From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Sometimes, we need a vacation. We need relief from painful stressors. We need a breather. To recuperate our energy and optimism, we need to change locations, activities, and mindsets.
If your child struggles with reading, should you and his school give him a vacation from reading? The answer is found in answers to questions like those below.
The Questions Read more...
- Does reading usually frustrate your child?
- Does reading emotionally drain or anger him?
- Is his distaste for reading and school surging?
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, Reading vacation, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, stress of reading struggles, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
To listen to Dr. Selznick’s podcast on helping the Shut-Down Learner, go to
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/special-needs-talk-radio-blog/id463238657#
Or go to
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/specialneedstalkradio/2011/09/27/maximizing-your-childs-potential
*************************************************************************************************************************************************
The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air
The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.
Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential). Read more...
Confidence, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, homework, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, shut-down learner, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, study skills
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Cheri wrote
This morning, Cheri wrote: “Is there anything for Adults with LD? I hear so much about children, children, children, but those children with LD are going to grow up to Adults with LD and in my opinion it gets harder as an adult with LD. By no means am I saying it’s not hard for children/teens/college students with LD I’ve been there, but now it’s EVEN harder, and there is really less support (if any at all) support for ADULTS with LD.” Read more...
adult literacy, adult services, adults, adults with learning disabilities, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Stress can severely damage a child’s ability to learn:
When the mind is under emotional stress, it produces the peptide cortisol…. Chronic high cortisol levels eventually destroy hippocampal neurons associated with learning and memory. Even short-term stress-related elevation of cortisol in the hippocampus can hinder our ability to distinguish between important and unimportant elements of a memorable event. (Creedon, 2011, p. 34, references omitted) Read more...
anxiety, chronic anxiety, chronic stress, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, helplessness, high anxiety, high stress, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, stress, stressors, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
As we said in previous posts, frequent, extreme stress and the anxiety it produces can devastate children with reading and other disabilities:
Stress is bad for children. It’s associated with health problems, school failures, and youth delinquency…. High stress levels have been associated with … asthma and depression…. Stress directly affects ‘attention, memory, planning, and behavior control.’ When the mind is under emotional stress, it produces the peptide cortisol…. Cortisol generally is a blessing because we don’t become controlled by our past negative experiences. However, if cortisol is not kept in balance, learning can and will stop. (Creedon, 2011, p. 34) 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, 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
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
Are stress and anxiety really important? Yes: often, far more important than parents, schools, and politicians think. Here are some reasons.
Many children with reading disabilities and other learning disabilities feel excessively anxious about learning. Many believe that no matter what they do, no matter their effort, they will fail. And so they resist reading or put little effort into it:
If a child thinks he’ll fail, no matter his effort, he’s unlikely to try, he’s likely to resist. He’ll think: Why fail? Why prove to everyone I’m dumb? Why embarrass myself? (http://www.reading2008.com/blog/reading-disabilities-how-to-calm-a-struggling-reader.htm) Read more...
anxiety, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, helplessness, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, 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
In a GREAT column, Charles M. Blow quoted the late James Baldwin: “Them That’s Not Shall Lose.” Blow commented:
I’ve always considered that sentence in the context of the extreme psychological toll of poverty…. Poverty is brutal, consuming and unforgiving. It strikes at the soul. You defend yourself with hope, hard work and, for some, a helping hand. But these weapons grow dull in an economy on the verge of atrophy, in a job market tilting ever more toward the top and in a political environment that would sacrifice the weak to the wealthy. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, poverty, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, trusts
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
To motivate children to read, schools need well-stocked libraries with great librarians who never stop motivating children to read. They need a wealth of books, videos, computers, internet subscriptions, and electronic media for struggling readers and advanced ones. They need budgets to keep the libraries open and thriving, motivating children, all year. “All year” includes summers. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, librarians, libraries, Motivation, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
