Seven Steps to School SuccessWritten by Lisa Harp
Ok, so your kid's not doing well in school - maybe bringing home C'S, and some D's and F's. Yet, you know he's a bright kid! His vocabulary is astounding and when you talk about universe - stars, galaxie, comets, and general relationship between man and his world, his understanding is remarkable. All along you thought this kid was gifted. Yet, you can't read his writing. Capitals, periods? Unheard of. The content of his written work is phenomenal if you can muddle through it. Math? A struggle at best. Reading? A nightmare to listen to out loud, yet he seems to understand what he's reading. Of course, he hates to read. I know this child, because I had one. (He's now an honor roll student). I also work with similar children daily in my private practice. I know they are bright. I know they are creative. Yet schools don't seem to recognize brilliance within these children. So, what should a parent do? 1. Don't allow your child to be labeled. LD, ADD, dyslexia - these all give him an excuse not to live up to his full potential. The labels allow him to feel different, not as good as other kids, and believe me, he does not feel "special" when he goes to special education. Also, most schools just water down curriculum, lower expectations, don't actually treat problem at hand, just symptoms, and collect their money for a special education student. The actual processing issues at hand are not addressed. 2. Work on process, not symptoms. Schools and most learning centers treat and mask symptoms. They don't actually deal with processing issues at hand. There are numerous programs, activities, and exercises available to correct learning problems. The most common learning issues I deal with are eye muscle issues where muscles of eye turn in and a weakness in visual memory, which is where student is unable to keep a picture in his mind for very long. This usually explains why reading, spelling, and memorizing math facts are so difficult for this bright child. These are correctable learning issues. 3. Understand that some days school work is truly too difficult and that on other days it is easily accomplished. Just because he understood it yesterday doesn't mean he will remember it today, especially if his visual memory skills are weak. One exercise that helps a lot is to give student a paper and pencil. Draw a combination of about four figures, letters, shapes, or numbers, such as D#9>. Show it to student for about 5 to 10 seconds and then take it away. Now have student write combination on his piece of paper. Check to see if he copied shapes correctly and discuss. I give points for correct anwers and make a game of this.
| | ImaginationWritten by Debbie Long
Have you ever sat and watch a child struggle with a blank page? Have you ever wondered why some children just seem to detest anything to do with writing? Have you seem them just give up in frustration and walk away angry and distraught? Well you are not alone. Every one possesses capability to write stories, plays, poems or journal writings. There is something that belongs to you and nobody else – something that you can always keep a secret. There is something so special that it is priceless, and yet it costs you nothing. This is something that can never be taken away from you, but is yours to share with as many people as you choose. This is something you can keep for a lifetime and use anytime. Do you know what it is? Do you give up? This is your imagination. Poets and artisans of ancient Greece attributed their inspiration to playful whispers from Muses. Eventually, they recognized mystic murmurings to be their own imaginations. Einstein claimed that imagination was more important than knowledge. Knowledge was limited, he said, whereas imagination could “embrace entire world stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” As co-author of a literacy program in Ontario, ‘The Muse Program’ Debbie has had a unique opportunity to observe children at work and see methods that work best. The hesitation comes for some as they sit facing a blank page. Even with a vivid imagination, without tools to utilize it, it becomes a stumbling block for many children. Debbie has peppered her books with practical questions easily understood by children of any background. Their answers to those leading questions will provide a strong basis for a story. There is a broad comfort zone, because she leads them through familiar territory so that they can write about what they know best. Using techniques she has developed with her own children to stretch their imaginations and her artistic background, she is able to conjure up images in their minds that are more easily transformed into words on that intimidating blank page. The first in series, ‘Short Stories with Imagination’ is designed to encourage use of imagination and to help foster a child’s self-image, opening up a whole new world to explore. Based on real-life childhood memories, these stories promote idea that anything is possible. With a little help from our imaginations, an ordinary day can become one filled with adventure – sailing with pirates, running a race, or experiencing thrill of a plane ride for first time.
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