Is Handwriting Instruction Important?
This is a question we get asked by parents of students of all ages. From poor letter formation to completely illegible writing, the issue of handwriting instruction is essential. Here are a few things we know from the current research:
Letter formation instruction creates neural connections in the brain to support the mapping process between sounds and letter patterns.
Handwriting instruction should initially focus on forming the letters with correct pathways.
Direct, explicit instruction in letter formation should focus on K-2 students and students with dyslexia who need intensive, structured literacy interventions.
This is a question we get asked by parents of students of all ages. From poor letter formation to completely illegible writing, the issue of handwriting instruction is essential. Here are a few things we know from the current research:
Letter formation instruction creates neural connections in the brain to support the mapping process between sounds and letter patterns.
Handwriting instruction should initially focus on forming the letters with correct pathways.
Direct, explicit instruction in letter formation should focus on K-2 students and students with dyslexia who need intensive, structured literacy interventions.
When is it more than just sloppy handwriting?
Dysgraphia is a related learning disability that centers on handwriting, spelling, and the written language process. Often it can happen alongside dyslexia, but it can also be a stand-alone learning disability. The common signs of dysgraphia include:
Illegible letter formation.
Inability to orientate writing to margins or a baseline.
Unrecognizable spellings of words.
Difficulty organizing thoughts to write down on paper.
Difficulty writing a grammatically correct sentence, paragraph, etc.
Summer Reading Fun Part Two
Summer is for fun! Kids need the break! But don’t let their hard-earned literacy skills slip! Avoiding the summer slump and fostering positive reading growth are essential goals for all readers, particularly for those at-risk
In last month's newsletter, we talked about how summer reading lists can provide motivation for reluctant readers. This month, we continue to focus on the same topic with more facts and ideas to continue motivating our community. Overcoming learning loss can be as simple as 15 min of practice each day!
Summer is for fun! Kids need the break! But don’t let their hard-earned literacy skills slip! Avoiding the summer slump and fostering positive reading growth are essential goals for all readers, particularly for those at-risk
In last month's newsletter, we talked about how summer reading lists can provide motivation for reluctant readers. This month, we continue to focus on the same topic with more facts and ideas to continue motivating our community. Overcoming learning loss can be as simple as 15 min of practice each day!
Here are some ideas:
Provide quick reading tasks that easily integrate into their day.
Encourage your child to read recipes and menus when you're at restaurants and other print you see each day.
Use audiobooks from the library, Learning Ally, Audibles, or Bookshare
Summer reading can be fun! Use it to increase student ownership over their identity as readers. Learning loss happens every summer and affects young children the most. The International Dyslexia Association states:
“Following summer vacation, students often start the school year with less competence than they demonstrated the previous spring. This skill regression sometimes is termed ‘summer slump,’ ‘summer slide,’ or ‘summer setback.’” -The International Dyslexia Association
Support struggling readers by selecting books in their areas of interest. Pick books that they can read independently, but also read books to your child above their current independent reading level to help increase your child’s vocabulary and fluency and expose them to more content-rich knowledge.
The summer months are critical for overall reading development. How children spend this time will have a long-term impact on academic outcomes. We can reframe reading challenges as opportunities during the critical summer months.
Follow us on our social media accounts to get our book recommendations for the summer!
Summer Reading is Fun!
You may have heard the term ”use it or lose it.” This rings true for students with learning differences during their summer hiatus. Summer learning loss can set kids back 2-3 months! Swapping school skills for fun in the sun is not a good idea.
You may have heard the term ”use it or lose it.” This rings true for students with learning differences during their summer hiatus. Summer learning loss can set kids back 2-3 months! Swapping school skills for fun in the sun is not a good idea.
To avoid the “brain drain”, maintain consistency with your weekly sessions and practice. If you are not in tutoring sessions, consider picking back up over the summer to refresh your child’s skills, prevent loss, and even pick up momentum.
Summer Reading Lists can also motivate reluctant readers to complete the books and collaborate with other students. Start With a Book is a great program that offers parents guidance and activity choices to keep things interesting.
Another idea is to have your child write in a daily journal. They can create a keepsake while sharpening their skills in written expression. You can help them revise and edit two weekly entries to maintain strong spelling and grammar techniques. Of course, the local library is an incredible outlet for book clubs and literacy-rich activities.
Have a cook in the house? Measuring ingredients while cooking and reading instructions in a recipe is another engaging way to incorporate learning into summer entertainment.
The bottom line is that it is optional to maintain the same rigid school learning environment over the summer. However, if you infuse academic elements into each day, kids can catch up when school starts back up.
Structured Literacy Therapy and Vision Therapy
There can be confusion between structured literacy therapy and vision therapy in regard to literacy skill development. There is value to both services but for very different reasons.
“Dyslexia affects the brain’s ability to sound out letters, not the ability to see them”
Understood.Org
There can be confusion between structured literacy therapy and vision therapy in regard to literacy skill development. There is value to both services but for very different reasons.
For a better understanding of Vision Therapy, you can watch this video by Dr. Kalynn Good who explains how vision therapy works.
If your child has reading or spelling difficulties, your first step is to contact a literacy specialist to evaluate their language processing skills. We offer several free screeners and a free consultation to help you decide on the next steps.
Wonder if your child may have a reading disability like Dyslexia?
Download our FREE Dyslexia Checklist here
We would love to help you!
Dyslexia Robs a Person of Time, Accommodations Return It
While spring can bring fresh flowers, it also means the beginning of test-taking time for our students. Testing can be arduous and cause anxiety. In this month's newsletter, we will clarify what an accommodation is and provide you with a few of our top recommendations.
Recommended Accommodations:
1. Note-taking: These include guided notes, a copy of the instructor’s lecture notes, or audio recordings. Guided notes are best implemented in any lecture-based classroom. When paired with lectures, guided notes provide students with essential information while retaining their attention. Guided notes leave blank spaces for students to complete during the lesson’s progression. Students can listen and understand the content while highlighting essential parts. This promotes student listening/participation and helps students with a shorter attention span remain engaged. Guided notes help prevent dyslexic students from being cognitively overloaded with information.
While spring can bring fresh flowers, it also means the beginning of test-taking time for our students. Testing can be arduous and cause anxiety. In this month's newsletter, we will clarify what an accommodation is and provide you with a few of our top recommendations.
Recommended Accommodations:
1. Note-taking: These include guided notes, a copy of the instructor’s lecture notes, or audio recordings. Guided notes are best implemented in any lecture-based classroom. When paired with lectures, guided notes provide students with essential information while retaining their attention. Guided notes leave blank spaces for students to complete during the lesson’s progression. Students can listen and understand the content while highlighting essential parts. This promotes student listening/participation and helps students with a shorter attention span remain engaged. Guided notes help prevent dyslexic students from being cognitively overloaded with information.
2. Extended time: Extended time is used to help students who need additional time to complete activities, assignments, and/or assigned tests.
Why do students need extra time?
Process written text
Reread passages
Access assistive technology such as a screen reader
3. Read Aloud Question and Answer Choices: Students can have test or assignments questions and answer choices read aloud to them.
Helps students show their content knowledge while scaffolding the word reading
Helps with processing and cognitive load
The critical thing to remember is the accommodations “level the playing field” and are not a crutch. They scaffold a child while they are developing the tools for independence, but in the meantime we can help them show their knowledge and access grade-level concepts which in most cases they are perfectly able to learn and understand.
It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint....
For students with dyslexia or struggling readers, one of the best supports we can offer as teachers and parents is the gift of time. The typical expectation is that a student is taught a phonics or spelling skill, engages in a bit of practice, and…voila! The concept is linked, stored, and ready to go in their memory for future use. For struggling readers, however, there is a disruption somewhere in this process and they require instruction that provides more time, more support, and more practice.
For students with dyslexia or struggling readers, one of the best supports we can offer as teachers and parents is the gift of time. The typical expectation is that a student is taught a phonics or spelling skill, engages in a bit of practice, and…voila! The concept is linked, stored, and ready to go in their memory for future use. For struggling readers, however, there is a disruption somewhere in this process and they require instruction that provides more time, more support, and more practice.
Explicit Instruction:
Structured literacy/dyslexia therapy programs are designed to be sensitive to students who need more time, support, and practice. You might run into the words systematic, explicit, and diagnostic. Here’s what that means for you and your child:
️⭐️Systematic means there is a logical order to instruction from basic to advanced skills. It’s a journey that is one step at a time.
️⭐️Explicit means that instruction is carefully crafted to include modeling and conversation between the student and teacher to help the student develop a deep. understanding of the concepts being taught.
️⭐️Diagnostic means that each child is given the time and intensity of instruction that they need. They are not just pushed through lessons or a program, but instruction is adapted for them based on their progress data.
Practice:
Practice is the other essential piece for struggling readers. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
️⭐️ Practice intensity is one of the most important predictors of progress for struggling readers.
️⭐️ Not all practice is equal! Powerful practice is deliberate, frequent, and rigorous. Traditional curriculums are great, but online platforms that combine direct instruction with computer-assisted practice create approximately four times the amount of responses elicited in traditional intervention.
️⭐️ Practice should contain different types of activities. Online platforms allow for literacy to be practiced in different ways, including games, review videos, and interactive activities.
Growth Mindset:
Developing a growth mindset is critical for dyslexic learners because in the typical classroom, they will experience many “failures” when completing classwork. These “failures” often result in feeling shameful about their “weaknesses.”
Reminding children often that failures should be thought of as an opportunity to learn is how to foster a growth mindset. As Dr. Carol Dweck explains, “In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I’m going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here’s a chance to grow.”
“I didn’t succeed despite my dyslexia but because of it. It wasn’t my deficit, but my advantage. Although there are neurological trade-offs that require that I work creatively [and] smarter in reading, writing and speaking, I would never wish to be any other way than my awesome self. I love being me, regardless of the early challenges I had faced.”
— Scott Sonnon, Martial Arts World Champion
Assistive Technology
Today’s kids have grown up in the digital age, and the use of Assistive Technology (AT) can provide invaluable support for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities in their classrooms and at home.
The AT market can seem overwhelming with so many different free and paid choices. So, to get you started, our latest Friday Five video has information on our top 3 AT choices.
Today’s kids have grown up in the digital age, and the use of Assistive Technology (AT) can provide invaluable support for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities in their classrooms and at home.
The AT market can seem overwhelming with so many different free and paid choices. So, to get you started, our latest Friday Five video has information on our top 3 AT choices.
Introducing Our Team!
Meet Joanna Brown! She is an Orton-Gillingham reading tutor with over 15 years of experience providing personalized, one-on-one reading instruction. Joanna earned her M.A. in Elementary Education and Literacy from Bank Street College of Education in New York City in 2011, and her B.A. in History from the University of Colorado in 2004. Joanna began tutoring children in reading in New York City in 2005.
She has worked with hundreds of struggling readers, dyslexic readers, and readers needing enrichment. She also works with students who have a variety of educational differences including dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, speech and language disorders, writing issues, and executive functioning issues. Joanna has a calm, patient nature and a playful sense of humor that help her to connect with students on a personal level.
Fun Fact! After many years of living in Brooklyn, NY, Joanna now resides in her hometown of Denver, Colorado in an 1890 bungalow. In her spare time, she figure skates, watches horror movies, and fosters dogs.
What are the Characteristics of Dyslexia?
There have always been myths about Dyslexia, and here are just a few we hear every week when talking with families:
“He doesn’t see the words correctly. I’ve been told he needs vision therapy”
Dyslexia, and literacy issues in general, are not rooted in vision difficulties.
“Reversing b/d means they must have dyslexia.”
Not all students with dyslexia reverse letters or read words backward.
“They can’t be tested before they are in third grade”
Dyslexia can and should be identified as early as possible and intervention can begin as early as four.
There have always been myths about Dyslexia, and here are just a few we hear every week when talking with families:
“He doesn’t see the words correctly. I’ve been told he needs vision therapy”
Dyslexia, and literacy issues in general, are not rooted in vision difficulties.
“Reversing b/d means they must have dyslexia.”
Not all students with dyslexia reverse letters or read words backward.
“They can’t be tested before they are in third grade”
Dyslexia can and should be identified as early as possible and intervention can begin as early as four.
While there are many things that Dyslexia is NOT, there are some general characteristics that parents should look for. Just to name a few:
Remember, dyslexia happens along a spectrum so your child may not exhibit every characteristic on a general checklist. Also, everyone has a unique personality and learning profile, and dyslexia can look different depending on your student's age/grade.
To see if your child may be at-risk for dyslexia, download our full Dyslexia Checklist and then schedule a free consultation to go over the results!
Introducing Our Team!
Meet Cynthia Lang! My personal experience with my dyslexic daughter led me to training/certification in Structured Literacy and Orton-Gillingham. My passion drives using my experience and training to prove to my students that they can be successful learners.
A Love Letter to our Parents and Guardians
We see you.
You’ve taken the hard step to not only honor your child’s unique strengths but also address the areas where they need support.
You’ve spent your time, money, and energy to find the best resources and solutions to help your child become the reader and speller you know they can be.
Dear ,
We see you.
You’ve taken the hard step to not only honor your child’s unique strengths but also address the areas where they need support.
You’ve spent your time, money, and energy to find the best resources and solutions to help your child become the reader and speller you know they can be.
We see your worries transformed into action and your love channeled into fierce determination and advocacy.
You're the one on the sidelines in our sessions, fixing the technology issues, being the cheerleader, getting the snack, the new dry-erase marker, the tissue, motivating, encouraging, and the list goes on.
You’ve fought for your child with dyslexia, and we see you.
You fought through years of other people telling you to have your kid “try harder”, or “practice more,” yet you knew in your heart that was not the solution. You kept fighting until you found what was right and worked for your child.
It’s inspiring. You entrusted us to work with the person most precious to you, and it’s a privilege. Together we rebuild not just your child’s literacy skills but their confidence as well.
As 2022 is coming to an end, we wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for the gift of working with your student and your family.
Love,
The luckiest, most appreciative dyslexia therapists at The Reading Clinic
Introducing Our Team!
Meet Keri Hope! She has been an educator in California for over 15 years, working mostly as a Reading Specialist for students ages 5 through young adult. In 2020, she completed her Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (SLDS) certification and added one-on-one reading therapy to her resume.
After many years working with larger groups of students in public school settings, she finds it incredibly rewarding to see the amount of progress a student can make in an individualized, systematic format. In fact, one of her favorite things about her work as a one-on-one reading therapist is how relieved students and families often feel when reading finally starts to make sense to a child.
So What is Structured Literacy Anyway, and How Can it Help My Child?
The International Dyslexia Association defines Structured Literacy as the most effective approach for students who have difficulties with reading or spelling. This approach is often paired with the term Orton-Gillingham, and both are instructional models that stand in direct contrast with many of the popular methods that are used in schools today.
Most reading disorders and dyslexia originate with language processing weaknesses in the content of instruction to focus on the analysis and production of language at all levels: sounds, spelling for sounds and syllables, patterns and conventions of the writing system, meaningful parts of words, sentences, paragraphs, and discourse within longer texts.
The International Dyslexia Association defines Structured Literacy as the most effective approach for students who have difficulties with reading or spelling. This approach is often paired with the term Orton-Gillingham, and both are instructional models that stand in direct contrast with many of the popular methods that are used in schools today.
Most reading disorders and dyslexia originate with language processing weaknesses in the content of instruction to focus on the analysis and production of language at all levels: sounds, spelling for sounds and syllables, patterns and conventions of the writing system, meaningful parts of words, sentences, paragraphs, and discourse within longer texts.
PA:understanding that a phoneme is the smallest unit of speech and, if changed can create a different words mist, mast, must, and most.
Sound/Letter-connecting speech sound to print: Pattern of print, short vowel markers.
Morphology: sounds have meaning in English jogged, passed /t/ and /d/ have meaning.
Syntax: ordering words in a sentence to communicate meaning.
Semantics: is the aspect of language concerned with meaning.Single words convey meaning, phrases, and sentences.
Evidence is strong that most students learn to read better with structured teaching of basic language skills and that the components and methods of Structured Literacy are critical for students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia.
Explicit - Directly teaching and practicing skills with our students, creating opportunities for engagement through Socratic reasoning methods so students own their learning
Systematic and Cumulative - Skills are taught in a sequence with specific processes from the basic to the most complex
Multisensory or multi-modal - Instruction engages visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile methods to increase engagement and learning retention
Diagnostic and Prescriptive - should not be a cookie-cutter curriculum your child pushes through.
Lessons should be based on your child’s specific learning profile and based on progress monitoring data.
Introducing Our Team!
Meet Cristin Fischer! She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with endorsements in Early Childhood Education, Library Media and German. She completed an MA program in K-12 Reading and is currently a Reading Specialist in a public-school setting. Cristin has also completed Structured Literacy coursework and a practicum to gain Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist designation. With more than 21 years of teaching experience in public education, as well as 3 years of providing structured literacy therapy, Cristin has worked with students of all ages, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Cristin loves the work she does, because she is able to design and deliver lessons to meet the unique needs of each student, which has a lasting, positive impact on every aspect of a child’s life.
What is Dyslexia?
When talking with families, one of the first questions we always answer is “so what is dyslexia?” The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as follows:
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities...” (see full definition at https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/)
When talking with families, one of the first questions we always answer is “so what is dyslexia?” The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as follows:
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities...” (see full definition at https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/)
To understand what that means to parents and students, a few keywords help us understand where dyslexia comes from and how it impacts your child.
First, we read that dyslexia is “neurobiological in origin.” This means that dyslexia is not a result of your child being “lazy” or having lacked good instruction. Rather, their brain is wired differently when it comes to processing the structure of written words.
This different wiring impacts their ability to process the “phonological component of language.” Phonology is the study of sounds that make up a language. Difficulty in this area makes it hard for students to pick out the individual speech sounds that make up written words, which in turn causes difficulty when having to decode or spell.
Finally, dyslexia is “unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities.” We hear from parents all the time who say, “but they are so good in … (math, sciences, arts)! I don’t understand why they can’t read as well.” Dyslexia is typically a profile of both strengths and weaknesses, so why students may struggle with activities or learning that involves written language, their overall ability to learn is intact.
Introducing Our Team!
Meet Jean Bates! I have 25 years experience teaching students having difficulty with reading and spelling. In addition to working with students privately, I work with kindergarten to fourth grade in a public elementary school in Central New Jersey. I was named Teacher of the Year for my school in 2010 and was a recipient of the Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award by the National Association of Special Education Teachers for 2010-2011.
Reading and spelling do not come easily to all and the most amazing part of working with my students is that point in time when they begin to feel success. Watching their confidence build is one of the many reasons I enjoy the work that I do.
We would love to help you!
Click here to get ahold of us!
Welcome Back to the 2022 School Year!
Welcome back to the 2022 school year! Usually at this time, teachers and parents are assessing their students’ literacy levels, which is not always an easy feat. Often, parents are wondering what grade level their child is on. Referring to “grade levels” in literacy, is like referring to one piece (one measure) of a much larger, more complex puzzle.
Over the years, different models have been developed to assess reading levels. These vary widely, are not consistent, and cover a huge range of skills that aren’t necessarily tied to our end goal, reading comprehension.
Welcome back to the 2022 school year! Usually at this time, teachers and parents are assessing their students’ literacy levels, which is not always an easy feat. Often, parents are wondering what grade level their child is on. Referring to “grade levels” in literacy, is like referring to one piece (one measure) of a much larger, more complex puzzle.
Over the years, different models have been developed to assess reading levels. These vary widely, are not consistent, and cover a huge range of skills that aren’t necessarily tied to our end goal, reading comprehension.
Assessing a child’s overall reading level can not be based on one measurement. It’s a combination of skills that come together to create their complex literacy profile. Like any good puzzle, it can only be appreciated or fully understood once all the pieces are assessed or come together as a whole.
Professional literacy experts do this kind of assessment all of the time.
If you have any concerns about your child being behind, do not wait to take action. We have a research based Literacy Assessment Report which provides a detailed and thorough review of your child’s current literacy achievements and needs
Meet our team...
Jennifer A. Garcia, M. Ed, is a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist who has been teaching children to read in both English and Spanish since 2003. She received her Masters in Education from Texas A & M University- Commerce in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Bilingual Education and Bachelors in Business Administration from Wayland Baptist University. Jennifer worked as a classroom teacher and dyslexia specialist in Dallas County, Texas. In 2018 she joined The Reading Clinic LLC team, performing dyslexia evaluations and teaching students to read using Orton Gillingham structured literacy curriculum and partnering with families for the student’s progress in literacy, increasing self-esteem in students who had previously struggled.
BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY
We are offering a back to school giveaway this fall. Enter to win a free Literacy Assessment Report, to receive a complete assessment by a certified literacy expert (valued at $250 ). Drawing will be done on November 16th, 2022. Click button to be entered to win!
Learning about Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a general term used for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read, interpret words, letters or other symbols, but does not affect general intelligence.
Dyslexia is neurologically based and often described as a processing style versus a disorder depending on the severity. Like many other cognitive profiles or categories, people with dyslexia have strengths and weaknesses. Dyslexia is a common condition that impacts 20% of the general population or one out of five people. It is the most common reason why students struggle in spelling, writing and reading.
Dyslexia is a general term used for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read, interpret words, letters or other symbols, but does not affect general intelligence.
Dyslexia is neurologically based and often described as a processing style versus a disorder depending on the severity. Like many other cognitive profiles or categories, people with dyslexia have strengths and weaknesses. Dyslexia is a common condition that impacts 20% of the general population or one out of five people. It is the most common reason why students struggle in spelling, writing and reading.
Decades of research confirm that there is no direct correlation between dyslexia and intelligence. People with dyslexia are not any more or less intelligent than the people without dyslexia.
The way dyslexics process information can be an advantage in achieving success. Many dyslexics become successful architects, designers, surgeons, problem solvers, inventors, writers, entrepreneurs, artists and engineers. The list goes on. They are often called out of the box thinkers with the ability to see the whole picture. They can synthesize and assimilate large amounts of information. They often become leading experts in their field of choice. They’re charismatic leaders, inspiring and an absolute joy to work with.
Learning to read is not an innate skill. All humans have the innate ability to learn how to speak . Reading is a skill that is acquired. For the majority of people it comes automatically and with ease. For some dyslexics learning to read, write and spell can be incredibly challenging for a variety of underlying reasons. Not every dyslexic is the same, dyslexia is a spectrum like most things found in nature. Some people are mildly dyslexic, moderate, severe or profound. Many mild and moderate dyslexics can read on or above grade level but struggle with spelling. That is why working with a highly experienced clinician is key to creating growth and helping people with dyslexia reach their potential. Clinicians will assess students appropriately, identifying their strengths and weaknesses to individualize therapy.
Realizing your child has dyslexia is the first step in a long, emotional, challenging and often rewarding journey. If you think your child is dyslexic, do not wait to get them help. It is not about your child working harder or practicing more. They will not “grow out of it”. They learn how to read, write and spell in a different way, and need to be taught explicitly and systematically by a therapist trained in structured literacy therapy. Navigating dyslexia can be overwhelming at first. Take lots of deep breaths as you navigate this road, and remember that there is a solution. With the right help, your child will reach their potential.