Decoding Learning Differences with Kimberlynn Lavelle

Vocabulary and Learning Disabilities

When we understand why our children are struggling with reading comprehension, we can be far more effective in helping them to overcome their struggles.

 

Vocabulary as a skill is essentially about understanding the meaning of the words being read.  A strong vocabulary allows children to understand the meanings of higher level texts.

 

Some learning disabilities will hinder a child’s vocabulary development or retention, causing them to struggle to understand what they are reading.

 

When we help them overcome this difficulty, we help them to find more reading comprehension success and enjoyment.

 

So what can we do to support vocabulary development in those struggling?

 

First, just use a variety of vocabulary and when you notice a word that is confusing to your child, make a point of adding it to your vocabulary and helping to make neural connections by using it as frequently as you can.

 

The natural follow up to this is to then reinforce vocabulary as you are reading with your child.  Give reminders of words that have previously been practiced.

 

Next, make building your child’s vocabulary intentional.  Play games with vocabulary words, grab a word-a-day calendar, create a vocabulary log/journal where they can record the words they are learning and practice using them a few times.

 

What to avoid

The old dictionary copying is REALLY bad teaching practice!  The kids don’t really learn anything from this approach unless they are able to overcome the tedium to gain interest in the meanings of the words.

 

I would also recommend avoiding completing vocabulary worksheets.  These are similarly boring most of the time, and kids wind up “doing” the worksheet, not learning the vocabulary.

 

Additionally, keep in mind that almost no one can learn a word after having it explained once.  Some kid with memory challenges, will need A LOT of repetition before they actually remember the meaning of the word.  Don’t be too eager to constantly introduce new vocabulary, unless you are able to also constantly practice the previously “mastered” vocabulary words.

 

More TO DO

 

Develop your own vocabulary and use new words around your kids!  Modeling is a great teacher and the more a child hears a particular word in use, the more they will truly understand the word wherever they come across it.

 

Next, model curiosity around new words and their meanings.  Demonstrating that you don’t know every word can be encouraging for kids.

 

For some kids

For some kids, intervention with a speech and language specialist may be your best choice.  You may reach out to your local school district for an evaluation.  Medical insurance also covers speech and language services in some cases, so talk to your doctor/insurance about how to have your child evaluated.  If you’re up for paying out of pocket, you can research private practices in your area.

 

Takeaway:

A strong vocabulary leads to improved reading comprehension and should be fostered intentionally.

 

If you need some help in figuring out more specifics around the HOW to help educate your own child, or to provide your child some extra support, reach out to me (Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com) for more information, or to schedule a call.  You can also check out the Available Services page for more information on some options that may work well for you and your family.

Motivational Outings: Zoo

Motivation fascinates me and is something I’m constantly researching, contemplating, and re-educating myself about.  The funny thing is, what I’ve always known to be true, is what clearly is.  And yet, it’s not what society teaches us.  We’re taught to use “the carrot and the stick” when finding intrinsic motivation is far superior to any extrinsic motivator. 

 

This week, I want to offer some inspiration in one way to inspire and motivate your children academically.  And that is with the use of outings, specifically zoos.

 

A trip to the zoo can be incredibly motivating and educational without any extra effort or considerations.  However, it can also be tailored to be especially motivating to your child with just a little reflection and consideration before you go.

 

Discussions

Be sure to take time away from the frenzy of “Look at this! Look at that! Look over here! Look over there!” to have some deep discussions with your kid.  It will tend to make things go slower, and that might allow everyone to relax and enjoy themselves more.  Or, if you all just have to see everything, have the discussions between exhibits.

 

Some discussions might be:

• Why an animal is doing something (Why is the camel rolling in the mud?)
• How the habitat is designed
• How the zoo chose where to put animals
• What the animals need
• The purpose of zoos
• Ethical considerations around zoos

 

Writing

All that discussion can definitely be a jumping off point for some writing!  

 

Types of writing that may be generated during or after a zoo visit:

• Journal
• Log
• Letters
• Research paper
• Persuasive writing
• Creative writing

 

Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger Hunts might be linked to math or a writing or discussion topic, or might just be purely for fun.

 

Some examples of Scavenger hunts:

• How many "hoofed" animals
• Where are all the restrooms/ water fountains?
• Which animals have bodies of water?
• Specific animals/ items at the zoo

 

Math!

This is a huge topic and it varies widely by math ability and what your child is working on learning or practicing, as well as what your child is interested in and motivated toward.

 

Some ideas:

• Counting animals, exhibits, restrooms, etc.
• Adding and subtracting any of the above (“There are 5 gazelles over here and 7 over there, so altogether that is ____”; “There are 12 birds in this aviary, with 5 herons, so that must mean there are how many ducks?”)
• Fractions (the sign says there are 9 giraffes, but we only see 5, so we’ve found 5/9 of the giraffes!)
• Math projects (questions that take extra research and time to carefully calculate and figure out- possibly over lunch, or later at home):
  • how much does it cost to feed all of the animals?
  • how much space does each elephant need?

 

Takeaway:

More than anything, I’d like you to be inspired to stay open-minded when it comes to how an outing might be motivational for your child.  Allow the discussions to go deep and wander.  Do not force anything (it almost never pays off), but encourage!  Always remember to model these same skills/ motivations/ activities yourself!  

 

Let me know what inspires your kiddo and what you would add to this list!

Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Where I’m at: Educating My Littles

My kids are only 2 and 4 years old,  but what am I doing to guide their education right now?

 

First of all, books!  We read a lot of books!  Those books drive discussions and some other discussions drive us to refer to books.  We read a lot of books and we have a lot of discussions and those two things are a huge part of their education.

 

We go to the park almost daily, meeting kids and playing with old and new friends constantly.

 

I set up play dates with more and more people.  I decide where and when, and the kids decide what to do!

 

I involve my kids around the house.  There are things I expect them to do in terms of cleaning up and tidying up, but I also invite them to join me in the chores that I am doing.  I also involve them in grocery shopping, cooking, planning, and other aspects of daily life.

 

We go on outings to the zoo, the beach, museums, hikes, libraries, and farmers markets.

 

I’ve signed them up for a couple of classes and am looking to sign them up for more: swim, dance, martial arts, gymnastics, art, and music.

 

Do I use a curriculum?

No… But I have purchased quite a few!  I’ve got a lot of early literacy and early math materials and curriculum supports but we aren’t currently using almost any of it.  We’re just now starting to work on learning letters in a concentrated way, but all of the learning is still mostly from books.

 

Do I follow a particular educational philosophy?

We do some unschooling although it’s probably better described as relaxed homeschooling because I have a specific idea of what I want them to learn, but I go at their pace and follow their lead.

 

We also follow some wildschooling philosophies, with trying to constantly get outside.

 

I also adore the Montessori math materials and have purchased some of that and follow their general concepts on how to teach mathematics, although I am not as rigid in our set up or presentation.  

 

For learning letters, I’m playing with a Waldorf book: The Alphabet to inspire them to learn each letter.  I love the playful fantasy of Waldorf while also loving the real concreteness and practical application of Montessori.

 

As my kids start to show preferences over a particular style of acquiring information, our educational system will be further tailored.

 

And all of this is just what works for us!  You will find your own path and what works best for you! 

Safety Impacts Education

This week, I want to take some time to speak about safety and its impact on education.

 

If we think about the Hierarchy of Needs (I learned Maslow’s originally, but then found out that Indigenous people have taught very similar hierarchies long before Maslow), the concept is simple:  we have to have some basic needs met in order to have space in our lives to access the best of ourselves.

 

If our children are not fed, rested, and feeling safe, they can not learn.  Schools in California (and I’m sure not just California) now offer free breakfast and lunch to every child (no proof of poverty necessary).  Schools encourage parents to send children to bed early.  Schools provide mental health services at higher rates now than ever before.  Schools are trying to step in when parents can’t provide these things to their children.

 

And that is why I love and support public schools.  Public schools are desperately trying to save the world, one child at a time.  The public school system may very well be broken, behind the times, and far too bureaucratic, but it’s also never been better (imo).  It is also there to serve children, and offer them the best it can.

 

But this episode isn’t really about public schools, because this podcast is aimed at parents and how parents can support their child’s education.

 

To support your child’s education, you need to be sure that their needs are met.  So let’s cover the easiest stuff first, the stuff that is so obvious it shouldn’t need to be said, but since we are in it daily we might need that gentle reminder:

Make sure your kid is getting adequate sleep.

Make sure your kid is getting fed adequately.

Make sure your kid feels seen, loved, understood.

Make sure your kid is clean, and dressed comfortably.

A little less obvious: Make sure your kid’s sensory needs are met.  Are they sensitive to light or sound or certain textures?  Do they need pressure?  Do they need movement?  

 

Any of these things can distract your child from being able to focus on their education- whether they are homeschooled or schooled with others.

 

But because we are relational beings, the needs of others will impact your child as well.  A cranky first grader might ruin your child’s day because that kid didn’t get enough sleep and your child was standing too close to them at lunch.  A sullen 5th grader may bully your child daily because they feel so inadequate themselves, and because empathy was never instilled in them.

 

When we support public schools, we support our society.  Right now, public schools are under attack.  And everyone is being harmed by these attacks.

 

If you want to support your child’s education, you need to support your local public schools.  Ask what they need in regard to what you are able to offer: volunteer time, money, supply donations, organizational skills.  Stand up for them when others criticize unfairly.  Post support of teachers, who are trying their best to be the best for our country’s children. 

 

Again, schools have a lot that needs to be fixed.  Teachers are often not taught what they most need to learn to be a truly good teacher.  There is still a disgusting obsession with behaviorism in schools.  I have many complaints, but the people are loving and deserve support.  The concept of free education should be expanded, not attacked.

 

Beyond supporting public schools, support your community.  Maybe you can let the schools know that if someone seems to have trouble with drop-offs and pick-ups, that they can reach out to you and you’ll help.  Maybe you can volunteer in whatever area is a good fit for you: animal shelter, food pantry, hospital, library, etc.

 

Now, I would also encourage you to advocate for your kid and others: teenagers have different rhythms than young kids.  They are biologically wired (and technology makes this way worse) to stay up later and sleep in later.  They need their schools to start later.  Go to your school board and fight for later start times.  Early start times are impacting their education.

 

Representation matters.  What our children are taught matters.  Be vocal in your support of all children feeling seen and validated.  Kids from families that are black, brown, gay, transgender, muslim, atheist, and everything else all need to know they are not the only ones.  And the other kids need to know that too! 

 

Representation improves the emotional and social well being of all children.

 

And of course- we need to stop the mass shootings that make all of us fearful.  Vote, call, write, and make your voice heard.

Writing: Generating Ideas

 “I don’t know what to write!”

 

Sound familiar?

 

If so, I’ve got you!

 

Some kids can stare at a blank page and have no clue how to begin to write something. 

 

Conversations

Before beginning to write, kids benefit from discussing what they might write about.  They need to toss around some ideas with someone.  I can’t remember who said it, but I’ve been told, “If you can speak, you can write!”

 

Research/Inspiration

Depending on what they are writing, kids will need to do some research, or at least will benefit from gaining some inspiration.  Research and inspiration can come from books, movies, and “field trips” to museums, gardens, trails, beaches, etc!

 

Brainstorming

Before deciding on a topic, brainstorming can help get the ideas flowing.  I find that a lot of the students I work with benefit from me being their scribe, writing down all of their ideas for them, so they can just focus on thinking!

 

An alternative is to have them use Voice Typing to get their initial ideas out. This can help the be more independent in the brainstorming step.  However, they’ll need some training in how to take this “brain dump” and pull out the pieces they need from it.

 

Adding Details

After a brainstorm, your child should have a general idea of what they want to write about.  Using a graphic organizer such as the Flow Map or Tree Map by Thinking Maps can help kids organize their thoughts with relevant details.

 

Similarly, you might train your child to use index cards, bullet points, or another type of outline.  

 

During all of these steps, your child might benefit from you being their scribe, so that they can focus on the thinking part.  (No, this isn’t cheating, you’re just accommodating your child.  Just remember all the rich bosses who used to dictate everything to secretaries who did all the actual writing for them!  And now voice typing is so common, that your child will always have access to a scribe!)

 

What do you do to support your kiddo in generating ideas for writing?

Motivational Writing

“How do I get my kid to write?!”

 

I’ve heard this same question countless times.  And with this year’s focus on motivation, I wanted to answer it!

 

There are so many strategies that can be helpful, but all require that you let go of any particular expectation of what the writing might look like.

 

Modeling

One of the most motivating ways to get your child interested in writing is to not pressure them into it, but to model it to them.  As you read the below ideas, consider first trying these yourself before even mentioning it to your child.  Let your child ask YOU what you are doing and see if they ask to join you!

 

Journals/Logs

Many kids enjoy keeping some kind of log or journal.  This might be a nature journal that they take with them any time they are out in nature, or that they use to record what they saw after they’ve come back home.  

 

The journal might be a travel journal, especially if your family is one that does a lot of travel.  They might write about their adventures, what they saw, what they learned, what they ate, etc.

 

The journal might be a food journal.  Maybe they record everything they eat or maybe they just record their favorite foods or the foods they eat when you all go out to eat or try a new recipe.

 

The journal might be about animals.  Maybe wild animals that they see.  Maybe they like to go bird–watching.  Mabe the journal is about their pets, or about an insect they “adopted”.  Maybe they journal to record the changes in a caterpillar that they have inside or outside.

 

The journal might be about plants- either ones they have found or ones that they are purposefully growing.  They might record the trees in the neighborhood and how they change throughout the year, or what they are doing to care for the plants in the garden (and how well it is working).

 

The journal might be a gratitude journal, listing each day or each week all the things they are grateful for.  Or a prayer journal.  Or a pride journal, listing all the things that they are proud of themselves for each day.

 

Letters

You might help your child find a pen pal.  Or they might write to family or friends, including a friend they met on a trip. 

 

They might write letters of thanks for gifts they were given after a birthday or holiday.  

 

Or they might write letters as part of some activism.  They might write letters to politicians, or to the newspaper, or to others calling them to take action on something they are passionate about.

 

Creative

Some kids love to get creative in their writing, once the idea is suggested or demonstrated.  They can write make-believe letters or journals.  They might create short stories or full novels.  They might write a play (that perhaps will get acted out!).

 

Research Projects

Some kids are passionate about a particular subject and eager to learn more about the topic.  This can lead them to write about all that they have learned, synthesizing their ideas.

 

Strewing

Sometimes just laying out a pencil and paper (or notebook/journal) can entice a child to start writing!  Maybe it’s stationary or a fancy pen.

 

Tools

Some kids have fine motor difficulty or difficulty with spelling and it can cause a greater resistance to writing because of the multiple skills that are required to be successful in their endeavor.  Using Voice Typing (Google docs has it for free under “tools”) can allow them to turn their thoughts into writing more easily.  (See my video on how to use this here)

 

Takeaway

Go back and look through the extensive list here and then choose what YOU will try!  Remember that if you aren’t doing it, your child is less likely to adopt writing into their daily activities.

 

Writer’s Block Wesley: A Case Study

Background

Wesley was brilliant in so many ways.  He could read and comprehend grade-level texts.  He understood math.  And he was reluctant to write ANYTHING!

 

He would sit for an hour staring at a blank page.  If anyone asked if he needed help, he’d say no, “I’m thinking.”

 

Spelling was difficult for him and he had fine motor difficulty as well.  I know this was PART of his writing reluctance.  It wasn’t the whole story though.

 

Wesley just couldn’t figure out how to put his thoughts into words.  I suspect he thought in pictures and emotions more than in words.

 

What worked?

It took a variety of strategies to help Wesley.

 

To start with, we’d supply sentence starters when he was stuck.  As he got better at it, we would question him so that he could be the one that was creating the sentence starter when answering a question.

 

I would also offer idea choices.  These are those suggestions that most of us are already doing.  I tried to do it based on conversations we’ve already had.

 

Having conversations with Wesley was very helpful.  We’d talk about the question he was trying to answer, the essay he was trying to write, or anything related that might provide information or background knowledge.  I would ask questions to get more information on the topic, and also just to try to get the ideas flowing!

 

I would usually scribe for Wesley, writing down for him what he was saying.  This was because he had difficulty with spelling and with fine motor tasks such as forming letters.  

 

These difficulties made the task of writing significantly MORE difficult by requiring concentration and use of additional skills that he hadn’t yet mastered- splitting his attention and making it harder to focus on the already difficult task of thinking about what to write!

 

Besides my scribing, Wesley also had access to Voice Typing whenever he wanted to use it, but this was rarely sufficient.  He needed help in getting his thoughts on what to write.

 

There were times, however, when all of these supports just weren’t what Wesley needed.  Sometimes, he did just need time to sit and think or for the writing assignment to be put aside for a while.  

 

Do you have a kiddo who struggles to come up with what to write?  What works for your child?  Please share!

Reading Comprehension and Disabilities

Reading Comprehension is often impacted by learning disabilities.  

 

Some learning disabilities impact a child’s ability to comprehend anything, such as with a language processing disorder.  

 

Some learning disabilities impact a child’s ability to just read the words, which then brings down their reading comprehension score.  If you can’t read a text, you’re not going to be able to comprehend it without it being read aloud to you.

 

And that’s how you can tell the difference, most of the time.  Typically, if a child can understand what they listen to (a story or directions, etc), they will be able to understand it when they read it to themselves (with sufficient accuracy and fluency).  

 

However, if a child can’t understand what is read aloud, then they are less likely to understand what they are reading, regardless of how well they can read.

 

Essentially, if a child has a strong reading ability, their reading comprehension and listening comprehension should be equal.

 

We also have to discuss the levels of comprehension.

 

Some kids are able to recite back the basic facts of a story, and this is considered the base level of comprehension.  “Just the facts!”

 

Kids then need to be able to answer inferential and analytical questions, making sense of what they are reading in a deeper way.  They know not just that the character wore a red jacket, but that they must have worn a red jacket because it was cold, further validated by the description of gray clouds in the sky.

 

They also need to be able to make predictions about what may happen next, using logic, background knowledge, and an understanding of what has happened thus far.

 

Further, kids need to be able to evaluate what they are reading.  Does it make sense or are their plot holes?  Does it do an adequate job of describing people, places, events, etc?  How well can the reader relate to the story?  Who was the likely intended audience?  What was the author’s purpose?  And on and on.

 

So how do we boost reading comprehension?

There are many ideas in the Octopus’s Guide to Reading Comprehension, so download that guide, if you haven’t already! (And if you have, refer back to it!)

 

Beyond that, we can also simply make deep discussions a regular part of our day.  We can discuss books that we read aloud to our children, or that they read aloud to us.  We can discuss audiobooks that we listen to together.  And we can also discuss shows and movies in much the same way, asking the same sorts of questions and validating our children’s thoughts and ideas.

 

How is your child doing with comprehension?  What have you noticed?

 

Email me! Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Motivational Reading

Wanting to motivate your child to read?

 

So many of us parents are avid readers and want to instill a love of reading into our children.  However, it’s not something that can be achieved through force.  In fact, any coercion is likely to have the opposite effect!

 

However, we can inspire our children to want to read.  But to do so, we may have to think outside of the box.

 

First, we have to meet our kids where they’re at.  We have to take into consideration any learning disabilities/ challenges that they have.  If they have a short attention span, we can’t expect them to sit down to read a novel.  If they struggle to decode words or to read fluently, we can’t expect them to read for long without wearing out mentally.

 

We also have to take into consideration their interests.  Allowing them to read books of their choice is paramount, but we may also need to consider other reading activities beyond books.   

 

For example, putting captions on a TV show or movie can help reinforce reading.  Allowing kids to play video games can be a very motivating way for many kids to read.  I’ve heard many times that it was wanting to be able to read a video game that led a child to learn to read, or to become better at reading. (To be clear- the reading is part of the video game, not a requirement to be allowed to play the video game.)

 

A child may be capable of reading at an 8th grade level, but still gravitate toward the picture books.  Let them.  Many picture books are actually written at a high level, and the pictures may be supporting their comprehension or the short stories may be supporting their attention span and mental effort.  There is no harm in kids who are “capable” of reading high level books choosing to read simple books or picture books, as long as they are wanting to read!

 

Similarly, many kids enjoy graphic novels.  Some parents worry that it is too little reading, but the same principles as with picture books would apply here.

 

Similar to graphic novels is visual novels, a type of video game that is telling a story.  Again, there is a lot of reading involved in this, and it can be very engaging for kids.

 

As you can probably guess, I have no problem with kids reading books that are above or below their “ability” level, if it is what they are wanting to read.  When kids are interested, they’re engaging in learning.  Even if the words are easy, they’ll get something out of it, or they wouldn’t bother reading it.

 

A final tip- model a love of reading to your kids.  Read books yourself, where they can see you.  Talk to them about books you are reading and enjoying, and books that you read and enjoyed when you were younger, closer to their age or ability level.

 

What’s working for you?

Uncomprehending Clarissa

Clarissa started speaking at the expected time, she was very social, she had no articulation errors (her speech sounds were correct), and she could read books that were close to her grade-level.  However, she could not understand what she read.  The level that she could comprehend was far below the level at which she could read.  And she could not understand any directions that were more than a single, simple step.

 

So what did we do for dear Clarissa?

 

We started with an additional assessment by a speech and language pathologist (SLP), who determined that Clarissa has a language processing disorder and recommended speech and language services.

 

With these services added, I was able to collaborate with the SLP to reinforce what was being worked on there.  My main focus was working on building up Clarissa’s reading comprehension. 

 

I had Clarissa read texts in small chunks, just one or two sentences at a time.  These texts were well below her reading ability level, and she read them multiple times.

 

Then we focused on visualization of these 1-2 simple sentences.  I would have her describe what the sentences she had just read LOOKED like.  At times, I would have her draw something she had just read about (she enjoyed art).  She also would act out some of what she read.

 

We bolstered her vocabulary knowledge explicitly and had her act or draw out the vocabulary within the context of what she was reading. 

 

We helped build connections between what she was reading and any other background knowledge she might need to better understand it.

 

And we focused on her interests- providing books that she wanted to read, and texts about subjects that she was interested in.

 

With time and a lot of patient practice, Clarissa began to more quickly comprehend what she was reading, and was able to comprehend most of what she was reading.  She still had more to practice, but she was on the way!