There was a recent article in the New York Times addressing the fact that a surprisingly high percentage of entrepreneurs in the United States have dyslexia. Is anyone surprised by this? If you truly understand dyslexia, you know that the ability to be a visionary is a common trait among people with dyslexia. I can think of a handful of books that are out there right now written by successful business people. Almost everyone begins with their tale of how horrible school was for them. So how exactly are we preparing our future leaders?
A report, compiled by Julie Logan, a professor of entrepreneurship at the Cass Business School in London, states that 70% of entrepreneurs who said they have dyslexia also reported that they did not succeed in school. Basically what this is saying is that these people succeeded despite their schooling.
I think it is time that we figure out how to foster the strengths of all children! In the US, many classrooms group students by reading ability. Where does our obsession with reading come from? Who came up with the idea that a good reader equals a good student? Why do we have all of these programs to teach the love of reading?
I do not love to read! There I said it. You will very rarely find me reading just for the fun of it. That being said, I read all the time! I read things that interest me. I read things that I can learn something from.
I wonder what would happen if we spent less time trying to convince children that they have to be great readers and more time teaching them to recognize what their individual talents are and how to use those talents. What if we taught children that they don’t have do be good at everything. It is ok to be average in some areas. What if we fostered those talents and taught the interpersonal skills needed to work with each one another to leverage those talents. Would we all rise to the top together?
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Great books for Children with Dyslexia
My son and I have been reading a new series of books. They are by Henry Winkler and the main character has dyslexia. His adventures center around how he deals with his weaknesses in school.
I was a little nervous to read these books to m son without reading them to myself first. My son as pretty high self esteem, and I was afraid this would introduce new fears. But, I went ahead and started the first book without previewing it first.
My son LOVES these books. We recently had character day at school. The kids dress up as their favorite book characters. My son went has Hank Zipzer (the main character in the book). When we finished the first book, I had not gotten the second one yet. So my son just wanted to start the first one over again.
I am so thankful to have these fun stories that not only discuss the difficult aspects, but also celebrate the common strengths such as building things, story telling, and the ability to see the whole picture.
I highly recommend these books!
I was a little nervous to read these books to m son without reading them to myself first. My son as pretty high self esteem, and I was afraid this would introduce new fears. But, I went ahead and started the first book without previewing it first.
My son LOVES these books. We recently had character day at school. The kids dress up as their favorite book characters. My son went has Hank Zipzer (the main character in the book). When we finished the first book, I had not gotten the second one yet. So my son just wanted to start the first one over again.
I am so thankful to have these fun stories that not only discuss the difficult aspects, but also celebrate the common strengths such as building things, story telling, and the ability to see the whole picture.
I highly recommend these books!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Poor Handwriting is a Symptom of Dyslexia
My family comes from a long line of people with poor handwriting. My family laughs about how we have all had poor handwriting for generations. We also have said with pride that we come from a long line of “math people”. So it was no surprise when my son at 5 years old figured out the concept of multiplication while asking questions in the car. However, he could not write a sentence using proper spacing. It would just be a long line of letters and the reader had to figure out were to separate them.
Fast forward to second grade and his handwriting is still terrible. But now we are moving on to cursive. Wait! What is this! The letters are sitting on the line and the short letters lightly touch the dotted line! The tall letters go all the way to the top line!! It is a master piece. I show this to my mom who says in shock, “he wrote that?” My answer was (after I double checked), “it has his name on it”
Of course now I am confused and need to do some research. I like to understand the reason behind things. I don’t want to only know that poor handwriting is a symptom of dyslexia, but I want to know why.
So I still have more research to do, but so far I have found that it has something to do with the continuousness of cursive. The less he has to pick up his pencil and then put it back down in the correct place the better. If anyone can explain it in a more professional way, I would love to hear it!!!
Three cheers for cursive!
Fast forward to second grade and his handwriting is still terrible. But now we are moving on to cursive. Wait! What is this! The letters are sitting on the line and the short letters lightly touch the dotted line! The tall letters go all the way to the top line!! It is a master piece. I show this to my mom who says in shock, “he wrote that?” My answer was (after I double checked), “it has his name on it”
Of course now I am confused and need to do some research. I like to understand the reason behind things. I don’t want to only know that poor handwriting is a symptom of dyslexia, but I want to know why.
So I still have more research to do, but so far I have found that it has something to do with the continuousness of cursive. The less he has to pick up his pencil and then put it back down in the correct place the better. If anyone can explain it in a more professional way, I would love to hear it!!!
Three cheers for cursive!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
More Proof
In case anyone wasn’t sure how happy I have been with the results of trying the Feingold diet, I have more proof.
Yesterday was the “Fall Feast” at my son’s school. The teacher had a cute activity for the kids to do. They each had a cooking that they would decorate as a turkey. Of course this involved candy corn, frosting, and a gel decorative frosting. Of course, this involved artificial colors and who knows what else.
I allowed my son to have it because, well let’s face it, I am a push over. By that afternoon and into this morning he was extremely grumpy and whiny. Now that over 24 hours have past, he is doing great again.
Before we started this diet, I would have never thought my son would be sensitive to artificial colors and flavors. Now I am absolutely convinced that we both are. The Feingold diet is not new. I wish I had known about it much earlier.
For those of us in the States, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I keep telling everyone that this diet really isn’t that difficult to do. As proof of that, we are having almost everything we had last year with very few adjustments.
The hardest thing for me has been becoming more aware of what we are eating. As long as you are paying attention, there are so many options and choices out there.
I challenge everyone to think about what their child eats in one day. Are there easy alternatives you could provide? I promise the answer is yes and I encourage everyone to give it a try.
Yesterday was the “Fall Feast” at my son’s school. The teacher had a cute activity for the kids to do. They each had a cooking that they would decorate as a turkey. Of course this involved candy corn, frosting, and a gel decorative frosting. Of course, this involved artificial colors and who knows what else.
I allowed my son to have it because, well let’s face it, I am a push over. By that afternoon and into this morning he was extremely grumpy and whiny. Now that over 24 hours have past, he is doing great again.
Before we started this diet, I would have never thought my son would be sensitive to artificial colors and flavors. Now I am absolutely convinced that we both are. The Feingold diet is not new. I wish I had known about it much earlier.
For those of us in the States, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I keep telling everyone that this diet really isn’t that difficult to do. As proof of that, we are having almost everything we had last year with very few adjustments.
The hardest thing for me has been becoming more aware of what we are eating. As long as you are paying attention, there are so many options and choices out there.
I challenge everyone to think about what their child eats in one day. Are there easy alternatives you could provide? I promise the answer is yes and I encourage everyone to give it a try.
Monday, November 19, 2007
From Skeptic to Believer
Ever since we began the Feingold diet, I have been watching my son’s dyslexia symptoms. I saw improvements and was very happy from the first day. But today I am a total believer.
Over the weekend we attended two hockey games. We have had season tickets for many years. I allowed my son to pick one “illegal” food per game. Over the weekend, we also had to study for a spelling retest. Boy did I pay for letting him have that food.
Once we got to about word number 6, he was done, he could not even focus on what word he was trying to spell. We practiced a few more times before I took him to my mom’s house for a sleep over. I went back to eat dinner with them and worked some more with him on his words. He was doing ok, but not great.
My mom had him practice his words the next morning. She said he did great! She said “You have to keep him on that diet. It is like a miracle. As soon as that stuff was out of his system, he did fine”
So it is official. Feingold has two new huge fans. Thank you!!
Over the weekend we attended two hockey games. We have had season tickets for many years. I allowed my son to pick one “illegal” food per game. Over the weekend, we also had to study for a spelling retest. Boy did I pay for letting him have that food.
Once we got to about word number 6, he was done, he could not even focus on what word he was trying to spell. We practiced a few more times before I took him to my mom’s house for a sleep over. I went back to eat dinner with them and worked some more with him on his words. He was doing ok, but not great.
My mom had him practice his words the next morning. She said he did great! She said “You have to keep him on that diet. It is like a miracle. As soon as that stuff was out of his system, he did fine”
So it is official. Feingold has two new huge fans. Thank you!!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Dyslexia Symptoms and Spelling
I have really been focusing a lot on our diet lately, so I though it was time that I get back to how we are dealing with our dyslexia symptoms.
We have seen a really big improvement in his spelling grades. I think our time at Lindamood Bell really helped him learn to hear each sound. We also have made a point to practice his words every night.
On Monday, I write the words on note cards. He reads then all first. Then we go through and spell them all. He doesn’t have to get the right and we only do each word once.
On Tuesday, we just spell the words. Each word that he gets correct (without help) goes into one pile and each word that he misses go in another.
On Wednesday, we only practice the words he missed the night before.
On Thursday we practice them all including doing the ones he has trouble with more than once. Friday is the test.
This has worked very well for us. One of the main things I had to learn was that he needs to spell them out loud. I spell by seeing if the word “looks right”. So last year I made him write the words to practice because I thought that would help him. I was WRONG. LOL
We all know that everyone learns in different ways. Finding the right learning style for your child is not always easy. I hope that share what works for us may help someone else.
Let us know what your strategy is by leaving a comment.
We have seen a really big improvement in his spelling grades. I think our time at Lindamood Bell really helped him learn to hear each sound. We also have made a point to practice his words every night.
On Monday, I write the words on note cards. He reads then all first. Then we go through and spell them all. He doesn’t have to get the right and we only do each word once.
On Tuesday, we just spell the words. Each word that he gets correct (without help) goes into one pile and each word that he misses go in another.
On Wednesday, we only practice the words he missed the night before.
On Thursday we practice them all including doing the ones he has trouble with more than once. Friday is the test.
This has worked very well for us. One of the main things I had to learn was that he needs to spell them out loud. I spell by seeing if the word “looks right”. So last year I made him write the words to practice because I thought that would help him. I was WRONG. LOL
We all know that everyone learns in different ways. Finding the right learning style for your child is not always easy. I hope that share what works for us may help someone else.
Let us know what your strategy is by leaving a comment.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Unexpected Benefits
I have spent a lot of time talking about the changes and improvements I have seen with my son and his dyslexia symptoms. However, I am leaving out a big piece of information.
I am also following the Feingold diet and I am seeing huge benefits.
Here is a little about my background. Now that I am aware of the symptoms of ADD, I can see them in myself for as far back as I can remember. I can’t keep a space clutter free to save my life. I was/am always losing things. I get hyper-focused on something and can’t pull away from it. There are too many more to list.
So I knew going into the Feingold Diet, it could benefit myself as well. What I didn’t expect was what has become the greatest benefit for me thus far.
For many years I have had a very hard time with my sleep schedule. I would get to bed around 11pm and not be able to fall asleep until 2am. Of course I would wake up tired. I was always tired. It didn’t matter if I slept all day and night, I would wake up dragging.
Well, since we started the Feingold Diet, I can sleep!!! I get in bed at 11pm and I am asleep by 11:30pm. This is huge for me!! I even wake up feeling rested. I can tell this is going to be something I stick with.
We have a lot of approved “junk” food right now because I don’t want my son to feel too deprived as we get used to what we can and can not have. So we have ice cream, cookies, chips, all of which I am eating too. With one eye opened, I got on the scale about a week into the diet. I had lost 4lbs. Wow! Not at all what I expected. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, this trend did not continue. LOL
Even if we mess up here and there, I truly believe for us, this is a new way of life. I have not found it difficult to do at all. I have found all of our food in my regular grocery store. I do have to learn to buy different brands, but that is no big deal. I do have to cook more which is not my favorite thing to do, but every recipe we have tried we have both loved.
If anyone is thinking about trying it, I would recommend giving the Feingold Diet a whirl. Even if it doesn’t do anything for you, it certainly will not hurt!
Let me know if you are or have tried it by leaving a comment. ;-)
I am also following the Feingold diet and I am seeing huge benefits.
Here is a little about my background. Now that I am aware of the symptoms of ADD, I can see them in myself for as far back as I can remember. I can’t keep a space clutter free to save my life. I was/am always losing things. I get hyper-focused on something and can’t pull away from it. There are too many more to list.
So I knew going into the Feingold Diet, it could benefit myself as well. What I didn’t expect was what has become the greatest benefit for me thus far.
For many years I have had a very hard time with my sleep schedule. I would get to bed around 11pm and not be able to fall asleep until 2am. Of course I would wake up tired. I was always tired. It didn’t matter if I slept all day and night, I would wake up dragging.
Well, since we started the Feingold Diet, I can sleep!!! I get in bed at 11pm and I am asleep by 11:30pm. This is huge for me!! I even wake up feeling rested. I can tell this is going to be something I stick with.
We have a lot of approved “junk” food right now because I don’t want my son to feel too deprived as we get used to what we can and can not have. So we have ice cream, cookies, chips, all of which I am eating too. With one eye opened, I got on the scale about a week into the diet. I had lost 4lbs. Wow! Not at all what I expected. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, this trend did not continue. LOL
Even if we mess up here and there, I truly believe for us, this is a new way of life. I have not found it difficult to do at all. I have found all of our food in my regular grocery store. I do have to learn to buy different brands, but that is no big deal. I do have to cook more which is not my favorite thing to do, but every recipe we have tried we have both loved.
If anyone is thinking about trying it, I would recommend giving the Feingold Diet a whirl. Even if it doesn’t do anything for you, it certainly will not hurt!
Let me know if you are or have tried it by leaving a comment. ;-)
Sunday, November 4, 2007
More Dyslexia Symptom Improvements
Although we are still having trouble staying strictly on the diet, the dyslexia symptoms seem to still be improving. Last week there was a notable attitude change in doing his homework. Instead of fighting over each paper and spelling practice, he just did what needed to be done. Such a needed break for me! It is very draining on me as well as my son when so much energy is used just getting started.
By the way, Halloween went very well. Not only did my son trade in his candy for money which we spent the next day on a toy, but my nephew (not on the diet) did the same. I think this will be a new tradition for us! I just wish I had started it years ago. I am looking forward to a more quiet week. Hopefully we can do better staying on track this week and we will see even more improvements with dyslexia symptoms.
By the way, Halloween went very well. Not only did my son trade in his candy for money which we spent the next day on a toy, but my nephew (not on the diet) did the same. I think this will be a new tradition for us! I just wish I had started it years ago. I am looking forward to a more quiet week. Hopefully we can do better staying on track this week and we will see even more improvements with dyslexia symptoms.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Are the Dyslexia Symptoms Improving?
First, I would like to start with some minor improvements I am seeing to the dyslexia symptoms. Of course with so many factors involved I am hesitant to say that the Feingold diet is solely responsible. However, I do feel like there is a direct connection. We are into week three and still no major melt downs. We have had some bumps in the road with behavior. These bumps always followed a food infraction. Hmmmm Most notably, when he has had “illegal” food (my son and I have a joke about calling it illegal) he has a very hard time getting to sleep. We had two straight nights him being awake until 10pm even though he was in bed by 8:30pm.
So now for the obvious, here in the states today is Halloween. Last night I broke the news to my son that we would be picking 10 pieces of candy to keep and trading the rest for money. He was NOT into it and started getting worked up. Because it was close to bed time (poor timing on my part) I said “ok, you may not have to, we will talk about in the morning”. So this morning was going very well. We often have struggles in the morning especially with this week and the late nights. Because he was well on track to be ready when his ride got to our house, I told him he could keep 3 extra pieces, but we would be trading the rest. However, he could choose what he wanted to trade for. This went great and we are all set for a great time trick or treating.
Now I know for many of you, you want to shout at your computer that I should not be using food (illegal or otherwise) as a reward. I totally agree and I am not perfect. We were having a great morning. He asked if he was ready on time he could have more candy. And I said yes before I even thought about it. Oh well, I am still a work in progress. I make plenty of mistakes, but my goal is to always learn from them and not repeat them.
Happy Halloween
So now for the obvious, here in the states today is Halloween. Last night I broke the news to my son that we would be picking 10 pieces of candy to keep and trading the rest for money. He was NOT into it and started getting worked up. Because it was close to bed time (poor timing on my part) I said “ok, you may not have to, we will talk about in the morning”. So this morning was going very well. We often have struggles in the morning especially with this week and the late nights. Because he was well on track to be ready when his ride got to our house, I told him he could keep 3 extra pieces, but we would be trading the rest. However, he could choose what he wanted to trade for. This went great and we are all set for a great time trick or treating.
Now I know for many of you, you want to shout at your computer that I should not be using food (illegal or otherwise) as a reward. I totally agree and I am not perfect. We were having a great morning. He asked if he was ready on time he could have more candy. And I said yes before I even thought about it. Oh well, I am still a work in progress. I make plenty of mistakes, but my goal is to always learn from them and not repeat them.
Happy Halloween
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
So Far, So Good
We made it through the weekend without too much trouble. The only time we really went astray was at dinner. I must say, we have only been doing the Feingold diet for a week and I can already see a difference. It is hard to know for sure if it is the diet or so many other possible factors, but we have not had a major melt down in several days.
I am sure it will be some time before I can tell a difference with his dyslexia symptoms. I am not too concerned about that at this point. We do many things to help with his dyslexia, but my true goal for the Feingold diet is to improve these rage type outbursts. Even if we are not perfect on the diet, it seems to be making a difference.
I am sure it will be some time before I can tell a difference with his dyslexia symptoms. I am not too concerned about that at this point. We do many things to help with his dyslexia, but my true goal for the Feingold diet is to improve these rage type outbursts. Even if we are not perfect on the diet, it seems to be making a difference.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Grades and Going
So we got our first report card of the year. All A's and B's. Whoo Hooo!! With hard work and a great teacher who understands and recognizes dyslexia symptoms, success is very possible!!
So now we are getting ready to face the first trip while being on the feingold diet. My family of 5 adults and 3 kids 7 years old and under all under one roof. We are only going to be gone Friday through Sunday. I have enough food for 3 weeks. LOL I have several kinds of approved snacks, 2 types of cereal, 2 types of sandwich meat. We are not going to go hungry. I also have a wonderful family who is very supportive of this new road we are taking. They have all called (while in the grocery store) to make sure that anything they bring is either acceptable, or not a temptation for my son.
We are going to do all we can to stay straight this weekend, but I am also not going to freak out about things. This trip is to celebrate my dad's birthday, so we will make the best choices we can, but will also go with the flow when our choices are limited.
If anyone is also a feingold family, I welcome any advise, tips, encouragement you have to offer in the comments.
Here's to a great weekend . . .
So now we are getting ready to face the first trip while being on the feingold diet. My family of 5 adults and 3 kids 7 years old and under all under one roof. We are only going to be gone Friday through Sunday. I have enough food for 3 weeks. LOL I have several kinds of approved snacks, 2 types of cereal, 2 types of sandwich meat. We are not going to go hungry. I also have a wonderful family who is very supportive of this new road we are taking. They have all called (while in the grocery store) to make sure that anything they bring is either acceptable, or not a temptation for my son.
We are going to do all we can to stay straight this weekend, but I am also not going to freak out about things. This trip is to celebrate my dad's birthday, so we will make the best choices we can, but will also go with the flow when our choices are limited.
If anyone is also a feingold family, I welcome any advise, tips, encouragement you have to offer in the comments.
Here's to a great weekend . . .
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Will It Help the Dyslexia Symptoms?
I am not sure if this is going to help his dyslexia symptoms, but I am optomistic and mostly looking for improvements in the self control area.
So far we have been on the Feingold diet for 2 full days. Things seem to be going well so far, although we have has some things that were not allowed. My son has been very good. He is taking his lunch and snack to school each day. Today was the first day that he wanted the "school snack". The good news is that this turned out to be my week to bring snacks for the class (which just means bringing 2 low sugar cereal boxes). I I got two types of approved cereal to give to the class. Hopefully that will help the "being different" aspect.
So far I have seen a small difference. We have not been on it long and not 100% perfect, but we are still going full steam ahead.
More to come...
So far we have been on the Feingold diet for 2 full days. Things seem to be going well so far, although we have has some things that were not allowed. My son has been very good. He is taking his lunch and snack to school each day. Today was the first day that he wanted the "school snack". The good news is that this turned out to be my week to bring snacks for the class (which just means bringing 2 low sugar cereal boxes). I I got two types of approved cereal to give to the class. Hopefully that will help the "being different" aspect.
So far I have seen a small difference. We have not been on it long and not 100% perfect, but we are still going full steam ahead.
More to come...
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Oh boy. What have I gotten myself into?
For a few years now, I have been watching my son for signs of AD/HD. At the beginning of first grade I asked his teacher if she was seeing signs of it and she said no. He behaves very well at school, rarely getting in any trouble at all. But at home is a whole different story! He has to be moving. He would walk around as he practiced his spelling words. He would wiggle so much while reading, he would literally end up hanging off of the couch upside down. When he was diagnosed with dyslexia, the psychiatrist indicated that she did not observe and impulsive behaviors. I asked his teacher this year and she first said she didn't see any signs of it.
So I have been going through the million question game. Is he trying so hard to make his teacher happy that he is using all of his energy to behave at school and just totally lets loose at home? Am I not providing enough discipline? Am I reading too much into his behavior (after all he is a boy)? Am I not giving him enough attention?
After consulting several people I had almost decided do a short trial (maybe a week) of ADHD medication, but this just was not sitting well with my mommy instincts. I don't hold any judgment about this type of medicine. I am a firm believing in using whatever you need. However, for some reason I just didn't feel like this is what was right for my son.
So I TiVo the talk shows that I like and watch them when I can. As I was getting caught up, I kept seeing Jenny McCarthy promoting her new book. She kept talking about putting her son on a special diet. My mommy instinct bells were going crazy! So I did some research and found great things being said about the Feingold Diet. Basically it is removing artificial flavors and colors, aspirin like chemicals, and salicylates.
So I ordered it and the information came in the mail yesterday! I am excited and nervous all at the same time. My son and I will be doing this together. I don't find the diet limiting in many ways, but I am not looking forward to loosing my caffeine!
Stay tuned and I will let you know how it goes for us.
So I have been going through the million question game. Is he trying so hard to make his teacher happy that he is using all of his energy to behave at school and just totally lets loose at home? Am I not providing enough discipline? Am I reading too much into his behavior (after all he is a boy)? Am I not giving him enough attention?
After consulting several people I had almost decided do a short trial (maybe a week) of ADHD medication, but this just was not sitting well with my mommy instincts. I don't hold any judgment about this type of medicine. I am a firm believing in using whatever you need. However, for some reason I just didn't feel like this is what was right for my son.
So I TiVo the talk shows that I like and watch them when I can. As I was getting caught up, I kept seeing Jenny McCarthy promoting her new book. She kept talking about putting her son on a special diet. My mommy instinct bells were going crazy! So I did some research and found great things being said about the Feingold Diet. Basically it is removing artificial flavors and colors, aspirin like chemicals, and salicylates.
So I ordered it and the information came in the mail yesterday! I am excited and nervous all at the same time. My son and I will be doing this together. I don't find the diet limiting in many ways, but I am not looking forward to loosing my caffeine!
Stay tuned and I will let you know how it goes for us.
Understanding Dyslexia Symptoms
When my son was diagnosed with dyslexia, the psychologist recommended a book to to help me better understand what we were dealing with. As we went over the diagnosis, she referred to this book several times. I knew it must have some good information. I went out and bought it the next day.
From that day forward, this has been the most helpful book I have ever read. I told everyone I came in contact about Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz. My son's teacher read it and said "Why have I not known about this book!"
Reading this book was like opening my son's brain and letting me in. I learned that so many of his daily characteristics were connected to his dyslexia. Things were finally making sense to me!! Most importantly to me, this book was written by a professional woman with the science of brain scans and research groups to back up her information.
I highly recommend that everyone reads this book, but especially if you or someone close to you may be dealing with dyslexia. It can be found on amazon here:
Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level
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Monday, September 10, 2007
New Homework Stategy
New Homework Strategy
Last week was only the 3rd week of school, but the homework wars had already begun. I knew I needed a new strategy. My son gets tired very quickly while doing his homework, so I decided to tweak a strategy I learned for myself.
So I grabbed a digital timer. Sat down with my son and talked about what we needed to get done that day. We had 4 items to complete. So I told him to pick which one he wanted to do first. I set the timer for 30 minutes. I told him that he had 30 minutes to complete that task and when the timer went off, we would start the next one. I also told him that if he finished before the 30 minutes was up, he could take a break and play the remainder of the time.
Yes, this took us 2 hours to complete 4 tasks. But there was no argument or refocusing during the tasks. Perhaps with older children, you could have them complete 2 tasks during one time period.
So far this has worked very well for us. Like most stategies, I am sure it will lose its effectiveness, but for now this is working! Maybe it will work for you also.Friday, June 22, 2007
The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives
Last school year was marked with some hard times for my son and
Today was "meet the teacher day." My son was filled with excitement and anxiety as we entered the school to discover who his second grade teacher would be.
This year is different from other years. Because my son was diagnosed in the middle of last school year, this is the first time we've gone to meet the teacher knowing that he was dyslexic. It doesn't really change much. However, I was thankful for the opportunity to discuss a few things with this teacher. Because my son attends a small private school, she had already spoken at great length with his first grade teacher. I have asked that he not be required to participate in a spelling bee. I asked if she would make an agreement with my son that he would not be called on to read out loud in class unless he raised his hand. She agreed and a pact was made between the two of them.
After today, I have great hope for this year. I feel optimistic that my son, his teacher, the school, and I will be able to work together to ensure my son's success. This will be a year of many "firsts". Today marks the first day for me and my role as an advocate for my son. Thus far I have only asked for two things and have not been met with any resistance whatsoever. I feel so blessed that he is in this caring environment. I look forward to this upcoming year.
Some much of the second half of first grade was spent just trying to get to this day. A lot of time, effort, money and hard work were put into just to make it to the second grade. In some ways I feel like today is the first day of the rest of our lives. I look forward to seeing what challenges and triumphs second grade will bring.
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