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
Quote 1: “The gap between proficient and less proficient readers widens over the elementary years and remediation of reading problems becomes increasingly difficult after third grade. Moreover, the long-term negative effects of illiteracy have been well documented.” (Al Otaiba & Fuchs, 2006). Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, reading assessment, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading problem, reading problems, reading specialist, reading tests, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, testing
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
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Ever wonder why your child behaves in troubling ways that drive you crazy: dawdles, won’t read, fights with David and Brian? We can’t explain everything that might influence his behavior, like his genes, his DNA, his neurology, his body chemistry, or David and Brian’s behavior. We know little about these. But we can tell you about PEATERR (pronounced Peter). PEATERR identifies many important factors that cause behavior. Using it might help you learn what’s currently causing your child’s troubling behavior, an important step in finding solutions. Read more...
behavior, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, problem solving, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, troublesome behavior
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
More than a 100 years ago, Frederick Douglas crystallized the importance of quality schools, schools that excel at teaching academics, cultivating curiosity, and building character: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
ASK: Does your child’s program give him a good chance of becoming “a strong child”? Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, IEP, IEPs, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, program, program quality, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, 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
In his highly recommended book about reading for parents of babies and older children through age 7, Dr. Richard Gentry makes many practical recommendations for making reading a satisfying, motivating experience. Below are several recommendations that apply to children of all ages. Read more...
- Know what your child is capable of doing.
- Tune in to what’s enjoyable.
- Turn off what’s not interesting.
- Step away and hold off on literacy activities that your … child seems to resist.
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, motivating children, Motivation, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, 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
In speaking of personal development, Daniel Goleman said it succinctly and brilliantly:
Self-awareness and empathy are (along with self-mastery and social skills) domains of human ability essential for success in life. Excellence in these capacities helps people flourish in relationships, family life, and marriage, as well as in work and leadership…. Of these four key life skills, self-awareness lays the foundation for the rest. If we lack the capacity to monitor our emotions, for example, we will be poorly suited to learn from them (2010, p. vii). Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, emotional development, emotional well-being, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, self-awareness, self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-regulation, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
