Testing Doesn’t Improve Reading Here’s why some teachers focus on test scores such as DIBEL, RAZ or Lexile. Test scores provide verifiable data that students are progressing. Unfortunately, teachers feel pressure to produce such evidence. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be acceptable to report that “Johnny now loves reading whereas last year he hated it.” […]
Grading is not necessary for learning Although grades almost define schooling over the last 75 years or so, grades do not enhance learning. Grading does not produce more educated students. In fact, the reverse is true. This is not new knowledge! Alfie Kohn’s book, Punished by Rewards, laid out the research showing that grades degrade […]
A DTK Book Review: How We Learn, by Benedict Carey Learning to Study Benedict Carey’s book, How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens deserves a look by serious students and teachers. Students at all levels of education spend a lot of time in the classroom and the library. They […]
Dyslexia Affects Math Learning Obviously, dyslexia affects how a student learns to read. But it also affects how a student learns mathematics! Testing may diagnose “dyscalculia.” Thankfully, I discovered a terrific resource for parents and teachers working with bright students who just don’t learn math in the traditional mold. Take a look at this Mind’s […]
The Third Grade Wall I’m a dyslexia tutor. I get most of my new students around third grade. Why? Because they hit the “third-grade wall.” The wall refers to what happens to bright curious kids with dyslexia when the learn-to-read stage of school ends and the read-to-learn expectations start. The wall shuts them out of […]
Visual Asymmetry Dyslexia Research I am a dyslexia tutor. My daughter and I co-authored Dyslexia Tool Kit Expanded Edition: What to do when phonics isn’t enough. I love teaching dyslexic students to read! And I loved reading about the recent dyslexia research on visual asymmetry. Left-right Asymmetry of the Maxwell Spot Centroids in Adults without and […]
DYSLEXIA: SEA OF STRENGTHS I first reviewed this powerhouse of information back in 2017. So why did I buy the 2023 Revised and Updated edition? Because A LOT has happened in dyslexia research in the past few years, and the Eide’s are in the thick of it. This book is, without doubt, one of the […]