Reading, Writing & Math Help for Dyslexia, LD & ADHD » tutoring

Poetry Writing Through the Colors: The Sentence Zone

bonnieterry — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:54:37 +0000

Our kids often get assignments where they have to write a poem, and they often struggle with it. Poetry writing is not always the easiest thing to do, especially when you have LD, dyslexia, or ADHD. Even gifted kids can struggle with poetry writing. It doesn’t matter if you are homeschooling or in a public school, poetry writing can be difficult for anyone.

However, writing poetry doesn’t have to be so-o-o hard! There are many different types of poems, and I’ve found one of the easiest types of poetry to teach my kids is the Haiku, specifically the Cinquain type of Haiku Poem. Learn how to use the Sentence Zone for writing poems. This is made really easy using The Sentence Zone game because you can write the poem with colors.

Using The Sentence Zone game makes writing poetry easy for kids with LD, dyslexia, ADHD, or even gifted.

Hope this is helpful! Don’t forget to sign up for the FREE teaching and homework tips!

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Learn Spelling – Teach Spelling With the Spelling Patterns

bonnieterry — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:13:56 +0000

Need help with spelling? Teaching spelling or learning how to spell doesn’t have to be daunting even if you have a learning disability, dyslexia, or are even gifted. And, yes, even gifted kids sometimes struggle with spelling. Spelling problems are typically due to areas of auditory processing that aren’t working as effeciently as they should and could be working. But, when you teach spelling with the spelling patterns in an auditory, visual, and tactile way, everyone can spell.

When I tell parents that there are only 8 spelling patterns they are usually quite surprised. But, we only put letters together 8 ways to make words. Then, they become curious as to how I teach the patterns to my students. They ask me all the time to show them how to use Making Spelling Sense.

Here is a home schooling family using Making Spelling Sense with their younger kids. They use Making Spelling Sense II with their older kids. You can even see one of their older kids helping the youngest (who is in preschool) join in the lesson. Spelling is really a family affair! Watch the Woods family using Making Spelling Sense (with one of the first lessons) and see how easy spelling can be. They are doing the spelling lesson with multiple age kids.

Scroll down and watch a family learning the 1st Spelling Pattern:

Hope this was helpful. Be sure to get your FREE teaching and Homework Tips – go to the upper right side to get them!

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Question About Comprehension Zone: Age Range? Reading Game

bonnieterry — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:00:32 +0000

Hi Susan,

The Comprehension Zone can be used from 2nd grade – 12th grade (reading levels) or when played for listening comprehension, from 1st & up.

The Comprehension Zone comes with 3 sets of cards – 2-3 reading level, 4-6 reading level, and 7-12 reading level. It can be played simultaneously with all levels. Can also be played for listening comprehension at a level that is higher than the students reading level.

All of my products are multi-age/grade level because I primarily taught from 1st – 12th in my classrooms and/or center. I transition my kids that were in kindergarten as soon as I can into using the products, but never had too many that were in kindergarten. I am able to use the products with 1st – 12th.

Hope this helps,

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Hi Bonnie,

I’d like to place an order for a product of yours, but I have not been able to locate any age or grade range for any of the items. Can you tell me for whom the Comprehension Zone is appropriate?

Thanks,
Susan Taber

Math Game Reduces Math Phobia

bonnieterry — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:17:35 +0000

Parents often ask me what they can do to help their kids improve their math skills. One of the most important things to do when trying to improve any skills, whether they are math skills, reading skills, or writing skills is to help your kids dissolve their fear of math, reading, or writing. This is especially important when your child has dyslexia, dyscalculia (a math disability) or ADHD. So, how do you help these kids that don’t like a particular subject, often because they aren’t very good at it?

One of the best ways I’ve found to help my LD, dyslexic, or ADHD kids learn to like learning is to play games. Game playing helps reduce the fears kids have. Games put your kids into a relaxed state when learning. Kids often make greater gains in their skills when they are in a relaxed state. Watch how this family plays the Math Zone. They have fun and learn at the same time.

Don’t forget to sign up for the FREE Teaching Tips to your right.

Hope this is helpful,

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

P.S.: Be sure to leave a comment below and ask your questions to the right.

Is There a Way to Help Your Child Improve Their Skills?

bonnieterry — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:07:36 +0000

Do you wonder if there is a way to help your child improve their reading skills?

Listen to what Sara Hathaway had to say about the difference Bonnie Terry’s Products made with her son.

Hope this is helpful.

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Dyslexic, LD, ADHD, & Gifted Kids Improve Comprehension Skills By Game Playing

bonnieterry — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:04:19 +0000

Kids with dyslexia, LD, and ADHD are not the only ones that struggle with reading comprehension. Even gifted kids have been known to struggle with reading comprehension.

How many times have your kids re-read the same pages in their textbook, searching for the answers? Your kids may have even flung their book down or at you in frustration? That may be because no one actually ever taught them the skill of reading for meaning, and a result, reading assignments are hard for them.

Teaching the skills of reading for meaning, teaching reading comprehension skills, doesn’t have to be daunting. In fact, what if you could play a game as a family and in the playing your kids could actually learn how to read for meaning? That is what the kids in this family are doing. Watch the video of this family playing The Comprehension Zone. They are learning how to find the main idea of what they read. They can also play to find details of what they read or sequence what they read while they play.

Hope this has been helpful!

Be sure to leave a comment below and a question to your right!

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Is a Language Disability Considered a Learning Disability?

bonnieterry — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:28:16 +0000

A parent recently wrote in: Is a language disability considered a learning disability? My son has problems with both expressive and receptive language. He has a big difference between his visual and verbal scores on his test. That turned his language delay into a disability. There was a very large difference between the two. He is much better with visual than verbal, but I knew that when he was little. He has always been very visual. He also needs some help with speech, but the main problem is language. He also needs help with social skills and behavioral help.

I do have an IEP meeting scheduled in a few weeks so it will be ready to be implemented when he starts 1st grade. What kinds of things should I have in his IEP so that he is taught visually? Is there anything I should ask about? He is already getting speech and language help one day a week at school, but his diagnosis has changed from delay to disability since that was implemented.

In one word, yes, a language disability is considered a learning disability.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities states the following:

Specific Learning Disability: A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Disability categories: IDEA disability categories include autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment (e.g., asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia and Tourette syndrome), specific learning disability, (e.g., Perceptual Disabilities, Brain Injury, Minimal Brain Dysfunction, Dyslexia, Developmental Aphasia), speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment (including blindness), and developmental delay.

There are a few other things I’d like to share with you.

1. In CA there are services for those with severe speech &/or language disabilities. Kids are typically placed in a classroom where the teacher has a background speech & language [typically a speech & language pathologist].

Placement in a class that is specifically designed for speech & language students where I live are actually county classes – in other words, the county office of education has classes sprinkled throughout several public schools and they bus the kids to the specific school that has the program/class they need. These classes are for those with more severe language problems than one or two sessions per week with the speech person in a pull out program would be providing.

“Language is often described in two ways: expressive language and receptive language. Individuals with LD often have difficulty with both expressive and receptive language. There is a strong relationship between language and learning disabilities. Articles within this section provide information for parents and teachers about early warning signs of speech and language difficulties.” [LD Online]

2. Even if you send your child to a private school, if you want, you can access speech & language services from the public school. You will need to transport your child at the time of day the public school schedules him, but the public school should be providing it.

I was in a similar circumstance a number of years ago. One of my students was in a private school and I attended the IEP meeting at the public school. The parents kept the student at the private school but were able to transport him to the public school for resource services provided by the public school.

3. Regarding the IEP, you will want to come as prepared as possible. You might ask your son’s current teacher for any special things he/she is doing for your son. You will want to also make notes yourself on how he works best at home. To get a fuller picture of what is going on, you may want to avail yourself of an informal comprehensive assessment tool like the Learning Difficulty/Disability Pre-Screening Tool and Informal Comprehensive Identification Tool. It will give you a lot of information so you will be coming from a position of knowledge and strength to the meeting.

Hope this is helpful.

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Teaching Reading: The Short Vowels to Dyslexics, ADHD, & Homeschooling Kids

bonnieterry — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:24:54 +0000

Teaching reading has a variety of things involved with it. One critical area is in the phonemic awareness area and auditory processing. Kids need to learn the sounds, including the vowel sounds. The short vowel sounds for the short ‘e’ and the short ‘i’ are very close to each other. This makes them hard for kids to tell the difference. But, teaching the short vowels is easy when you realize the short vowels are actually ‘on your body.’ With this technique kids have a tactile cue in which to remember the sounds. Remember, when you teach with an association, retention improves dramatically! Watch the video to see where the sounds are and how to teach them to your kids.

Hope this is helpful!

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Spelling Problems? What is the Cause and What Do I Do About It?

bonnieterry — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:07:07 +0000

I can’t tell you how may parents have asked me about their child that has problems with spelling. In fact, my daughter had spelling problems. She came by it naturally – her father was a terrible speller. I’ll never forget how he’d drop off a paper of his for me to type for him when we were in college. The problem for me was that he not only had sloppy handwriting, he was also a terrible speller. So, sometimes it was an actual guessing game for me trying to decipher what he had written.

Fortunately times have changed and we have computers with spell checker that make life a lot easier for us now. But, that still doesn’t solve the spelling dilemma. I shot this video to explain what is actually going on when you have difficulty with spelling. I also suggest in it what you need to look for in a spelling program to be sure it will be one that will actually help you to become a better speller. Hope you enjoy it.

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Be sure to leave your comments or questions.

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

My son is 8 and has really struggled with learning. What do I do? Where should I start?

bonnieterry — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:03:55 +0000

I have read the free ebook and reviewed the books and kits you have for sale. Does the kit with the five books cover all learning disabilities. I see that the one book helps identify the problem area(s). My son is 8 and has really struggled with learning and he really has a desire to learn. It has been difficult to find products that show what to do after the problem is identified and that are easy to use. I don’t want to purchase a package if it is not what we need. He does, however, have most of the problems listed in the ebook question list (90%) and it is frustrating for both of us helping him along. Do you think it would be wise to order the book on identifying his challenge areas first? Or do you have a kit that includes the book for this? Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Gena Smith

Gena,

I always like to start with understanding exactly what is going on…why a student is struggling and what areas are they good in. This helps me to be more patient and efficient when I’m teaching them. I want to be sure that I’m addressing all of their needs.

For instance, you work on phonics with a student and he really gets it, but is still struggling, the problem may be visual tracking, visual memory, visual closure, or any of the other areas of visual, auditory, or tactile/kinesthetic processing that were not addressed with the phonic program. So what you actually needed to do was to work on those areas. Ultimately you spent time, effort, and money and haven’t solved the problem. And, in the meantime your son gets more frustrated because learning is still hard.

Another example would be when a student has trouble remembering their multiplication tables, knowing if they have visual memory or auditory memory problems makes a difference. If the problem is one of understanding the concept of what is mathematically happening with numbers when you multiply them you would do something different to help them. Spatial awareness comes in too with the understanding that 4 x 5 is the same as 5 x 4 (They take up the same amount of space if the boxes below were all the smae size. Unfortunately the size changed when I put the tables in.)

1	2	3	4
2
3
4
5

4 x 5

1	2	3	4	5
2
3
4

5 x 4 = 20

So, when I created my products, I created them in such a way that each of them would address multiple areas of auditory, visual, and tactile kinesthetic processing sub-categories. That would ensure that I would be addressing their problematic areas, even if I didn’t know what each of their specific problematic areas was. Just using these materials would ensure that I’d be hitting the critical areas that students have problems with and at the same time teach them the specific skills they needed.

That said, no the learning pack does not include the Learning Difficulty/Disability Pre-Screening Tool and Informal Comprehensive Identification Tool. That is sold separately. It is very reasonably priced at only $37.00. Remember, taking your son to someone for testing can be anywhere from $500.00 to thousands of dollars.

I’ve listed the areas of perception that each of the products addresses.

Five Minutes to Better Reading Skills

Addresses: auditory and visual perception difficulties, specifically visual closure, visual tracking, auditory discrimination, auditory visual integration, auditory closure, and auditory memory. It is phonological, incorporating every vowel and consonant combination in the English language, with lots of review built in. It also includes a retrieval automaticity component that is critical in ensuring that children understand what they read.

Making Spelling Sense and Making Spelling Sense II

The auditory areas addressed are: auditory discrimination, auditory closure, auditory visual integration, auditory memory, and auditory visual coordination. The visual areas addressed are: visual tracking, visual closure, visual discrimination and form constancy, visual motor, and visual integration. The tactile-kinesthetic areas addressed are: laterality, directionality, spatial-temporal, and sensory motor integration.

The English language has a specific structure. There are eight spelling patterns in the language and the patterns are taught with story explanations. The process used shows students how letters come together eight different ways to make words. It takes the guess work out of spelling.

Ten Minutes to Better Study Skills

Addresses the following visual, auditory, and tactile-kinesthetic processing areas: visual memory, visual figure ground, visual closure, visual language association, visual language classification, auditory-visual coordination, auditory language association, auditory memory, laterality, spatial temporal, and sensory motor integration.

Writing and study skills it covers include: note taking, paragraph writing, essay writing, research paper writing, and letter writing. You will be able to teach your students the secrets to improving their reading comprehension as well as the secrets to improve their studying and the seven steps to take on test day to improve their test scores.

The Sentence Zone

Addresses visual motor, visual language classification, visual closure, spatial-temporal,
laterality, directionality, contact, and sensory motor areas of perception.

The Writer’s Easy Reference GuideTM is an individual resource for all students. It includes paragraph writing hints, essay writing hints, steps of the writing process, words to make your writing more interesting, common prefixes, suffixes and root words, grammatical and literary terms, how to write a bibliography with examples and much, much more. It “unlocks the code” of how to write a sentence, then a paragraph, then a better paragraph, then an essay. The guide helps all to be confident and competent writers.

The Comprehension Zone

Addresses visual memory and auditory memory too! Students read short passages of materials, identify the main idea and details, and rephrase the content in their own words. That is exactly what students do when they play the Comprehension Zone. Bonnie has created a visual/kinesthetic method for teaching kids of all ages how to read for meaning. They play for main idea, details, both, or to sequence what they have read or listened to.

The Math Zone

Addresses spatial awareness, visual form constancy, and visual motor areas of perception.

The BT Easy Math Reference GuideTM starts with addition and subtraction. Then, this 16-page guide shows step by step how to solve all elementary math calculations right up to fractions and decimals. Also covered are all those “other” math topics, such as word problems, bar and circle graph, rounding and estimating, place value, geometry, measurements, money, and averaging. You’ll learn the how, the why, and the memory tricks to help your students remember. Simple, clear examples, all in a sturdy, 3-hole-punched format you can slip into a binder. It’s a great supplement to any math program, for both parent and student.

B & D Posters are used by families as well as classrooms, typically one per classroom at the primary grade levels. The B&D Stickers come with 10 in a pack and are used with primary age children, typically placed on their desk as a reminder. Middle Grade and High School students who still have reversal difficulties love them and usually put them inside their binders as a reminder.

Hope this is helpful.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET