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Parenting is full of challenges. Some of these challenges, such as homework, or supporting challenged readers, frequently turn into battles. For kids with reading difficulties, battles over homework and reading logs can be a particular problem. Parents often seek out my tutoring services because of the very unpleasant dynamic that has emerged when they try…
I love to talk about children’s books. The two children’s books I’m going to share with you in this post are written to teach children about the Science of Reading (SOR). We know children are so curious and always have lots of questions. What better way to explain how their brain is working when they’re…
In our last post, we talked about the role of executive function and ways that parents can support their students with these important skills. Looking for ideas to support your child’s executive function skills at home? Read 20+ Tips for Supporting Executive Function Skills at Home. Today, we will have a round-up of some wonderful…
Executive function refers to a set of brain-based cognitive processes that help us to plan, regulate our behavior, and achieve our goals. Depending on where you look, the number of executive function skills varies considerably. However, executive function skills are related to three main areas: working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. This includes skills such…
Dictation is an important part of each Orton-Gillingham lesson. It is when everything comes together. Dictation is the You Do portion of the gradual release of responsibility. When looking at this portion of the lesson, there are a few points where you can begin maximizing dictation. Here are 3 quick tips for maximizing the dictation portion…
When we talk about language or English Language Arts and dyslexia, we are most often referring to reading and writing. But truly, language encompasses more. When students learn a foreign language, reading, writing, speaking, and listening are the necessary skills. For young children developing their language skills, these are the same categories. In general, speaking…
I know so many educators who are looking for more support. They’ll often ask me for my opinion about what different memberships and PD opportunities might be best for them. The thing is, many of these teachers and tutors are at different places in their careers and looking for different things. There are a lot…
All who are trained in Orton-Gillingham have something in common and that is that we follow this specific set of principles of the approach. These principles are the interwoven thread and commonality between everyone trained in Orton-Gillingham. In a previous post, I covered What does Explicit, Systematic and Sequential Teaching Look Like? All of these…
Routines are an important part of Orton-Gillingham instruction for a number of reasons. Time is a precious commodity when working with students with dyslexia. Routines make lessons more efficient. Students know what to expect when there are well-established routines. This reduces stress and anxiety, but also requires less language when transitioning from one activity to…