Helping children with learning disabilities get homework done doesn’t have to be a daily battle. Work with your child to build good study habits that can help to lessen the stress factor — for your child and for yourself. Explore the suggestions and fun activities in the articles below to make homework a successful part of your daily routine.
Our new e-book, 50 Questions About LD, is filled with answers to common LD questions. Topics include: how to deal with the “LD” label, RTI and working with your child’s school, the emotional impact of learning disabilities at school and home, preparing teens for college and work, and related issues like AD/HD and giftedness. More >
Getting good grades isn't easy, and understanding how to make the best use of your time and effort takes careful planning. It also helps to be a strategic learner. That means you:
Plan how you are going to learn and manage your time in the process;
Use the skills you have to lea... More >
"It's time to do your homework.""But Mom, Dad..."
Sound familiar? For many parents, these words are heard from the month of September and last well into June. What can be done to maximize stronger work habits and minimize frustration for you and your child? Quite a lot.
School... More >
When children become good readers in the early grades, they are more likely to become better learners throughout their school years and beyond. Learning to read is hard work for children. Fortunately, research is now available that suggests how to give each child a good start in readi... More >
While nobody likes to be disorganized, for students with learning disabilities, disorganization can spell certain disaster. Searching for lost assignments or course handouts can take up valuable time, and it's almost impossible to study and meet deadlines when notes from different su... More >
You know, it's interesting that here in California — and my reading of studies from around the country suggests that this is relatively consistent — we find across the board, whether students are doing pretty well or not so well, that they're usually doing better in reading than ... More >
On April 9, 2007, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a new regulation pertaining to the assessment of students with disabilities under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The new regulation allows states to develop modified academic achievement standards and to use the results o... More >
Your school's reading program should include the five essential components of reading instruction that research has identified:
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Reading Comprehension
Use the checklist below to determine if each component is a part of the reading pr... More >
Recently, there's been a lot of research and discussion about early intervention and teaching basic reading skills to kids before the age of nine. But what happens to kids with delayed reading skills when they enter middle and high school? Are accommodations in the classroom enough? ... More >
The primary purpose of homework is to reinforce the information and skills your child learns at school. It has been reported that teachers of all grades are increasing the amount of homework they assign. This makes homework time-consuming both for parents and children. It is helpful ... More >
A growing number of students now take tests that determine whether they will advance to the next grade level. If students do not pass these tests, they may be held back one year, which can damage self-esteem, lead to frustration, and increase their chances of eventually dropping out o... More >
The psychological, social, and economic consequences of reading failure are legion. It is for this reason that the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) considers reading failure to reflect not only an educational problem, but a significant public health pro... More >
We're all familiar with the popular saying, "Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today; teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime." This adage certainly holds true for the ways we approach teaching and learning.
I have often made mention of how importa... More >
It is not done simply — like most complicated things in life. The recent report of the National Reading Panel had a whole chapter on reading fluency. And that's really what we're talking about is reading fluency and automaticity, which are directly linked to comprehension.When you ... More >
The research is clear: Children raised in homes that promote family literacy grow up to be better readers and do better in school than children raised in homes where literacy is not promoted. We know that promoting family literacy is important to future reading and school success, but... More >
Have you ever stopped to think about ways to help your child get better prepared for the start of the new school year — by practicing the skills that he or she has learned during the summer months? Well, now is the time! You've already got a list of summer reading books from your ... More >
It's an interesting phenomenon. Ask a preschooler to name one thing that they most look forward to when they move on to grade school and you're likely to hear "getting homework" somewhere toward the top of the list. Ask a student in middle school to list the things they like most abou... More >
During the past decade, federal and state education reform efforts have dramatically increased both the use of and attention to student assessments. Commonly referred to as "testing," assessing student learning through the use of a standardized format can provide valuable information... More >
Dialogic reading1 is an interactive technique based on the extensive research of Grover J. Whitehurst, Ph.D. This technique encourages adults to prompt children with questions and engage them in discussions while reading to them. By expanding on the child's responses, encouraging chi... More >
Every time you read a book, write a note, sort the laundry, check the TV listings, or recount the day’s happenings, you are using skills young children need to have to be ready to learn to read and write. Here are some simple activities you and your child can do together.
Learning ... More >
With the winter months upon us there is a good chance you will be spending a lot more of your time indoors. For those with preschool and kindergarten-aged children, additional indoors time means finding new ways for making the most of the time you have together. Today's educational t... More >
Your child with learning disabilities may benefit greatly from the one-on-one attention provided by a qualified tutor. Tutors, working closely with parents and teachers, can help children in various ways: reinforcing specific subject matter, helping with homework, suggesting improve... More >
Picture books represent a unique literary form that blends stories with art. In a picture book, the illustrations are as important as the text, and both work together to tell the story. When you share picture books with children, be sure to pay attention to the illustrations-reading p... More >
The daily life of special needs parents can be particularly demanding. In addition to typical household and parenting responsibilities, parents meet with professionals, coordinate and travel to services, complete tasks required by specialists (adding to parents' homework base) and st... More >
Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially when it comes to reading. Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to read actually gain skills. During the summer parents can help children sus... More >
Several research studies have supported a notion that many teachers have had for a long time: that children who have been read to at home come to school with important early literacy skills. They are prepared to learn to read and write. Children who have not had many experiences liste... More >
Q: Can adult literacy programs help high school students who are struggling to read?
Kevin Feldman, Ed.D.
I haven't seen any research one way or the other. I'm certainly positively predisposed to public libraries in general and to anything that's organized through the local public... More >
Q&A with Sid Wolinsky, Disability Rights Advocate
Sid Wolinsky is the founder of Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) and is now its Director of Litigation. Headquartered in Oakland, California, DRA is a national and international nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and... More >
As a parent of a 12-year-old who's behaving very much like a teenager, I can personally relate. I started my teaching career working with junior high school kids who had emotional and behavioral reading difficulties. Parents can help in all kinds of ways.I think one fundamental way t... More >
Will early intervention solve all reading problems, or are new skills needed after third grade?
Kevin Feldman, Ed.D.
No, we haven't learned everything that we need to learn by third grade. There's this dichotomy which is often utilized which is — you learn to read K-3 and you re... More >
After interviewing over 3,000 parents and students seeking one-on-one help for a learning disability, I am sure of only one thing: there are as many variations on the theme of learning disabilities as there are afflicted individuals. For the uninitiated parent this complex range of ... More >
Summer vacation is just around the corner. Children and their weary parents are dreaming of long summer evenings free of homework and studying. What a relief it will be to put those books in the drawer or on the shelf and leave them there for a few months! Right? Wrong!
Teachers kn... More >
The early years are critical to developing a lifelong love of reading. You can't start reading to a child too soon!
Read together every day.
Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close together. Bedtime is an especially gre... More >
In the following interview, the College Board's Ms. Paula Kuebler answers questions on the College Board's policies and practices regarding accommodations for students with disabilities who wish to take the SAT I and II, PSAT/NMSQT, and Advanced Placement (AP) tests.
The Coll... More >
With the weather turning colder, families will be spending an increasing amount of time indoors together. Reading together is a wonderful way to spend some of that time. Not only can it bring your family closer together, but reading with your child will go a long way toward helping h... More >
A Helpful Guide for Parents who are Concerned about Their Child's Early Reading Skills
As the parent of a preschooler, you play an important role in your child's development. Preschoolers are continually gaining important knowledge and skills that will help them learn to read, writ... More >
When teenagers become resistant and won't listen to their parents, where can the family turn for help?
Kevin Feldman, Ed.D.
There are some things we can do. I think one thing is to partner with folks at the school or find local tutoring or clinics or other kinds of support other t... More >
I remember telling myself, on the day of the exam, that the SAT was no big deal. It had no real meaning outside of a number that would determine one's place in the college admissions game. If I did poorly, I could retake it.
I was already starting to feel better when the proc... More >
Most parents are aware that reading with their early elementary school-age children at home reinforces emerging reading skills. But many parents may not know that playing number games and engaging in math activities at home can provide similar reinforcement when it comes to early math... More >
My child is struggling 
Now that my child has 
