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
Recently, I received a letter from high ranking official at a major public university with a great reputation; the letter advertised a set of programs that promised to quickly “turn poor readers into good readers.” This promise disturbed me, as did the letter’s other promises: Read more...
- “Your child will become a strong, independent reader, build confidence [sic], and become more successful in school.”
- “Your child will complete reading assignments more quickly and easily, be more successful in school, and become a strong, enthusiastic reader.”
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, poor readers, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, Rutgers University, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, summer reading programs, university reading programs
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
The Rutgers University Continuing Studies program promises that its 10-hour summer classes will “turn poor readers into good readers.” In essence, Rutgers is telling parents that if they spend $329 for their children to attend 10-hours of instruction in classes of up to 20-students, taught by teachers unlikely to have graduate degrees in reading, these parents will see their children’s reading problems disappear. In 10-hours of classwork, Rutgers (or presumably the company that runs the program) will turn poor readers into good ones. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, Rutgers University, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Parents of children with reading disabilities often ask, “How can I help my child improve his reading.” My answer often surprises them. They expect me to show them how to teach phonics or other word recognition skills. But what I tell many parents is this: “Help your child to understand new or unknown words that he hears. Help him to use those words in his speech. Show him you love words. Love of words is infectious.” Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, reading comprehension, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, vocabulary, vocabulary development
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Pronouncing words is important, but insufficient for success in reading. To read successfully requires the reader to understand the words he sees and how they relate to one another. Here are eight reasons your child may have trouble understanding or comprehending what he reads.
He has difficulty recognizing words. If your child struggles to recognize too many words, he’ll have little attention or mental energy left to consider the meaning of what he’s reading. Usually, children who struggle to quickly recognize more than 5% of words get frustrated with what they’re reading and pay little or no attention to the meaning of their reading materials. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, reading comprehension, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, 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 hopes for inclusion, the answer is often no. Placement in general education often fails to improve the reading of children with reading disabilities. Here are five common reasons: Read more...
- The teachers lack the knowledge and skill necessary to remediate reading disabilities, even if a co-teacher has a master’s degree in special education.
- Much of instruction is whole class instruction, not instruction geared to serving the individual needs and abilities of children with reading disabilities. (And with all the budget cuts, class sizes are increasing.)
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, inclusion, intervention, 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
Many parents and professionals blame a child’s reading disabilities on specific reading programs, such as basal readers or whole language. They argue that the child would have become a good reader if his school had only used the right commercial program, like Open Court. Occasionally, they might be right. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, educational principles, educational psychology, frustration, frustration level, instructional principles, intervention, 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
“Generally, students who get a poor start in reading rarely catch up. In fact, second grade is often their last chance to learn to read. If by third grade they read below grade level, students have ‘little chance of ever catching up.’ Thus, early intervention is critical. When early intervention is not provided, struggling readers make little, if any, progress, often resulting in grade retention, which exacerbates their problems. Over the long term, grade retention does not typically increase student performance. It may even damage students’ chances of academic and social success. Clearly, it is one of the most powerful predictors of school dropout. Early intervention—intervention that is focused, intensive, and implemented by knowledgeable, skilled practitioners—is an essential key to preventing grade retention and strengthening students’ academic achievement” (Bowman-Perrott, 2010, p. 1, references omitted). Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, early intercention, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
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
