From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Parents of children in special education often ask, “How can I get the training I need to help my child at home?” As we discussed in our post of November 14th, Getting Counseling and Training to Help You Help Your Child (http://www.reading2008.com/blog/getting-counseling-training-to-help-you-help-your-child.htm), training to understand your child’s special needs and to support your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a related service.
If the school’s IEP Team members say “No. It’s not what we do, it’s not required by law,” we suggest that you show them what the federal rules and regulations about special education say: Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, homework, IDEIA, IEP, IEP Team, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, parent counseling, parent training, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, related service, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, tutoring
In 1965, N. Dale Bryant, one of the great pioneers in helping children overcome dyslexia, explained why children with reading disabilities should read materials that are easy, not hard for them. Below are two quotes from Bryant that explain why a target of 80% word recognition accuracy, found in many goals and objectives, will impede the progress of struggling readers; why quickly and accurately recognizing only 80% of words will frustrate them; why quickly and accurately recognizing 95-98% of words in paragraphs is a common and much-needed standard for matching readers to instructional level materials, the level of materials that teachers should typically use when teaching word recognition; why quickly and accurately recognizing 99% of words in paragraphs is a common and much-needed standard for matching readers to independent level materials, materials children read by themselves, without any help; and why 90% or less word recognition accuracy is a common standard for frustration level materials, the level to avoid. Let me repeat: the level to avoid. Here are the quotes: Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, IEP, Individualized Education Program, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Despite the legal requirement that each child in special education have an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) with a Present Levels section (“present levels of academic achievement and functional performance”) that’s complete, up-to-date, and sufficient to develop meaningful and measurable goals (and in some cases, objectives), parents often complain that the school members of the IEP Team refuse to create such a Present Levels section. They complain that school members rush through the section or stonewall them by refusing to provide information that’s current, valid, and functional. All they get are standardized test scores from achievement test batteries like the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test or the Woodcock Johnson Psychoeducational Battery. (Such scores are insufficient to develop quality goals and objectives.) Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, evaluations, frustration, frustration level, IEP, Individualized Educational Program, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Present Levels, present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading levels, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
The Right Amount of Homework
For children who successfully finish classwork or homework without struggle, who complete their homework without tears, fights, trembling, or other forms of frustration, Dr. Harris Cooper of Duke University, one of the nation’s leading authorities on homework, offers these research-based guidelines:
A little amount of homework may help elementary school students build study habits. Homework for junior high students appears to reach the point of diminishing returns after about 90 minutes a night. For high school students, the positive line continues to climb until between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours a night, after which returns diminish. (Harris, 208, p. 21) Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, homework, homework policy, IEP, IEPs resiliency, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Parents often ask me, “When should I speak to a special education attorney?” For an answer, I turned to Jayne Wesler, an attorney with Sussan & Greenwald, a Cranbury, NJ law firm with an outstanding reputation for integrity, fairness, and effectiveness. Below is Mrs. Wesler’s response. – Howard Margolis
******************************************************************************************************************
When To Contact A Special Education Attorney
Jayne Wesler, Esq. Read more...
attorney, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, FAPE, free appropriate public education, IDEA, IEP, Individualized Education Program, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, lawyer, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, special education attorney, special education lawyer, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
Using IEPs to Solve Homework Problems
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Homework is part of schoolwork. In many schools, teachers collect and grade it. And if students fail to submit it on time, they’re penalized. Thus, most IEPs should address homework, especially if it creates frustration for students and causes friction, fighting, and tears at home.
If homework frustrates your child, answer these questions about his ability to handle typical homework assignments: Read more...
- Without help, can he accurately explain what his assignments require him to do?
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, homework, homework difficulties, homework problems, IEP, IEP Team, IEP Teams, IEPs, Individualized Education Program, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
In our previous post on reading disabilities and other learning disabilities, we said that we would soon give you links to Paired Reading, Read-Alouds, and homework support. Below are the links. We hope they help. (If, by some chance, the links don’t work on your computer, just paste the link into your browser’s addresses bar.)
In our next post, we’ll discuss how you can make homework policy and goals part of your child’s IEP.
Howard Margolis, Ed.D. © Reading2008 & Beyond www.reading2008.com Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, homework, IEP, IEPs, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, read-alouds, reading aloud, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, reading to children, resilience, Resiliency, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
A nagging frustration of parents of children with learning disabilities, such as reading disabilities, is not knowing how to help their children. Should they tutor their children? Should they demand their children finish their homework, although they can’t handle it? Should they pressure their children to try harder? Should they….? Should they….? And if they should, how should they do it? Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, homework, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, paired reading, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, tutoring
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Parents, teachers, learning consultants, and school psychologists often ask, “How can I measure the reading fluency of children with reading disabilities and how can I develop goals and objectives to address their fluency problems?” An excellent, often quoted article by Jan Hasbrouck and Gerald Tindal (2006) offers practical, validated guidance. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, fluency, fluency strategies, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading fluency, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, reading speed, slow readers, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
If you’re a parent of a child in special education, you have to ensure that his Individualized Education Program (IEP) meets all his educational needs. Ideally, you’ll work cooperatively with the school people on his IEP Team to develop his IEP. But what if you disagree with them or believe they don’t care about helping your child? If you’re like some parents, you’ll anger quickly; in intense emotional outbursts, you might let them know they “don’t know anything,” “don’t give a damn,” “will sacrifice children to save money.” Read more...
anger, conflict, conflict management, due process, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, IEP, IEP meeting, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
