All posts by Amy Kessler

Summer Learning Plan: When the Teacher Recommends Reading Help

Instruction, , , ,

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Teachers always encourage students to read as much as they can over the summer. But if your last parent-teacher conference came with a specific suggestion—to get some extra reading support during the summer months—you may be considering one of the following options to prepare for next school year:

 

  • Teach your child to read yourself.
  • Hire a college student to tutor your child.

However, if your child is reading behind their peers, it may be that they have what’s called weak symbol imagery—the ability to visualize letters within words; so any traditional reading practice or tutoring will just stretch out the issue into next school year.

 

You may even  be  questioning the teacher’s advice about summer help altogether, perhaps unsure if your child’s reading is truly unsatisfactory, as compared to peers; and eager to give a young child a break from schoolwork. You might be considering to just:

 

  • Wait until the fall. Perhaps reading has not yet “clicked” for your child.

Unfortunately, the “Summer Slide” effect hits struggling readers harder than their peers. If your teacher has identified an issue, your child is at risk of starting school even further behind.

 

An alternate suggestion, that can help your family decide the next step:

 

  • Find out WHY your child’s reading is a concern and take a few weeks this summer to make reading a strength before next year.

Some kindergarteners, for example, might be referred to as “late bloomers” when it comes to reading; when in fact  they should be able to identify sight words and sound out unfamiliar words they come across while reading. They might not be able to enjoy reading at all because it goes so slowly for them. Others are struggling to sound out words at all.

 

In a learning evaluation, you get the information you need to make an informed decision about summer learning. We identify the strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting reading and then make recommendations for an individualized instruction plan.

 

Your child can learn to read in time for school and have plenty of time for a great summer break.

 

For more information, or to schedule a learning evaluation, please click here for a list of our Learning Center locations.

Today is Red Nose Day!

* News, Community, Events

As an organization that believes in the potential of all individuals, Lindamood-Bell is proud to support Red Nose Day. We know that when children’s needs are met, anything is possible.

 

Because “Red Nose Day is on a mission to lift kids out of poverty and has raised over $1 billion globally in the last 25 years,” we gladly join in the fun and red nose-wearing.

 

Blog-Image-Red-Nose-Day

 

You can learn more about Red Nose Day here:
http://rednoseday.org/

I Hate Reading!: Tips for Helping Your (very) Reluctant Reader

Comprehension, Helpful Tips, , , ,

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Do you have a child who would rather wash the dishes or help with the laundry than read a book? Do you have to beg and plead with them to sit down and read, whether it’s for school or fun? Maybe they even say they “hate reading.”

 

It’s hard to know how to react when your child hates reading, and even harder to know how to motivate them to read. We hope one or more of the following ideas will do the trick; which idea(s) will work, however, depends on the underlying reason for your child’s reluctance—boredom with content, inability to understand what they’re reading, or a reading weakness.

 

Provide your child with books that explore their interests.

Perhaps pair with an associated activity. For example, if your child loves learning about animals, plan a trip to the library after your next zoo visit. Reading can be easier to tackle when the books surround a beloved topic, so parents can help by providing some choices that are a good fit.

 

Send the right message about reading.  

To establish reading as a positive household activity, parents can schedule quiet times for reading and be a reading role model themselves. These quiet times for the family are great for eliminating distractions and hard feelings as no family member “gets” to play games or watch TV while the reluctant reader feels punished. Parents should definitely participate, too, modeling reading as a leisure activity that you look forward to.

 

And, if there is not required school reading piled up, allow for as much free choice as possible—comic books, for example have been a gateway to science fiction for many reluctant readers.

 

Try storytime and audiobooks.

Listening to stories can develop imagery and spark a child’s interest in seeking out books to read on their own. Doing this activity together gives you the opportunity to ask imagery questions as you’re listening to content. Some good language to use is “what are you picturing for this part of the story? What do you think might happen next?” Get a conversation going about the story in order to gauge understanding.

 

Not sure where to start? Check out the Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease; this guide of over 300 titles also includes information about the benefits of reading aloud to children.

 

Address comprehension issues head-on.

If your child has weak concept imagery—the ability to create an imagined or imaged gestalt, or whole, from language—reading about their favorite activity or listening to audiobooks will not magically help them enjoy reading. They may not understand what they’re reading or listening to, or may be only getting “parts” and not the whole of the story. If this is the case, they aren’t just bored or unmotivated. They need the imagery-language connection so learning can be easier. Learn more about comprehension weakness, including solutions, here.

 

Rule out a reading weakness.

If decoding is an issue, just making your child read more will not make them enjoy it. If your child has trouble recognizing sight words, sounds out words incorrectly, or reads slowly, they may have a reading difficulty. A cause of reading difficulty is a weakness in visualizing letters in words. This is called weak symbol imagery and must be intact in order for your child to self-correct their reading errors, which leads to independence while reading. Learn more about reading difficulty, including solutions, here.

 

Reluctant readers are often struggling readers, so it is important to know what is going on with your child’s reading experience. Once you’ve determined the area of weakness, it’s critical to provide your child with the tools necessary to become independent readers, which is the goal for all of us. No more “I hate reading.” Let’s get your child to love reading as much as you do!

 

We Are Teachers asked readers to share their ideas, see those here.

Turn Summer Learning Loss Into Summer Learning Gain–4 Tips

Instruction,

Blog-Image-Choose-Summer-Learning-Gain

 

If you know a school-aged student. . .you know someone who is looking forward to summer vacation!

 

And it seems that students who have any difficulty with learning or academics have even more enthusiasm for summer vacation than their peers. Spending so many hours a week all school year, doing the thing you struggle at, over and over again, would be challenging for anyone. Whether it’s reading, or comprehension, or math that is difficult for a student, the extra effort they have been making throughout the year, just to keep up, deserves applause—and, yes, a break.

 

Parents of these stressed students may wonder, however, about the effects of giving them the whole summer off from learning. For many students, three months away from academics can lead to measurable learning losses in skills like reading and math—which, of course, is not what any family wants to be faced with at the start the upcoming school year.

 

It’s wise to plan for a summer that includes both the break and the activity your child needs. Consider the following as you plan for a great summer:

 

1. Balance

A rejuvenating, successful summer requires balance. Schedule time off throughout the summer to celebrate efforts and spend time with family and friends. Days should be a balance of indoor and outdoor activities. Even days that are spent “learning” should have plenty of fun scheduled in, too!

 

2. Explore

Summer gives many children the time to explore their own interests. For example, an animal enthusiast can visit the zoo or attend a forest ranger camp. Summer reading assignments from school can be easier to tackle when the books surround a beloved topic, so parents can help by providing some choices that are a good fit.

Tip: Schedule library visits and reading time on your family’s summer calendar!

 

3. Make a Connection

Establish an imagery-language connection through daily life activities to stimulate learning.  For example, when giving your child instructions, such as brushing teeth, getting dressed, making their bed, ask your child to picture these items in their mind before they do them.  Also, when reading with your child, use imagery stimulating questions when discussing the main idea and overall meaning of the story.  Instead of asking, “What was that story about?” you can ask, “What did you picture for that story?”  You can expand upon these questions to dive into their images even more.  

 

4. Gain

Students can spend part of their summer at one of our learning centers to turn what could have been a learning loss, into a learning gain. Some students come to us with a previous diagnosis of a learning challenge. Some need learning to be easier, while some use summer learning to get ahead for next year. We start by identifying strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting performance in reading, comprehension, and math.  And, we make recommendations for individualized instruction plans that create learning gains. Students go back to school with more confidence.

 

Make an impact this summer!  It’s a great time to get ahead for next school year.  Get started today by contacting us to discuss how we can help make this summer everything your family has been waiting for!

Seasonal Learning Clinics: Genuine Lindamood-Bell Instruction . . . Everywhere!

Instruction,

So far, Lindamood-Bell has taught over 35,000 students to read and comprehend to their potential. We are able to reach students, in part, by bringing our Seasonal Learning Clinics to new communities every year.

 

Extensions of our permanent Learning Centers, our Seasonal Learning Clinics provide genuine Lindamood-Bell instruction to students who would otherwise be too far away for daily instruction. These limited-time locations are open for a minimum of 4 to 12 weeks—enough time to change learning for many students.

 

Contact your local Learning Center about Seasonal Learning Clinics: Locations

An Amazing Partnership in Honduras

ELL, For Schools, Professional Development

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Lindamood-Bell has been working with Escuela Internacional in San Pedro Sula and La Lima, Honduras (EIS) since 2005, when our staff began presenting workshops to their teachers. A School Partnership was established with EIS in 2011, which has involved at least five of our staff members traveling to Honduras. This partnership includes training teachers in Lindamood-Bell’s programs, mentoring and consulting teachers, and overseeing the implementation of our programs with a total of 247 students. The focus of instruction for these students who are struggling in school is improving their decoding and comprehension skills.  The average number of hours of instruction each student has received is 150.

 

The following letter is from Brill Rawlins, a Lindamood-Bell staff member who is eager to share how Lindamood-Bell is changing so many lives, worldwide. As she so eloquently puts it, “Lucky Us.”

 

Hi Nanci,

 

I’ve been traveling to our School Partnership in San Pedro Sula, Honduras for the last 3 years for workshops and on-site consulting. I wanted to share with you this picture of myself and all the teachers in the Student Success Centers at Escuela Internacional in San Pedro Sula and La Lima, Honduras. These passionate educators are bringing the magic of learning to a student population that is nearly 100% English Language Learners. They coach their colleagues in classroom instruction in addition to teaching their intervention groups. I have the deepest respect for their fidelity to our programs and their students.

 

Here’s what you should picture for their RtI implementation:

 

Early Education Center:

3-4 year olds – Talkies in Spanish

Pre-K and Kdg – Talkies and Seeing Stars in English

Interventions – Talkies in English and Spanish, Seeing Stars in English. Groups seen 3-4 days a week for 20-30mins.

 

Elementary School:

1st and 2nd Grade – Seeing Stars and V/V

3rd and 4th Grade – V/V Application

Interventions – Seeing Stars, V/V. Groups seen 4-5 days a week for 5o mins.

 

La Lima Campus:

1st – 8th Grade – SI and V/V. Groups are seen 3-4 days a week for 45 mins.

 

The teachers wanted me to thank you for everything your programs have done to help their students reach their potential in their second language.

 

Lucky me. Lucky them. Lucky us.

 

Brill Rawlins (in stripes)

 

Click below to watch a video about this amazing partnership.

https://youtu.be/C7fFoPwwoQY

Time to Jump-Start Learning

Instruction

Blog-Image-Jump-Start-Learning

At this point in the school year, students everywhere are feeling the crunch of looming due dates and increased workloads.  For students who have any kind of struggle with learning, this time of year can be especially tough. Their performance may have lagged behind peers all year, and increased expectations may now make tackling school even more difficult.

 

Observing your child doing homework all school year, you recognize it’s not just a “motivation” problem. Whether their teacher has spoken with you or not, you know your child needs help.

 

Wondering if help could even make a difference this late in the school year?

 

We believe the answer is yes. 

 

At our learning centers, we identify strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting school performance in reading, comprehension, and math. Our instruction is based on an individual’s learning needs. 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. 

 

Let’s jump-start learning for your child: https://lindamoodbell.com/locations

You’re Invited to an Overview on Learning

Events

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.

 

WEB-LC-Event-Pics-SLC-Overview

Please Come to Our Overview on Learning!

 

We are coming to your area to show you how we teach children and adults to read and comprehend to their potential. Join us and learn how we have been creating the Magic of Learning for 30 years!

See below for a list of locations, dates, and times.

 

Nanci Bell: “We are so excited to celebrate Lindamood-Bell’s 30-year anniversary!”

* News,

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We are so excited to celebrate Lindamood-Bell’s 30-year anniversary!

 

Our organization is a living entity to me—a creation based on integrity, intelligence, and love.  In 1986, Pat Lindamood and I acted on our vision to help each individual learn to his or her potential.  

 

As I reflect back to that time and recognize where we are now, tears come to my eyes, especially when I think of how proud Pat would be.  She would say, “Nanci dear, can you believe how many individuals we have helped?”

 

To date, we have taught over 35,000 individuals of all ages and backgrounds.  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.

 

Other students seek our help to enhance their skills or to just make learning easier—and we do.  Our imagery-language instruction enables our students to achieve years of gain in reading or comprehension after only a few weeks of instruction.

 

We also dreamed that we could make a difference in the field of education.  To that end, we have partnered with such institutions as Georgetown University, MIT, and Wake Forest University to conduct neurological and behavioral research.

 

The research results consistently prove that Lindamood-Bell instruction changes the brain functions underlying language and literacy skills.  Furthermore, these brain functions continue to improve after our instruction has ended.

 

We believe in the potential of your child—and you can believe in us.

 

Kindest regards,

pod

Nanci Bell

Co-Founder

Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes

The Missing Connection: Why Reading is Still So Hard for Your Child

Decoding, Instruction, ,

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When a student struggles with reading, extra help typically focuses on phonics, or sounding out words, and spelling rules. Unfortunately, many students, even those who have had months 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.”

 

Why? What is the missing connection for these students?

 

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 difficult for your child.

 

We help make this connection for students at our learning centers. Our teachers’ 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 and spelling skills are improved.

 

Improved symbol imagery changes how a student reads and spells, regardless of their age or struggle with literacy—including those with a previous diagnosis of dyslexia.
Learn more about about how symbol imagery can change your child’s ability to read: https://lindamoodbell.com/program/seeing-stars-program