‘Dyslexia’ Blog Posts
How Reading Fluency Improves Comprehension
January 30th, 2024 2024-02-01T10:00:18-08:00 2024-01-30T20:15:06-08:00 Rick Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Rick Terry
Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and retain the information given in the text as you read it. Reading fluency, on the other hand, is the accuracy and speed of reading without conscious attention to the mechanics of reading. A fluent reader has the ability to read and understand words automatically. They are able to more easily comprehend complete sentences and entire reading selections.
Laterality and Directionality: How Does it Relate to Learning?
February 16th, 2022 2022-02-17T15:24:24-08:00 2022-02-16T21:06:13-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
We read from top to bottom and left to right. We form letters in specific directions. Even writing your letters correctly involves directionality. Starting letters at the top and moving down is easier and faster and coincides with how we read. Yet, kids left to there own often start writing letters from the bottom up. These are often the kids that haven’t learned the top down orientation of reading, starting at the top of the page and reading from left to right.
Tips for Writing Sentences (and Stories!) with Your Spelling Words
October 20th, 2021 2021-10-21T13:44:11-07:00 2021-10-20T14:26:48-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Most teachers assign spelling words homework at some point. The assignment may be to use their spelling words in sentences or to write a story using their spelling words. Both of these assignments can be daunting for a lot of kids. Read to find out what you can do to make these assignments easier.
Best Special Needs Websites
August 10th, 2021 2022-05-18T14:41:36-07:00 2021-08-10T17:19:54-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Best Special Needs Reading and Learning Skills Websites: When you are looking for ways to help your special needs child improve their learning skills, especially their reading skills, you want to find the best, the most knowledgeable website and you want to do that as quickly as possible. What if you are searching to find […]
5 Thanksgiving Activities for the Family
November 24th, 2019 2023-10-31T11:33:10-07:00 2019-11-24T09:00:50-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to spend time with your family. I’ll be with my kids, grandkids, and husband. This year we’ll be celebrating at our house. My children and 3 new grandchildren will be here. I’m so excited! We are getting ready with some simple Thanksgiving activities that will get both the kids and adults engaged in a great time. That makes for a happy mom and grandmom!
What is Reading Fluency? How to Become a Fluent Reader in 5 Minutes a Day
November 22nd, 2019 2020-04-23T18:18:36-07:00 2019-11-22T22:41:25-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Reading fluency is the speed and accuracy of reading without conscious attention to the mechanics of reading. In other words, a fluent reader has the ability to retrieve and read words automatically. Efficient readers are fluent readers. Multiple studies show that slow single word reading leads to both poor comprehension and frustration.
What is Rapid Naming? How does it relate to reading and dyslexia?
September 4th, 2019 2020-04-23T17:15:55-07:00 2019-09-04T18:40:37-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Children that struggle with rapid naming, dyslexia, or learning disabilities typically perform more slowly on tasks that deal with the speed of processing. So, when helping a child with dyslexia or learning disabilities, we also need to help them improve their processing speed.
What is Phonics? A Key to Reading Intervention: Best Practices
April 3rd, 2019 2019-09-30T14:32:34-07:00 2019-04-03T22:48:33-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Phonics is different that phonemic awareness. We often think of phonics skills and how we may need to improve them without actually understanding what phonics skills are and how they differ from phonemic awareness.
Brain-Based Learning: Auditory Processing Activities
March 12th, 2019 2019-03-13T18:41:05-07:00 2019-03-12T10:02:33-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Three brain-based auditory processing disorder activities for kids of all ages. These activities improve learning skills while you have fun. Auditory processing is one of the three avenues we learn academic skills from. Remember, we learn by hearing (auditory processing), seeing (visual processing), and doing (tactile/kinesthetic processing). That being said, APD – an auditory processing disorder was found to be present in 43.3% of those that struggle with learning (2009 The National Center for Biotechnology Information). Read on to learn the behaviors that indicate your child may have difficulties with auditory processing.
Reading Activities Help Dyslexic and ADHD Kids Love Reading
January 16th, 2019 2020-04-29T07:51:13-07:00 2019-01-16T15:55:49-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Reading activities and games are a great way to help your kids improve both their reading skills and their love of reading. When learning becomes fun, in a relaxed atmosphere kids do better and their skills improve. Learning is a lot more fun when you are playing a game.
Visual Discrimination and Reading Fluency
November 13th, 2018 2019-08-28T16:43:45-07:00 2018-11-13T03:43:30-08:00 Rick Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Rick Terry
Visual discrimination is directly connected to reading fluency. Visual discrimination is the ability to discern subtle similarities and differences visually. This is the process of seeing details. What is the same? What is different? Shapes, sizes, and colors are details to be looked at. An additional part of visual discrimination is ‘form constancy.’
Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension
October 29th, 2018 2018-10-30T21:22:49-07:00 2018-10-29T00:07:28-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Reading comprehension is the ability to understand, analyze, synthesize, and use what you have read. Without comprehension, there is really no point to reading. Graphic organizers allow you to easily take notes and turn what you read into a graphical display or story structure. These strategies improve critical components of reading comprehension.
How the 5 Senses Impact How We Learn
February 19th, 2018 2019-01-01T12:11:43-08:00 2018-02-19T12:16:52-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
The 5 Senses Impact on How We Learn – How we learn, how we intake information directly impacts our ability to succeed in school. Parents frequently email me or call my office looking for help for their child or teen. They don’t know why their child struggles in school. They just know that they do. Learn what impacts learning skills.
4 Activities to Improve Reading Skills (Part 4 – Writing)
January 10th, 2018 2019-11-30T18:13:30-08:00 2018-01-10T12:00:25-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
One of the easiest ways to improve reading skills with writing is to use fill-in-the-blank graphic organizers. They make note-taking, paragraph writing, and essay writing easy. As a parent, I hated watching my son struggle with a writing assignment. He would stare what would seem like hours at a blank piece of paper. I’m sure you feel the same way.
Visual Processing and Spelling
November 6th, 2017 2018-12-12T15:55:48-08:00 2017-11-06T12:00:43-08:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Difficulties with visual processing areas can affect spelling. Poor visual memory and visual discrimination skills lead to trouble with spelling.
Homework Help? Practical Solutions
August 21st, 2017 2018-12-12T16:47:02-08:00 2017-08-21T09:00:00-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Homework is something most students deal with if not on a daily basis, then a weekly basis. Homework time can be a lot easier using tips, strategies, and specific tools. Watch the video for some practical tips to help make your evenings a lot smoother and give you back your sanity.
5 Steps to Improve Reading Comprehension with Family Field Trips
August 15th, 2017 2017-08-02T02:49:11-07:00 2017-08-15T12:00:08-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
By having a framework or structure to your family fields trips, you can drastically improve memory skills. If you do not have a bit of a structure to your trips, your kids are not as likely to remember the great things you have done as a family together. With these family field trips, you can improve your vocabulary, memory and factual knowledge base.
Back to School Supplies for Dyslexia and ADHD Kids
August 8th, 2017 2017-08-01T18:38:56-07:00 2017-08-08T12:30:39-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Can back to school supplies really help with school success? School success depends on a number of characteristics: willingness to learn, attending classes regularly, asking questions, being attentive, doing and turning in assignments. One thing that strikes me here is the doing and turning in assignments characteristic. Studies have shown that students tend to do well in school when they have the tools they need handy. So, what are some of those ‘must have’ tools? Are there any ‘secret weapons’ so to speak that will really help your child succeed?
6 Back to School Tips for Dyslexia and ADHD Kids
August 1st, 2017 2017-08-01T18:31:20-07:00 2017-08-01T12:00:49-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Back to school tips: There are specific things you can do to make learning easier for your child with dyslexia or ADHD. Start off by letting your child know that you do remember some struggles from last year. What can you do differently this year?
As Summer Break is Winding Down, Get in a Few Family Activities
July 24th, 2017 2018-09-01T00:04:59-07:00 2017-07-24T22:17:43-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Summer break is winding down, but there is still time to have fun and bring your child’s skills up. There is nothing like taking the last few weeks of the summer and infusing in some extra fun while gearing your kids up for the new school year. This is especially important if your kids have any learning problems, dyslexia, or ADHD. Giving your kids the best start you can is one of the most important things you can do as a parent.
6 Fun Family Activities Prevent the Summer Slide!
July 19th, 2017 2018-12-12T16:04:18-08:00 2017-07-19T15:17:48-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
It’s not too late to prevent the summer slide with fun family activities. The activities are geared for elementary, middle, and high school kids. Listen to the audio. Activities include weekly trips, nature adventures, and home activities.
Math Skills Improve with Math Game
July 13th, 2017 2019-03-20T20:35:26-07:00 2017-07-13T12:53:18-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
A great game to play at home and to improve your math skills is the Math Zone. Kids happily do more math with the game than if you give them a workbook to work in. I played The Math Zone with one of my students just the other day and we shot a video of it so you’d know what it is like.
How to Teach and Improve Vocabulary
April 18th, 2017 2018-12-12T16:51:46-08:00 2017-04-18T12:00:28-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Improve vocabulary is one of the five components to teaching reading as well as improving reading skills. Vocabulary is a strong indicator of student success. Knowledge of words and word meanings is an important key to reading, speaking, and listening success.
Dyslexia Treatment and Solutions
March 21st, 2017 2017-03-22T03:43:43-07:00 2017-03-21T12:00:25-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
Best Practices for Dyslexia Treatment, Learning Disabilities, and Reading Problems. Best practices for improving reading skills also improve thinking and writing skills. Attention needs to be given to multiple areas to improve reading skills of those with dyslexia, learning disabilities, or those that have reading problems. Additionally, there is a hierarchy of instruction for improving reading skills. You will want to start with improving phonemic awareness and then incorporate phonics and fluency. As fluency starts to improve, you will add in the vocabulary and comprehension piece.
5 Signs of ADHD
March 14th, 2017 2018-02-20T22:22:17-08:00 2017-03-14T12:00:12-07:00 Bonnie Terry Bonnie Terry Learning Bonnie Terry
There are 5 hallmark signs of ADHD. These must be present early on and present for at least 6 months. You don’t develop ADHD suddenly in 3rd, 5th or 8th grades.
