Suddenly Homeschooling Over fifty million students attend public schools in the U.S. Over half of those are home due to the COVID19 virus school closures. Likely, this number will rise over the next few weeks. Parents homeschooling in a pandemic face a job they didn’t ask for and haven’t had time to prepare for. So […]
Music Training Matters Music training means learning to play an instrument or sing, employing as many senses as possible — fingering the instrument, hearing pitches, seeing the score, feeling the rhythm, moving to the beat. Recent research shows that music education pays off for reading instruction as well! Music in Dyslexia Education Research Around 2003, […]
Language Delay Hampers Classroom Success A language delay can seriously impact success in the classroom. This negatively affects the student’s self-esteem and desire to participate. The causes of language delay vary; dyslexia/dyspraxia, autism, second language, premature birth, language deficient home environment, speech problem, hearing problem, and others. Whatever the cause, teachers and parents hold the […]
Science Education as a Response to Nature The most natural way to do science education lies in responding to the science all around us! Back before we were insulated from weather and geography, people learned to watch the sky for storm warnings and to consider the mountains and valleys through which they traveled so slowly. […]
Different Scheduling for Different Kids “What sort of scheduling did you follow when you were homeschooling?” asked my friend, Susan. “My boys drive me crazy arguing about when to do their school work, even though they enjoy it.” I surprised Susan by telling her that one daughter started her school day by 7:00 a.m. Furthermore, […]
Oral Reading Should NEVER be Required! Forcing a student into oral reading, especially in front of peers, attaches a huge load of negative emotion to reading. As a tutor, I spend as much time overcoming “reading PTSD” as I do teaching the skills. How Izzy Overcame her Reading Block Izzy is dyslexic and she stutters. […]
Reading Equals Academic Success Reading success means academic success. So, parents and teachers feel fear and frustration when a child seems unable to learn to read in spite of being bright, inquisitive, and having a great teacher. This situation generally indicates dyslexia. Dyslexia just means “doesn’t learn to read despite normal intelligence and education.” Dyslexic […]
Sherry Walker: A true expert on parenting Sherry Walker impressed me when I met her. She exuded quiet wisdom with a twinkle in her eye at age 75. I learned later that Sherry’s long list of credentials includes 35 years in private practice as a psychotherapist. She was a Clinical Instructor and Supervisor in the […]
Ask the Right Questions Help your students learn to use the information they already have to problem-solve in new situations. Do this by asking questions. What can you do about that? Do you have some other ideas? What could you substitute for that? Do you see any advantages or disadvantages? When is the best time […]
Teaching: Modeling, Supported Practice, Mastery Teaching involves 3 steps: Modeling (the teacher shows the student how) Supported practice (teacher and student do it together; the student gets help as needed) Mastery (the student does it independently or takes a test on it) Modeling works beautifully in the classroom, and testing happens efficiently in the classroom. Supported practice […]