The Learning Spark

Something's Off      As mentioned in this post, I knew something was off with N from the time he was very little.  His speech was delayed and he didn't walk until he was 2 years old.  When N was 3, my neighbors and I organized a preschool co-op and I was surprised to see how much N struggled to learn new things (especially letter recognition).  What was going on?  N was exposed to lots of literature, education, museums, etc.  I had done everything I had done with my older two boys, and yet N was not progressing as his big brothers had.  I knew there was something wrong...this was more than just being a "late bloomer." Auditory Processing Disorder? One possibility I explored was auditory processing disorder or some other type of hearing disability.  N was very slow to react to auditory sounds...I often found myself quietly calling his name to see if he could hear me.  When he was 3, we took him to an audiologist where he ac...

It seems that today, more than ever, we are seeing more and more students with attention problems in our classrooms.  Here are some of my top tips for teaching students with ADHD-like symptoms. 1.  Seating Arrangement My students listen attentively to our "special visitor." Students have assigned places at the carpet and I carefully consider each spot.        Carefully consider the best place for these students to sit. I often like to have them sit right in the front row at the carpet.  There are usually fewer distractions for them to see from here and I can easily lean forward and gently tap them on the shoulder or knee when they need a little redirection. I have one little guy that shifts around and moves constantly...I placed him on the edge of one of my rows, which gives him a little more room to wiggle around.  I also assign places at our tables...I carefully think about who I want these kids to sit by.  Sitting them next to a ha...

Something Is Off      I knew early on that something was off with my son.  I will call him "N" on my blog to protect his privacy.  N's speech was delayed as a baby/toddler and he didn't walk until he was 2 years old.  In his preschool years I knew that he had some type of learning disability. (Watch for a future post on this topic.)  Learning the alphabet was so difficult for him and I remember being puzzled that it was taking him so long to learn new things.  Following multi-step directions was extremely difficult for him, as was cleaning his room, and getting ready for the day.  I always had to help him get dressed by telling him what to do one step at a time. ADHD? I never even considered that N had ADHD...he was a very calm child, not hyper-active at all.  He also had the ability to really hyper-focus on things that he was interested in.  He could build a train track for hours or sit and listen to books with no problem....

I am a passionate elementary school teacher and a very determined learner.  The past few years have taken me on a wild ride as I have learned so many eye opening things about literacy and learning disabilities.   My learning journey continues and I hope you will join me as I share the discoveries I make along the way.