Author Archive
Learning Disabilities Awareness Month – Teach Planning and Organizational Skills
October 1st, 2015 2018-12-12T16:28:36-08:00 2015-10-01T20:54:03-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Executive Function and Learning
September 15th, 2015 2015-09-15T20:23:31-07:00 2015-09-15T01:40:23-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Executive function is a term used to describe a set of mental processes that helps us connect past experience with present action. We use executive function when we perform such activities as planning, organizing, strategizing and paying attention to and remembering details. Learn how executive function impacts learning.
Phonemic Awareness for Auditory Learners and Visual Learners
September 9th, 2015 2015-09-11T00:58:12-07:00 2015-09-09T01:24:54-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
As you know, we learn through seeing, hearing, and doing. Learning to read incorporates each of those areas.
Today I’m talking about combining the auditory and visual components of reading in what is called phonemic awareness.
Phonemic Awareness:
Phoneme blending: Children listen to a sequence of separately spoken phonemes and then combine the phonemes to form a word. /d/ /o/ /g/ is dog. (This is the process used in decoding words.)
5 Steps to School Success
September 4th, 2015 2015-09-04T22:33:49-07:00 2015-09-04T18:49:24-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Learn the 5 critical steps to school success. Join us on the webinar. 1. What the most severe learning disadvantage is…and it’s not dyslexia or ADHD! 2. How we learn 3. Why learning is difficult for some kids 4. How to increase processing speed 5. How to improve comprehension skills 6. How to improve writing skills
Back to School – Need Dyslexia, ADHD, Learning Challenged, Special Needs Help?
August 7th, 2015 2016-09-21T02:14:52-07:00 2015-08-07T20:00:37-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Back to school videos to improve spelling, reading comprehension, and reading fluency. Short activities really make the difference. Learn special techniques that help those with dyslexia, ADHD, learning disabilities, and autism learn with greater ease. 4 video lessons.
Back to School Tips for Dyslexia
August 6th, 2015 2015-08-08T21:07:19-07:00 2015-08-06T22:47:04-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Back to school tips use neuro-science: Yes, with the neuro-science we know that this year can be different. We know that we make new neural connections each and every day of our lives. The trick is to make more and stronger connections so that learning can become easier, because it really can.
5 Tips for a Smooth Transition Back to School
August 4th, 2015 2016-09-28T08:06:04-07:00 2015-08-04T00:26:49-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
From bedtime routines to morning routines, the successful school breakfast and lunch, your kids will be off to a great school year. Read the 5 Tips to a smooth transition back to school and take advantage of the back to school special too.
Reading Comprehension Strategies
July 29th, 2015 2017-12-06T15:56:05-08:00 2015-07-29T20:43:34-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Reading Comprehension is the ability to gain meaning from what you read and then to use that information is some fashion…whether for enjoyment when reading a pleasure book or for information and knowledge when reading a text book or non-fiction book. Reading comprehension even comes into play when reading a text message on a smart phone or reading a Facebook post.
ADHD Inattentive Type
July 14th, 2015 2020-04-29T07:47:42-07:00 2015-07-14T00:21:48-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
ADHD inattentive Type: When your child ‘forgets’ to do things, you might want to try…or when your child ‘forgets’ to do things, you might want to try…or when your child is disorganized with their possessions, you might want to try… Read to find the solutions.
This Summer Give Your Kids a Summer Academic Advantage
June 5th, 2015 2016-06-22T00:46:26-07:00 2015-06-05T00:27:26-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
On the Academic Advantage Webinar you will learn the simple steps you can take this summer so your kids not only have fun but they also improve their learning skills. Those that attend will also get a complimentary copy of the BT Family Activity Book.
Remember, studies show that kids that do some learning activities on a regular basis over the summer gain an additional 3 to 6 months of knowledge. Those that don’t lose a minimum of 2 1/2 months of the knowledge they learned the prior school year.
Summer Activities for Kids Give an Academic Edge
June 1st, 2015 2017-05-18T22:05:32-07:00 2015-06-01T22:58:55-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Summer break is upon us. How do you keep your kids engaged over the summer? And is it important to keep your kids engaged and learning?
During summertime your kids are active but not necessarily hitting the books. Kids that don’t engage in any learning activities over the summer lose 2 1/2 months of the prior school year. Those that do, retain knowledge and gain an additional 3 months of academic skill.
Learn step-by-step how to set your summer up for success!
ADHD Symptoms and Dyslexia Symptoms
May 19th, 2015 2015-07-08T19:22:50-07:00 2015-05-19T00:57:57-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
ADHD and Dyslexia share some characteristics so ADHD is sometimes misdiagnosed. Additionally, those with ADHD often also have dyslexia or or learning problems. When you look at the list of ADHD symptoms, you will notice that short attention span and distractibility are on the list. Then look at the list of Dyslexia Symptoms. You will notice symptoms like does your child take too long to do their assigned work and poor listening comprehension. Think about it, if you have a short attention span, it will take you longer to do your work and if you are distractible you will have poor listening comprehension. So we do need to dig a bit further to discern what is really going on.
Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia Symptoms
April 21st, 2015 2015-07-08T19:24:12-07:00 2015-04-21T01:33:07-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia, are broad terms that cover a wide variety of problems with many possible causes, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes.
There are a lot of areas to look at for both learning disabilities and dyslexia, so it can be difficult to diagnose the specific causes. However, the National Institute of Health states that learning disabilities and dyslexia can be divided into three broad categories.
Family Activities for Spring Break
March 31st, 2015 2016-03-14T20:18:35-07:00 2015-03-31T01:40:42-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
One of the best parts of spring break was the break away from ‘all things school.’ Little did I know then that I was learning just the same. Trips to the Art Institute, the Museum of Science and Industry, or the Natural History Museum were often on our schedule.
Of course game playing was also a big part of spring break as well as the extra time to read pleasure books.
So, my gift to you is a short list of family activities…excerpts from The BT Family Activity Book. Get more of the over 80 activities here.
Reading Help Is More Than Reading Comprehension
March 25th, 2015 2016-03-22T08:39:33-07:00 2015-03-25T22:43:34-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
You know your child is bright but you still have homework struggles. It seems like the struggles will never go away. There are a few things to check into when your child is struggling with reading. You need to become the detective. Their reading problems are typically due to more than reading comprehension problems. In fact, they can be due to one or more of the following reasons.
Bonnie Terry Named International Go To Pro for Special Needs
March 17th, 2015 2015-03-25T23:29:51-07:00 2015-03-17T20:15:23-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
“When your student is struggling, we already know they aren’t reading, writing, or doing math at grade level. The key to improving skills is to determine why the problem exists,” states Terry. “For example, ninety-five percent of reading problems are related to visual processing problems, which are not tested for in most schools. There are specific activities and exercises you can do to improve areas that are problematic.”
Terry, a 40-year Learning Disability Specialist and Board Certified Educational Therapist, uses a three-pronged integrative approach to help students improve reading scores in just 20 minutes a day. She shares these helpful steps with parents…Read more
St. Patrick’s Day Family Activities
March 10th, 2015 2022-03-09T11:49:52-08:00 2015-03-10T00:02:08-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, so I thought I’d give you a couple of suggestions for St. Patrick’s Day activities.
Historically St. Patrick’s Day was only celebrated by the Irish. Now it is celebrated worldwide – celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green.
Growing up Irish, my family always celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green. In fact we often made a point of wearing green most of the month of March. My mom and day would only play Irish music during the month. Of course there was nothing like marching in the St Patrick Day Parade in Chicago with the river dyed green in celebration. See 7 family activities here…
Symptoms of ADHD in the Classroom
March 2nd, 2015 2015-03-06T23:09:59-08:00 2015-03-02T02:30:37-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
When your child is diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, you know there may be problems ahead. ADD/ADHD obviously affects performance in a school setting, as well as other parts of their life. Children and adults with ADHD have neurological gaps that interfere with the cognitive processes of memory, concentration, and attention span. Symptoms of ADHD include poor study habits and missing out on instructions, distractibility, procrastination, impulsiveness, and poor listening skills.
What is ADHD? ADHD Symptoms
February 23rd, 2015 2016-02-23T03:40:06-08:00 2015-02-23T02:13:25-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
A Parent’s Question: “How do you know if your child has ADHD, or if they’re struggling due to an environmental situation, or when they’ll need professional help?” If you have ADHD, you have it in all places – not just in one or two situations. If the ADHD type behaviors are occurring only in certain situations, there is a problem with that particular setting, but it is NOT ADHD. If your child has the behaviors all of the time, you may want to find out more about ADHD. There are a lot of free checklists online that you can tap into. If the checklists confirm, then you will want to seek a diagnosis by a professional. And, know that there are a lot of alternatives to dealing with ADHD with medication.
Random Acts of Kindness Day
February 14th, 2015 2015-02-28T02:36:54-08:00 2015-02-14T01:34:23-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Spending time thinking about and doing a random act of kindness is important, not just on February 17th, when it is celebrated, but as many days as you can. Start the discussion at dinnertime. Talk about what you did or what you can do tomorrow as a random act of kindness. The more you share, the more acts of kindness you will think of.
Brain Based Learning: Auditory Processing and its Impact on Learning
February 5th, 2015 2016-10-30T04:44:39-07:00 2015-02-05T03:48:16-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Brain-based learning encompasses the general belief that learning can be improved and even accelerated when teaching strategies are based on the science of learning. That being said, everyone takes information in through their five senses: smell, taste, hearing, seeing, and doing. So, we need to pay attention to this science of how we take in information in order to improve learning.
Determining Right or Left Hand Dominance
January 29th, 2015 2015-01-29T01:23:57-08:00 2015-01-29T01:20:32-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
One thing to look at when determining which hand is the preferred is to watch him when he gets up from a seated position to walk. Another thing to watch is which foot he leads with when going up stairs. Does he lead with his right foot or left? More often than not you are right footed and right handed OR left footed and left handed. Read more now.
A Brain Base Learning Approach: The Visual Processing System
January 23rd, 2015 2015-03-07T22:31:58-08:00 2015-01-23T01:44:55-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Visual processing is one of the key areas involved with learning. Once you understand more about the visual processing system and what you can do to improve visual processing, learning becomes easier.
3 Alternative ADHD Strategies
January 13th, 2015 2015-01-23T23:20:18-08:00 2015-01-13T02:51:14-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET shares 3 ADHD strategies for kids or adults that really make a difference. View the video here.
Dyslexia Program Helps Students with Learning Reading
November 11th, 2014 2015-01-23T03:14:52-08:00 2014-11-11T09:26:54-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET has put together over 40 years of experience as a learning disability, dyslexia, and ADHD specialist and designed a reading, writing, and study skills dyslexia program that you as parents can use with your kids to improve their skills. She teaches you every step of the way via video lessons. She also provides you with the books you’ll need to implement the program. The program was designed specifically with kids that struggle with learning reading. Some of the students successfully using the program have an identified learning disability or dyslexia, others are ‘falling through the cracks’ so to speak. Learning reading has always been a bit of a struggle. Others want to get a boost up.
