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Does My Child Need "Training in Phonological Awareness"
2007-09-10 17:03:00
A parent recently asked me the following question. My six year old son had educational testing. I was told that he has an "auditory processing disorder and weak phonological awareness." It was suggested that I start him on some pre-reading programs that are designed to address these problems. I was wondering if Phonics Plus Five would be appropriate for him and would it address these issues? The short answer is, Yes, Phonics Plus Five is ideal for helping children with these problems learn to read easily and effectively. There is also long answer for those who would like to understand what is meant by "auditory processing disorders and weak phonological awareness" and why these realms have come to play such a key role in reading education.
More About: Questions , Training , Awareness , Parents , Child

Danger to Children from Food and Drink Additives is Exposed
2007-09-07 00:28:00
The message you just read is, at the very least, disturbing. And coming, as it does, from a reliable newspaper, the Guardian in England, it's not one that can easily be dismissed. But knowledge is power. And the article offered lots of valuable information for parents on what is happening and what they--and you--might do. ·
More About: News , Children , Food , Drink , Food and Drink

You Can Make a Difference!
2007-09-01 20:37:00
These days, it?s common to hear people voicing a sense of hopelessness about their power to influence what is happening in our nation. At the same time, the complaints are somewhat ironic since so many of our fellow citizens do not use the power they do have. For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only sixty-four percent of the eligible population voted in the 2004 presidential election. You can see the importance of voting if you have been following the debate on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. NCLB was enacted in 2001 with overwhelming bipartisan support. It was designed to bring every student to proficiency by 2014. It did so by requiring states to administer standardized tests and by punishing schools where scores do not rise. It has led to an incredible number of problems.
More About: News , Make , Difference , Diff

Your Cell Phone! Have You Been Wondering About How Safe It Is?
2007-08-30 15:53:00
My work with children brings me into steady contact with parents who are savvy about health issues and keen to provide the best for their families. So I have become accustomed to a scenario that often follows their answering a call on their cell phones. As they start to put the device away, they stop and ask, "By the way, do you know anything about the safety of these things? I've heard a lot of stuff but I just don't know." If you are one of those parents, there is a new website that you will find to be an invaluable resource--for understanding not only cell phones but the many other electrical devices that pervade our lives. It is http://www.bioinitiative.org and it offers the BioInitiative Report. Don't be put off by the title which has a lot of heavy sounding multi-syllable words ( A Rationale for a Biologically-based Public Exposure Standard for Electromagnetic Fields). It has been designed to contain a section specifically aimed at the general public. Here is some of th...
More About: News , Phone , Cell Phone , Cell , Safe

"Disastrous Consequences of No Child Left Behind"
2007-08-27 18:02:00
Those were the frightening words used by Susan Goodkin and David Gold in their Washington Post article describing the way No Child Left Behind--the new educational law of the land--is leaving gifted children behind. They document the steady bleeding of the best and the brightest students from public schools as their parents place them in private schools. Their actions are easy to understand. The new law essentially forces teachers to focus their efforts on bringing the lowest students to minimum proficiency. Just by itself, the ensuing neglect of the brightest students represents a massive problem. But things are even worse.
More About: News , No Child Left Behind , Consequences

"The Menace Everyone Loves To Hate"
2007-08-24 02:58:00
From its inception, television has been the subject of steady criticism. Now researchers from the University of Washington have provided evidence that the damage that has been alleged to happen actually does. They found that popular baby videos such as Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby not only fail to create the hoped-for geniuses; they actually appear to hinder development. In the first two years of life, more hours of watching videos are associated with lower vocabulary scores. Predictably, the report has provoked strong reactions from the producers of these programs. The Walt Disney Company has called on the university to retract their news release on the grounds that it is "misleading, irresponsible and derogatory." Inevitably, these fights will continue. As Paddy Chayevsky, the playwright, said, ?It's the menace that everyone loves to hate but can't seem to live without.?
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Are We Cutting Down the Tall Poppies?
2007-08-21 16:59:00
Unless you're from Australia, the question in the title above is, at the very least, puzzling. But as you will see, like many metaphors, it succinctly captures an important idea. The saying is one I heard regularly when I was teaching "down under" and the locals were trying to get me to understand some of their social dynamics. Basically, they used it to highlight the egalitarian streak in that society where it is not simply that everyone is equal, but that everyone should be equal. This is an admirable goal, but it does have implications that are often overlooked.
More About: News , Tall , Poppies , Poppi , Cutting

Is Wrting A Burden? Maybe You Need a Friendly Dragon
2007-08-16 05:28:00
For many children, and for many adults as well, the physical act of writing is quite onerous. The difficulties can stem from a number of sources. Problems in sustaining the fine motor movements that writing requires and problems in accurate spelling are just a few of the possibilities. Regardless of the cause, you might find that you can take advantage of a friendly dragon who has been designed to assist you.
More About: Tips , Friendly , Dragon , Drago

Teaching Reading: When Is The Right Time To Start?
2007-08-13 23:09:00
When should my child start to learn to read? it's a question I get asked several times a week-and it's a question you can see raised regularly in parents' magazines, newspaper articles, and the like. At first glance, it seems simple and straightforward. So it should be one that can easily be answered. Its steady re-appearance, however, is a sign that the issue is more intricate than you might expect.
More About: Reading , Time , Teaching , Start , Teac

Our Everlasting Affair with the "Wild Things"
2007-08-09 01:32:00
For decades now, children have been captivated by Where the Wild Things Are. In this remarkable story Maurice Sendak relates a small boy?s dreams of conquering the ?wild things? and becoming their king. As is often the case, the fantasy conveys a major truth. In this case, it captures the extent to which cultures across the ages have had the same goal?with the exception that in the world of reality, the monsters in our minds have been replaced by the animals in our midst. Indeed, much of human civilization can be told in terms of the efforts to bring the powers of animals under our control. Animals--large and small--have known what it is to be the "objects of our desires."
More About: Everlasting , Affair

Reading Protects the Brain! It Really IS Good For You
2007-08-04 20:30:00
Parents frequently try to get their children to read by telling them ?how good? that activity is for them. Of course, children aren?t much influenced by the message. They see it primarily as a ?sell job? to get them to do something they do not want to do. But now a study of lead smelter workers provides evidence that what the parents have been saying actually has merit.
More About: News , Reading , Good , Brain , Really

Why Cindy Crawford uses Phonics Plus Five with her own kids
2007-08-02 23:24:00
Go to our site to watch Cindy's video testimonial. "There are so many great things about Phonics Plus Five ...it only takes 15-20 minutes a day, it's really easy to use, it builds on success, and your child really enjoys doing it." - Cindy Crawford
More About: Kids , Testimonials

Literacy and Underwear? Truth Can Be Stranger than Fiction
2007-08-01 01:34:00
It?s common knowledge that kids are not keen on learning history?a reaction due, in no small part, to the dreary manner in which it is often taught. More's the pity?because the past is replete with amazing stories that would tantalize children?if they only had a chance to hear them. If you would like to get your youngsters interested in the past, you may find that the telling of real tales goes a long way. For a start, you might share, with them, the following story.
More About: Truth , Fiction , Literacy , Underwear , Tera

What Can A Phone Pad Tell Us About Reading?
2007-07-26 18:22:00
When I lecture on reading skills, I often talk about "memory for visual sequences." Because this topic is almost never discussed, the initial response is usually "If they're so important, what haven't we heard about them before?" The question is legitimate since the role of visual skills in reading is almost never discussed.Yet, despite the neglect to which they have been subjected, they are critical to reading success. Further, until instruction catches up with this reality, vast numbers of children will continue to be condemned to a life of reading difficulties.
More About: Reading , Phone , Tell

Nice News for Parents of the ?Tom Sawyers? of the World
2007-07-25 18:24:00
When Mark Twain was writing his masterpieces, the term ?attention deficit disorder? (ADD) did not exist. Nevertheless, his Tom Sawyer creation was an ideal candidate for this category. And the difficulties he forced his Aunt Polly to deal with are much like those that today?s parents confront. Happily, parents can now breathe a well-earned sigh of relief. For years, the focus has been on the dire outcomes that loom in these kids? future. The typical report stressed how adolescence was likely to bring delinquency, drugs, alcohol and other woes. But the results of a recently completed three year study at Columbia University show that most children treated for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder improve greatly within a few years.
More About: News , World , The World , Parents , Nice

Learning: The Two Forms That Are Rarely Distinguished
2007-07-22 21:09:00
When their children enter first grade, legions of parents find themselves facing an unexpected, perplexing situation. Up till that point, all seemed well. Their children seemed so bright and alert--and they were. Then suddenly, when faced with the small squiggles on the printed page, the youngsters' confidence is drowned in a sea of confusion. Almost no parent expects this but with the reading failure rate nationwide consistently hovering at about 40%, this is what a million of more parents face each year. The parents' response entails not simply anxiety but also, and quite naturally, a search to determine what the cause might be.
More About: Achievement , Learning , Forms , Earning

Trying Out a Foreign Language?
2007-07-19 12:18:00
We hear a lot about globalization and the many changes it is bringing. One -- which has not achieved much attention -- is the need to learn other languages. If we are going to compete on a world-wide basis, our children are going to have to be fluent in a range of foreign languages. Now some of our English-speaking compatriots across the ocean are trying to do just that through a pioneering plan that has been started in the schools.
More About: Tips , Language , Foreign , Fore , Reign

The Pecking Order Among Siblings
2007-07-16 03:54:00
Social scientists have, for many years now, been telling us about the role birth order plays in making us who we are. In general, the first-born in families are the big achievers. So with that in mind, the New York Times recently ran a quiz listing the following high achieving (though not always charming) celebrities. For each, there was one of three choices?first born (F), middle (between first and last) (M) and last born (L). If you would like to take the test, here?s the list.
More About: Order , Siblings

Building Writing Skills: A Parent?s Suggestion
2007-07-12 12:53:00
Children often find writing to be far more difficult than reading. If that comment fits your situation, you may find it helpful to adapt the suggestion of a parent who recently wrote to me. She described the way she transitioned her son from reading to writing in the following way: "I pulled my youngest child out of public school two months ago and am undertaking one of the biggest challenges of my life. As I started reading your blog posting on Children Reading Before Speaking, I realized that reading is so much easier for him. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to apply a technique I heard you lecture about some years back.
More About: Building , Writing , Questions , Suggestion , Parents

Summer! Vacation time!
2007-07-09 12:50:00
Summer! Vacation time! For many American families that involves a trip to Disney World, Disneyland and/or the Disney Cruise Line. And chances are that one or more family member has a ?special need,? such as a child with ADD, a pregnant mom, grandparents with declining mobility, a child with food allergies, a teen-aged daughter "converted" to vegetarianism. To help with these and many other everyday needs, there is a new book that will prove useful. It is PassPorter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs: The Take-Along Travel Guide and Planner! by Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma. This guidebook offers 400 pages of information, photographs, maps, charts, and advice covering 24 special needs categories that will ease your trip from start to finish.
More About: Summer , Tips , Time

When You Rearrange the Letters
2007-07-06 12:30:00
A friend, knowing my love of words and my interest in visual sequencing, recently sent me an intriguing set of words. In each pair, the letters are identical -- but the sequence has been altered. The result is ingenious and entertaining -- a lovely combination. ELEVEN PLUS TWO TWELVE PLUS ONE DORMITORY DIRTY ROOM ASTRONOMER MOON STARER THE EYES THEY SEE
More About: Letters , Rear , Range

The Importance of "Aha"--A Great Cue from Your Chilld
2007-07-03 15:57:00
There is a new book in the long line of books aimed at explaining how great leaps or breakthroughs come about --whether they be the invention of the printing press, the development of radar, or the cracking of the DNA code. The title of this book, which is filled with wonderful tales, is Smart World: Breakthrough Creativity and the New Science of Ideas by Richard Ogle. The publisher, quite appropriately, is the Harvard Business School. While few of us will ever get to play a role in truly revolutionary ideas, all of us throughout our lives are fortunate to experience some components of the breakthrough experience. The term commonly used to characterize this experience is the "aha" moment. And children--who are in a much more active phase of learning than adults-generally experience it from more than we do. You can see it happening
More About: Tips , Great , Chill , Import

America Comes Up Short
2007-06-30 22:14:00
Many years ago, when I was a student in England, Europeans typically looked with envy at the America n students. They stood out in any crowd because they were so tall and slim. Now several decades later, all that has changed and changed dramatically. Two historians John Komlos and Benjamin Lauderdale have recently come out with a paper showing that while Americans were the "tallest in the world between colonial times and the middle of the 20th century,...we have now ?become shorter (and fatter) than Western and Northern Europeans. In fact, the U.S. population is currently at the bottom end of the height distribution in advanced industrial countries." Height is a significant barometer of the health of a population.
More About: News , Short

The "A, B, See's" of Reading for Children with Attention Deficit Disorder
2007-06-25 20:12:00
"It?s boring!" If children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) have a mantra, this is it. And were they to list the activities deserving of this mantra, reading would be at or near the top. In their eyes, it is the epitome of BORING. As a result, it is something they avoid and something they do very poorly. It matters little that it happens to be one of the most vital skills they can learn. Both for their welfare and for that of the nation, it is essential to bridge this chasm between what they need to do and what they are willing to do. But how? Many have sought the answer in the realm of motivation: The hope is that the children would willingly read were the material sufficiently appealing. It would be fantastic if this "Pied Piper approach" worked. Unfortunately, it doesn?t. (Given the outcome of that story, perhaps that is not all bad.) In any event, in an era of high tech, phenomenal, sophisticated, quick-paced, glitzy stimulation, reading cannot compete--when the choice i...
More About: Children , Reading , Achievement , Order , Attention

A Key to Reading Success: Fluency
2007-06-22 22:20:00
In teaching children to read, the main focus is decoding. That is, teaching them how to put sounds on letters, so that they can look at cluster of letters and identify the words they represent. While not receiving nearly the same level of attention, there is another critical skill children must master. That skill is fluency. That term refers to the fact that true reading requires not simply decoding, but decoding at a steady pace. If that is not happening, and a child steadily requires lots of time to figure out most of the words, the reading is basically ineffective. According the National Reading Panel (http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org), fluency is the ability to read text with speed, accuracy and proper expression. The key characteristics of fluency are the ability to ? recognize words automatically and accurately ? read aloud at a smooth, steady rate ? read with the right expression or ?feeling? If a child takes to reading like a duck to water, the issue of fluency...
More About: Success

"Just the Facts, Please"
2007-06-17 14:07:00
Years ago, a popular detective series on both radio and TV had a somber lead character by the name of Sargeant Friday. Central to Sargeant?s persona was the one-liner that he used in all his interrogations "All we want are the facts." In light of a recent report from the Civitas think-tank in England, students would be well-advised to adopt that line as their new mantra. The report states that in an effort to revamp ideas to "promote fashionable causes" politicians are eliminating facts and figures from history, geography and science.
More About: Facts , Tips , Lease , Ease

Want to Impress Your Child?
2007-06-16 18:39:00
Children love jokes. They love telling them and they love hearing them. And jokes are wonderful. With their twists on words, they not only provide fun, they also improve language skills. In case your child is not familiar with some of the ones below, you might try the following: What does a tree do when he is ready to go home? He leaves. What did one tooth say to the other tooth? The dentist is taking me out today!
More About: Child , Impress

Reading and Humor: A Nice Partnership
2007-06-14 16:06:00
Of the many benefits of reading, one is its power to expand the sphere of humor. For example, consider a one-liner like the following: Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest. With this sort of material, print--rather than speech--is the perfect medium. If you would like to SEE some more of this ilk, just read on. (And, if you would like to get serious about this material, you can see how much time it takes you to spot the key word in each sentence.)
More About: Humor , Reading , Nice , Humo , Ship

Reading: It?s Not Just Knowing How; It?s Also Knowing About
2007-06-11 16:56:00
For years now, E. D. Hirsch and his colleagues have been at the vanguard in trying to revamp the teaching of reading. They want to have it move beyond the almost exclusive focus on "sounding out" and incorporate what he terms "cultural literacy." By this, he is referring to the knowledge that members of a society share about the world--such as the American Revolution, the Ten Commandments, Thomas Edison and so on. Without this knowledge, it becomes impossible to understand the ideas being discussed on the printed page. In some ways, this view turns the usual focus of reading on its head. The common idea, expressed succinctly by none other than Dr. Seuss himself is that "The more that you read, the more things you will know." In other words, reading is correctly seen as critical to expanding one?s knowledge. But what Professor Hirsch has highlighted is the chicken-egg nature of the situation.
More About: Reading , Knowing

Can Reading Instruction Enter the 21st Century?
2007-06-09 23:05:00
Time magazine, a few months ago, had, as a lead story, How to Build a Student for the 21st Century . It started as follows: Rip Van Winkle awakens in the 21st century ...and is, of course, utterly bewildered by what he sees. Airports, hospitals, shopping malls?every place Rip goes just baffles him. But when he finally walks into a schoolroom, the old man knows exactly where he is. "This is a school," he declares. "We used to have these back in 1906. Only now the blackboards are green." The children in those classrooms who spot Rip might well envy him. He is only a century out of synch; by contrast, their life is dominated by a system of reading system that is even more out of date. It stems from the 19th century. The problem is not simply that the system is antiquated; it is extraordinarily ineffective. Government figures consistently show approximately 40 percent of bright, capable children have trouble in learning to read. Y...
More About: Reading , Instruction , Enter