From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
In an enormously insightful book for teachers, school psychologists, and reading specialists, Jack M. Fletcher and his colleagues (2007) have identified 10 principles of instruction for students with learning disabilities (LD). These principles hold for any student who, despite quality instruction in general education classes, struggles with reading, writing, or mathematics. They can be enormously helpful for parents who want to increase the odds that their child’s IEP or remedial program remediates his problems. Here are three of the principles:
- Increase time on task. Interventions for students with LDs should supplement instructional opportunities, not supplant them. (p. 272)
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, instruction, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, principles of instruction, reading diagnosis, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
It’s September. Your child is starting to struggle with reading. How long should you wait to get help? Should you wait until November, December, January? After all, his teacher needs a chance to help him. Will it pass if you just show patience and encourage him to do better?
Our Response
Usually, it won’t pass, so don’t wait. Make a formal request to the school to evaluate his reading and related needs and to provide whatever services he needs to become a successful reader. A good evaluation, supported by quality resources, should help your child and his teacher. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, reading diagnosis, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
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
“In this era of increased testing and expanding high stakes accountability systems, we need to remember the purpose for assessment. We want our schools to improve, and for this to happen, we have to do better at helping kids learn. Some of the tests teachers administer cannot help them much in this effort. Standardized measures (like those administered by states) and the outcome measures required under the No Child Left Behind law fall into this category. They are designed more to measure student achievement levels than to guide classroom instruction” (Santi, York, Foorman, & Francis, 2010, p. 1). Read more...
diagnosis, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, high-stakes tests, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, reading diagnosis, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading problem, reading problems, standardized testing, standardized tests, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, test, test scores, tests
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
What’s wrong with him? In most cases, nothing. Lots of struggling readers resist reading. After years of failure, they expect to fail; they’ve given up, they’re protecting themselves from more failure and embarrassment. From their perspective, resistance is rational. Here’s Dr. Sebastian Wren’s explanation: Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration level, frustration reading level, independent level, independent reading level, instructional level, instructional reading level, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Motivation, poor motivation, reading diagnosis, reading diagnosticians, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, strengthening motivation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
It’s the end of the school year and your kindergartner or first grader is still struggling with reading. You think he has a reading disability. What should you do?
One of the first things to do is get an accurate, informed, and comprehensive reading evaluation. Without an evaluation, remediation is like doing surgery without x-rays or lab tests. This raises a critical question: How can I get the right evaluation?
You can pay for a private evaluation. This way, you can seek out a reading specialist with a good reputation who takes the time to listen to you and understand your concerns. As you might suspect, private evaluations can be very expensive, especially if the specialist has a doctorate in reading or a related area. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, learning evaluation, reading diagnosis, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading problems, reading specialist, struggling reader
If a struggling reader’s motivation is blocking her reading progress, her motivation must be systematically and knowledgeably evaluated, which tests cannot do. Evaluating motivation and its components shouldn’t be sidestepped, but often is. As Robert Sternberg, a leading expert on intelligence and motivation, so aptly noted, “Motivation is perhaps the indispensable element needed for school success. Without it, the student never even tries to learn.” Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration level, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Motivation, poor motivation, reading diagnosis, reading diagnosticians, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, strengthening motivation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
