Thinking Can Be Taught! Weak thinking skills may cause or add to a child’s school failure. It’s tempting to jump straight to the “problem” such as reading or math skills without looking for more foundational weaknesses. But, while teaching academic skills is often our first objective, we must also look for ways to strengthen the […]
What is Scanning? Scanning means finding words in the text by quickly glancing at each line or paragraph. Students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties find scanning less intimidating than oral reading, and it accomplishes the goal of pairing the visual image of the printed words with the meaning of the words, in context. Dyslexic […]
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 […]
VOCABULARY SPELLS SUCCESS IN SCHOOL If students aren’t voracious readers early in life, they miss out on vocabulary that bookworm peers are absorbing. This happens to students with dyslexia, students from non-reader homes, students with ADHD, and even students who need glasses. Low vocabulary hurts academic work across all subjects. But, writing definitions on lists […]
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 […]
Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education, by Ken Robinson, PhD Reviewed by Yvonna Graham, M.Ed. CAN’T I JUST WATCH THE KEN ROBINSON TED TALK? By all means, watch the 20 minute TED talk: Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? It’s informative and highly entertaining. But if you are a teacher or tutor who […]
by Yvonna Graham, M.Ed; www.dyslexiakit.net GET RID OF BAD BOOK VIBES: Students who have trouble learning to read often develop negative reactions to books. By the time I see them as a reading tutor, some of these students actually shudder and get tears in their eyes when I bring out a book! This unfortunate pairing […]
Gifted children may do poorly in school Gifted children often do poorly in school. This is true so often that it sounds cliche. A math story problem illustrates one way this happens: “If there are 3 apples and you take away 2, how many do you have?” Unfortunately, tests and worksheets often contain this sort […]
by Yvonna Graham, M.Ed; www.dyslexiakit.net Cognitive Skills Two important aspects of cognitive skills training are working memory and processing speed. Working memory, or short-term memory, lets you retain and use the information immediately applicable to a task. Processing speed refers to how fast you can think through a problem or series of actions. Both are […]