Ten General Principles of Instruction for Teachers to Help Kids with Learning Issues

Help kids experience success!

Phonemic awareness is the understanding that syllables and spoken words are made up of specific speech sounds. It is possible to “tease out”, isolate or “sound out” these sounds in order to help a child spell or read.

Help your child develop good reading skills

It is well know that phonemic awareness is a powerful predictor of success in learning to read. Furthermore, children who are able to sound out and isolate specific sounds in words are usually better at spelling.

When children struggle to hear or manipulate sounds in spoken words, they have trouble with decoding (the process of transforming information from one format into another; e.g. letter combinations to words while reading).

Unfortunately many people in the past were taught the whole language approach to reading. (Also known as “look-say” or “sight” reading.) In this approach children were taught to memorise whole words rather than sound them out. This has caused many issues with children learning to read.

Research has demonstrated that explicit training in phonemic awareness benefits all readers. Parents often do a great job at teaching their children the symbols (A, B, C, etc.) or even some whole words, but they often miss important steps in developing phonemic awareness.

What can you to improve phonemic awareness in your child?

You can teach your child to:

• Hear rhyme by singing rhyming songs, reading books that rhyme (Dr Seuss is wonderful!) and generate their own rhymes.
• Engage in alliterative language play by listening for, and generating, words that begin with the same initial sounds. E.g., “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
• Identify ending phonemes that are the same.
• Break words into syllables. E.g. clapping or tapping out syllables.
• Blend phonemes to make words. E.g. what word does “c” or “at” make?
• Segment words into phonemes.
• Make new words by substituting one phoneme for another.
• Track print when beginning to read.
• Sound out unknown or new words.

The more phonemic awareness we can develop in our children the better equipped they will be to learn reading, spelling and writing.

Reference:

Harwell, J, M. (2001). Complete learning disabilities handbook. John Wiley & Sons: San Francisco

Watch this video and see how these amazing dolphins have developed a new way to catch fish!

Dolphins learn new ways to thrive and survive and so can children with learning disabilities. Children can also adapt to their environment if they are given the right resources and skills.

Davis (1997), talks about dyslexia as a ‘gift’ -- a natural ability or talent. He lists several characteristics and abilities that most dyslexics or students with learning disabilities share:

• Using the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions
• Being highly aware of the environment
• Being more curious than average
• Thinking in pictures rather than words (a much faster process)
• Being able to think and perceive multi-dimensionally (using all the senses)
• Being able to experience thought as reality
• Vivid imagination

Through assessment, I often find that children who struggle with a particular cognitive function tend to excel in other areas.

This can be particularly frustrating for parents -- watching their child struggle to read, when they know they are talented in other areas.

Educational Assessment is the first step to understanding a child’s difficulties. Intervention and counselling should then follow.

Suffering from dyslexia, a developmental delay or a learning disability does not necessarily have to hold your child back.

Like the dolphins who adapted to their environment and invented a new way to round up fish, a young person can effectively learn to adapt, and even thrive, in the classroom.

Reference: Davis, R, D. (1997). The Gift of Dyslexia. Ability Workshop Press: New York

See larger image The Gift of Dyslexia: Why Some of the Smartest People Can't Read... and How They Can Learn (Paperback) By (author) Ronald D. Davis, Eldon M. Braun List Price: $15.95 USD New From: $7.12 In Stock Used from: $3.28 In Stock

All the kids go back to skool...

All the children go back to school and the parents cheer “hooray”!

Flash cards are a great way to summarise your notes, learn definitions and answer single sentence questions. They are good for true and false test questions.

Example of a definition flashcard:

Side 1: Dyslexia ( put the key term in the middle of the card).

Side 2:
1.    Impaired ability to learn to read.
2.    A learning disability in which a person finds it difficult to read and write.
You may like to include a picture of a person reading a book! (Having a picture to go with you definition helps you make visual links with the key word.)

Tips for making good flashcards:

• Use a reasonable size card and write legibly!
• Don’t try to cram too much information onto one card. (The general rule is no more than five key ideas).
• Always try to understand what the concept or definition before you write a flash card for it.
• Where possible use your own words, never just copy! (I know it is tempting to just copy!)
• If you are writing flash cards by hand, draw a picture of symbol that might help you recall the information more easily.
• Test yourself often and make a pile of the ones you might struggle with memorising and review these more often.
• Get a friend or family member to test you.
• Most of your time should be spend learning the flash cards, not creating them!

The Flashcard Machine

The flashcard machine is a free web application that enables users to create interactive web-based study flash cards and share them with others. It is easy to use and user-friendly.

There are several groups of flash cards up on this site with various VCE subjects already in the data base!

Website: flash card machine

Children get stuck from time to time and they need expert help to manage their emotions and deal with issues.

Children Need Help Too!

We see children every day that benefit from counselling. Children need a safe and secure environment where they can express themselves and get help with anything that they might be struggling with.

At School Psychology Services we specialise in working with children and young people.  We work with young people, because love it, and that is what we do best!  We are child and adolescent friendly psychologists!

Goals

Counsellors  have identified four levels of goals when working with young people .  These include fundamental goals, the parents’ goals, goals formulated by the counsellor and the child’s goals. (Geldard & Geldard, 1997).  All these goals are need to be taken into consideration when working with young people.

Fundamental goals address painful issues, allow the child to feel good about who they are and empower the young person to control emotions such as anxiety, depression or anger.

Fundamental goals enable the child to accept their limitations and strengths and help to change any negative behaviour.  Furthermore, these goals help the child adapt and thrive in their external environment and reach their full potential.

The psychologist working with the child addresses the fundamental goals, parents’ goals, formulates their own goals and works with the child’s goals. At times this may appear to be a bit of a juggling act, but with careful planning and negotiation, all needs and goals can be addressed.

We set goals with the parents and young people so everyone is clear about the direction each counselling session will take.

We focus and specialise in the following Child Psychology Issues:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Anger Management
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• Anxiety in Children and Teenagers
• Building Positive Relationships with peers and parents
• Bullying
• Conflict Resolution
• Career Counselling
• Depression in Children and Teenagers
• Divorce and separation
• Dyslexia
• Educational Assessment
• Friendship Issues
• Gifted and Talented Assessment
• Goal Setting
• Grief and loss
• Learning Disabilities
• Learning Issues
• Learning Styles
• Life Coaching
• Motivation for school
• Organisation Skills
• Parenting
• Problem Solving Strategies
• Psychological Testing
• Relaxation Techniques
• Self Development
• Self Esteem Building
• Stress Management
• Special Education
• Social Skills
• Study Skills
• Thinking Skills

The more quickly an issue is addressed the faster it will be resolved. Don’t wait until your child has a serious issue, contact us today!

Help your child be all they can be and live life to their fullest potential!

Establish Good Routines

It is important to establish positive working routines that include work, rest, exercise and play!

With study and work it is essential to be organised and on top of things. The saying, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”, may be helpful to keep in mind.  Having set hours to study and work are important and will certainly ensure long term success.

Tip: Use your diary or weekly planner to block out times for school, work and study and stick to them!

Rest and relaxation are also very important. How many hours of sleep do you need per night? The average person needs 8 hours, however children and teenagers need more. With increased stress levels sleep also needs to increase (however, often the opposite is true!).

Tip: Make a list of activities that help you relax. This may include things like, playing with your dog, drawing or listening to music. Try to do one activity per day.
Sleeping Tip: Aim for 8 hours + of sleep every night! Make a commitment to this in 2010!

Exercise needs to be a part of daily routine. Exercise needs to be fun and part of everyday. There is no use starting a strenuous gym program that you can’t possibly sustain over the long term.  Brisk walking, a jog around the block, a few laps at the local pool, or a roller blade with friends is a great way to enjoy exercise.

Tip: Write down all the activities you can do for exercise. Then write down one activity into your daily planner and stick to them. They need to become a habit.

Time to play and enjoy hobbies and interests are essential to enjoying life. Socialisation with friends and family is also part of life. TV is a good way to unwind and escape and so is reading a novel. In your weekly routine you need to include a few activities that help you “play”. This may also include playing a fun game!

Tip: Make a list of new and old play activities. For example, if you have never tried Yoga, you might like to buy yourself a DVD to try it, or sign up for a class. After you have written your list, try to do once play activity per day!
Tip: Schedule time to play in your week.

Good routines help us live life more fully. We are more in control and we are also able to deal with stressful events and people better. What can you do differently today that will make a difference to your weekly routine? Challenge yourself – you will be glad you did!

Learning to read can be hard work!

There are many types of learning disabilities and learning difficulties.

Learning disabilities should not be confused with an intellectual disability. An intellectual disability is a severe deficit in cognitive functioning. This is classified by an IQ score of less than 70. An IQ score of 100 is average (range 85 – 115).  People with intellectual disabilities will have difficulties with learning.

Learning disabilities generally fall into two major categories:

1. General Processing issues
2. Specific Learning Disabilities ( i.e. dyslexia)

If a person has general processing issues, they may also have a Learning Disability (or difficulty).

General Processing Issues

Some types of learning disabilities are defined by a cognitive processing problem.

• Auditory Processing – The ability to perceive and understand what is heard. With this disorder there is no issue with the ability to hear, however students often struggle in the classroom to follow instructions, or complete work efficiently with background noise.
• Processing Speed – The rate or speed at which the brain handles information. These people take longer to complete tasks, struggle to complete set work and spend long periods of time on homework tasks.
• Working Memory – The ability to retain and process information for short time periods. This is often referred to as short term memory. These people need to develop specific strategies to overcome these short falls in memory. They often have problems with remembering times tables.
• Long-Term Memory – The ability to both store and recall information for later use.
• Attention – The ability to remain on task in a sustained, selective, or divided way. These people may fall into the category of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)  or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
• Visual Processing – The ability to perceive, analyse and think in visual images, or manipulate visual information. This is a sensory disability related to processing images.
• Logic and Reasoning – The ability to reason, prioritise, and plan. These people often appear disorganised and struggle to meet deadlines.

Learning Disabilities

Dyslexia – is a neurologically disorder that is often genetic and interferes with the acquisition and processing of language.

Specific developmental dyslexia is a disorder manifested by difficulty learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and adequate socio-cultural opportunity.

Dyslexia may vary in its severity; it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language – including phonological processing – in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting and sometimes in mathematics.

Learning disabilities or dyslexia have traditionally been diagnosed with a cognitive or intelligence test and an achievement test. If a person scores within the average range for intelligence and two standard deviations below average on the achievement test, they may fit the criteria for dyslexia. The type of learning disability depends on the area of deficit.

Research based definitions into learning disabilities tend to have veered away from a discrepancy between intellect and achievement, and instead have focused on low achievement, with poor response to intervention.  Some researchers even believe that learning disabilities are due to poor education. This is primary due to the fact that those people with dyslexia can be taught language skills and have the potential achieve at a high level, they simply acquire language differently.

Types of Dyslexia

• Word Level Reading Recognition Disability (WLRD) or Phonological Dyslexia - a neurologically based condition which is characterised by difficulty understanding and applying the alphabetic principle. (The student has trouble reading written words fluently, out loud).

The alphabetic principle is the understanding that letters and combinations of letters are the symbols used to represent the speech sounds; and that there are systematic and predictable relationships between written letters, symbols, and spoken words.

• Reading Comprehension Disability or Dysphasia – A language disability where the student has difficulty with reading comprehension.  (Students can often read words fluently, but do not fully understand what has been read).
• Specific Learning Disability in Spelling – A disability associated with spelling words. A spelling disability may be diagnosed if they are significantly below what is to be expected for their cognitive ability.
• Dysgraphia – A writing disability where the student has difficulty with forming letters and legibility.
• Dyscalculia – A maths disability where the student struggles with maths problems and concepts.

Other Learning Disabilities

• Dyspraxia – A motor coordination disability (also known as Sensory Integration Disorder). Dyspraxia is a neurologically based developmental disability which is present from birth.
• Non-Verbal Learning Disorder – A visual-spatial disability related to body control. Usually characterised by a discrepancy between high scores on verbal and lower scores on performance scores (on an IQ test), with deficits also in motor, visual-spatial and social skills.

There are also other disorders classified under communication disorders, these include: Expressive language disorder, Mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, Phonological disorder, and Stuttering. Communication disorders are usually assessed and treated by a Speech Pathologist.  Educational Psychologists may refer to Speech Pathologists if they suspect a communication disorder.

If you suspect your child may have a processing issue or learning disability, it is recommended that you contact an Educational Psychologist and ask for a full Educational Assessment. This should involve a cognitive or IQ test (such as the WISC-IV) and an achievement test (such as the WIAT-II).

If you live in Melbourne, contact School Psychology Services to talk about assessment options.

Do Revision Questions First!

New research has shown that getting things wrong actually facilitates learning (Scientific American, 20^th October, 2009). Getting things wrong helps with memory and challenges the brain to learn.

Students want to get the best mark on their final exams, but they need to challenge themselves to achieve their best.

A lot of students make the mistake of writing volumes of study notes on each subject. This is a time consuming process and as the student is “copying” from another source, the amount of learning in this process is minimal.

I have been telling students this for years – but often the perfectionism in individuals or the need to get a full set of notes distracts from the actual learning of the new material. My advice is stop being so obsessed with notes and do practice questions.

The current research suggests that if we challenge ourselves to retrieve or generate answers we can actually improve our recall.

The simple example is to do VCE practice exams before you have completed all your coursework or your notes. I know from experience that those who get the highest marks in VCE have done the most practice questions, or written the most practice essays.

Students may even consider trying to do the revision questions at the end of the chapter before they begin to the study the chapter. Primary school teachers often give their students pre-tests on certain topics and this is a great way to help facilitate learning.

If students get the questions wrong in a self test before they actually study, the study process is going to be far more useful for recall.

So VCE students should do as many practice exams and test yourself as much as they can – even before they have fully learned or revised the material – their marks will show the results!

If you would like help with VCE study techniques and revision, you may wish to enrol in a VCE Study Coaching Program.

Reference:

Roediger, H. L & Finn, B. (2009).  Getting It Wrong: Surprising Tips on How to Learn. Scientific America.

Cupcake and a chat?

It is important to build a positive relationship with our children. Life is busy and we often run from one activity to the next. However, one of my clients recently started having a special time with their daughter – they called it “cup cake time!”  She took her to the local coffee shop and they enjoyed cup cakes together (and of course they talked!).

Cup cakes are popular at the moment with all ages – but the magic is in the one on one time. Sometimes it is hard to connect with young people (especially if they are teenagers), so below are a few conversation starters that may help.

• If your friends were cupcakes – what type of cakes would they be and why?
• If your friends were animals- what type of animals would they be and why?
• What is your favourite type of cupcake?
• How are the teachers going at your school – are the kids stressing them out?
• Talk about your child interests and activities.
• Talk about special times you have shared as a family.

The time spent one on one is important – not what you talk about! Young people need to know that adults care and are there to support them. If parents keep the lines of communication open with young people, they are more likely to come and talk when things get tough.