| While children and teens with learning disabilities are | | | | some letter shapes |
| often "diagnosed" in middle school or high school, many | | | | End of 1st Grade: Difficulty...o Learning the alphabet and |
| disabilities can actually be PREVENTED by intervention | | | | corresponding letter soundso Applying "phonics" to |
| at a much earlier age. Experts now know that there | | | | reading and spellingo Spelling common sight wordso |
| are things that parents can do at home to help even | | | | Retelling stores in sequence and making predictionso |
| the youngest children. | | | | Reading aloud with some fluency and comprehension |
| The root of learning | | | | End of 2nd Grade: - Difficulty...o Recalling facts and |
| "The root of learning - whether it be reading, math or | | | | detailso Using phonics to sound out words including |
| even writing - is good cognitive skills," explains Tanya | | | | multi-syllable wordso Correctly spelling previously |
| Mitchell, Director of Training for LearningRx, a 'brain | | | | studied and commonly seen words |
| training' franchise. "Things like auditory and visual | | | | How to help at home |
| processing, memory, processing speed, | | | | Parents don't have to spend a lot of money to help |
| comprehension, short- and long-term memory, logic | | | | improve children's cognitive skills at home. In fact, many |
| and reasoning, and attention are the underlying tools | | | | simple word- or sound-related games can even be |
| that enable kids to successfully focus, think, prioritize, | | | | played in the car while you're driving. LearningRx |
| plan, understand, visualize, remember and create useful | | | | shared a few ideas that its trainers recommend for |
| associations, and solve problems." | | | | helping younger children get on the right track early to |
| According to Mitchell, any weak cognitive skill - or a | | | | become strong learners. |
| combination of several - can lead to a learning disability. | | | | Auditory: Sound segmenting games: Say a two-sound |
| By identifying a weak cognitive skill early, parents can | | | | word, like bee or tie, and have them tell you which |
| help prevent learning disabilities - even before a child | | | | sounds are in the word ("b" and "ee" for "bee" and "t" |
| attends kindergarten. | | | | and "i" for "tie"). Then start to increase to three-sound |
| "There are very promising studies that show a 90 | | | | words like cat, ("c" "a" and "t") and tree ("t" "r" and |
| percent decrease in reading problems if children are | | | | "ee"). This builds auditory segmenting which is |
| first introduced to sound analysis activities," she says. | | | | necessary for spelling when children get older. |
| "This might include things like rhyming or playing sound | | | | Phonetics using building blocks: Help develop analysis |
| games when children learn how to add or omit sounds | | | | skills by using blocks to make up nonsense words |
| in a syllable." | | | | starting with two to three blocks. Create a nonsense |
| According to Dr. G. Reid Lyon, Chief of National | | | | word, then have the child remove one of the blocks |
| Institute of Child Health and Human Development's | | | | and add a new one while verbally trying to figure out |
| Child Development and Behavior Branch, | | | | what the new nonsense word sounds like. (If they |
| NICHD-funded research has shown that such services | | | | can't read, just say the sounds for them, and ask them |
| should have a firm foundation in phonological | | | | to try to figure out from hearing the sounds what the |
| awareness. Before most poor readers can learn to | | | | new word would sound like when they switch the |
| read successfully they need to learn that spoken | | | | blocks.) |
| words can be broken apart into smaller segments | | | | Rhyming games: Say a word and then take turns with |
| called phonemes. Next, they usually require training in | | | | your child trying to come up with a new word that |
| phonics -"mapping" phonemes to the printed words on | | | | rhymes. This develops auditory analysis, which is |
| a page. Once children have mastered these steps, | | | | important for reading and spelling as well as processing |
| they can then receive training to help them read | | | | auditory instruction. |
| fluently, and to comprehend what they read. | | | | Visual: "The Make a Movie In Your Head Game": Start |
| Identifying reading disabilities | | | | with a subject like a puppy and then have your child |
| While a trained cognitive specialist can help diagnose | | | | help create what the puppy looks like; his size, if he is |
| the specifics of learning and reading disabilities, parents | | | | sitting or running around, his color, etc. Then have your |
| may be the first to identify struggles. Parents may be | | | | child talk about where the puppy is; next to a |
| able to determine learning problems, such as with | | | | doghouse, in the forest, etc. Gradually have your child |
| auditory processing at home by asking the following. | | | | add other subjects, the weather, what the dog is |
| Does he/she: | | | | saying, etc. By developing pictures with color, size, |
| 1. ... appear to guess at words? | | | | perception, sound, background, etc, kids learn how to |
| 2. ... ever add or omit sounds in words? | | | | develop a more complete picture, which will lead to |
| 3. ... have difficulty spelling new words, or spelling when | | | | better comprehension. If they have difficulty creating a |
| writing? | | | | new picture, parents can start by having the child |
| 4. ... have difficulty recalling stories and jokes? | | | | describe what is in their room. |
| 5. ...take a long time to complete tasks? | | | | Memory: Ask your child to give directions to either your |
| 6. ...have difficulty doing two things at once? | | | | home, the post office, the grocery store or a friends' |
| 7. ...often ask to have things repeated? | | | | house. Also, ask them to tell five things about their day, |
| 8. ...have difficulty organizing activities? | | | | three being something new they learned. This helps |
| 9. ...easily distracted? | | | | build memory. |
| 10. ...use slow, deliberate speech? | | | | Parents can also teach mnemonics. Think of a fact - |
| Recognizing risk factors at any age | | | | like remembering their phone number - and have your |
| If your child is too young to discern if the above | | | | child create a funny story that they can use. For |
| general symptoms apply, look for the following | | | | instance: 487-9376. "The number 4 ate(8) seven(7) |
| age-related risk factors: | | | | fine(9) trees(3) and seven(7) sticks(6)." (This example |
| Pre-K or Kindergarten: Difficulty...o Recognizing | | | | uses rhyming and memory.) |
| rhymeso Remembering names of friends, peers, etc.o | | | | For a complete evaluation of cognitive learning abilities, |
| With normal language developmento Recognizing | | | | contact the nearest cognitive skills training center. |