WHY DO I SUGGEST STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE READING/SPELLING/WRITING BRAIN PROCESSES? Let’s talk about this phrase: “Knowledge is POWER.” Don’t you agree? The more students of any age know abour how a task is accomplished, it’s got to have a positive outcome. Children and parents alike are often confused and upset when things aren’t going well …
A few months ago, I had occasion to correspond and speak with Lisa Hanifan, who by her own admission, was an “angry teacher” and a mom who later “felt guilty as a parent.” You see, Ms. Hanifan didn’t know what she didn’t know. My colleague, Lisa, has NOTHING to feel guilty about—neither as a teacher …
I love sharing stories. That’s why I received a gift of a ‘storyteller poster’ which hangs in my office. And that’s why I continued to receive gifts relating to storytelling over the years. Image by Lori Josephson I used to talk with my students, all of whom had dyslexia to greater or lesser extents, about …
Going Back To School Is Like A Roller Coaster…Especially On the First Day! Read More »
A question from a teacher this week prompted this article. The teacher writes: I tutor a 9 year old student with a diagnosis of dyslexia. This student has been taught ‘the code’ (I take that to mean this student is familiar with most, if not many sound/symbol relationships). This student’s first or ‘cold read’ is …
What Do Parents Need to Know About Reading Fluency? Read More »
HELP ME PROCESS..TOUCH MY HAND My friend and colleague, Pam Kanfer, recently passed away after a long illness. I took Pam’s passing very hard—and still do. She was so important to so many people, especially to children, whether her own, her relatives, her children’s friends, or her students. Pam’s friend (and now colleague–keep reading), Holly …
Today, I bring you sage words of wisdom from one of my students in the form of a conversation we had several weeks ago. I have known this lovely young girl since she was a struggling first grader. When I first met Jordyn, she arrived on the doorstep of my office as pretty much a …
“If I Ate Smarties Every Day, I Thought I Would Get Smarter” Read More »
Watch your ‘bs’ and ‘ds’ and “mind your ps and qs”! Notice these are plurals rather than possessives, so no apostrophes! The necklace below symbolizes the p,q,b,d–so look closely (pqbd.org/jewelry), and was inspired by individuals with dyslexia to show support for dyslexia, start conversations, and raise funds for dyslexia organizations. Truth #1: Many children have …