All posts by Amy Kessler

Imagine a Better Reader

Learning Centers, , , ,

At Lindamood-Bell, we believe that all individuals can learn how to read to their potential—including those who have a previous diagnosis of dyslexia.

 

Over the course of nearly three decades, Lindamood-Bell has worked with thousands of individuals. Sitting with a child or an adult who struggles to read a word provides unique insight into the learning process. Our success with students is due to our unique approach, including our research-validated, sensory-cognitive instruction.

 

The Challenge

Unfortunately, many students, even those who have had years of extra help, continue to struggle with grade level text. Perhaps they sound out a word eventually—but it is slow and labored. They may take so long to sound out the word that they miss the meaning of the text altogether. Or, they may substitute words when reading a paragraph. For example, they may read ‘production’ instead of ‘perfection.’

 

For many individuals, even those who have received extensive reading support, sight word recognition remains difficult. They may attempt to use phonics strategies for most words—such as reading  /pee/ /oh/ /plee/ for the word ‘people.’ When they finally conquer a word, they might not recognize that same word when they encounter it in the next paragraph.

 

Also, while a student may be able to spell words phonetically, they are unable to remember the visual patterns of words (orthography). For example, they may spell the word “friend” as “f-r-e-n-d.”

 

A Missing Connection

An important aspect of reading and spelling is symbol imagery, which underlies both phonological and orthographic processing. Symbol imagery is the ability to visualize letters in your mind’s eye. This connection of imagery and language is necessary for sounding out new words, as well as quickly recognizing letters and common words. Students who read fluently, and are able to self-correct their errors, have strong symbol imagery.

 

Traditional reading help focuses on how to sound out words as well as reading and spelling rules. While these activities have value, they do not affect the necessary imagery-language connection. They do not change how a student is processing language. This is why reading may still be extremely difficult for students who have received years of tutoring.

 

A Unique Approach

We help make this connection for students at our learning centers. The Seeing Stars Program develops symbol imagery for reading and spelling. Long overlooked in the field of reading research, symbol imagery is an important function that can now be assessed and developed.

 

Our instructors’ language stimulates an individual’s symbol imagery. For example, when a teacher says, “What letters do you see for ‘top’?” she is prompting the student to picture the letters t-o-p. By applying this skill to phonological and orthographic processing, reading, spelling, sight word and contextual fluency skills are improved.  Improved symbol imagery can change reading, regardless of a student’s age or struggle with literacy—including those with a previous diagnosis of dyslexia.

 

Research-validated

We continually monitor student results to ensure that we maintain our exceptional standard of quality. View our Learning Center results with students who have reading difficulties here.  

 

We also actively participate in neurological and behavioral research on our programs and instruction. Numerous peer-reviewed articles based on studies examining the effectiveness of our instruction with dyslexic students have been published in scholarly journals. In a recent fMRI study, neurological changes and significant reading improvements held or increased after Seeing Stars instruction. Read about this exciting research here. One of the study authors, Guinevere Eden, director of Georgetown University’s Center for the Study of Learning, was recently interviewed for the NPR series, Unlocking Dyslexia. In How Science Is Rewiring The Dyslexic Brain, Dr. Eden explains what is happening in the brain of someone with dyslexia when they read and how the brain can be “rewired” with intensive intervention. Lindamood-Bell is featured throughout the series. Get the series here.

 

If you would like further information or have questions regarding our instruction for please contact us 800.300.1818.

 

Come to our Open House!

 

All locations are hosting a DREAM BIG for Learning Open House in Spring of 2017. You’re Invited!

 

We’d love to show you how we have been creating the Magic of Learning for over 30 years! Find your Open House HERE.

Lindamood-Bell Academy: Students who Struggle with Reading

Academy, Dyslexia

Despite having extensive phonics instruction, some students may still struggle to become fluent readers. They may have to sound out a new word every time they see it or have difficulty understanding what they’ve read because they are unable to read fluently and accurately. This may be due to a weakness in symbol imagery, which is the ability to visualize letters in words. Traditional reading help focuses on how to sound out words as well as reading and spelling rules. While these activities have value, they do not affect the necessary imagery-language connection. They do not change how a student is processing language. This is why reading may still be difficult for your child.

 

This weakness can be especially frustrating for students who are curious and love learning, leading many families to search out a non-traditional environment for school.

 

If your child is the type of learner who soaks up information about science and history when someone else reads it, they may benefit from the unique approach at Lindamood-Bell Academy. An accredited private school for grades K-12, the Academy is able to provide a fully differentiated school day including math, science, history and language arts in addition to Seeing Stars instruction, which works to develop phonemic awareness, sight words and spelling.

 

Research-validated

We believe all students can learn to read to their potential, including those with a previous diagnosis of dyslexia. Our imagery-language instruction has been validated in several studies. In a recent fMRI study, neurological changes and significant reading improvements held or increased after instruction. Read these results here. One of the study authors, Guinevere Eden, director of Georgetown University’s Center for the Study of Learning, was recently interviewed for the NPR series, Unlocking Dyslexia. In How Science Is Rewiring The Dyslexic Brain, Dr. Eden explains what is happening in the brain of someone with dyslexia when they read and how the brain can be “rewired” with intensive intervention. Lindamood-Bell is featured throughout the series. Get the series here.

 

The Right School for Each Student

Lindamood-Bell Academy is student-centered. Our low teacher-student ratio allows us to provide a school that is highly customized to rates of learning and each student’s curriculum is tailored specifically to their learning needs. If a student needs to spend more time on a subject, that’s OK!  Student days are infused with celebrations of their individual success and is non-competitive.   The individualized curriculum allows a student to make progress with content in various academic areas while simultaneously receiving remediation in the mechanics of reading if necessary. In sum, our Academy combines Lindamood-Bell expertise with curriculum. The learning needs of each child are addressed so they are ready to learn. And then they do.

 

Is Lindamood-Bell Academy Right for Your Child? Call us to learn more, discuss your child’s needs, or to schedule an interview, 800-300-1818.

Discount Available for School Year Savings Plan

Australia, Instruction, Specials

AVAILABLE NOW: A major savings for students who need help closing the achievement gap

 

If you have a child who is suffering from a weakness in language processing skills and needs to close a substantial gap between his academic performance and potential, we are offering a school year savings plan for you.

 

Intensive one-to-one instruction is currently available and presents a unique opportunity to receive a sizable discount for those students who need a significant amount of instruction. Now is the time to make a difference for your child! Please see below for details:

 

  •  5% to 25% prepayment discount, depending on number of instruction hours (minimum 120 hours)
  •  Discount available at our learning centres during the school year only—qualifying hours must be completed during the school year
  •  Discount applicable to any type of school year instruction

 

For more information on our School Year Savings Plan, please contact your local learning centre.

The Imagery-Language Connection for Sports—Tips for Coaching Youth Sports

Australia, Comprehension, Helpful Tips, ,

Did you recently volunteer for a coaching position? Have you coached before? Are you tired of yelling at your team but don’t know how to get them to follow directions? Do you want this year to be a more positive experience for you and your players? If you answered yes to any of these questions, a few simple changes to the language you use as a coach may help you create the success you’re looking for.

 

As a coach, it’s important to understand that your team is comprised of many players with different personalities as well as learning abilities. You may have a player, or players, with an identified comprehension weakness, or an ADHD diagnosis. Parents often pursue help for their child’s academics, but may not realise that their language comprehension concerns can also affect their performance in other areas of life, including sports.

 

A primary cause of language comprehension problems is difficulty creating an imagined gestalt (whole). This is called weak concept imagery. This weakness causes individuals to understand only “parts” of information they read or hear, but not the whole.

 

Check out some examples of how concept imagery issues can affect a child at school and on the field or court:

 

The imagery-language connection is necessary for good thinking and communication, which is essential for a team to be successful. You may be able to help a struggling player (and the whole team!) by modifying the language you use while coaching. See the following tips for how to strengthen the imagery-language connection for your players:

 

Give Instructions

Establish the imagery-language connection to stimulate thinking and make sure you check for understanding.  For example, when giving your team instructions for a drill (e.g. “Dribble the ball to the far left cone. Leave it there and sprint back to the goal”), have them visualise the activity you are describing, and call on individuals to recall what they are picturing.

 

Discuss Strategies

Help your athletes monitor their understanding of their actions, as well as problem solving skills, by targeting specific images they’re creating. Teach them to continually ask themselves whether they understand what the consequences may be of certain actions, and if they’re able to picture the outcome: “If I do this, what might happen? What does that look like?”

 

Introduce New Vocabulary

Similar to subjects in school, sports have their own unique vocabulary. It’s important to ask questions, such as “What do you picture for for the words inning, dribble, defence, out of bounds, and guard?” Many coaches already familiar with the sport assume their players understand and are able to visualise these vocabulary words and concepts.  Identify your sport’s key words and phrases and ask players to visualise them. They should be able to tell you what they are picturing. If they don’t have a picture, they will have a difficult time understanding what the word or concept means. Create a diagram on a whiteboard or provide examples to assist with their understanding.

 

Post Game Recap

During discussions with your team after the game, ask imagery-stimulating questions. For example, instead of just asking, “What do you think we need to work on?” you can add, “What do you see yourself doing differently? What does that look like?” You can expand upon these questions to dive into their images even more, by adding choice/contrast questions like, “Do you you see yourself running faster or slower?” or “Do you picture yourself in the same part of the field as you were today or are you moving around more?”

 

If you need further information or have questions regarding ways to address language comprehension weakness, please contact us at:

 

Melbourne: (03) 9815 2949

Sydney Chatswood: (02) 9410 1006

Sydney Double Bay: (02) 9328 7119

Dream Big for Learning Open House

Events, Learning Centers

 

This event has ended. For further information or questions regarding our instruction, please contact your local Learning Center or call us at 800.300.1818.

 

Please come to our DREAM BIG for Learning Open House! 

We’d love to show you how we have been creating the Magic of Learning for over 30 years! 

 

We help students learn to read, comprehend and do math to their potential. Our instruction is based on an individual’s learning needs. 

 

Some students come to us with previous diagnoses such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, or general learning challenges—and we make a difference for each of them. Other students seek our help to enhance their skills or to just make learning easier—and we do.

 

Our summer instruction results in extraordinary gains in just a few weeks.  Spending part of a summer with us can be one of the most positive learning experiences of a child’s life.

 

We believe in the potential of your child and we want to help your big dreams come true!

 

Lindamood-Bell Academy: Students with Comprehension Weakness

Academy, ,

Though they may be hard-working and study for hours on end, some students have trouble understanding or remembering what they’ve read. They may do poorly on tests, have trouble following classroom directions or struggle to understand jokes. A cause of comprehension difficulties is weak concept imagery—the ability to create an imagined gestalt (whole) from language.

 

This weakness may mean they are missing out on content even though they are in the classroom each day — they’re only getting pieces and things might go “in one ear and out the other.” While they have difficulty with reading and writing, they could simultaneously be ahead of their peers in math.

 

Since Lindamood-Bell Academy, a private school for grades K-12, provides a fully individualized curriculum, it’s possible for a student to work on grade level math while receiving support and remediation in reading comprehension. Students work through curriculum that is tailored to their abilities while also gaining the necessary skills to improve their reading comprehension. Because of this flexibility and differentiation, an Academy student may work on sixth grade materials for math and a fourth grade curriculum for Language Arts, for example.

 

The Academy is an accredited school and utilizes Visualizing & Verbalizing® instruction, which works to strengthen concept imagery by helping students build the imagery-language connection for both written and listening comprehension which leads to an improvement in memory, oral vocabulary, critical thinking, and writing.

 

Students with autism spectrum disorder often have deficits in language comprehension; they may be very fluent readers but struggle to understand what they’ve read or engage in conversation with those around them. Visualizing & Verbalizing® instruction has led to a significant increase in the visual and language areas of the brain. You can read more about those changes here.

 

The Academy can be appropriate for a wide range of students who need to improve their ability to comprehend while they go to school. In sum, our Academy combines Lindamood-Bell expertise with curriculum. The learning needs of each child are addressed so they are ready to learn. And then they do.

 

Is Lindamood-Bell Academy Right for Your Child? Call us to learn more about Lindamood-Bell Academy and schedule an interview to discuss your student’s academic needs: 800-300-1818.

Finish the Year Strong! Springtime Learning at Lindamood-Bell

Instruction, Learning Centers, , , ,

At this point in the school year, students everywhere are feeling the pressure of looming due dates and stressed schedules.  For students who struggle with learning, this time of year can be especially taxing. Their performance may have lagged behind peers all year, and increased academic expectations may be compounding the issue. Spending so many hours a week, doing the thing you struggle with, would be challenging for anyone.

 

The teacher may have raised a concern; or maybe homework sessions are tearful. Either way, you know when school is just too hard. Parents may wonder if help could even make a difference this late in the school year—or would it just be one more thing burdening a stressed-out student.

 

The right instruction, that addresses individual learning needs, can make a difference in a short period of time. Imagine a strong finish to the school year!

 

Ways We Can Help

Homework Matters at Lindamood-Bell

Homework Matters is supervised homework help, 1-4 afternoons per week. We create an environment that motivates and focuses students on getting their homework done. Our skilled instructors take the struggle out of homework for families by helping students get organized and complete assignments. We can answer your child’s questions and assist when necessary.

 

Academic Prep at Lindamood-Bell

Give your student the learning skills needed for success when facing an academic challenge. Students benefit from our expertise in learning and cognition. Academic Prep is enrichment instruction for students who do not require remediation. We teach:  

    • Note taking
    • Writing
    • Study Skills
    • Test taking strategies
    • Organization skills

Sensory-Cognitive Instruction at Lindamood-Bell

Students who are struggling in school may have a weakness that is affecting learning. Unfortunately, these students typically fall further behind as the year goes on. Students with poor comprehension, critical thinking, writing and memory may have weak concept imagery—the ability to create an imagined gestalt (whole) from language; students who are poor decoders and spellers, or slow readers, may have weak symbol imagery—the ability to visualize letters in words. These difficulties are not only frustrating for a student, but prevent them from accessing school curriculum.

 

Our unique imagery-language instruction can make a difference. Instruction can happen after school or as part of a child’s school day. Students can make years of progress in just a few weeks. 

  • Individualized learning plans
  • One-to-one instructor-student ratio
  • Research-validated programs
  • Instructional quality team oversight
  • Welcoming, comfortable environment for all ages

Lindamood-Bell Academy | K-12 Curriculum

Spend the rest of the school year at our unique private school. Lindamood-Bell Academy is uniquely suited to meet the learning needs of many students. We attract students of all levels, including gifted students and those who thrive in a non-traditional setting. We combine Lindamood-Bell expertise with a full curriculum. The learning needs of each child are addressed so they are ready to learn. And they do.

 

We Make it Easy

Lindamood-Bell Online Instruction

Lindamood-Bell Instruction is now located where each child needs to learn. Qualifying students may receive instruction online, in-person, or in both settings.  We connect with you from a Lindamood-Bell Learning Center and our instruction staff works with your student.  At home or school, a parent or other adult will perform the role of facilitator. Online instruction works well for busy families with challenging schedules.

 

Use Spring Break

If school is not always easy for your child, you may have mixed feelings about spring break. While we all look forward to rest and relaxation, parents of struggling students have to consider the effect that time off from learning may have.

 

Spring Break instruction is individualized to meet the needs of each student.  For example, students can attend for an enrichment program to advance in an area like writing or study skills. Alumni students might attend for help applying their skills to a new task like story problems or reading fluency.

 

Students who are currently struggling with reading, comprehension or math can use their school break to jump-start a new or ongoing intensive instruction plan. Spring break is an opportunity to focus on the skills that will make school easier.

 

Getting Started

New to Lindamood-Bell? If school is hard for your child, you need to know why and that there is help. Identifying strengths and weaknesses is the first step toward helping your child finish the school year successfully. A learning evaluation will uncover the strengths and weaknesses that are affecting school. In a thorough results consultation, we will discuss an individualized learning plan to make school easier.

 

Some students come to us with a previous diagnosis such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, or a general learning challenge—and we make a difference for each of them.

 

Some students seek our help to enhance their skills or to just make learning easier—and we do.

 

Contact us to discuss a plan to support your child’s learning this spring: 800.300.1818.

Better Study Skills and Homework Tips

Australia, Helpful Tips

As a parent, you know the importance of completing homework and strong study skills, yet many kids don’t know where to begin. To avoid the constant nagging, battles, and lost papers, it’s time to get your kids organised. After all, there’s no reason for both you and your kids to dread school.

 

Here’s how to help them hit the books and develop good study habits for a successful school year:

 

1. Start Strong

 

Make sure your child understands the directions for every assignment and/or task and takes the time to complete homework accurately. Have her read through written directions before beginning to work. Does she understand what she needs to do? Ask her, “What does that look like?” or “What do you picture for that?” For example, if the assignment is to read Chapter 2 of her history textbook, take notes on what she’s reading, and then answer the questions at the end of the chapter, make sure she is creating an image for each of these tasks. If not, she may miss an important piece of information and not receive full credit for the assignment. Also, remind your kids that school is not a race! The first one done with homework does not get a prize. The real prize is learning! Encourage your children to read carefully and think through their answers.

 

2. Encourage questions

 

Have your child ask questions if they aren’t sure what they are supposed to do or what is expected of them. Remind your child that it is always okay to clarify directions or check for understanding with their teacher. It’s better to ask a question and fully understand than it is to guess and complete work incorrectly. However, if you notice your child continues to struggle with understanding even after talking with his teacher, there could be a comprehension weakness interfering with his understanding.

 

3. Spend time on vocabulary

 

Before diving into new material, check on your child’s understanding of key vocabulary words. When she encounters an unfamiliar word, work with her to develop a mental picture for it. For example, rather than jumping to memorising the definition of photosynthesis, ask her questions like, “What are you picturing for the sunlight? What do you see happening?”

 

To commit new terms to memory, flashcards are a great tool for practice. Have your child write the word on one side of the card. The other side should include the definition, a hand drawn picture, and a brief sentence using the word in context.

 

During practice, use language that prompts her to draw on her images. Instead of, “Do you remember the steps of photosynthesis?” ask, “What are you picturing for photosynthesis?” and “What do you see happening next?” If a term is unstable, flip over the card for her definition and drawing to discuss. Create piles for her “fast,” “medium,” and “slow” cards to help focus practice sessions.

 

4. Establish a steady pace

 

Make sure your child divides her studying time over a number of days, rather than leaving it all for the night before. Also, have your kids stay on top of homework—slow and steady progress throughout the year is a good way to prepare for tests. Trying to cram for a test the night before isn’t effective. It’s important that your child practises the imaging techniques he’s been working on while studying in order to apply to the content being covered on the exam.

 

5. Organise for efficient study sessions

 

Easy access to their review materials—practice tests, homework assignments, sample problems, the textbook, and class notes—will allow for a much less stressful study session. For example, have her put the main ideas/information/formulas onto a sheet that can be quickly reviewed. Make sure she is creating images for the key concepts, such as dates, names, places, new vocabulary, etc., that will be on the test to help with her understanding and recall.

 

We hope homework time is battle-free for your family this school year. If your child needs more help, check out Homework Matters at your Lindamood-Bell Learning Centre. Homework Matters is supervised homework help, 1-4 afternoons per week. We create an environment that motivates and focuses students on getting their homework done. Our skilled instructors take the struggle out of homework for families by helping students get their work done. We can answer your child’s questions and assist when necessary. Homework Matters is available at our learning centres or online.

 

If you would like further information or have questions regarding your child’s language comprehension skills, please contact the learning centre at:

 

Melbourne: (03) 9815 2949

Sydney Chatswood: (02) 9410 1006

Sydney Double Bay: (02) 9328 7119

Report Card ABCs

Comprehension, Decoding, Helpful Tips

For some students, the phrase “report card” comes with a sense of dread. As a parent, it can be hard to gauge how things are really going at school if your student is tight-lipped about his day and his report card feels like a jumble of letters or percentages.

 

After getting straight A’s last year, is your third grader suddenly having to labor over her reading assignments?

 

Does a C in Geometry mean your teenage daughter is spending too much time texting her friends instead of doing her homework? Or is she really struggling to comprehend proofs and theorems?

 

Is your son unable to pass his Social Studies tests despite spending hours poring over note cards and study guides?

 

More Than Meets the Eye

Teachers may report that your student just needs to “try harder,” but there could be an underlying weakness in language processing that accounts for his low or inconsistent grades.

 

Difficulty with reading comprehension, following directions, and understanding jokes can be indicators of a weakness in language processing. Trouble with sounding out unfamiliar words or remembering even frequently seen words can also be indicators.

 

The Right Evaluation

A learning ability evaluation can provide you with specific information on your student’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to know your child’s potential in order to gauge their performance in the classroom.  Can that B in History be an A? And what about that C in Math? Should it be a B?

 

It’s important to know what your child is capable of when it comes to their grades so you can correctly evaluate their report cards. While your child might be counting down the days till summer, there’s still plenty of time to help him reach his potential this year.
Learn more about Lindamood-Bell’s evaluation process here.

Get Help During the School Year: The Right Time to Change Learning

Australia, Instruction, , ,

School at any year can include the kind of good challenges that foster learning: discovering a solution in science lab, writing a poem, or even studying for a big test, can all be positive learning experiences. However, if a student has a weakness that affects learning to begin with, they may not be getting everything they should from school. Their challenges with reading or comprehension may be hindering their ability to fully participate in schoolwork. And, rather than catch up eventually, a struggling student will typically fall farther and farther behind as the year goes on.

 

Why is my child struggling?

Students who are ready to learn are global, independent readers and thinkers. Reading is an integration of processing skills: word attack, sight word recognition, contextual fluency, oral vocabulary, and comprehension. Students with poor comprehension, critical thinking, writing and memory may have weak concept imagery—the ability to create an imagined gestalt (whole) from language. Students who are poor decoders and spellers, or slow readers, may have weak symbol imagery—the ability to visualise letters in words. These difficulties are not only frustrating for a student, but prevent them from accessing school curriculum.

 

Changing Learning

We can change learning for students to help make school easier. Those who are new to Lindamood-Bell instruction may be more familiar with traditional tutoring and accommodations which are generally conducted over the course of semesters or years. Therefore, our typical recommendations for daily instruction to change learning may be a new concept.

 

Why daily? Nanci Bell provides reasoning for daily intensive instruction in the following excerpt from Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking:

 

“The rate of learning gain can be improved with intensive intervention. Students with severe weakness in concept imagery may be years behind in language comprehension. For example, Johnny, a student in the fifth year with reading comprehension at the second-year level, has a three-year gap between his year level and his reading comprehension. Even with adequate oral vocabulary and decoding skills, Johnny didn’t gain a year in reading comprehension for each year in school…intervention has to decrease the learning gap by increasing the rate of learning. To increase the rate of learning, you need to provide the right diagnosis and the right instruction, in the right environment. The last is often intensive intervention, four hours a day, five days a week, which results in years of gain in weeks of instruction.”

 

Is Intensive Instruction Right for your Child?

Parents often worry that their child will not be able to maintain focus for so many hours. Lindamood-Bell sessions are organised to involve a high level of interaction, movement, games, and motivational rewards.  Students work with a different tutor every hour to keep the levels of attention and intensity high and the sessions interesting.  Further, our students see the success quickly and realise they can learn given the right tools!

 

Hear from a family:

 

Getting Started

New to Lindamood-Bell? The first step is to see what may be affecting your child’s performance in the classroom. At our learning centres, we identify strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting school performance in reading, comprehension, and maths. Our instruction is based on an individual’s learning needs. Daily instruction can happen after school or as part of a child’s school day. Students can make years of progress in just a few weeks.

 

Some students come to us with previous diagnoses such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, or general learning challenges—and we make a difference for each of them.

 

Some students seek our help to enhance their skills or to just make learning easier—and we do.

 

If school is hard for your child, you need to know why and how to help. Identifying strengths and weaknesses is the first step toward helping your child finish the school year successfully.

 

A learning evaluation will uncover the strengths and weaknesses that are affecting school. In a thorough results consultation, we will discuss an individualised learning plan to make school easier. Contact us to discuss how school year instruction can make an impact on your child’s learning:

 

Melbourne: (03) 9815 2949
Sydney Chatswood: (02) 9410 1006
Sydney Double Bay: (02) 9328 7119