From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

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

For your child to succeed in middle and high school, he needs to become a proficient reader by the end of third grade. If not, his reading problems will likely persist through high school, causing other academic problems and increasing the likelihood of social and emotional problems; in adulthood, struggles with reading will diminish his chance of getting and holding a decent job. As the Annie E. Casey Foundation so clearly states:

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the last few weeks, several parents have asked us about reading evaluations. To help out, anyone who signs up for our mailing list at www.reading2008.com can download chapter 5 of our book, Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds. The chapter, Using Reading Evaluations, shows parents and teachers how they can use reading evaluations to help children. We encourage parents and teachers to download it, read it, discuss it, and share it with other parents and teachers. (The release is for private use only, not for commercial use or for making more than 3 copies.)

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

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

Paired Reading: A Guide For Parents—Part II

Keith Topping, Ph.D.

THE DESCRIPTION

As described in Part I, in Paired Reading “the parent and child begin reading aloud together and continue until the child makes an error. The parent supplies the correct word, the child repeats the word and rereads the sentence, and simultaneous (“duet”) reading continues. When the child feels ready to read alone, he or she gives a prearranged signal [e.g., a thumb up], and the parent stops reading while the child continues” (Rathvon, 2008, p. 193).

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

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

Paired Reading: A Guide For Parents—Part I

Keith Topping. Ph.D.

In March, we published two posts on Paired Reading. Consequently, several  parents and teachers wanted more information. Graciously, Dr. Keith Topping, Director of the Centre for Paired Learning and Graduate Educational Psychology at the University of Dundee, Scotland, allowed us to republish his guide.

First we’ll briefly describe Paired Reading, Then, in the next two posts, we’ll provide Dr. Topping’s guide, with slight modifications.

The Description

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

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

Parents often ask, “Is my child’s teacher competent?” Unfortunately, science has yet to produce an errorless formula for answering this question. And it’s an important one that test scores and the new rage, “value added equations,” can’t answer.

Fortunately, there are legitimate ways to begin assessing the competence of your child’s teacher. One way is to observe how she presents lessons to your child’s class. This can tell you a lot, but not everything, about the quality of her instruction.

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

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

Can sustained silent reading help children with reading disabilities? Generally, yes. But overemphasizing it can shortchange them.

Many schools involve struggling readers in some form of sustained silent reading. In such programs, all students, including struggling readers, read silently for some 15 to 45 minutes daily. As they read silently, so does the teacher. The teacher models silent reading, showing that she values it and enjoys it. If done right, sustained reading is important practice for children, an important way for teachers to communicate they value reading, a way of helping children become competent, motivated readers. Sustained silent reading goes under different names, such as Drop Everything And Read (DEAR), Super, Quiet, Uninterrupted, Independent Reading Time (SQUIRT), Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), and Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR).

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Struggling Writers: How to Improve Their Writing

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

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

Very often, writing is taught to struggling writers in very haphazard and unscientific ways. Such  instruction produces very little progress and often promotes student beliefs that for them writing is too difficult and will always be a struggle.

Fortunately, however, writing can be taught in systematic and scientifically-supported ways that promote progress and student beliefs that they can succeed. One such systematic and scientifically-supported method is Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). SRSD removes the mystery of how to write. It shows students the steps they need to practice to succeed.

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Reading and Other Learning Disabilities

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

How to Reach Your Young Child Through 4 Sense Keys

A Guest Post by Nancy Cloyd

President, Literacy for Tykes

http://LiteracyForTykes.blogspot.com

Who is your child?  You can know your child better than anyone else.  You have a special place in his heart. He wants your attention.  Can you reach him?

There are Sense Keys you can use to open up his response: Sight, Sound, Touch, and Doing. After his basic needs of food and rest are met, He discovers everything through these senses.

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Reading and Other Learning Disabilities

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

Parents of struggling writers worry about their children’s struggle. They want to know, “How can I help my child?”

If your child struggles with writing, this post might help you and your child’s school identify the type of writing instruction your child needs. It will do this by first discussing critical but often ignored areas of diagnosis, then discussing a typical but inadequate diagnostic process that can do more harm than good, and finally suggesting actions you can take. A follow-up post will outline one effective, well-researched method for helping struggling writers improve their writing: Self-Regulated Strategy Development.

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Reading and Other Learning Disabilities

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

Reading Fluency: Part II – Helping Daniel

A Guest Post by

Lorraine Griffith, M.A.Ed

www.singreadlearn.com

West Buncombe Elementary School, Asheville NC

  • Share/Bookmark
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,