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Make a Fresh Start: Tips and Solutions for a Great School Year

Jan 13, 2017
 
 

It’s the right time to make a fresh start! We are providing tips for how you can support your child’s learning at home. We also outline how Lindamood-Bell helps students during the year, whether they need a complete turnaround or ongoing homework help to stay on track.

 

Fresh Start at Home

 

Establishing good homework habits can help your child make the most of this school year. We recommend focusing on just a few areas that can help no matter how busy your family schedule becomes:

 

  • Refresh backpack and binder organization


Talk with your child about what worked well for them and what has been a challenge. For example, how often were they missing the right book they needed? Have your child visualize a few solutions and choose what will work best for them.

 

  • Create a distraction-free homework zone


Eliminate the “stops and starts” and you can maximize crucial time on what matters. Check out
this video to get started.

 

  • Make a plan for busy evenings


A simple weeknight schedule can make a difference. Talk about
when homework happens, and check for understanding ahead of time.  You can ask questions that prompt your student to visualizethe key to good comprehension. For example, you can ask questions like, “What do you picture us doing when we get home?”  

 

It’s wise to also plan for ongoing skill-building activities so your student can benefit, even when it gets busy.

 

 

Fresh Start Support

We hope a fresh start puts your student on the path to a great year. The truth is, for many busy families, protected homework time is not always practical, at least not for every night of the school week. Whether it’s a work schedule that keeps us from homework help until after dinner, or the myriad other family activities bustling around the studying child—our best laid plans for homework time can quickly go out the window. Families partner with Lindamood-Bell to give their student the best chance for a fresh start—and a great school year.

 

Our learning center can discuss which school year support might be right for your child. New to Lindamood-Bell? In a thorough consultation, we will discuss an individualized learning plan to make a fresh start and make school easier.

 

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 their work done. 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 entering a new grade or facing an academic challenge. Students benefit from our expertise in learning and cognition. We teach:  

 

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

Academic Prep is enrichment instruction for students who do not require remediation.

 

Kindergarten Boost at Lindamood-Bell

Your child can discover the Magic of Learning right from the start. Kindergarten Boost is instruction for our youngest students who need to get going with literacy.  We help jumpstart the skills they need for this school year or next:

 

      • Letter names and sounds
      • Sounding out for reading
      • Sight word reading
      • Printing letters and numbers
      • Listening comprehension
      • Communication skills

 

Kindergarten Boost is enrichment instruction for students who do not require remediation.

 

We Start Where Your Student Is

Students who need a fresh start 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.

 

Sensory-Cognitive Instruction at Lindamood-Bell

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. Sensory-Cognitive instruction is available at the learning center or online.

 

Contact the learning center for information and to get started 800.300.1818

Connect with us
📣 We’re Hiring: Seasonal Educational Clinicians/Tutors (In-Person)

Our Learning Centers are hiring. We’re looking for individuals interested in education, teaching, literacy, child development, tutoring, or academic support who are passionate about creating an engaging and supportive learning environment. Join us as we help students of all ages read and comprehend to their potential.

✨ Paid training provided!

Apply today through our Career Site. Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
🎧 New Podcast Episode: A Mother’s Perspective: Autism, Comprehension, and Real Progress 🌟
Hear April share her son’s journey at Lindamood-Bell. Although he was a strong decoder, reading comprehension remained a challenge. Through Visualizing and Verbalizing® instruction, his comprehension scores soared—and he’s now making substantial progress in math.

Discover how personalized, sensory-cognitive instruction helped him gain the skills and confidence to thrive academically.
👉 Listen now at the link in bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
At Lindamood-Bell, our support doesn’t end on the last day of instruction.

Families who have previously attended are invited to schedule a School Year Checkup, a dedicated time to reflect on progress and realign as academic demands change.

Each Checkup includes:
 • A conversation about school progress
 • A complimentary Learning Ability Evaluation
 • Clear insights and next steps, if needed

The School Year Checkup is an exclusive benefit for past Learning Center families.
New to Lindamood-Bell? Explore how our personalized instruction can support your child’s learning. 
Follow the link in bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Is your child having a hard time with math?
Math remediation is not about more worksheets or memorizing steps. It is a targeted, structured approach that identifies why a child is struggling and rebuilds the foundational skills needed for lasting understanding.
At Lindamood-Bell, our On Cloud Nine® program integrates imagery with language to help students connect math concepts to verbal reasoning. Students learn to understand the process behind the problem, strengthening both reasoning and computation.
Learn more through the link in bio at @lindamoodbellofficial.
It’s a great time to plan professional development for your school district.

Book a Lindamood-Bell inservice workshop by March 15 and save 20% per attendee (minimum 10 participants). Workshops can be scheduled through December 18, 2026.

Practical, classroom-ready training for:
• Early literacy and math
• Students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities
• Struggling readers

Give your team research-based tools they can use right away.
Learn more at the link in bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
What does a reading specialist actually do, and how do you know if your child needs one? 📘
Our latest blog article breaks down the role of a reading specialist, what expert instruction looks like, and how individualized support can make a lasting difference in reading and comprehension.
 👉Read more at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Young students need strong listening comprehension to learn, communicate, and succeed in school, but these skills are often expected to develop on their own instead of being taught intentionally.

Join us at the Head Start California Annual Conference in Ontario, California for Closing the Comprehension Gap: Develop Language Comprehension, Expression, and Critical Thinking for Early Learners, presented by Melissa Garner, Director of Lindamood-Bell For Schools, and Zuzy Chaves, Director of Jardin de la Infancia.

Learn how developing Concept Imagery can strengthen listening comprehension, vocabulary, language expression, and early critical thinking for young learners.

Get session details and conference information at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
As we begin Black History Month, we honor and celebrate the achievements, leadership, creativity, and resilience of African American leaders, educators, scholars, and artists—past and present.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” —Harriet Tubman

Explore resources and learn more with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture. Link in Bio.
If your child has dyslexia, accommodations may help them get through the school day. But what about building real reading skills?
Our latest blog explores common school accommodations and why developing sensory-cognitive skills is essential for independent reading. 
🔗 Read the full article at the link in bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Start 2026 Strong with Workshop Savings ✨

Kick off the year with special pricing on Lindamood-Bell for Schools professional development, aligned with the Science of Reading.
✔ Save 25% when you bring a colleague or bundle workshops
✔ Group inservice training discounts up to 25% available

Use code HELLO26BOGO

⏰ Offers end January 31, 2026.
👉 View the workshop schedule and reserve your spot.
🔗 Link in bio @lindamoodbellofficial
✨ Experience the Lindamood-Bell Academy Difference!
 
📅 Jan 12–16 | Academy Week
See firsthand how we help students build their learning ability while thriving in a full academic curriculum.

🎓 Special Enrollment Offer available!
 Tap the link in our bio @lindamoodbellofficial to learn more.
📚 Teaching students to connect language with imagery strengthens reading skills and comprehension.

At Lindamood-Bell, our approach is grounded in Dual Coding Theory (DCT), a cognitive framework explaining how the brain processes information. Our founders’ programs, including Seeing Stars for reading and spelling and Visualizing and Verbalizing for comprehension and critical thinking, apply these principles through sensory-cognitive instruction.

✨ See how our approach translates into classroom practice and the real results it produces for students.
Read the full article - tap the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
📖 Want to help your child build strong reading skills from the very start?
Our latest blog, Developing Early Literacy Skills: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Young Readers, shares practical tips for nurturing language, decoding, and comprehension at home. Discover how everyday reading and playful activities can spark curiosity and confidence.
✨ Learn how personalized support at Lindamood-Bell can strengthen the foundational skills your child needs to succeed in school and beyond.
Tap the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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