Category: Education
Education – Playing with Phonemes
Learning to read can begin with play. “What kind of play?” you may be wondering. Phoneme play! Teaching reading is as simple as understanding that there are two distinct parts to literacy − the auditory and the visual. Each part must be developed to allow for automaticity. Louisa Moats’ research suggests that reading has been [...]
Education – It takes a Village…
Since I began working in an education setting with children with Autism and their families, I have grown so much as a psychologist and as a person. I have been humbled by the extraordinary courage it takes for parents to take steps on the bumpy road of diagnosis, treatment and taking in the complexities of [...]
Education – Shining in the Life Lab
March is the time of year for planting seeds and getting out in the Life Lab to watch the sleeping winter world come alive with the warmth of spring. The seeds I planted in the classroom for learning to read had sprouted and were in full abundance for most of my students, but there were [...]
Education – Matters of the Heart in Parent Conferences
Ricardo, in 4th grade, already looked like he could be a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, but he had the heart and needs of a 10-year-old boy. Ricardo was intelligent; however, he lacked motivation. He could have been my class screw-up or my class leader. It was my job to have him recognize his [...]
Education – Resolutions in the Classroom
Students returning from the holidays are usually happy to be back in school. The month of January lends itself to new beginnings and I take advantage of teaching the concept “Resolution.” The new bulletin board begins the resolution discussion. It’s brightly decorated with left over party favors from a past New Year’s event: hats, streamers, [...]
Education – Emphasizing Assets to Overcome Deficits
In my career as a Literacy Coach, Intervention Specialist and a Classroom Teacher, I have had many opportunities to teach in a variety of classrooms where I would often start my lessons by saying, “raise your hand if you believe that you are on your way to College.” I was always amazed at the responses. [...]
Education – Thankful to Be at The Right Grade Level!
Often times a teacher is faced with parents who feel their children are academically excelling and would like to skip them to a higher grade. This might occur more in lower grades, as it is not uncommon to have a student or several students who have caught on to reading and math skills easily. Even [...]
Education – Thinking On My Feet
My two boys are of the very active, slightly rambunctious and incredibly inquisitive variety. They have short attention spans, unless they are really hooked. It is scary when it comes time to turn off the TV. What is the hook going to be? The scariness is compounded now that they are at the age where [...]
Education – Back To School
“Children are going back to school earlier and earlier each year!” This sentiment is echoed by many teachers over the summer and reminds me that I must start thinking about curriculum, schedules, daily lesson plans and applying a new strategy. After looking over my data from the previous year, I notice a relative weakness in [...]
Education – Peace Builders
“It’s my turn.” “He kicked my ball.” “She won’t be my friend.” “He took cuts.” “She said a bad word.” These are just some of the usual complaints a teacher must address when standing yard duty on a playground. My school implemented a conflict resolution program, Peace Builders1, to help teachers manage conflicts just like [...]
