From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
As we mentioned before, frequent, extreme stress and the anxiety it produces can devastate children with reading and other disabilities:
If the stress is too severe or too prolonged … stress begins to harm learning…. Stressed people don’t do math very well. They don’t process language very efficiently. They have poorer memories, both short and long forms. Stressed individuals do not generalize or adapt old pieces of information to new scenarios as well as non-stressed individuals. They can’t concentrate. In almost every way it can be tested, chronic stress hurts our ability to learn. (Medina, 2008, p. 178) Read more...
anxiety, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, helplessness, independent reading level, instructional reading level, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, 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
Take lots of photos of your child doing safe, enjoyable July 4th kinds of things. Show him the photos and discuss them with him in relaxed, informal ways. During your conversation, stress two or three common words you think he can learn. Informally, tell him the meaning of the words and use them whenever it fits the situation. Encourage him to use the words. Avoid stress. Have fun. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, parents, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, vocabulary, vocabulary development
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Many people claim the “good old days” were the golden days of education.
Like many people of the time, Maynard Hutchins, president and chancellor of the University of Chicago (1929–1951) saw it differently:
It has been said that we have not had the three R’s in America, we had the six R’s; remedial readin’, remedial ‘ritin’ and remedial ‘rithmetic. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, educational history, education’s good old days, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, 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 his highly recommended book about reading for parents of babies and older children through age 7, Dr. Richard Gentry makes many practical recommendations for making reading a satisfying, motivating experience. Below are several recommendations that apply to children of all ages. Read more...
- Know what your child is capable of doing.
- Tune in to what’s enjoyable.
- Turn off what’s not interesting.
- Step away and hold off on literacy activities that your … child seems to resist.
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, motivating children, Motivation, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
FREE CONFERENCE CALL WITH DR. RICHARD SELZNICK,
AUTHOR OF THE SHUT-DOWN LEARNER
When: Tonight, Thursday, February 3, 2011 @ 9 pm EST
Phone number: Call (661) 673-8600
Use Access Code: 899615# (remember the #)
Length: Approximately 1 hour
Professor Selznick is a licensed psychologist, nationally certified school psychologist, university professor of pediatrics, Director of the Cooper Learning Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cooper University Hospital, and author of The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child. In this call, he will discuss shut-down learners and answer your questions about how to motivate discouraged children. Read more...
discouraged children, emotional well-being, Learning Disabilities, Motivation, poor motivation, Reading Disabilities, school failure, social-emotional learning, strengthening motivation, struggling learners, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
One simple way to motivate reluctant readers is to give them choices—acceptable to teachers—about what they read, where they read, when they read, with whom they discuss their reading, and what follow-up assignments they prefer. This statement is not armchair conjecture; it’s the result of clinical experience and research. In summarizing the research, John Guthrie and Nicole Humenick (2004) noted that “a substantial body of experimental evidence undergirds … beliefs about the power of choice to increase intrinsic motivations for reading” (p. 340). As such, choice should be built into the Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of all readers. Read more...
choice, IEP, IEPs, Motivation, motivation problems, reading, reluctant readers
FREE CONFERENCE CALL WITH DR. RICHARD SELZNICK,
AUTHOR OF THE SHUT-DOWN LEARNER
When: Thursday, February 3, 2011 @ 9 pm EST
Phone number: Call (661) 673-8600
Use Access Code: 899615# (remember the #)
Length: Approximately 1 hour
Dr. Selznick is a licensed psychologist, nationally certified school psychologist, university professor of pediatrics, Director of the Cooper Learning Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cooper University Hospital, and author of The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child. In this call, he will discuss shut-down learners and answer your questions about how to motivate discouraged children. Read more...
academic problems, Learning Disabilities, Motivation, motivation problems, struggling learner
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan & Dr. Howard Margolis
Calling All Parents—Teach Your Preschooler to Read! – Part 1 of 2
By J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D.
Parents are children’s first reading teachers. As such, parents have wonderful opportunities to prevent their preschoolers from developing reading problems. How? By starting early, by teaching reading at home in fun, joyful, and informal ways. Read more...
bonding, early intervention, Parenting, preschool, preschooler, reading
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
To motivate children with reading disabilities or other learning disabilities, use novelty and choice. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Motivation, motivation strategies, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
