10 Common Methods In Modifying Academic Tasks

As we have progressed in education, so has our methods in evaluating an individual's understanding of the curriculum. Some students may have a difficult time with producing the same results with the standard assessment models. 

Here are some common modifications used to see if your student understands the information that has been presented to them.

1.  Reduce the number of questions or problems assigned to the student. 

2. Highlight key words, phrases or sentences for the student to read.

3. Remove workbook pages and present them to the student to reduce their anxiety.

4. Read tests/quizzes aloud.

5. Rearrange information and/or problems on a page (for example - create more space when needed in math)

6. Rewrite directions at a more accessible level

7. Allow additional time to take tests

8. Use graph paper for math - developmentally appropriate writing paper for handwritten assignments

9. Tape record directions

10. Have peers give directions or paraphrase explanations

10 Tips For Students Who Have Limited Memory Skills

Do you think that your child has limited memory skills? If so, here are some easy to use tips and strategiest to help them remember things a little more easily!

1. Have your child question any directions, explanations or instructions that they do not understand.

2. Ask your child to review their morning and afternoon activities and then have them repeat the sequence.

3. Play concentration games (such as Memory or Pairs - a card game) with a limited number of symbols. Increase the number of symbols as they show success.

4. Reinforce successful demonstration of remembering to have materials such as pens, pencils, paper and textbooks.

5. Use multiple modalities when presenting information (auditory, visual, kinesthetic).

6. Practice dictation for the 21st century!  Record a message on tape or your phone and then ask  your child to write the message. Increase the length of the message gradually.

7. Ask your child to practice repeating information to increase short term memory skills by using family phone numbers, names, dates of events, etc.

8. Give your child an object to play with for a few seconds - take it away - then ask your child specific attributes of that object (shape, size, color, etc.)

9. Deliver directions in a clear manner and at an appropriate pace for understanding.

10. Have them take notes if they cannot remember.

Overachiever - or just great genes? A doctor by 21..

I had an amazing educational experience - minus the one year that I skipped when I had entered elementary school. It's a story that my mother tells me that I can't remember, one that involves my dad enrolling me in school and fibbing to the school registrar that I had already attended Kindergarten. 

Little did he know that they put me in a first grade class and I had to learn everything that a typical first grader had to learn, in one month. I shake my head to this day thinking that I could have had a totally different life experience if I had graduated a year later and had entered college at the age of 18 instead of 17.  Regardless of what had happened when I was younger, the experience has lent itself to developing the person that I am now.

As I looked at this article, it is apparent that this individual was destined to be a doctor at the ripe age of 21. No matter what was told to him in his life, he had the skills and motivation necessary to become a professional at that point in time. His parents did not drive him to be successful; it was something that many successful people will say, "came naturally".

Can your child prepare for the JATP?

Many parents in Atlanta - and outside areas ask themselves, "Can my child prepare for the JATP?". If you happen to be one of the parents that find yourself in this group - the more important follow up question would be: "What would happen if my child did not prepare for the JATP?"

As I have worked with many parents, caregivers, and school administrators, it has been apparent that many children lack the skills that are needed in order to enter kindergarten - let alone a private school. In one conversation that I have had with several parents I have adamantly told them, "Your school is doing the best job that they can do - and that is to be a school. The skills that your child will need in order to be prepared for the JATP is an entirely different process."

It is rather saddening for me to hear that a student did not get into a school because of the day that they walked into the office to be tested and felt "tricked". My goal is not to give them answers to tests, but to help the student feel more at ease in the process. Whether the task is to give parents the right direction when they go to the bookstore, or to help them with an outline on how to be a more engaging parent - those that really want the best outcomes in preparing for the JATP will actually, seek help.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help with your child's private school educational goals, please feel free to contact me at christine@learningridge.com.

From Zero to Gifted...

Parents have it tougher now more than ever. When I was growing up, we had enough television to keep us plugged in for 24 hours. If something happened at school, the only way that you would learn about it was "word of mouth" - and I mean that literally. The most technologically advanced item that my school had at that time was a scanner - and it took me years to figure out what that fine piece of technology was.

As we progress in society- I feel for parents who have the dream of watching their children exceed their expectations. They buy them applications, video games, and devices in hopes that they can become the next Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Donald Trump. However, it seems that the more that some parents give, the less their children perform.

This is not always the case. In one parent that I have observed over the last few months - her children have gone from shy, indecisive 3rd graders to resilient, completely confident 4th graders. Her son had come to me with problems in spelling and in handwriting. Through hours of targeted instruction and a listening ear, he has become a changed young man with the skills of a child years ahead of his time. The younger daughter was so quiet and timid when I had met her that I thought it would take years to come up with a breakthrough. After just a few months, her true personality came shining through and as a result - she had become accepted into the Gifted and Talented program.

I am so happy to know that I was part of this process and am proud to see these children grow in this last year.

How Does Your Occupation Influences Your Parenting Style?

As many of you know, what you do outside of your home has a direct or indirect impact on what you do inside your home.

Take for example a family whose head of household (the father) was a graduate of West Point. If your father was trained to follow structure, order, and a code of conduct that has been existence for a few decades, one can expect that their children will follow in the same suit. In one of the families that I have worked with - I'm still thinking that the father (and mother) had invisible earpieces and night vision glasses that help keep track of their family of ten...

Another example that I have is of an entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurs are engaged in a multitude of tasks and can determine the value (or lack of value) of a particular project. If your mother is an entrepreneur and  has a predisposition to looking at the costs and benefits of a particular project or employee, do not be surprised if she takes away your allowance for a month because your report card was not where it should be. My mother - the entrepreneur that she is, would cut out programs and hobbies that she knew we had no "talent for". My oldest brother had electric guitar lessons canceled after a month when she realized that he was...tone deaf.

Lastly, if your parent(s) are constantly switching from plan A to plan D in the course of one hour - your life is destined for a whirlwind of change as well. When encountering a high performing physician in Atlanta, it was no surprise that this individual could out multi-task even the best of us. In reviewing the status and progress of her child's education, it was definitely a given that you had to make your point - in 15 minutes or less. Her children are soon to follow in those same footsteps as they begin and end tasks within 15 minutes.

The views of this blog post are strictly the opinion of the writer and are intended for comedic purposes/relief.

"Whose handwriting was that?"

I can't believe it sometimes (and neither can my pint size students). They work so extremely hard - and have made such incredible gains in what they have accomplished that there are times when they are in complete denial over what they had done just  a few months prior.

One of these most recent occurrences happened with a student whose mother stated that "he needs help with his handwriting.." We started him in a research based program over five months ago and each week - focused on one skill (and a few letters at a time) that would help him with not only his penmanship  - but with his confidence. We even had a  very adult conversation about penmanship where I told him that even though he does not think it now - it is important to have good penmanship. He asked me, "Well, what do you mean? Why do I need to have good penmanship?". I told him that penmanship was like spelling - "you take it for granted unless you see someone that it really bad at it.." After that quick conversation, it was if his penmanship took a life of its' own.

Many weeks went by where he would practice- and practice different strokes until he became more cognizant of what good penmanship was like. Just a few weeks ago, he even made a comment that the class was taking a crash course in penmanship and even compared his own letters with that of his teachers. Normally I expect this critical nature out of the middle school and high school students that I groom for success - but I don't mind having them start just a few years ahead of schedule.

As we were wrapping up a working session, I looked into my binder to look for a few samples of what his writing looked like before. I try not to look at these artifacts as it might hinder my perception of how far along a student has come. Before I showed the student the "drafts" I grinned aimlessly knowing that he would not be able to recognize "himself". I turned to the left and said, "Look at this. What do you make of this person's writing?". He was rather apathetic when he reviewed his own writing and said, "Whoa - this person has no attention to detail - look at the horrible lines and lack of spacing that he has from letter to letter. I can't believe that this student wasn't able to write his own name."

When he was done talking, I asked if he knew whose writing that was. He said to me, "How should I know - his name isn't even on the piece of paper. His handwriting is so sloppy." I laughed and said, "Stop insulting yourself - this was you five months ago!"