2004, p. 2).

Is reading fluency important?

Scientifically-based research reviews have established that reading fluency is a critical component of learning to read and that an effective reading program needs to include instruction in fluency (Rasinski, 2004, p. 2, references removed)

Fluency problems can also dampen self-efficacy and motivation for reading, as students’ find reading difficult, laborious, and unsatisfying (Margolis, 2004, p. 193).

What are the components of reading fluency?

Fluency incorporates both automaticity—the quick, accurate, and virtually instantaneous recognition of words—and prosody, or reading expressively with such features as appropriate pitch, stress, and phrasing. As such, fluency has been referred to as a bridge to comprehension, in part because both of these elements play an important role in skilled reading. Automaticity allows students to recognize words effortlessly, thereby freeing their working memory from the mentally draining, slow work of decoding and allowing them to attend to meaning. Next, prosody incorporates elements of expression and phrasing, helping to shape the meaning of a sentence in speech. The same is true in written language. Is the narrator being sarcastic? Who is voicing the words inside the quotation marks? Is the situation being described comical or sad? Prosody adds expression to written text, helping to engage learners in their reading and adding an important element to the overall process of understanding text (Kuhn & Schwanenflugel, 2006, p. 2, references removed).

To develop fluency, should students read lots of “hard” or lots of “easy” books?

To build fluency, students need to read easy books filled with words they can recognize (Richek et al, 1996, p. 130)

Students need regular opportunities to read easy materials—materials at their independent level—to enhance and develop their reading fluency (Heilman, Blair, & Rupley, 2002, p. 270).

With so many components, reading fluency sounds complicated. Can teachers actually teach fluency in the schools?

Well-designed oral reading instruction can take a number of forms. Among these are

(a) echo and choral reading

(b) repeated reading

(c) paired repeated reading

(d) paired and partner reading

(e) reading while listening

(f ) radio reading

(g) reader’s theatre

(h) Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction (FORI)

(i) wide reading, and even

(j) the use of captioned television….

Each of these approaches has been shown to be effective both in research and in clinical and classroom practice and each is relatively easy to implement (Kuhn & Schwanenflugel, 2006, p. 4, references removed).

References

Heilman, A. J., Blair, T. R., & Rupley, W. H. (2002). Principles and practices of teaching reading (10^th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill

Kuhn, M., & Schwanenflugel, P. (2006). All Oral Reading Practice Is Not Equal or How Can I Integrate Fluency Into My Classroom? Literacy Teaching and Learning, 11(1), 1-20, p. 2.

Margolis, H. (2004). Struggling readers: What consultants need to know. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 15(2), 191-204

Rasinski, T. (2004). Assessing reading fluency. Honolulu, Hawai‘i: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. Available for download from www.prel.org/programs/rel/rel.asp.

Richek, M. A., Caldwell, J. S., Jennings, J. H., & Lerner, J. W. (1996). Reading problems: Assessment and teaching strategies. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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Free Podcast

Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency

Dr. Tim Rasinski of Kent State University

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/specialneedstalkradio/2011/10/18/maximizing-your-childs-potential

Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency

Dr. Tim Rasinski of Kent State University

Monday, October 17, 2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Parents, teachers, administrators, and politicians often demand the best reading method. Nothing less will do. So, of the hundreds of reading methods, which is best?

Sorry for the answer, but here it is: It’s not Wilson, Orton-Gillingham, Reading Recovery, Read180, whole language, phonics-phonics-phonics, or the newest basal reader system. It’s the one that works for your child. It’s the one that effectively teaches word recognition, decoding, fluency, comprehension, writing, spelling, study skills, independent work abilities, and an enduring love of reading. It’s the one that teachers believe in, understand, and use skillfully. It’s the one they can easily adapt, modify, or abandon if it’s not working for your child. It’s the one that all the school’s teachers and administrators supplement, support, reinforce, and extend throughout the day. Bottom line: It’s not a package, it can’t be named. It’s different for different children. Its belief, commitment, knowledge, skill, adaptability, innovation, and support.

• There is no single method or single combination of methods that can successfully teach all children to read. Therefore, teachers must have a strong knowledge of multiple methods for teaching reading and a strong knowledge of the children in their care so they can create the appropriate balance of methods needed for the children they teach. (International reading Association, 1999)
• In the end, enhanced reading proficiency rests largely on the capacity of classroom teachers to provide expert, exemplary reading instruction…. Such teaching cannot be packaged. Exemplary teaching is not regurgitation of a common script but is responsive to children’s needs. In the end it will become clearer that there are no ‘proven programs,’ just schools in which we find more expert teachers—teachers who need no script to tell them what to do. (Allington, 2002, p. 747)
• For too long the quest has been focused on discovering the one best way to teach reading and writing. We believe that there can be no such approach. Learning to read and write is a complex activity. Children differ, teachers differ, and communities differ, and each work to preclude the discovery of any single best way to develop literacy. Different children, at different stages of development, at different times, in different schools, taught by different teachers, prosper and develop their literacy. Shift any one of these variables and the same children may flounder. (Allington, & Cunningham, 1996, p. 62)

If you’re the parent of a struggling reader, we suggest that you not seek the best method or “magic bullet,” but make sure that whatever your child’s teachers are doing is working for him: he’s a successful reader who loves to read.

To do this, frequently listen to your child read, monitor his homework progress, and observe his willingness to read on his own. If he’s eligible for special education, make sure his Individualized Education Program (IEP) has realistic, relevant, measurable goals (and in some states, objectives) that the school measures frequently and accurately. Chapter 7 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com, www.amazon.com) offers many ideas on how to monitor your child’s progress. Chapters 8 through 13 explain how to resolve conflicts and effectively advocate for children.

References

Allington, R. L. (June 2002). What I’ve learned about effective reading instruction. Phi Delta Kappan, 740, 742-747.

Allington, R. L., & Cunningham, P. M. (1996). Schools that work: Where all children read and write. NY: HarperCollins.

International Reading Association (1999). IRA Position Statement. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

On Monday, October 10^th, our guest will be Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant. He’ll discuss Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond.

Dr. Gentry earned his Elementary Education degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia in 1977. For sixteen years he taught Reading Education at Western Carolina University where he directed the Reading Center. He is well known for his research and writing in literacy education and is currently an independent researcher, author, and educational consultant.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• October 17^th —Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• October 24^th —Susan Orloff, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Learning Re-Enabled
• October 31^st —Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Parents often ask us for the names of experts to evaluate their children or help them develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Often, these requests come from parts of the country with which we’re unfamiliar. In such situations, we generally make these suggestions:

• Check who teaches the relevant graduate courses at your local university. For example, if you want an expert to evaluate your child’s reading problems, check the university’s catalog and course schedule to see who teaches courses on the evaluation of reading problems. If you want an expert to evaluate your child’s problems with mathematics, check who teaches such courses. Call these experts (often professors) to get a sense of their personality, professionalism, values, availability, and fees. If they can’t offer their services, ask them for recommendations.
• Check if local universities have clinics that specialize in your child’s problem, such as a reading clinic, a learning disabilities clinic, a behavioral difficulties clinic, a counseling center.
• Review electronic databases of journal articles, such as EBSCO. Databases are often available through libraries. Search them for relevant terms, such as “reading disabilities + evaluation” if you’re seeking an expert to evaluate your child’s reading problems. Read several recent articles. Then call the authors of those you liked, even if they’re a thousand miles away. Briefly discuss their articles and your child’s difficulties; ask if they can recommend experts within 50-miles of your home. It’s a small world: After a few calls, you may get several names.
• Check book reviews on www.amazon.com and www.bn.com. If possible, read at least 10 reviews. Call the authors of the well-reviewed books. They may know experts near you.
• Ask parents of children with similar problems. Ask who they would recommend, would not recommend, and why. If they used the expert they’re recommending, and you think they would be willing, ask to see a copy of their expert’s report or the IEP she helped write. See if several people recommend the same expert.
• Ask your child’s doctors. If they make a recommendation, ask what experiences they had with the expert they’re recommending.

Once you have the names of experts, interview them. Assess their knowledge, openness, availability willingness to listen, and interest in helping. Ask about their fees. Ask to see samples of their reports or IEPs (with names omitted). Ask how they conduct evaluations or help to develop IEPs and how, if needed, they’ll follow up.

Before interviewing experts, learn what a quality evaluation or IEP should look like. For information on reading evaluations, read chapter 5 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com). For information on developing IEPs, read chapters 8 through 13.

Are these suggestions foolproof? No. But they can help you find experts who will make a positive difference in your child’s life.

If you have other ideas about finding experts, please put them in a comment on our blog. Your ideas may help our readers.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

Tonight, Monday, October 3^rd, our guest will be Dr. John Pellitteri of the City University of New York. Dr. Pellitteri will discuss, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• October 10^th —Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond
• October 17^th —Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• October 24^th —Susan Orloff, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Learning Re-Enabled
• October 31^st —Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

In grades 4, 5, and 6, the reading problems of many struggling readers explode. Readers slam into walls of failure and frustration. Their struggles are not unexpected. They have well-known causes:

• Curriculum that fails to focus on what they need to learn to become successful readers
• Curriculum that doesn’t give them the kind of instruction and practice they need
• Language, memory, and organizational abilities that can’t readily handle the grade’s more complex and demanding tasks and language
• Frustration level texts and tasks, such as grade level reading homework that overwhelms them
• Greater amounts of independent work
• The unintentional hardening of ineffective, counterproductive learning strategies
• Inadequate social, emotional, and instructional support from school personnel
• Invidious self-comparisons with classmates and friends who appear to achieve effortlessly
• Pressure to succeed on No Child Left Behind tests
• Derisive or indifferent peer actions and statements
• The lure of non-school activities, such as gangs, sports, and video games.
• Inadequate support from families
• Discouragement, resignation, humiliation, and resistance to reading caused by years of failure

Unless intervention is effective early on, success becomes far more difficult and labor intensive.

• Small gaps in reading abilities at the elementary school level often become large ones at the middle and high school level…. Students who are behind in reading get further behind; those who are making gains continue to make gains. (Bowman-Perrott, Herrera, & Murry, 2010, p. 98.)
• It is clear from our [federally funded] longitudinal studies that follow good and poor readers from kindergarten into young adulthood that our young poor readers are largely doomed to such failure from the beginning. By the end of the first grade, we begin to notice substantial decreases in the children’s self-esteem, self-concept, and motivation to learn to read if they have not been able to master reading skills and keep up with their age-mates. As we follow the children through elementary and middle school grades, these problems compound…. These individuals constantly tell us that they hate to read; primarily they hate to read, primarily because it is such hard work, and their reading is so slow and laborious. As an adolescent in one of our longitudinal studies remarked recently, ‘I would rather have a root canal than read.’ (Lyon, G. R., 1997).

And unless intervention is emotionally supportive and adjusts the level, type, and volume of work to match the struggling readers’ language, fluency, reading levels, and ability to work independently, readers may become overwhelmed.

• The reality is that students in the upper elementary grades [4 and 5] must learn to process texts that are linguistically more challenging and less concerned with their everyday experiences. Their fluency must become broader and more flexible. For students who do not continue to build fluency during this time, comprehension will surely not improve. (Walpole, McKenna, & Philippakos, 2011, p. 67)
• The comprehension demands of texts, as well as the sheer volume of reading expected of students, escalate dramatically in the middle and upper elementary grades. Thus, a component weakness that appears to have little impact on comprehension in one grade—such as mild vocabulary deficits or slow reading—may have a much greater impact in subsequent grades. (Spear-Swerling, 2006).

This situation strongly suggests that parents:

• Get reading evaluations for their children as soon as even slight reading problems are suspected.
• Quickly get quality reading help for their children as soon as even slight problems are found.
• Monitor their children’s progress, frequently and carefully.
• Provide their children with strong, continuous social and emotional support.
• Meet regularly with their children’s teachers to ensure that their children’s curriculum,  assignments, and supports meet their needs.

Chapters 6 through 13 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com) discusses these issues in detail and offer numerous strategies to help parents help their children and get them the help they need.

References

Bowman-Perrott, L., Herrera, S., & Murry, K. (2010). Reading difficulties and grade retention: What’s the connection for English Language Learners? Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, 26, 91-107.

Lyon, G. R. (1997 July 10). Congressional testimony of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD. Retrieved 9/3/2011, from  http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/no-longer-just-a-hope.htm.

Spear-Swerling, L. (2006). Assessment of Reading Comprehension, Retrieved 9/1/2011, from http://www.ldonline.org/spearswerling/Assessment_of_Reading_Comprehension?theme=pri.

Walpole, S., McKenna, M. C., & Philippakos, Z. A. (2011). Differential reading instruction in grades 4 & 5. NY: The Guilford Press.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

On Monday, October 3^rd, our guest will be Dr. John Pellitteri of the City University of New York. Dr. Pellitteri will discuss, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

On Saturday, The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) reported:

The Upper Arlington school district failed several dyslexic students, and broke federal education laws, because it refused to test children for disabilities and help them learn to read, a state investigation found. District officials, however, deny the state’s findings.

…. According to the complaint, officials refused to acknowledge that students had dyslexia and put them in remedial reading classes that weren’t designed for those with the reading disability.

…. “We struggled through the system with our daughter for three years and had to become experts in order to prove to the district that our child, in fact, did have a learning disability,” Doug Shanks, one of the parents, said in an interview.

…. Problems with identifying dyslexic students are common in suburban districts, said Earl Oremus, headmaster at Marburn Academy, a Columbus private school that serves students with dyslexia and learning disorders. He said districts often try remedial reading programs that don’t help dyslexic students before acknowledging the disability. “The longer you wait to intervene, the more damage occurs to the child,” he said.

For the full newspaper story, go to http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/24/ua-schools-broke-law-on-testing-state-finds.html.

In this era of draconian budget cuts, invisible disabilities, like reading disabilities and other learning disabilities, may well be ignored. Eligibility and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams may be overwhelmed by the increasing number of students they have to serve, the lack of reading specialists, depleted teaching staffs, inadequate budgets for staff-and-teacher-training, stresses created by larger classes, the retirements of many experienced teachers and administrators, administrative pressures, and a host of other forces. Thus, children with reading and other learning disabilities need knowledgeable parents to respectfully and persistently advocate for their needs. You can find a wealth of information on special education laws, problem solving, and advocacy strategies in chapter 7 through 13 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com,http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Disabilities-Beating-Howard-Margolis/dp/0615279007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287371499&sr=1-1).

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/ ) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

On Monday, September 26th, our guest will be Dr. Richard Selznick, Director of the Cooper University Hospital Learning Center. If your child struggles in school, if he’s a “shut-down” learner, Dr. Selznick will offer insight and practical tips for motivating and helping him.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• Dr. John Pellitteri, City University of New York, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.