From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
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?
If you’d like to help children achieve their potential, in easy, practical ways:
Tonight (9/12/2011), learn about RIIFF – an easy, practical way to help children at home.
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?
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.
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.
The RAVE-O Program
Guest Post
by
Melissa Orkin, M.A.
Clinical Fellow
Center for Reading and Language Research, Tufts University
As a Clinical Fellow at the Center for Reading and Language Research (CRLR) at Tufts University, I regularly speak with parents who are frustrated with the development of their child’s reading skills. Many of the families have children who have been diagnosed with reading disabilities yet others have found that although their children can adequately sound out words, they are struggling with fluency and comprehension.
Many parents of children with reading disabilities (and some advocates and attorneys) insist that the Wilson Reading System (Wilson) is the only reading method that can help their child learn to read. They claim it’s the scientifically proven method for overcoming dyslexia and other reading disabilities, and thus the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) supports it.
They’re wrong. And if they take this argument to court, and the school’s experts are well-versed in the research, the school has valid reasons for prefering its methodology, the IEP’s goals and objectives and services are sound, and the hearing officer or judge believes, like most do, that courts should not overturn a school’s decision about methodology, the parents will likely lose.
About.com, a New York Times Company, has an excellent website that provides parents and teachers with valuable information that can help them help children. It’s at http://learningdisabilities.about.com. By reading this frequently updated website and our blog, you’ll increase your chances of helping children succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. In other words, the more you learn, the more likely your decisions will help children.
To get a sense of http://learningdisabilities.about.com, we recommend that you read these three posts:
1. What Is a Learning Disability?
http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/whatisld/a/whatissld.htm
2. How Are Learning Disabilities Diagnosed?
http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/learningdisabilitybasics/a/LDdiagnosproces.htm
3. Learn How to Advocate for Your Child
http://learningdisabilities.about.com/b/2008/11/10/advocacy-academy-learn-how-to-advocate-for-your-child.htm
Often, no.
With enthusiasm, dedication, and genuine tears of gratitude, many parents advocate for particular reading programs, programs they claim cured their child’s dyslexia. They’re joined by many teachers and private reading consultants. These proponents—genuine in their beliefs and unbridled enthusiasm for particular programs—ignore these possibilities:
