Here we all are, walking around with our own versions of a reading brain. As a species, humans haven’t been reading for very long. Oh, only for about six-thousand years or so. According to evolution, that’s not nearly long enough for our brains to have developed one specific region dedicated to the act of reading. …
Educating Teachers About Dyslexia – A Paradigm Shift
Dyslexia education often fails to reach teachers in the general education system. Yet what we don’t know about dyslexia CAN hurt us. More precisely, what teachers don’t know about dyslexia hurts our students. When students with dyslexia and other learning differences pass from grade to grade without learning how to read, or to write, or …
Visual Tracking Activity for Kids: Track and Color the Popsicles
Okay, so maybe the popsicles in this visual tracking activity look more like ice cream bars than popsicles at first but hey, I’m sticking with popsicles. Once kids color all the popsicles in this summer themed grid maze the fruity flavors of lime green, blueberry blue, lemon yellow and raspberry red, all will be well. …
The Big List of Games for Helping Young Brains – By Cognitive Skill
Games are one of the best ways to help kids improve cognitive skills. When struggling learners decide that learning isn’t fun (not one little bit), games are a great way to sneak in some extra learning time. You don’t even have to mention that you’re developing underlying learning skills while you play! Have you …
The Science of Reading – Trendy Trap or Trusted Term
As far as trendy educational terms go, the “science of reading” sounds hopeful, promising, optimistic. It suggests a pendulum shift in classroom reading instruction, one that returns the focus toward data-driven, science-backed strategies that help children become strong readers. As we know, change is hard. Complete paradigm shifts, even harder. No surprise, then, …
The Comeback Kid of Effective Reading Instruction
Reading instruction doesn’t often grab headlines in mainstream media. More and more news outlets across the country, though, report on a growing shift in reading instruction in early education. That’s good news. Even better is the welcome return of phonemic awareness and phonics, key building blocks of good, effective reading instruction. Good for students AND …
Help Struggling Learners Improve Visual Memory – Free Video Training
By the time children learn the alphabet, most can remember what letters look like (visual memory). They also remember what letters sound like (auditory memory). For some kids, letter recognition doesn’t come so easily. As proactive parents and educators, we may need to help struggling learners improve visual memory, as well as auditory memory, deliberately …