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Primary Reading Levels. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

28/8/2014

Lately I have been getting a lot of parents asking me about reading levels for primary aged students. Below is a question I was asked last week (please note names and places have been changed to protect identity).

“DD is in kindergarten and is doing really well with reading. She's apparently just skipped from Level 6 to Level 10, and while I know this is the usual level expected at the end of kindergarten, I don't really know much about what the levels mean.”

I thought I would share my response with you all (please keep in mind that these levels are for the Pm Reading Series). These are very general indications only and will vary from school to school and from child to child.  In no way is it recommended that children be restricted to this table.   It may well be that a child in Year 6 has a reading age of 9.5 in Kindergarten.   It may also be that a child in year 4 has a reading age of 7.5.   Nothing here is set in stone and the table is given  as a very general overview and guide to how the grades, reading levels, ages and titles in the PM Library align with one another.

Year: K; PM Reading Levels: 1 - 6
Year:1;   PM Reading Levels: 7 - 12
Year2;   PM Reading Levels: 13
Year2;   PM Reading Levels: 14
Year:2;   PM Reading Levels: 15;    "Reading Age":  6.5
Year:2;   PM Reading Levels: 16;    "Reading Age":  7.0
Year:2;   PM Reading Levels: 17;    "Reading Age":  7.0
Year:2;   PM Reading Levels: 18;    "Reading Age":  7.5
Year:3;   PM Reading Levels: 19;    "Reading Age":  7.5
Year:3;   PM Reading Levels: 20;    "Reading Age":  8.0
Year:3;   PM Reading Levels: 21;   "Reading Age":  8.0
Year:3;   PM Reading Levels: 22;   "Reading Age":  8.5
Year:3;   PM Reading Levels: 23;   "Reading Age":  8.5
Year:3;   PM Reading Levels: 24;    "Reading Age":  8.5 - 9.0
Year:4;   PM Reading Levels: 25;   "Reading Age":  9.0 - 9.5
Year:4;   PM Reading Levels: 26;   "Reading Age":  9.5 - 10.0
Year:5;   PM Reading Levels: 27;   "Reading Age":  10.0 - 10.5
Year:5;   PM Reading Levels: 28;   "Reading Age":  10.5 - 11.0
Year:6;   PM Reading Levels: 29;   "Reading Age":  11.0 - 11.5
Year:6;   PM Reading Levels: 30;   "Reading Age":  11.5 - 12.0

Children will move levels based on a number of factors which are; miscue analysis (accuracy), running records (fluency), comprehension (literal, inferential and applied) and vocabulary.

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Focus/Attention Processing Dysfunction Characteristics. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

14/8/2014

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When a child has to use too much energy to attend to their work, then that is the area that is a learning block to them. This child often has a body chemistry that is upset, and can be changed with simple methods at home and school. Other times a parent finds that working with a professional in this area is most helpful.

Often a parent will say of such a child: “He can focus on movies, video games, or Legos for hours, but can't focus on his schoolwork for more than five minutes.” It is important to realize what is going on, so we don’t become frustrated with this type of child. Movies, video games, or Legos require little energy because children find them interesting and undemanding. On the other hand, a history or math lesson requires much more effort on the child’s part. If the child has an “energy leak” in a certain area, then they will have to work much harder to remain focused. Therefore it is important to distinguish whether a child is struggling with an academic task because of an actual learning block, which causes task avoidance because of its difficulty, or a focusing problem.

Many times these children are struggling with sensory integration issues that make them look unfocused.

We’ll look at the characteristics of a child struggling with a focus issue, and a child struggling with sensory integration issues separately, even though they often overlap.

The official terms that are often used for children who have difficulty remaining focused on a task that they are capable of doing are Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

ADD refers to a child who is not acting out or moving around, and can even look attentive during a task, but is generally absorbed in his own thoughts and daydreams to the point that he gets little done in the amount of time allotted.

A child who is thought to be ADHD is generally hyperactive. This child has a motor that is always running that he seems incapable of controlling. He does everything in a hurry, and some part of his body always appears to be moving, which keeps him quite distracted.

The hyperactive child (not just hyper-fidgety), is usually easy to spot in a group. The inattentive child, on the other hand, is not easy to spot. This child just appears to be slow in finishing work, or in following directions. They may seem lazy or uncooperative.

ADD Checklist

Distractibility.
No persistence with a task.
Inconsistency in performance from one day to another.
Excessive daydreaming during a school related task.
Needs to have mom next to him or her in order to finish work.
Forgetfulness (of previously learned material, daily plans, etc.).

ADHD Checklist

A child struggling with the more active form of a focusing issue will display some of these characteristics:

Excess motor activity (something is always moving).
Impulsiveness (acts without thinking much of the time).
Insatiability (never satisfied with an activity).
Poor response to discipline.
Moodiness.
Sleep disturbances (very restless sleeper).

Informal Evaluation

Remember, that to be a real focusing issue, the symptoms must present themselves in more than one setting. It is important to differentiate between a child whose main problem is focusing, from a child who is exhibiting task avoidance because of academic struggles. For example, if your child’s teacher says that they do listen attentively to lessons and participates lively in discussions but “gets silly” or doesn’t complete assigned work, you can consider that this child has a learning glitch instead of a focusing problem. The child with difficulty focusing frequently does not attend to orally presented information enough to participate well in the ensuing discussion.

On the other hand, if your child’s karate teacher says that he needs to continually redirect your child’s attention during lessons (ones that are very active and hands-on), you may consider that this child is struggling to maintain focus when his peers do not need to expend any energy for this task.

How You Can Determine if Your Child Has a Focusing Issue

Checklists, such as the one above help identify a child with an issue.
Paediatricians can help decipher the observations you have of your child.
Conners Behaviour Scale, or BASC can be obtained by your physician.

These are informal questionnaires to be completed by parents and other adults who work with your child in an academic setting. The results are calibrated to determine if the child is merely at risk of an attention problem, or actually is showing attention problem symptoms in more than one setting.

Resources for Correction

There are two ways that children who have to expend more energy than their peers to focus can be helped. One way is to use compensation, and the other is to employ correction of the problem. Since it takes time for any correctional program to work, we really need to do both procedures. We compensate for the problem, while designing and implementing an effective correctional program.

In determining the best way to correct a child’s processing problem that is affecting his ability to focus on a task, we need to consider that this child likely has an upset chemistry. The basis for this assumption is the long history of the use of medication used with children with a focusing issue. These medications are designed to help the child focus with more ease, by making the neurotransmitters responsible for the process of focusing, more available to the brain and nervous system.

If a parent decides to try some medication for this purpose, then the child’s paediatrician is the place to start. Sometimes parents try various medications, only to find the side effects to be unacceptable. So it’s a good idea to also consider alternative ways to help balance the child’s upset body chemistry.

Other times the parents are not interested in pursuing medication at all, but realize that their child is struggling too hard to focus, so still needs some help in producing and releasing the necessary neurotransmitters. This is when parents often turn to a nutritionist, naturopath, chiropractor, or nutritionally oriented physician to explore alternatives that seem to help so many children.

Compensations

Employ one-on-one tutoring. Children with attention problems thrive when an adult works one-on-one with them. T hese children struggle to complete work on their own, and find the frequent reminders to hurry up and complete their work debilitating.

Talks to your school/teacher and have them choose a curriculum that does not require mainly independent work (such as a computer curriculum program, or a self-paced program). Have them reduce workbook exercises and busy work, such as copying and repeating math problems, as much as possible. Ask them to let your child use good quality earphones so they can block out distracting noise, or you could have him listen to classical music softly while working on assignments. Have them keep your child close as proximity to an adult makes a big difference in their ability to focus. Have them let your child take breaks. Many little breaks, versus one big break, helps these children stay on task and explain to them that they will need to adjust their expectations. The other children may complete tasks without constant reminders; however a child with focus issues cannot not do so, have them consider that if your child had a physical disability, they would have to adjust their expectations. These children do have a real disability, but because it is not visible it can so easily be seen as sloppiness, irresponsibility, or laziness.

Corrections

Medications: Even though some parents are not interested in the use of medications to help their child focus, the discussion is warranted here, since there may be times when it is necessary, even if it is only for a short period of time.

Serotonin boosting medications:
- Ritalin (short release time)
- Concerta (sustained release time)
- Antidepressants (Zoloft, Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, etc.)
Stimulants:
- Adderall (amphetamines)
Dopamine boosting medication:
- Strattera
  
  All medications come with the risk of side effects, of course. Parents must weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before deciding whether or not to use medications.
  
  Diet: It has been known for over 20 years, first starting with Dr. Feingold and his famous Feingold Diet, that by reducing sugars, colourings and preservatives, children with attention disorders have a much easier time focusing.
  
  Many parents report that when they change the diet of all children at home, that they see a tremendous difference in learning ability and behaviour. Some of the diet recommendations that seem to be the most effective include:
  
  Reduce sugar intake. It’s the hidden sugars that get us in trouble, such as the sweeteners in fruit juice, boxed cereals, muesli bars, fruit rollups, soft drinks, chocolate milk, pancakes, waffles, etc. Remember that a Snickers bar has about 30 grams of carbohydrates, and 35 grams of sugar. When you add the two together, you get 65 grams. Without realizing it, we often feed our children this same amount of sugar by just giving them juice and a bowl of cereal. For many children, consuming this much sugar contributes to their difficulty focusing and controlling their moods.
  
  Increase raw fruit and vegetable intake. As we know from the research in books such as Children with Starving Brains by Dr. Chandless, many children are low in essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. These children either are not getting the daily nutrients they need for their brain to function well, or they are eating the correct foods, but are not absorbing the nutrients found in the food.
  
  The enzymes contained in raw foods greatly assist the digestive system in absorbing nutrients. This can make a huge difference with some children. To make this difference, parents always had grapes, apples, bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, and other fruit around to eat, and made sure the children had three servings a day. These parents also kept a plate of raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and green pepper strips along with plenty of ranch dressing around for lunch.
  
  Use less processed food. As the pioneering Dr. Feingold and many of the researchers following him found, when food is boxed, it is filled with preservatives. Those preservatives can be very toxic to a child’s nervous system. Processed food also has no life in it. The rule of thumb for brain-healthy eating is to shop as much as you can in the periphery of the grocery store, where the plugs are in the walls. Buying food that is refrigerated in the store ensures you that the life-giving nutrients are still in there. When it is canned or boxed, the live nutrients, such as the fats that are good for the brain have been removed so that they do not go rancid on the shelf. Of course, there are some good brain fats that are not refrigerated such as cans of tuna or salmon, and mayonnaise.
  
  Increase water intake. Children are often tired because they are dehydrated. They do not drink enough water during the day. A great book that details all the symptoms of being low in water intake is Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. Batmangahlidj. He recommends that children drink half their weight in ounces of water. Making adequate water intake during the day a family priority is very helpful for many families. Water helps eliminate histamine and other toxins from the body.

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Helping Children with Learning Difficulties: Practical Parenting Tips for Home and School. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

12/8/2014

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Has your child recently been diagnosed with a learning difficulty/disability? Did you immediately begin to worry about how he or she will cope with school? It’s only natural to want the best for your child but academic success, while important, isn’t the end goal. What you really want for your child is a happy and fulfilling life. With encouragement and the right support, your child can build a strong sense of self-confidence and a solid foundation for lifelong success.

When it comes to learning disabilities, look at the big picture

All children need love, encouragement, and support, and for kids with learning disabilities, such positive reinforcement can help ensure that they emerge with a strong sense of self-worth, confidence, and the determination to keep going even when things are tough.

In searching for ways to help children with learning difficulties/disabilities, remember that you are looking for ways to help them help themselves. Your job as a parent is not to “cure” the learning difficulty/disability, but to give your child the social and emotional tools he or she needs to work through challenges. In the long run, facing and overcoming a challenge such as a learning difficulty/disability can help your child grow stronger and more resilient.

Always remember that the way you behave and respond to challenges has a big impact on your child. A good attitude won’t solve the problems associated with a learning disability, but it can give your child hope and confidence that things can improve and that he or she will eventually succeed.

Tips for dealing with your child’s learning difficulties/disability

Keep things in perspective. A learning difficulty/disability isn’t insurmountable. Remind yourself that everyone faces obstacles. It’s up to you as a parent to teach your child how to deal with those obstacles without becoming discouraged or overwhelmed. Don’t let the tests, school bureaucracy, and endless paperwork distract you from what’s really important—giving your child plenty of emotional and moral support.
Become your own expert. Do your own research and keep abreast of new developments in learning difficulty/disability programs, therapies, and educational techniques. You may be tempted to look to others—teachers, therapists, doctors—for solutions, especially at first. But you’re the foremost expert on your child, so take charge when it comes to finding the tools he or she needs in order to learn.
Be an advocate for your child. You may have to speak up time and time again to get special help for your child. Embrace your role as a proactive parent and work on your communication skills. It may be frustrating at times, but by remaining calm and reasonable, yet firm, you can make a huge difference for your child.
Remember that your influence outweighs all others. Your child will follow your lead. If you approach learning challenges with optimism, hard work, and a sense of humour, your child is likely to embrace your perspective—or at least see the challenges as a speed bump, rather than a roadblock. Focus your energy on learning what works for your child and implementing it the best you can.

Focus on strengths, not just weaknesses

Your child is not defined by his or her learning difficulty/disability. A learning difficulty/disability represents one area of weakness, but there are many more areas of strengths. Focus on your child’s gifts and talents. Your child’s life—and schedule—shouldn’t revolve around the learning difficulty/disability. Nurture the activities where he or she excels, and make plenty of time for them.

Helping children with learning difficulties/disabilities tip 1: Take charge of your child's education

In this age of endless budget cuts and inadequately funded schools, your role in your child’s education is more important than ever. Don’t sit back and let someone else be responsible for providing your child with the tools they need to learn. You can and should take an active role in your child’s education.

If there is demonstrated educational need, the school is required by law to develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that delivers some educational benefit, but not necessarily one that maximizes student achievement. Parents who want the best for their kids may find this standard frustrating.

Understanding special education laws and your school’s guidelines for services will help you get the best support for your child at school. Your child may be eligible for many kinds of accommodations and support services, but the school might not provide services unless you ask for them.

Tips for communicating with your child’s school:

Being a vocal advocate for your child can be challenging. You’ll need superior communication and negotiation skills, and the confidence to defend your child’s right to a proper education.

Clarify your goals. Before meetings, write down what you want to accomplish. Decide what is most important, and what you are willing to negotiate.
Be a good listener. Allow school officials to explain their opinions. If you don’t understand what someone is saying, ask for clarification. “What I hear you saying is…” can help ensure that both parties understand.
Offer new solutions. You have the advantage of not being a “part of the system,” and may have new ideas. Do your research and find examples of what other schools have done.
Keep the focus. The school system is dealing with a large number of children; you are only concerned with your child. Help the meeting stay focused on your child. Mention your child’s name frequently, don’t drift into generalizations, and resist the urge to fight larger battles.
Stay calm, collected and positive. Go into the meeting assuming that everyone wants to help. If you say something you regret, simply apologize and try to get back on track.
Don’t give up easily. If you’re not satisfied with the school’s response, try again.

Recognize the limitations of the school system

Parents sometimes make the mistake of investing all of their time and energy into the school as the primary solution for their child’s learning difficulty/disability. It is better to recognize that the school situation for your child will probably never be perfect. Too many regulations and limited funding mean that the services and accommodations your child receives may not be exactly what you envision for them, and this will probably cause you frustration, anger and stress.

Try to recognize that the school will be only one part of the solution for your child and leave some of the stress behind. Your attitude (of support, encouragement and optimism) will have the most lasting impact on your child.

Helping children with learning difficulties/disabilities tip 2: Identify how your child learns best

Everyone—learning disability or not—has their own unique learning style. Some people learn best by seeing or reading, others by listening, and still others by doing. You can help a child with a learning disability by identifying his or her primary learning style.

Is your child a visual learner, an auditory learner, or a kinaesthetic learner? Once you’ve figured out how he or she learns best, you can take steps to make sure that type of learning is reinforced in the classroom and during home study. The following lists will help you determine what type of learner your child is.

Is your child a visual learner?

If your child is a visual learner, he or she:
Learns best by seeing or reading
Does well when material is presented and tested visually, not verbally
Benefits from written notes, directions, diagrams, charts, maps, and pictures
May love to draw, read, and write; is probably a good speller

Is your child an auditory learner?

If your child is an auditory learner, he or she:

Learns best by listening
Does well in lecture-based learning environments and on oral reports and tests
Benefits from classroom discussions, spoken directions, study groups
May love music, languages, and being on stage

Is your child a kinaesthetic learner?

If your child is a kinaesthetic learner, he or she:

Learns best by doing and moving
Does well when he or she can move, touch, explore, and create in order to learn
Benefits from hands-on activities, lab classes, props, skits, and field trips
May love sports, drama, dance, martial arts, and arts and crafts

Studying Tips for Different Types of Learners

Studying Tips for Different Types of Learners

Tips for visual learners:

Use books, videos, computers, visual aids, and flashcards.
Make detailed, color-coded or highlighted notes.
Make outlines, diagrams, and lists.
Use drawings and illustrations (preferably in color).
Take detailed notes in class.

Tips for auditory learners:

Read notes or study materials out loud.
Use word associations and verbal repetition to memorize.
Study with other students. Talk things through.
Listen to books on tape or other audio recordings.
Use a tape recorder to listen to lectures again later.

Tips for kinaesthetic learners:

Get hands on. Do experiments and take field trips.
Use activity-based study tools, like role-playing or model building.
Study in small groups and take frequent breaks.
Use memory games and flash cards.
Study with music on in the background.

Helping children with learning disabilities tip 3: Think life success, rather than school success

Success means different things to different people, but your hopes and dreams for your child probably extend beyond good report cards. Maybe you hope that your child’s future includes a fulfilling job and satisfying relationships, for example, or a happy family and a sense of contentment.

The point is that success in life—rather than just school success—depends, not on academics, but on things like a healthy sense of self, the willingness to ask for and accept help, the determination to keep trying in spite of challenges, the ability to form healthy relationships with others, and other qualities that aren’t as easy to quantify as grades and TER scores.

A 20-year study that followed children with learning disabilities into adulthood identified the following six “life success” attributes. By focusing on these broad skills, you can help give your child a huge leg up in life.

Learning difficulties/disabilities and success #1: Self-awareness and self-confidence

For children with learning disabilities, self-awareness (knowledge about strengths, weaknesses, and special talents) and self-confidence are very important. Struggles in the classroom can cause children to doubt their abilities and question their strengths.

Ask your child to list his or her strengths and weaknesses and talk about your own strengths and weaknesses with your child.
Encourage your child to talk to adults with learning disabilities and to ask about their challenges, as well as their strengths.
Work with your child on activities that are within his or her capabilities. This will help build feelings of success and competency.
Help your child develop his or her strengths and passions. Feeling passionate and skilled in one area may inspire hard work in other areas too.

Learning difficulties/disabilities and success #2: Being proactive

A proactive person is able to make decisions and take action to resolve problems or achieve goals. For people with learning difficulties/disabilities, being proactive also involves self-advocacy (for example, asking for a seat at the front of the classroom) and the willingness to take responsibility for choices.

Talk with your learning disabled child about problem solving and share how you approach problems in your life.
Ask your child how he or she approaches problems. How do problems make him or her feel? How does he or she decide what action to take?
If your child is hesitant to make choices and take action, try to provide some “safe” situations to test the water, like choosing what to make for dinner or thinking of a solution for a scheduling conflict.
Discuss different problems, possible decisions, and outcomes with your child. Have your child pretend to be part of the situation and make his or her own decisions.

Learning difficulties/disabilities and success #3: Perseverance

Perseverance is the drive to keep going despite challenges and failures, and the flexibility to change plans if things aren’t working. Children (or adults) with learning difficulties/disabilities may need to work harder and longer because of their disability.

Talk with your learning disabled child about times when he or she persevered—why did he or she keep going? Share stories about when you have faced challenges and not given up.
Discuss what it means to keep going even when things aren’t easy. Talk about the rewards of hard work, as well as the opportunities missed by giving up.
When your child has worked hard, but failed to achieve his or her goal, discuss different possibilities for moving forward.

Learning difficulties/disabilities and success #4: The ability to set goals

The ability to set realistic and attainable goals is a vital skill for life success. It also involves the flexibility to adapt and adjust goals according to changing circumstances, limitations, or challenges.

Help your child identify a few short- or long-term goals and write down steps and a timeline to achieve the goals. Check in periodically to talk about progress and make adjustments as needed.
Talk about your own short- and long-term goals with your child, as well as what you do when you encounter obstacles.
Celebrate with your child when he or she achieves a goal. If certain goals are proving too hard to achieve, talk about why and how plans or goals might be adjusted to make them possible.

Learning difficulties/disabilities and success #5: Knowing how to ask for help

Strong support systems are key for people with learning difficulties/disabilities. Successful people are able to ask for help when they need it and reach out to others for support.

Help your child nurture and develop good relationships. Model what it means to be a good friend and relative so your child knows what it means to help and support others.
Demonstrate to your child how to ask for help in family situations.
Share examples of people needing help, how they got it, and why it was good to ask for help. Present your child with role-play scenarios that might require help.

Learning difficulties/disabilities and success #6: The ability to handle stress

If children with learning disabilities learn how to regulate stress and calm themselves, they will be much better equipped to overcome challenges.

Use words to identify feelings and help your child learn to recognize specific feelings.
Ask your child what words they would use to describe stress. Does your child recognize when he or she is feeling stressed?
Encourage your child to identify and participate in activities that help reduce stress like sports, games, music, or writing in a journal.
Ask your child to describe activities and situations that make them feel stressed. Break down the scenarios and talk about how overwhelming feelings of stress and frustration might be avoided.

Recognizing stress in your child

It’s important to be aware of the different ways in which stress can manifest. Your child may behave very differently than you do when he or she is under stress. Some signs of stress are more obvious: agitation, trouble sleeping, and worries that won’t shut off. But some people—children included—shut down, space out, and withdraw when stressed. It’s easy to overlook these signs, so be on the lookout for any behaviour that’s out of the ordinary.

Helping children with learning disabilities tip 4: Emphasize healthy lifestyle habits

It may seem like common sense that learning involves the body as well as the brain, but your child’s eating, sleep, and exercise habits may be even more important than you think. If children with learning difficulties/disabilities are eating right and getting enough sleep and exercise, they will be better able to focus, concentrate, and work hard.

Exercise – Exercise isn’t just good for the body, it’s good for the mind. Regular physical activity makes a huge difference in mood, energy, and mental clarity. Encourage your learning disabled child to get outside, move, and play. Rather than tiring out your child and taking away from schoolwork, regular exercise will actually help him or her stay alert and attentive throughout the day. Exercise is also a great antidote to stress and frustration.
Diet – A healthy, nutrient rich diet will aid your child’s growth and development. A diet full of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein will help boost mental focus. Be sure your child starts the day with a good breakfast and doesn’t go more than 4 hours between meals or snacks. This will help keep his or her energy levels stable.
Sleep – Learning disability or not, your child is going to have trouble learning if he or she is not well rested. Kids need more sleep than adults do. On average, preschoolers need from 11-13 hours per night, middle school children need about 10-11 hours, and teens and preteens need from 8½-10 hours. You can help make sure your child is getting the sleep he or she needs by enforcing a set bedtime. The type of light emitted by electronic screens (computers, televisions, iPods and iPads, portable video players, etc.) is activating to the brain. So you can also help by powering off all electronics at least an hour or two before lights out.

Encouraging healthy emotional habits

In addition to healthy physical habits, you can also encourage children to have healthy emotional habits. Like you, they may be frustrated by the challenges presented by their learning disability. Try to give them outlets for expressing their anger, frustration, or feelings of discouragement. Listen when they want to talk and create an environment open to expression. Doing so will help them connect with their feelings and, eventually, learn how to calm themselves and regulate their emotions.

Helping children with learning difficulties/disabilities tip 5: Take care of yourself, too

Sometimes the hardest part of parenting is remembering to take care of you. It’s easy to get caught up in what your child needs, while forgetting your own needs. But if you don’t look after yourself, you run the risk of burning out.

It’s important to tend to your physical and emotional needs so that you’re in a healthy space for your child. You won’t be able to help your child if you’re stressed out, exhausted, and emotionally depleted. When you’re calm and focused, on the other hand, you’re better able to connect with your child and help him or her be calm and focused too.

Your spouse, friends, and family members can be helpful teammates if you can find a way to include them and learn to ask for help when you need it.

Tips for taking care of yourself

Learn how to manage stress in your own life. Make daily time for yourself to relax and decompress.
Keep the lines of communication open with your spouse, family, and friends. Ask for help when you need it.
Take care of yourself by eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.
Join a learning disorder support group. The encouragement and advice you’ll get from other parents can be invaluable.
Enlist teachers, therapists, and tutors whenever possible to share some of responsibility for day-to-day academic responsibilities.

Communicate with family and friends about your child’s learning difficulty/disability

Some parents keep their child’s learning disability a secret, which can, even with the best intentions, look like shame or guilt. Without knowing, extended family and friends may not understand the disability or think that your child’s behaviour is stemming from laziness or hyperactivity. Once they are aware of what’s going on, they can support your child’s progress.

Within the family, siblings may feel that their brother or sister with a learning disability is getting more attention, less discipline and preferential treatment. Even if your other children understand that the learning disability creates special challenges, they can easily feel jealous or neglected. Parents can help curb these feelings by reassuring all of their children that they are loved, providing homework help, and by including family members in any special routines for the child with a learning disability.

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A Parents Perspective – A Success Story. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

6/8/2014

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They do happen! Be brave! Stay the course! Many of us as parents are fearful when our son or daughter is diagnosed with a learning disability, learning difference or a struggling learner. Will they succeed in school? At work? Will they make friends? What does it take? Please read below for the perspective of one parent and how they have achieved success. Please note that the names have been changed to protect their privacy.

My son, Scott, is currently 14 years old and in year 8 at a school for children with language learning differences. He was identified at an early age as being severely dyslexic, dysgraphic, and having significant visual perceptual difficulties. Intensive intervention was recommended — but no one knew how or where to get the appropriate help.

Getting the right kind of help, at the right time, and with the right people, is essential to seeing progress. Scott's current school and tutoring is entirely based on phonics with a strong emphasis on multisensory learning. He is completing his fourth year of this specialised education. This school is an answered prayer — a miracle for him. Not a day goes by that we don’t breathe a sigh of relief, and feel grateful. But that was after many blind alleys.

When Scott started year 5, he was falling behind miserably. He was performing at least two years behind his peers. He went to school every day with a headache and a stomachache. Often there were tears, and he even went to a doctor to see if he was clinically depressed. Since pre-school Scott had received special help in classes, but it wasn’t the right kind of help.

He was labeled by the public school system as mildly mentally handicapped, and was placed in a cross-categorical classroom for most of the day. Joining his regular class sporadically was difficult. Friendships were difficult, as he felt different than the other kids. Scott experienced so much stress during the day that he was exhausted after school and withdrew from social situations. Outside activities just took too much energy. In years 4 and 5, I would re-teach him concepts covered during the day, and then homework would last up to three painful hours - with much frustration for both us and Scott.

After just a few months at his new school, Scott's personality began to emerge. He looked forward to school and his energy level after school sky-rocketed. He now lifts weights. He's part of a swim team. He has friends both at school and through his after school activities. His homework is actually done without any assistance from me. He is self-assured and comfortable with himself. Reading is still hard work, but he can read anything he might need to in the future. His written expression is coming along nicely, and his confidence continues to grow.

He is optimistic and hopeful about the future, and not ashamed to be dyslexic. It's simply one aspect of who he is. He hopes to be a psychologist with prison inmates, as he identifies with people who have obstacles to overcome and desires to lessen their struggle. Due to his difficulties, and then being given the tools to unlock his potential, Scott has developed patience and compassion towards others and himself. He is now eager and ready to try his wings in a regular school setting.

Scott is a testimony to the change that can happen when children with learning disabilities, difficulties, receive the right kind of help, in a timely fashion. Be committed to finding the right resources and people who see the potential in your child — and stay hopeful!

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5 Common Distractions for Kids with Focus Issues. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

2/8/2014

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Distractibility, a main symptom of ADHD, can impact a child’s life both in and out of school. Kids with focus issues can be distracted by the littlest things—things people who don’t have focus issues or ADHD might not even notice. Here are five common distractions for kids with focus issues and ways to sidestep them.

Items They Pick Up or Touch

Some kids with focus issues are also overactive. Being overactive isn’t just limited to racing around, though. Kids might frequently pick up items and fidget with them without even knowing they’re doing it, taking their focus away from what they’re doing. Giving your child an “approved” fidget item like a stress ball to keep in his pocket may help him from being distracted by other items. Chewing gum or drinking from a water bottle can also help.

The Phone Ringing

Kids with focus issues have a hard time figuring out what information to tune into and what information to tune out. This isn’t a choice. Kids who have focus issues due to ADHD have more trouble filtering information than kids who don’t have focus issues. Turning the ringer down on the phone or putting the phone in a different room when your child has to concentrate can reduce the distraction.

Itchy Clothes

Some kids with focus issues also have trouble with sensory processing, which means their brains react differently to sounds, sights, touch and other sensory information. Kids who are sensitive to touch can be bothered by the way something feels on their skin, like itchy socks. They can become focused on that itchy feeling, which can distract them from other things. Buying soft clothes and removing tags can help. Another simple calming technique is to turn down the lights in a room so it’s not as bright.

Someone Walking Past the Door

When kids with focus issues see movement out of the corner of their eye, it’s hard for them to ignore it. Finding a place for your child to sit that’s away from windows or other high-traffic areas can help him stay focused on what he’s doing, whether it’s studying for a test or playing a board game.

Their Own Thoughts

Kids with focus issues aren’t just distracted by the outside world. They’re easily distracted by their own thoughts, too, and may often end up daydreaming. Checking in with your child to make sure he understands what he’s supposed to be doing and breaking tasks into shorter chunks can keep him focused on the task at hand. Playing music and using timers could also help your child “stay present.”

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About ALA

The Australian Literacy Academy (ALA) is a private English tutoring centre in Castle Hill, NSW dedicated to helping children of all levels and spectrums reach their full potential in the area of literacy: reading, writing, spelling, comprehension and speaking and listening.

Primary Reading Levels. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

Focus/Attention Processing Dysfunction Characteristics. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

Helping Children with Learning Difficulties: Practical Parenting Tips for Home and School. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

A Parents Perspective – A Success Story. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

5 Common Distractions for Kids with Focus Issues. By Liana Chandler (Bach EC, M.T & M Ed Spec)

About ALA

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