Decoding Learning Differences with Kimberlynn Lavelle

IEP Accommodations: Evaluating a Real IEP

Video version available at:
decodinglearningdifferences.com/IEPAccommodations

This week’s podcast episode is long overdue!  This is an analysis of a real IEP accommodations page sent to me by a parent concerned about their child’s IEP and wanting some free feedback.

I love parents who care and who ask great questions to understand how to help their kiddo.

In this episode, I take a look at this IEP for the first time and give feedback on what I’m seeing and noticing and what I would write differently, if anything.

Did you know??
If you want free support on an IEP, email me (Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com) and tell me, “free help, please!” Attach any IEP documents you want me to look at.  I’ll take a look, remove any identifying information, and provide some feedback on a future podcast episode, sending you the episode before it’s published!

Or- Do you want more intensive help and guidance?  Someone to hold your hand and guide you through more than a year of IEP process and ongoing monitoring and support?  Email me (Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com) and say, “I want ALL the help!” and we’ll set up your 1:1 support.

Positive Mindset with Sherrika Myers

I was watching a sweet video the other day of a toddler trying to figure out a puzzle and looking frustrated but determined.  Finally, the child figured it out and their face lit up!  So sweet!

I love these kinds of stories of kids, adults, and even animals overcoming difficulties.  They can be such an inspiration!

And even better: when someone overcomes a difficulty and then turns around and helps others to overcome that same difficulty!

That’s this week’s guest on the podcast: Sherrika Myers!

You will hear her tell her story of difficulty, overcoming, and then creating ways to help others overcome that same difficulty AND other challenges!

Watch the video here: 
https://decodinglearningdifferences.com/SherrikaMyers/ 

 

Links to Sherrika Myers's resources:
https://www.every1voicematters.org/

https://www.lilherbieseries.org/

IEP Goals: Let's Fix One!

Hi, *|FNAME|*! Happy Monday!

When I first became a special education teacher, I had received NO instruction on how to write an IEP.  I asked another special education teacher how to write it and was told to mostly just copy what the previous year’s IEP said, just making the goals more advanced.

I was so clueless going into that first IEP meeting.

I cared DEEPLY about my students, and I wanted to do right by them.  

 

I wanted to provide every student with a really great education that would meet their needs and see them excel.

I felt that parents were an important part of the team, knowing more than I did about their student and best positioned to address and suggest certain parts of the IEP.

I did not feel well-positioned to make suggestions on the rest of it…

 

A few years later, after talking to more special education teachers, receiving a little training, and writing and holding over a hundred IEP meetings….

 

I was still inadequate.

 

I still cared.  I still wanted to do what was best.  And I still felt like there was a ton I didn’t know and needed to know in order to best serve my students.

 

Eventually, I got A LOT more training and feedback from experts on how to actually write effective IEP goals.

 

I had someone over my shoulder showing me what was right and what I needed to change to write effective goals.

 

I will forever be grateful to that person and the training I received which allowed me to finally be better at that aspect of my career.

And now that I’m not writing hundreds of IEP goals every year as a special education teacher, I want to help others know HOW to write and recognize good IEP goals

When the IEP team sends you a draft IEP goal, I want you to be able to look at it and determine for yourself if it is any good.

Check out the video for this week’s episode: “IEP Goals: Let's Fix One!​” by clicking here!

Leading Change with Caroline Digman

I so often hear from parents frustrated by the school system and specifically the school they are fighting with to get their child what they need.

What I also hear from on occasion is fellow educators who are passionate about changing the schools from the inside!

One such educator is Caroline Digman!  She is a dedicated teacher working hard to make real change in her school and in her school district.  She’s also spreading the word on what she’s doing locally to spread change in more districts!

I love what she’s doing so I asked her to be on the podcast to share about what she’s doing and how we can all get involved in our own ways!

 

Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Motivational Belief

Continuing with ideas for motivating our kids, we're discussing the motivational impact of genuine belief in your child.  Belief in who they are and what they are capable of.

Check out the video version, more free resources, and support at www.DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Motivational Responsibility

Continuing with ideas for motivating our kids, we're discussing the motivational impact of giving kids genuine responsibility.

See the video version and resources at: www.DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Motivational Gratitude

Continuing with ideas for motivating our kids, we're discussing the motivational impact of  genuine gratitude.

Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Decodable Fun with Sue Marasciulo

As a former special education teacher in the public schools, and as someone who still is paying attention to what kids are drawn to reading, I can tell you that anecdotally, graphic novels seem to be the most exciting type of book for kids to own!

They love the pictures and our dyslexic kiddos often thrive off of fewer words on the page.  However, many graphic novels contain words that are WAY too challenging for struggling readers.

Enter Sue Marasciulo.  

 

If you don’t know about her books, you’ll probably want to grab some, especially if your kiddo is in the early reader phase (or if it’s coming up)!

In this week’s episode, Sue shares about her background, her inspiration to create these books, and her hopes for them.

Check out Sue's books at: https://www.suemarasciulo.com/ 

 

Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Motivational Affirmations

Affirmations expressing all the awesome qualities of your kid can be very motivating for them!

Be sure to send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Motivation Killers (REPLAY)

This episode goes into three “Motivation Killers”: Punishments, Rewards, and Praise.  (Although praise is actually a type of reward).

 

Punishment

Now that corporal punishment (physical abuse/hitting) is very rare and illegal in most states, punishment is usually about taking something away from a child (called a negative punishment).  Punishments you may have seen in schools:

“You didn't do your work, you don't get to go out to recess.” 

“You didn't do well enough, you get an F.” 

“You get a zero.” 

“You have a missing notice that has to go home and get signed by your parents.” 

 

Now, that last one can also be a type of communication between parents and teachers and doesn’t need to be punitive.  It really depends on the teacher’s mindset.  Do they want to punish or just communicate?  Is the note given privately and with empathy or is the kid put on blast in front of the whole class?  Is the tone of voice kind or upset?

 

Similarly, at home we tend to not spank much anymore (there is a lot of evidence around the harm that spanking causes) but we will take things away (negative punishment):

“You didn’t do your homework, you don’t get to watch TV” (or ride your bike, or play on the tablet, etc)

 

All of these punishments send the message that you believe the child has willfully chosen to do the “wrong thing” or to not do well enough on an assignment, etc. All of these punishments create a power struggle between child and adult.  All of these punishments can cause kids to feel like they are bad or dumb.

 

Rewards

We can also flip some punishments to be rewards: “you don’t get to watch TV until you do your homework.”

 

Or we can use bribes, “If you read this page to me, you get an M&M!”

 

We’re letting kids know that doing the homework or reading is not worth doing unless they are being “paid” to do it.  “If you do A, I’ll give you B” let’s the child know that A is a bad thing and B is a good thing.  If they already like A, they quickly start to realize that they’re not supposed to.

 

If your kid loved eating broccoli, you could kill that love pretty quickly by telling them they only get ice cream if they eat their broccoli and then one day stop giving them ice cream.

 

Reading is a wonderful and pleasurable activity for people to engage in.  Writing, mathematics, athletic endeavors, and playing music are also.  If we start rewarding a child for engaging in any of these, we are sending the opposite message.  We are telling kids that they shouldn’t like these.  They should only like TV, tablets, candy, etc.

 

Because I never want my young children to lose their love of books and reading, I will never bribe or otherwise reward them for reading with me.  Reading is already intrinsically motivating and enjoyable.

 

Praise

Praise is a specific type of reward.  Saying, “good job” tells a child that they are being evaluated.  It lets the child know that there is a right and wrong way to do things and that they better be careful not to do the wrong thing.

 

This can kill creativity.  If a child comes up to you with their drawing and you say it’s a beautiful drawing, expect to see lots more just like it.  They’re less likely to risk drawing something different because you might not like it.  They’ll stick with the safe drawing.

 

If a child is working on writing, and you tell them, “great hook!” you are giving a specific praise, but you are still evaluating them and they’re likely to use the same type of hook in their next piece of writing. (A hook is the beginning of the writing that grabs a reader’s attention)

 

Keep in mind that many famous, award-winning authors were rejected by dozens of publishers before being picked up and then going on to become famous.  Those professionals didn’t think that book was good enough but now it’s being taught in classes on literature.  It doesn’t matter what those particular professionals thought of the book and it really doesn’t matter whether or not you like the hook.

 

It does matter whether or not your child is able to learn and grow from what they are doing.  It does matter how they feel about their writing.  So, ask them questions: 

“How do you feel about the hook?”

“What part do you feel you really nailed?”

“What are you going to work on improving next time?”

“Are you aware of the conventions around dialogue?  May I show you how we mark dialogue in a text?” OR “Do you know how most English writers show when characters are speaking to each other?  May I show you?”

 

You can guide and teach without your child feeling evaluated.

 

What to do instead

Motivation is tricky.  In Alfie Kohn’s book, Punished by Rewards, Kohn goes deep into why rewards are problematic.  And yet, he doesn’t offer much in the way of what to do instead.  And that’s because it’s rather complicated and there aren’t any easy and quick answers.

In Season 2, we discussed a lot of options and in Season 4, I've got some new ideas for you!