Resources You May Have Missed
The school year is a busy time, and many of us are bombarded with information we tuck away and promise ourselves to revisit later. This month, take a look at some excellent stories you might have missed. And don't worry — we'll bring you up to speed with the latest news and research, too!
Thinking About Assessment and Evaluation
Summer is the perfect time to reflect on classroom practice. Two areas that deserve serious contemplation are student assessment and evaluation. Want to change things up next year? These articles are packed with ideas! Discover student writing rubrics, a literacy practices interview, "brown bag" exams, and more.
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Brush Up on the Basics
Sometimes it's important to review or refresh your knowledge of a topic. Read through our section on LD Basics for facts about LD, common signs of learning disabilities, and positive ways to respond to your child.
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Talking to Toddlers
Speaking of basics, it's never too basic to remember the value of talking to young kids. Based on research that is 20 years old, this Lexicon Valley podcast discusses the research of Betty Hart and Todd Risley, who documented the vast and meaningful differences in the language of children who do and don't hear lots of words as young children.
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Books About Kids with Learning Differences
Sometimes a children's book can open the door to sensitive conversations. Books can also bring children comfort by helping them feel less alone. The International Dyslexia Association compiled a list of books and resources about kids with learning differences, organized by age level. Find the perfect book for your child!
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Professional Development from Home: Reconciling Common Core State Standards and Reading Research
Louisa Moats, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized reading expert. Recently, she recorded a podcast that sought to merge what we know about effective reading practices and the Common Core State Standards. The podcast is divided into three parts and provides essential, up-to-date information for educators, researchers, and policymakers.
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Expert Advice: How specific an accommodation can I request in my child's IEP?
Parents often wonder what sorts of things they can ask for when it comes to classroom accommodations. This led one LD OnLine user to ask:
Question: How specific an accommodation can I request in my child's IEP?
Answer: Accommodations in the classroom, used on a daily basis, can include:
- Taped textbooks available through Learning Ally
- Extended time on tests
- Tutoring
- Use of a note taker, for students who have trouble listening in class and taking notes
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Glossary Term: Occupational Therapy (OT)
A rehabilitative service for people with mental, physical, emotional, or developmental impairments. Services can include helping a student with pencil grip, physical exercises that may be used to increase strength and dexterity, or exercises to improve hand-eye coordination.
Featured Resource: The LD Navigator
The LD Navigator is a free clinical tool and resource kit that provides practical information about learning disabilities (LD) specifically for pediatric healthcare professionals. The LD Navigator is distributed free by the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). It includes up-to-date information about screening, evaluation, classification, and treatment, as well as updates on educational issues and parent advocacy.
Try out this terrific new resource!
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Learning Store Resource: Assessing English Language Learners
Student assessment is the cornerstone of standards-based education. For the growing population of English language learners (ELLs), however, measuring their language acquisition and learning is a multifaceted process. This text examines the unique needs of ELLs and describes instructional strategies for language and content assessments.
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Calendar Check-In
Want to know what's happening this month? Check out our July 2013 calendar.
Upcoming Event
September is Attendance Awareness Month. How are you planning to raise awareness about this important issue? Join Attendance Works, America's Promise Alliance, The Ad Council and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to learn about communication strategies and tactics to maximize your media outreach efforts, engage parents in your community, and improve school attendance rates.
Don't miss the webinar, "Absences Add Up: Practical Tips for Communicating to Parents and the Media," on Wednesday August 7, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
To register for this free webinar, click here.
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The Genetics of Dyslexia and Language Impairment
New research from the Yale School of Medicine identifies the pathways for fluent reading, the components of those pathways, and how they interact. Researchers believe they're on their way to being able to offer a pre-symptomatic diagnostic panel, which will help identify children at risk for LD before they experience difficulty in school.
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Changes in Disability Definitions
In May, the American Psychiatric Association released DSM-5, the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Many of the proposed changes were hotly debated, and several of the changes have implications for families of students with autism and learning disabilities. This blog post will bring you up to date on changes that may affect your child.
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