Summer Plans for Supporting Struggling Readers
Now that summer has arrived, we know parents are looking for activities and ideas to help promote and maintain reading skills for their children and help avoid the “summer slip.”
And when activities are enjoyed, more information is retained. Here are some suggestions for helping your struggling reader get excited about reading, writing and spelling this summer:
1. Read aloud to your child. If you read my posts with any regularity, my passion for reading aloud will come as no surprise to you. Some of the most powerful and influential time you can spend with your child is reading aloud with them, and the extra time in summer (for example, road trips) is the perfect times to captivate your child with the magic of reading. In a previous blog post, I have recommendations for getting the most out of reading aloud with your child. Read more here.
To find the right books to read aloud, I suggest reading Jim Trelease’s classic, The Read-Aloud Handbook. It exposes the benefits and importance of reading aloud to children, and the last part of the Read-Aloud Handbook is an anthology of books that are powerful for reading aloud.
2. Listen to Audiobooks – Use technology to your advantage! The ability to both hear and read text improves reading skills and comprehension, especially for struggling readers, and the proof is in the results. Research shows that audiobooks result in:
- 76% Improved Reading Comprehension
- 67% Increased Motivation
- 61% Improved Self-confidence
- 60% Improved Attitude Toward Reading
- 52% Improved Reading Accuracy
Leaning Ally is an incredible source for audiobooks. From textbooks to best-selling novels, Learning Ally offers 75,000 up-to-date audiobook titles. Browse their audiobooks here.
3. Find books that are a good match for your child. Here is a list of book recommendations by the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.
4. Develop your child’s curiosity about words. Team up with your child to investigate a word a week using the word inquiry method, a scientific approach to word study that cements connections between meaning and spelling patterns. To learn how see Pete Bower’s Lexercise Live Broadcast here and read an article from the Lexercise Forums here. You might get a special notebook (Summer 2013 Word Inquiries) and ask your child to design its cover art. (We’d love it if you’d send us photos of your child’s cover art and also some word sums!)
5. Lexercise Therapy – Our list of summer suggestions for supporting struggling readers would not be complete without suggesting Lexercise Therapy! With our online treatment program, your child gets affordable help from a specially trained Clinical Educator at a time and place that is convenient for you. In a previous Live Broadcast, Lexercise Clinical Educator, Scott Teirnan, Ph. D., [Scott Tiernan, MA.Ed.,] discussed how a little daily practice over the summer break can be used to improve writing skills. Watch it here. To read more about Lexercise Therapy, click here.
If your child struggles with reading, writing or spelling, the most important first step is a professional evaluation. No matter where you live, your child can be tested and treated individually, face-to-face, online, by the clinical educators at Lexercise. Learn more here, or contact me directly at AskSandie@Lexercise.com or 1-888-603-1788.
Lexercise Clinicians at work at Washington Montessori School
Last February, I posted about the Lexercise Points-4-Kids Donation Program that we launched at Washington Montessori School in Greensboro, North Carolina to provide Lexercise’s review and reinforcement games to economically disadvantaged struggling readers.
For a brief recap, Lexercise Points-4-Kids Donation Program allows children who are subscribed to Lexercise (through their clinician) to earn points as they play Lexercise games. Clinicians offer a variety of prizes and rewards in exchange for Lexercise points. Donating points to the Points-4-Kids Program has been a popular option. For every 400,000 points donated, Lexercise gives one three-month Lexercise game subscription to a qualified Washington Montessori School student working with Connie Williams, MA/CCC, a Lexercise Clinical Partner.
Since last February, we have seen wonderful things happening at Washington Montessori School. This spring there are twenty-three 2nd and 3rd graders using Lexercise games, with Melissa Beatson, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, providing direct instruction and game customization under Connie’s supervision.
We are overjoyed by the number of students Lexercise is helping at Washington Montessori and also that Melissa is getting supervised experience in the use of a structured language approach.
Last year, when Melissa expressed interest in learning more about intervention approaches for children with language-literacy disorders, we suggested that she start by taking Lexercise’s Online Professional Education Courses. On her own initiative, she took both Lexercise Courses. This spring, when she started her clinical externship with Connie at Washington Montessori School, she was ready to apply her knowledge of Orton-Gillingham (a.k.a. structured language) intervention under Connie’s supervision.
Congratulations to Melissa for mastering these knowledge and skills.
Lexercise offers two Online Professional Education Courses designed to prepare language intervention professionals to work with clients who are on the dyslexia spectrum. They are advanced courses, designed for those who already have at least a basic background in evaluation and management of children with language-literacy disorders. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Lexercise Clinical Partner, click here. We’d love to have you join us!
If you have questions about your child’s reading, writing or spelling skills, or if you would like more information about how to locate a Lexercise Clinician, I’m always happy to hear from you at AskSandie@Lexercise.com or 1-888-603-1788.
Lexercise for Homeschool Families
Are you a homeshool parent who has considered Lexercise? Here’s a testimonial from Kris Bales about how Lexercise is a perfect fit for homeschool families:
I’ve been a homeschooling mom for the last 11 years. I suspected that my son had dyslexia for at least five of those years, but I wasn’t quite sure where to turn for help with his reading struggles.
It was my daughter’s struggle learning to read that led us to try homeschooling in the first place at the end of her first grade year. The things that had worked for her, though, hadn’t worked for Josh.
I was excited to find out about Lexercise. I was very hopeful about getting a diagnosis and possibly beginning treatment…but I was also worried about how I would be treated by professionals who were probably not used to working with homeschoolers.
I was worried that they might be condescending or that Josh’s education would be judged and found lacking. I was worried that there would be an underlining attitude that I was doing my son a disservice and that he would be better off in the hands of professionals full-time.
Each of those fears was completely unfounded.
Josh’s full evaluation was done by Scott Tiernan. Scott was helpful, encouraging, and knowledgeable, but never condescending. I knew that he got Josh when Scott saw through the poor spelling and grammatical errors in Josh’s writing sample and recognized his creativity and sense of humor.
Scott may never know how much he eased my mind and gave hope with a simple observation about the humor in that little paragraph Josh wrote.
Josh wound up doing his actual online dyslexia treatment with Tori Whaley. I’ll never forget my first conversation with Tori. She told me that she was used to working very closely with her students’ classroom teachers.
She assured me that she considered me Josh’s classroom teacher – that I was the one who knew him best, including his strengths and weaknesses and how he learns. She told me that she would always work with me to make what she was doing with Josh in their weekly sessions meshed well with what I was doing with him at home. Tori kept that promise and always treated me like a colleague.
By the end of Josh’s treatments with Lexercise, I considered Tori a friend. We agreed that the experience had been beneficial for both of us – she’d not worked with many homeschooling families before us or with a child as old as Josh, but it was a gratifying, positive experience all the way around.
I know for many homeschooling families there can be a hesitancy about working with professionals outside the homeschooling community. I think that hesitancy is based on the same fear that I had – fear of being belittled or judged. I have never, ever felt that way with anyone I’ve worked with at Lexercise.
It turns out that the folks at Lexercise aren’t unused to working with homeschooling families. They recognize that homeschooling parents are in the unique position to give their struggling readers the one thing they need most – one-on-one instruction.
And, they want the same thing that homeschooling parents – or any parents – want…to help kids overcome their areas of struggle and reach their full potential.
If your child struggles with reading, writing or spelling, the most important first step is a professional evaluation. No matter where you live, your child can be tested and treated individually, face-to-face, online, by the clinical educators at Lexercise. Learn more here, or contact me directly at AskSandie@Lexercise.com or 1-888-603-1788.
Writing Competence: A Necessity for the 21st Century Workplace
I recently read a fascinating white paper by Steve Graham, Ed. D., titled “It All Starts Here: Fixing Our National Writing Crisis from the Foundation,” in which Dr. Graham outlines numerous compelling truths about why writing instruction is so critical and must be made a priority in children’s education.
Being a competent writer is no longer an option for our youth. If academic success isn’t enough of a reason (I’ll blog on that later!), it’s an absolute necessity for success in the 21st Century workplace.
Dr. Graham’s research shed light on some striking reasons why writing, now more than ever, is a necessity in the workplace.
- Many of the low- and medium-skilled jobs have been eliminated. Due to trends in technology innovation and outsourcing, low and medium skilled jobs (i.e., manufacturing jobs) that don’t require writing are becoming fewer and fewer. This means, unlike previous generations, students in school today will step right into a “knowledge-based” economy and work force.
- The jobs that are available now require, on average, a higher level of literacy than entry-level jobs did just ten or twenty years ago—and this trend is accelerating (Gordon, 2009; Business Roundtable, 2009).
- A survey of employers by the College Board for the National Commission on Writing in 2004 found that two thirds of salaried employees across all industries have some level of writing responsibility (National Commission on Writing, 2004).
- Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that 63% of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education by 2018 (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2010). This means that we must prepare a much large segment of our student population for college or advanced training.
- Over 90% of white-collar workers and 80% of blue-collar workers identified writing as an important skill for success on the job (National Commission on Writing, 2006).
In order for our students to succeed in higher education and have productive careers, Dr. Graham is right; we must guarantee that all students achieve grade-level proficiency in writing. And to do this, we have to start at the beginning, with the foundational skills in the early grades that prepare students for higher-level writing.
If your child struggles with reading, writing or spelling, the most important first step is a professional evaluation. No matter where you live, your child can be tested and treated individually, face-to-face, online, by the clinical educators at Lexercise. Learn more here, or contact me directly at AskSandie@Lexercise.com or 1-888-603-1788.
Summer Savings Specials!
To give you one more reason to be happy about summer, we’ve decided to offer some wonderful summer promotional deals for Lexercise Therapy and Lexercise Professional Education Courses.
LEXERCISE’S ONLINE THERAPY- $100 OFF
Starting in May, customers who complete a Full Evaluation by May 31, 2013 will enjoy $100 off the first month of Lexercise Therapy (generally priced at $395.) if the first month of therapy is before July 31. With this promotion, you will save 25% and pay $295.To learn more about Lexercise Therapy, click here.
LEXERCISE’S ONLINE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COURSES- $100 OFF
We are also offering a big promotion on our two Professional Education Courses. These Lexercise online courses are designed for professionals who would like to develop expertise in structured language methods. From now until the end of July, each Professional Education Courses will be discounted by $100. Each course is usually priced at $350. To learn more about our Professional Education Courses, please click here.
Psychologists, speech-language pathologists and clinical educators with training in a structured language (Orton-Gillingham) approach can become Lexercise Clinician Partners by passing a qualification test.
LEXERCISE ONLINE REVIEW & REINFORCEMENT GAMES- $100 OFF
Lexercise Clinician Partners can customize Lexercise review & reinforcement games for their clients and provide them with intensive, daily, structured practice. From now until the end of July, Clinician Partners can purchase game subscriptions for their clients at $100 off the $299 three month subscription price. Please use this promotion code during check-out: Summer13
If your child struggles with reading, writing or spelling, the most important first step is a professional evaluation. No matter where you live, your child can be tested and treated individually, face-to-face, online, by the clinical educators at Lexercise. Learn more here, or contact me directly at AskSandie@Lexercise.com or 1-888-603-1788.
One Year with Lexercise
In today’s post, Lexercise Clinical Educator Scott Tiernan interviews the mother of one of his clients about their year with Lexercise. Over to Scott….
Last week I finished working with one of my favorite clients, 10-year-old Anna. Anna completed 48 weeks of Lexercise, and as her mom said during our last session, Anna has now “graduated.” Anna earned over 300,000 Lexercise game points during the year (which she cashed in for chocolate bars!), but more importantly, she went from reading 3-letter words to reading at over 95% accuracy on 4th grade level passages. Multisensory, structured intervention, time and hard work go a long way.
After our final session I sent Anna’s mom, Becky, a few questions about her Lexercise experience. Without further ado, take it away, Becky.
ST: Anna recently finished her 48th week of Lexercise and has now, in your words, “graduated.” What motivated you to stick with Lexercise for a whole year?
BH: The motivation for sticking with Lexercise for a whole year came from seeing improvements in Anna’s reading and also her spelling.
ST: What changes have you seen in Anna academically over the course of the year? In what areas has she improved most?
BH: Anna went from only being able to sound our simple 3 letter words to tackling just about any word. Her attitude has changed tremendously. She used to dread school because it was so hard for her to read her school books and she began to feel bad about herself as a result. Now she has regained most of her confidence and likes to tackle most of her work without help.
ST: Tell us some of the things you liked about having Anna work online?
BH: I live an hour from the nearest learning center that could help with her reading difficulties. Being able to do Lexercise from home saved time and the flexibility was great. I was also appreciative of being able to chat with our clinician after each session for ideas of what to do at home to help with the process.
ST: Are there some areas of literacy you would like to see Lexercise focus more on?
BH: I would like to see Lexercise add a reading comprehension component.
Good news! We are delighted to announce that Lexercise therapy now includes access to an online Lexercise Book Room called Raz-Kids, with reading selections, an audiobook feature and reading fluency and comprehension checks. The Clinical Educator can assign books and passages for child based on skill level and interests. This kind of reading practice improves comprehension and motivation and reduces frustration and provides the Clinical Educator with a great way to track progress.
ST: Lexercise is a big commitment. What would you say to parents who are considering Lexercise?
BH: Lexercise felt more like a blessing than a commitment. My children’s education is very important and being able to have a resource that helped my child made the commitment easier.
And, one question for Anna ….
ST: What was your favorite thing about Lexercise?
AH: I liked the passage reading and reading all the different stories.
Congrats on graduating from Lexercise, Anna! Have a fun summer relaxing and reading.
—–
Thank you, Scott. We love to hear success stories!
Learn more about Scott Tiernan here.
If your child has difficulty reading, writing or spelling, Lexercise can help. Take a look at our Online Dyslexia Testing and Treatment page or contact me directly at AskSandie@Lexercise.com or 1-888-603-1788.
National Poetry Month: The Story of a Dyslexic Poet
Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April as a month-long celebration of poetry and its vital place in American culture.
In a previous post, I featured Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Philip Schultz and his memoir entitled My Dyslexia. So in this post, in appreciation of National Poetry Month, I want to showcase another famous dyslexic poet, William Butler Yeats.
W. B. Yeats is one of the most famous poets of all time, winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923, but few people know about his personal struggle with dyslexia.
Yeats was educated in London and Dublin. In his autobiography, he speaks frequently of the frustration and struggles he experienced in his early education. He wrote, “Several of my uncles and aunts had tried to teach me to read, and because they could not, and because I was much older than children who could read easily, had come to think, as I have learnt since, that I had not all my faculties.”
In another excerpt, he described his education: “I was unfitted for school work, and though I would often work well for weeks together, I had to give the whole evening to one lesson if I was to know it. My thoughts were a great excitement, but when I tried to do anything with them, it was like trying to pack a balloon in a shed in a high wind.”
From Yeats’ autobiography, we get the same sense of frustration felt by so many who struggle with dyslexia. Yeats pressed through the struggle with his “school work” to become not only a Nobel Prize winner, but one of the most famous poets of the 20th Century. Dyslexic writers and poets who have struggled with words and mastered them give us a glimpse of how persistence, passion and dedication can lead to mastery and even to literary brilliance.
If your child struggles with reading, writing or spelling, the most important first step is a professional evaluation. No matter where you live, your child can be tested and treated individually, face-to-face, online, by the clinical educators at Lexercise. Learn more here, or contact me directly at AskSandie@Lexercise.com or 1-888-603-1788.
