Just from the strengths perspective, we might expect that many dyslexic students would excel in science and technology. STEM jobs often require strengths in real world problem solving that depend on powers of observation, analytical ability, pattern recognition, and synthesis, or putting different pieces of information together. The problem is, dyslexic students may get few opportunities to observe and dabble in “real science”, unless they go out looking for it. Recently, I had a chance to catch up with Dr. Doresa Jennings, an amazing homeschooling mom who we all can learn from in terms of how she designed educational plans that build on students strengths. Even if your kids aren’t yet strong in science or technology, Doresa’s advice is worth listening to. Here are three […]
Crisis Schooling: The Dyslexia Edition [Premium]
Are you going to be homeschooling or perhaps willing to give traditional school a try under the new rules? Teacher mom blogger Heather Ann said this: “You are NOT homeschooling. You are CRISIS schooling. There is a huge difference. You may choose to homeschool after this, but this is not what homeschooling looks like, not even remotely.” I completely agree. If you are schooling, no matter what form, you are crisis schooling and not homeschooling or traditional schooling. Even with all of the protections in place, something is likely to go wrong, whether its activities that can’t be done, or unexpected quarantines because of someone at school or a co-working getting sick. And yet, with all the uncertainties on the horizon, it is possible for […]
How to Avoid Turning into a Zombie with Remote Learning
If you are finding that you or your students are remote learning, not out of choice, but because of the school changes or the pandemic in general, it's still possible to resist having your upcoming school year turn into zombie learning. When our son took an online...
The Writing Process From a University Tutor [Premium]
I recently came across a helpful account from a university-based tutor who worked with a fellow college student at Reed. There are many points that are helpful to consider if you are working with a student in the area of writing. For some, writing is the most frustrating task they are likely to encounter in school. It is often the gateway to higher education and most common way their knowledge and ideas are assessed as they progress through education. The full article is HERE. She begins with a disclaimer, recognizing that she is “no expert,” but I think she is an expert of sorts, having worked through many difficult challenges with her student and helping him to reach a higher level of proficiency. “As my […]
Schooling From Home, Can You Do It?
Like it or not, when Fall rolls around, many of us may need to school from home whether it's our first choice or not. What if your student is dyslexic? Can it possibly work? There are a lot of people who can't see schooling from home working for their student, but...
COVID SCHOOLING: Should we be worried?
Short answer: NO. As at least half of the schools across the country closed for health reasons, students from the earliest ages to post-graduates find themselves schooling from home, usually through online programs. In the best situations, students have smoothly or...
COVID: The Chaos of College and Beyond
Colleges and universities are in crisis, as they hastily cancelled in-person classes and the pandemic drags on. They face huge budget losses with refunds for student fees for housing and food, plus the prospect of students choosing not to enroll for the fall semester...
Covid College: What About Fall Semester? [Premium]
The outlook for the fall semester remains unpredictable. What does it mean for this community? The situation about the pandemic remains very fluid as does the state of public and private schools at all levels, therefore complex and individualized decisions are being made at homes all across the country. Many colleges and universities, secondary schools, and households are experiencing considerable financial stress leading many to decide to take a gap year or semester, or scale back on educational plans. On the one hand, some college counselors have suggested aiming high for their college choices because college entrance exams are waived and students may be more likely to get into their ‘reach’ choices because of lots of other students choosing to stay closer to home or […]
Typing for Students with Dyslexia and/or Dysgraphia
Typing is one of those tasks that every dyslexic person should master, but some students have difficulty fitting it into their already busy stressed-filled days. Some parents sign up their middle or early high school students for courses over the summer, but as almost...
Dancing with Dyslexia
"Life is short, so go for things you enjoy..." - Dame Darcey Bussell Q: Do you have any helpful strategies for dance? There can be a number of extra challenges that come with dyslexia when learning dance. SUGGESTIONS FOR LEARNING STEPS Some of the issues have...
CLUES FOR UNRECOGNIZED DYSLEXIA (Middle School and High School)
Based on what we know about the incidence of dyslexia and the number of students that are formally identified, for every 1 person who is told of their dyslexia, there are 3 who are missed. Recent legislation is focused on the early years of education...K-2 especially....
How an SLP Helped a Dyslexic College Student Fulfill Her Foreign Language Requirement [Premium]
“Kay’s German language instructor referred her for a reading disabilities evaluation because of numerous difficulties that Kay experienced in spite of her high level of motivation to succeed…” – The Role of the SLP in Assisting College Students with Dyslexia in Fulfilling Foreign Language Requirements: A Case Study For many dyslexic students in higher education, unforeseen roadblocks like having to pass two semesters of a foreign language can cause costly delays in the awarding of their degrees. While some institutions grant waivers, others do not, and universities and colleges vary widely regarding their disability support. From the case report of what seems to be a gifted dyslexic student at the University of Florida, there are several helpful practices that I thought would be helpful to […]