Don M. Winn's Blog, page 14

A Trip in Time: Knights in the Middles Ages

Knights have always held a special place in the imagination of many a young child and with many adults too. As a child, did you dream about being a knight? I know I did. What does the word knight conjure up in your imagination? In my Sir Kaye, the Boy Knight series of children’s chapter books, knights, and all that they stand for, are a central theme of the stories. But how closely does our own image of knights coincide with actual history?

Join me on a trip in time to a special exhibit about knights at The Museum of Natural Science in Houston and see first-hand a real knight’s story. And don’t forget to bring your imagination.

The many fanciful stories about knights (e.g. King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable) may be quite glamorous, but the origin of a knight is anything but. The word knight comes from Old English cniht, meaning “boy” or “servant,” and that’s basically what they were. A knight could have been a farmer, a baker, or one of a variety of any other common professions at the time, who picked up arms (whatever they had available) and answered the call of their king or their feudal lord, with payment in the form of land holdings. Being a knight was a lot like being in the military reserves today.

From the knight’s humble beginnings, it took many centuries for them to morph into the knights that we are familiar with today. By the mid to late middle ages, knighthood was more of a class of lesser nobility, and by the late middle ages, a knight had become linked with ideals of chivalry, justice, and a high standard of conduct.

[image error]There was more to knights of the middle ages than just their role as protectors and warriors. It was an entire way of life, including frequent pageantry demonstrating their military prowess and horsemanship in tournaments and putting on a showy display of strength and skill for the honor of their king. And a big part of their display was their outward appearance, including ornate (if they could afford it) suits of armor.

A knight’s suit of armor was highly prized, and in many cases, it was the most valuable thing they owned, other than their home. The Knights Exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science featured many exceptional pieces of armor, most engraved with ornate etchings.

What can we learn from the armor?

Since man first began having disagreements, skirmishes, and wars, people have sought ways to protect themselves. The earliest forms of combat protection included thick layers of cotton, linen, or woolen clothing. That was fine as far as it went since the layers helped muffle the blows of one’s opponent. But with the development of metallurgy and smithing, layers of bulky clothing offered no protection from pointed weapons. So they switched to leather because it was durable, flexible, easy to craft into garments, and it offered more resistance to sharp war implements. Metal entered the armor arena via several cultures: the Celts invented chainmail, garments made of thousands of interlocking rings, the Sumerians sewed metal discs onto their leather capes, and lamellar armor appeared in several cultures and was made from small pieces of metal wired together (think fish scales). All these inventions were fairly doable by a patient person since advanced metalsmithing was not required.

[image error]Plate armor, which was the subject of this museum exhibit, was an entirely different matter. Plate armor began in the 14th century in brass, which was soft and easy to work with, but unable to withstand the attack of iron weapons. And while iron worked fine for weaponry, it was too brittle to be shaped into the large pieces necessary for armor until fourteenth-century European smiths learned to combine steel and iron, thereby creating what most of us think of as a traditional suit of armor. Plate armor had a relatively short lifespan in history: with the advent of muskets, it became nearly obsolete by the end of the 17th century. (Helmets and modern body armor being notable exceptions).

Suits of plate armor had many components: helmets, facial visors, collars, arm and leg protection, hand and foot protection, and coverage for the trunk, plus jointed pieces to allow some range of motion in combat and tournaments. Armor was beefed up for tournaments: those for jousting included “pieces of exchange” to better protect the chest and left arm from mortal injury. Because each suit of armor was custom-made for its wearer, it was commissioned and could take months to execute, especially if the wearer wanted to be able to move freely. Therefore armor was largely the possession of only the wealthy, at least in the beginning.

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The earliest examples of armor were smooth, fairly shiny affairs with curved edges and brass trim being their only ornamentation. But as metalsmithing grew into an art form, engraving became a form of expressing the ideals and chivalric code of the wearer. The term ”Aquaforte” describes the technique of using chemicals to etch or engrave stylized or realistic designs onto the armor components. Armorers either had to be artists themselves or collaborate with artists to achieve such thematic elements as angels, animals, trophies of battle, geometric patterns, heraldry, and botanical motifs.

The most poignant part of the exhibition was definitely the partial remnants of a boy’s suit of armor from the 16th century. On the cuisses, (the parts of the armor that protected the upper thigh) the engraving of a monogram is present: ADEFLV. Though the whole suit is not intact, the size of the helmet shows that ADEFLV was a young boy, likely the son of a powerful (and wealthy) person.

Fans of the Sir Kaye series will see that a young boy being taught knightly arts is not fiction, but something that really happened in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Though we may never know the name or home of this young boy, it is fascinating to imagine his thoughts and feelings as he proudly trod in his father’s footsteps.

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If you are a history buff, a lover of the Middle Ages, or a fan of the Sir Kaye series, I highly recommend a trip to Houston to see this exhibit. And don’t forget all the teaching/learning opportunities on my website: many lesson plans, medieval history articles, and activities for each book in the Sir Kaye series are free for you and your child to enjoy! http://www.donwinn.com/resources.html

The Sir Kaye, the Boy Knight series of children’s chapter books are exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers. Take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

Reading Instruction: The Difference Between Knowing and Doing

Would you be surprised to know that only one third—barely a third!—of fourth and eighth graders in the US can read proficiently at (or above) grade level? Most taxpayers would be shocked at that statistic. After all, the ability to read well with comprehension is the foundation for every pursuit in adult life. The critical nature of this endeavor is the reason the lion’s share of our tax dollars is allotted for school systems. If you or I were only doing a credible job 34% of the time, we couldn’t reasonably expect to remain employed. Yet, ineffectiveness aside, the public school system remains this country’s most utilized educational domain.

Please don’t think I’m teacher-bashing here: teachers are some of my favorite folk, who have a very difficult job while also signing up for a lower than average wage because they have a genuine passion to teach and help youngsters. Most of us recall with fondness and appreciation those teachers of our own who made a real difference in our life.

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But here’s the thing: most educational models continue to assume that reading will be automatic, while neuroscience—and the above statistic—have clearly shown otherwise. It is the underutilization of this neuroscientific data that causes the gap between the altruism of educators and the staggeringly poor statistics of this nation’s young readers. In most colleges and universities, the students majoring in education and those majoring in the sciences have separate orbits with very little common ground. They’re completely different cultures, largely insular. Schools teaching future teachers focus on literacy and infer that reading is an automatic mechanical process that will just happen naturally when students are exposed to it. Neuroscience, on the other hand, studies how reading works in the brain (with lots of really cool image studies), how children learn, and what strategies work best for struggling readers.

Today, educational references abound (really!) about the methods that DO teach reading effectively. Indeed, reading science has developed so well that any struggling reader can benefit. How can we all be part of a collective conversation that will narrow this gap between the available knowledge and its boots-on-the-ground utilization?

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Talk with school personnel regularly about what’s working and what’s not working as your child learns to read.
When you encounter resources with good ideas, share them. Share on your favorite social media platforms, forward them along to your child’s teacher or reading specialist, discuss at PTA meetings.
Talk with your child daily about how they feel they’re doing in school. What do they need help with? Are they frustrated? Uninterested? Struggling? Communication helps them feel your interest and fosters a sense of teamwork. Share these issues with the teacher, and work on a plan for home and school to comprehensively address your child’s struggles.
If your child is pre-school age, discover how to lay a foundation for reading and literacy to optimize your child’s readiness for school.

Knowing and doing are two very different things. Let’s make the leap as a community, and make a real difference for this and future generations.

Resource Links:

Nation’s Report Card Statistics on 4th and 8th grade reading levels.

Neuroscience analyzes how we learn to read.

 

GARG’s Secret Mission by Don M. Winn Wins Silver Medal!

I’m happy to announce that GARG’s Secret Mission, the second Space Cop Zack picture book, has won the silver medal in the 2017 Wishing Shelf Book Awards!

To celebrate, I’m giving away a signed copy of the both Zack books: Space Cop Zack, Defender of the Galaxy, and Space Cop Zack, GARG’s Secret Mission. To enter the drawing, sign up for the Don Winn Author Newsletter (Fill out your name and email address in the right-hand column of the contact page on my website. The newsletter is only issued once every two months, so don’t worry about getting too much extra email by signing up.). All new subscribers will be entered in the drawing and the winner will be announced in the next newsletter.

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What’s the story about?

GARG’s Secret Mission is jam-packed with adventures, space monsters, and narrow escapes! Here’s the plot: The notorious General Electric has captured Space Princess Dendra! GARG the robot goes on a secret mission to rescue her, but when Mission Control loses contact with GARG, Space Cop Zack must search for him in the Windy Cavern of Doom. Will Zack find GARG and help rescue the princess before it’s too late? Will Zack finally defeat General Electric? It all depends on your imagination.

[image error]Meet Zack—the ever-resourceful, eternally optimistic space adventurer, captain, and commander![image error]

 

Meet GARG—Zack’s robot sidekick equipped with gadgets galore! He’s adaptable, reliable, and also extremely polite.

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Meet Space Princess Dendra—she’s droopy (she can’t help it) but very [image error]knowledgeable!

Meet General Electric—the dark power behind the Windy Cavern of Doom!

 

And more monsters than ever—including Cavern Scavengers, Electrostatic Dwarf Eels, The Giant Fringed Ameba, an astonishing lizard-creature, and the fearsome Strangulation Worms of Zargos 7!

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The Perfect Book for Any Reluctant Reader

GARG’s Secret Mission was released in the spring of 2017. At the time, the Wishing Shelf Book Review gave it a big thumbs up, calling it,  “A fantastically fun sci-fi romp…the perfect book for any reluctant boy reader.”

Since then, the book was submitted to the Wishing Shelf Book Awards distinguished panels of judges. What makes these judges so special? They are kids, which is great, because the Wishing Shelf Book Awards also provides feedback from the judges, so authors can get a sense of how their intended audience responds to the book.

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I’m so happy to say that the feedback has been incredibly positive. Here are a few of the reviews from children, teachers, and parents:

[image error]“I liked the drawings a lot. They were fun. The story was fun too.” —Girl, age 6

“Very sweet book. Fantastic illustrations and a strong story.” —Parent of twin girls

“Any boy would love this exciting, illustrated adventure. Tons happening from the very start with a thrilling ending.” —Primary teacher, age 35

“This book covers a number of interesting and very relevant topics which will stimulate a discussion between adult and child.” —Primary teacher, age 41

“The pics were really, REALLY good!!!” —Boy, aged 7

“GARG is cool. I wish I had a robot like that.” —Boy, age 6

The final verdict?

“Packed full of excitement! A SILVER MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended.”

—The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

Check out Space Cop Zack, Defender of the Galaxy, and Space Cop Zack, GARG’s Secret Mission for amazing adventures that encourage kids to cultivate the astounding power of imagination. Visit my website at donwinn.com and watch the video below for more information.

 

Slipping Through the Educational Cracks: An All Too Familiar Story

I often write about my personal experience growing up with dyslexia in the 1960s. Thankfully, decades later, much more is understood about dyslexia and many more resources are available. Indeed, now there are real solutions available. It has been clearly demonstrated that evidence-based literacy instruction (an explicit multisensory approach) benefits all children—especially dyslexic children. Evidence-based means that the teaching method is reliably proven to be true. The explicit multi-sensory program was studied and validated by researchers not involved with the program. This is key: they do not make a profit from the results of their research. Evidence-based is different from being research-based—anything can be researched, often with little to no forthcoming solutions. For something to be evidence-based the results must be valid, reliable, better than other comparable programs, and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Tragically, despite such advances in our understanding, a staggering 66% of students still fail to reach grade proficiency in reading by the 4th grade. And without remediation, it gets worse: many adults now in prison fall within this group. A Study of the Texas Prison System revealed that 80% of inmates are functionally illiterate, and 48% of those incarcerated are dyslexic, in contrast with 20% of the general population. This situation is not unique to just one state but occurs with alarming frequency throughout the world.

Why are so many kids still falling through the educational cracks when accessible information is out there? One big reason is that in many schools, little has changed about how children are taught to read. The majority of educators still lack a solid understanding of dyslexia. Because of this, many dyslexic children are not being diagnosed, which means that zero intervention is provided during the critical early years. Even 50 years after I started school, I still see countless children struggling with the same things I struggled with, despite the diligent efforts of their parents and caring teachers.

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This was the experience of Jeffrey and Jasmin Dean and their oldest son Jonah in the central Texas area. They experienced over three years of frustration trying to help Jonah since he started school. Jonah’s experience reminds me of my own story. He is now getting the help he needs and the Dean family is working hard to advocate for other families that are going through the same thing.

Here is their experience.

From Jonah’s mom, Jasmin: My family’s story is not unique, but it’s new to us. After 2 years of Pre-K, and grueling Kindergarten–3rd-grade years, we learned in March of 2017 that our oldest son, Jonah, has dyslexia. It was the most wonderful and heartbreaking news. Wonderful because we now had a name, difficult because we knew nothing about dyslexia and realized the struggle should have been met with early identification.

Every parent/teacher conference followed a similar pattern: Your son is so wonderful, kind and compassionate, but….his phonics are questionable, he can’t read, have you considered medication, he just needs to try harder. I met with each teacher regularly throughout the year to see how I could support her at home in teaching my son. This resulted in hours of time spent working together at our dinner table. I kept hearing that if he scored poorly enough, he would be referred to the campus-wide reading specialist, but, except for a low first quarter grade in 1st grade, he never really did score poorly enough. I began to think the reading specialist was an urban legend. He did participate in early screeners. All claimed he was “developed,” and we just kept trudging through. In all those conferences, no one explained that the screeners flag kids at risk for dyslexia. In all the PTA meetings I attended, discussing the all-too-common problem of dyslexia was absent from all agendas.

We had no idea as parents. In first grade, he developed extreme test anxiety. We just couldn’t understand why he was panicking before school, spending hours in the bathroom, and stopped eating for 4 months. In second grade I learned from his teacher that he would panic every time he saw the stopwatch for fluency tests. In third grade, I was told he was fine, just needed to work harder, and after our 504 meeting, the teacher tried to prove the rest of the year that he really wasn’t dyslexic. The night before he took his first official STAAR test (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness—yearly exams given to measure student achievements of grade-specific academic milestones) he started crying. He told us that in 2nd grade the guidance counselor told him that he would fail the 3rd grade if he didn’t pass the STAAR test. He was an A/B student with almost perfect behavior across the board. We had no idea he was told such things until the fear and anxiety was embedded. I am including these details to emphasize the gross need for teacher training and true understanding of dyslexic symptoms.

After a full day of 3rd-grade mock STAAR testing, and by the teacher’s request, another 4-hour evening of STAAR practice, I thought my son’s spirit was about to crack. With weary eyes, he looked at me and said, “Thank you, Mom, for sitting with me and doing all this.” That evening my husband and I reached our breaking point and asked that he be tested by the reading specialist.

Alas, we met the reading specialist. She spent hours with us. She spent hours with Jonah. At the 504 meeting (a meeting to determine if a student has a learning disability and if so, how the school will provide support and services to that student), she gave written evidence of all we had known. We just didn’t know what it added up to. The main classroom teacher’s contribution to the 504 background information was minimal and unrelated to all the issues we shared with her and she knew Jonah struggled with academically. We included all that we had experienced, not knowing that these symptoms we observed really did add up to something concrete. We later learned it was called dyslexia.

After the diagnosis, we were desperate for information. Our reading specialist led us to the Shaywitz website and book (Dr. Sally Shaywitz, coordinator of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity). We found the DVD version later. But what we were craving was a clearinghouse of information that would educate us as well as be a definitive resource for teachers.

Despite the dyslexia handbook and yearly district-mandated training, there is a disconnect for many educators when it comes to dyslexia. Before the official diagnosis, we passed through so many “experts in teaching,” and not a single one recommended that he be put on the tier  (see note below) or evaluated for something we didn’t really know about. Learning is magical no matter what obstacles one may have to overcome. The teacher in the classroom should never be the obstacle, but the vehicle by which all children learn. Seeing that this learning disability does not discriminate between gender, class, or creed, and one in five students has it, we have to do better for our children.

Note from Don: Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all children in the general education classroom. The needs of these students are identified through the assessment process, and instructional programs are delivered that focus on their specific needs. Instruction is provided in smaller groups than Tier 1 is (which would be all children in a teacher’s classroom).

Jonah’s dad writes: We repeatedly asked for help, guidance, and new strategies for reading and were repeatedly told by his teachers that our son needed to “try harder.” As a result, his brain was in overdrive all day in school using incorrect strategies, and then we pushed him for hours with homework after school. This led to frustration, and often tears, on the part of our son and ourselves, with no relief in sight.

When my wife asked for him to be formally tested for dyslexia (after screening negative) the reading specialist found him to be “positive” in all major categories of testing. I initially reacted with anger. I felt as though we had taken our child to professional educators 180d/yr for 3.5 years and were told he was “fine.” We KNEW he wasn’t “fine” and we kept asking until we finally made it to our reading specialist who has been wonderful.

I am an Orthopedic Surgeon, which has caused me to compare dyslexia screening with the mandatory school screening of scoliosis. Scoliosis has a prevalence of 1:50 children, while dyslexia has been published, by Dr. Sally Shaywitz at Yale, to have a prevalence of approximately 1:5 (10x higher than scoliosis). Scoliosis screening is mandatory because early intervention leads to improved outcomes in children and the dyslexia literature is now showing the same.

What if someone brought their child to an orthopedic surgeon’s office 180d/yr for 3.5 years saying something doesn’t seem right and were constantly told the child is “fine.” Then, out of frustration, the parents demand a CAT scan and it shows a large bone tumor. That would be a giant malpractice case. In medicine, we often use this phrase to educate young doctors about certain conditions… “YOU may not have seen IT, but IT has seen YOU.” Based on dyslexia’s prevalence of 1:5, I would suggest that teachers ought to be challenged to look for dyslexic students at an earlier stage and to help get them early intervention for better outcomes.

I don’t want to dwell on the past, but I do want to help ensure that other children do not fall through the cracks. My desire is to see more robust screening, more teacher education, and more reading specialists in EVERY school.

I’d like to thank Jeffrey and Jasmin Dean and Jonah for sharing their story. If you are experiencing similar challenges with your child, what can you do?

Talk to the school’s counselor or principal about getting your child tested. If testing isn’t offered through the school your child attends, your child’s pediatrician can recommend a testing facility. In Jonah’s case, all of the TPRI (a reading assessment test usually administered in kindergarten) screeners claimed he was developed when he was tested in kindergarten, so he wasn’t flagged for more screening, or a real test with the specialist. The specialist diagnosed him with dyslexia the first time she tested him. Many parents have concerns, but they trust the TPRI screening. If your instincts tell you that your child has a serious problem with reading, it doesn’t hurt to ask that he or she be retested.
Ask your child’s school administration about the availability of a reading specialist. Reading specialists are teachers who have the extra education to help struggling readers. They don’t typically work with children who are in special education, but rather work within the classroom, one-on-one or in small groups, with the dyslexic or other struggling readers.

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Work with your child at home to improve reading and comprehension skills:

Joke books: a good joke is all about timing, so kids need to read their jokes several times and practice their delivery. Linking reading to making other people enjoy a good laugh is a good way to reframe the struggle to read and practice fluency.
Reading books on a screen is just as valuable for your child as reading traditional books. If you have a tablet, treat him to downloaded books. Sometimes, just the difference in format is different enough to engage a reluctant reader.
Many parents have reported noticing great progress in their struggling reader’s efforts by pairing an audio book with a digital or print book that the child can follow along with as they listen.
Cook together. The two of you can look in cookbooks you may have around the house, get some from the library, or search the internet for ideas that sound yummy. Have your child read the recipe to you and participate in the meal preparation. You’ll spend quality time together, and your child will get to practice reading, comprehension, and especially sequencing, which is often a big challenge for dyslexics.
Model fluent reading: read daily with your child from books that engage their imagination. And ask questions as you go: “What do you think will happen next?”, “What would you do if you were this character?”, “What do you think the character is most afraid of?” to determine gaps in comprehension. Explain as needed so the child remains fully engaged.
Note your child’s current interests, and plan activities together around those. If they’re really into trains right now, or tadpoles, or ponies, read books about those things. Field trips are an excellent way to capitalize on a child’s interests. If you’re going to museums or touring facilities that offer learning experiences, reading is frequently part of the experience and can be paired with hands-on opportunities for a multi-sensory approach.
Recognize and praise effort: dyslexic readers have to exert massive amounts of effort to show up for their day and do their assignments. Saying things like, “Look how hard you’re working! I’m so proud of you!” can go a long way to helping your child see that you understand their struggle and appreciate their efforts.
If your child is pre-school aged, see my blog Children with Dyslexia: Early Detection and Intervention about what to watch for in younger children that can point to dyslexia so intervention can begin as early as possible.

Read about a great new picture book series in the works that will help build a good pre-literacy foundation from birth: Literacy and Dyslexia: The Problem and the Real Solution

Take advantage of other dyslexia resources I’ve shared on my blog.

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Literacy and Dyslexia: The Problem and the Real Solution

What if I told you there are effective ways to minimize any potential pain, frustration, and difficulty with reading that your children might face when they enter school? Most parents would be very interested in learning how to do this.

Most of the literacy challenges faced by dyslexic children when they start school can be minimized or circumvented by establishing a solid multisensory pre-literacy foundation before school begins, beginning from birth.

Anticipating and mitigating problems or roadblocks isn’t a new strategy—businesses, scientists, engineers, and marketing companies routinely practice this model because they realize it’s always easier to address potential situations before they crop up, perhaps altering design or communication style to eliminate issues and optimize the success of a project. But for some reason, the task of helping a child become a reader doesn’t always seem to inspire this preventive strategy. What if that could change?

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I’ve written many articles and blogs over the years about dyslexia, most of which address issues that arise after a child starts school and is already suffering the social and emotional effects of an inadequate learning environment. But the real opportunity is that most of the literacy challenges faced by dyslexic children when they start school can be minimized or circumvented by establishing a solid multisensory pre-literacy foundation before school begins, beginning from birth. More on that in a moment, but first let’s clear up some misconceptions that have muddied the educational waters.

1) Not all dyslexics are alike; each has different strengths, weaknesses, types, aspects, and severities. Genetics plays a role as well.

2) Not all dyslexics will be a Richard Branson or a Mark Ruffalo, but ALL can become good readers. There’s a danger in overemphasizing all the successful dyslexics as though every dyslexic child has identical talents and potential. Each dyslexic child’s potential and opportunity is different depending on multiple factors, but the one realistic expectation which can be emphasized for every dyslexic child is that they can be a good reader and reach his or her own unique potential.

Although many successful dyslexics are raised up as examples (which is encouraging and good), the sad truth is that most dyslexics historically never come close to knowing or reaching their own personal potential. Because of reading challenges, hundreds of thousands can’t read well or read with meaningful comprehension. Tragically, a staggering 66% of students fail to reach grade proficiency in reading by the 4th grade. And without remediation, it gets worse: many adults now in prison fall within this group. A Study of the Texas Prison System revealed 80% of inmates are functionally illiterate, and 48% of those incarcerated are dyslexic, in contrast with 20% of the general population. This situation is not unique to just one state, but occurs with alarming frequency throughout the world.

As I’ve discussed before in this blog, our brains are hard-wired for speech, but not for literacy, so learning to read and write means cracking the code that links what at first looks like meaningless squiggles on a page to the familiar spoken word. The printed word proves to be quite a challenge for many children, especially those who have dyslexia or other reading difficulties.

In some instances, schools have discontinued using the very methods that do work.

The reality of the situation is that the methods used to teach reading in school haven’t kept pace with research addressing the diversity of learning differences and in some instances, schools have discontinued using the very methods that do work. See Faith Borkowsky’s interview, Reading Intervention Behind School Walls.

While many students can become adequate readers regardless of the method of instruction, over 50% of students require explicit, multisensory reading instruction, and this method works well for all readers.

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But what is explicit, multisensory reading instruction and when is it optimal to begin?

Briefly, multisensory reading instruction uses visual, kinesthetic (movement), tactile (touch), and auditory pathways of instruction to encompass all learning styles. For more about explicit, multisensory reading instruction, see my interview with Peggy Price, Helping ALL Kids Learn to Read

How can parents help establish a good pre-literacy foundation in their child from birth that will also help discover and address their child’s own unique learning style?

In collaboration with literacy expert Faith Borkowsky, I am developing a new, unique, and powerful series of multisensory picture books called Reading with Reggie for parents to enjoy with their children from birth that will help establish a good pre-literacy foundation in all children, preparing them to be readers before they start school.

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What is Reading with Reggie?

Reading with Reggie is a targeted, research-based series of enjoyable multisensory picture books that are intended for shared reading. Reggie is a character in the Sir Kaye, the Boy Knight series who struggles with dyslexia. These new books will introduce him as a guide to the challenges of learning to read and write. These are not dry textbooks, but fun stories with activities that include proven pre-literacy concepts. As you share these stories over and over again with your child, the concepts on which reading is based become solidified. What concepts? Phonological awareness (connecting sounds to letters), vowels, consonants, letter combinations, the structure and workings of syllables, rhyme, and more. Understanding the foundational rules of language demystifies words and reading, and gives the child tools to learn new words, all in enjoyable, multisensory ways.

Each book will include supplementary information to help parents use the books at each stage of their child’s experience.

Reading with Reggie is a targeted, research-based series of enjoyable multisensory picture books that are intended for shared reading.

The goal of this fun, enjoyable series is to help adults build a foundation for literacy in their children and discover what forms of sensory engagement are the best fit for their child’s learning style. Each book will be an engaging story that will also feature a new literary concept.

Sign up for the Don Winn Author Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the Reading with Reggie project and other news.

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

Take advantage of other dyslexia resources I’ve shared on my blog.

About Faith Borkowsky:

Faith Borkowsky is the Founder and Lead Educational Consultant of High Five Literacy and Academic Coaching. With thirty years’ experience as a classroom teacher, reading and learning specialist, regional literacy coach, administrator, and private tutor, she has seen first-hand what truly works.

Ms. Borkowsky is a Certified Wilson and IDA Dyslexia Practitioner, is Orton-Gillingham trained, and has extensive training and experience in a number of other research-based, peer-reviewed programs that have produced positive gains for students with Dyslexia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ADD/ADHD, and a host of learning difficulties.

New York State-certified in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Reading, Ms. Borkowsky stays current, is always learning, and continually attends professional development in brain-based, holistic disciplines. Honing her skills over years and redefining strategies through trial and error, she has been a trainer in school districts across Long Island and has presented at literacy workshops and conferences for federal and state-funded initiatives. Her philosophy and practice include educating and empowering her students to be self-sufficient learners.

Ms. Borkowsky works with all ages, preschoolers through adulthood, utilizing meta-cognitive strategies and multisensory instruction in a collaborative, non-threatening style, where parents are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the learning process.

Additional Resources:

Dyslexiaville and the Super d! Show is a great web series that helps with the social and emotional needs of kids with dyslexia and attention issues.

Boon Philanthropy is committed to helping ALL kids learn to read adequately. Find out how you can help support teacher training in explicit, multisensory literacy instruction.

Uniquely Wired: What We Can All Learn From Autism

As humans, we tend to gravitate toward people and situations that we know, understand, and feel comfortable around. When we’re around someone whose behaviors are unexpected or difficult to interpret, it can make us feel unsettled or anxious, and our natural tendency may be to avoid that person or situation. But that all-too-human response doesn’t help us grow as a person or expand our compassion, and it certainly doesn’t benefit the person being excluded.

Many times, children on the autism spectrum will behave in ways that other people don’t understand. How can we help their peers to be more compassionate and understanding about their unique situation? Here’s one way: Julia Cook, a former educator and school counselor, has created a wonderful teaching tool in the form of a 32-page picture book called Uniquely Wired. This book can help all of us—children and adults—to understand and respond to the needs of individuals with autism in a more informed and meaningful way.

[image error]Don: What inspired you to write a book about autism?

Julia: Children with autism fascinate me. They see and hear the world differently than typical kids. They have so many unique gifts. Many times their behaviors are misunderstood and judged incorrectly. My goal in writing this book is to help people recognize, understand, and appreciate the fact that we are all uniquely wired, and that’s ok.

Don: You mention “prickly behaviors” of kids with autism. What kinds of behaviors might show up?

Julia: Sensory processing difficulties often affect an autistic child’s comfort level when making eye contact, giving and receiving affection, adjusting to change and new environmental surroundings, adjusting to unpredictable experiences, and reacting to light and sound. They may appear to be “prickly” when they don’t respond the way other kids do.

Don: Speaking of behaviors, you tell parents that every behavior has a purpose. Why is that such an important point to grasp? And how can determining the purpose of a child’s behavior inform a parent’s response?

Julia: Every behavior has a purpose. We may not understand a certain behavior or action, but children with autism most likely have a very specific need they’re trying to communicate. Over time, watching their patterns, trying to think outside the box, and seeing into their world will help you figure out what they are trying to communicate.

Some children with autism have unique behaviors that are done repetitively. Many of these self-stimulatory or “stimming” behaviors (twirling their hair, flapping their arms, etc.) help them calm down, organize their thoughts, or provide a sense of control. While these behaviors can be disturbing to others or emotionally heartbreaking for parents, most provide some benefit to the child. It can be helpful to teach siblings and classmates about stimming behaviors to encourage greater understanding and acceptance.

Don: Why is autism called a spectrum disorder?

Julia: There is a saying in the autism community, “If you have met one child with autism, you have met ONE child with autism!” Each child has unique struggles. This array of challenges is effectively represented when using the term autism spectrum disorder.

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Don: How can siblings and classmates be helped to understand the unique challenges of the autistic child?

Julia: Hopefully reading this story to them will do just that! Children are much more understanding and accepting when they have information. Doing class activities that develop empathy and understanding for others is also must.

For example:

Have a class discussion on what it feels like when a flash from a camera goes off right in front of you. The light is so bright that it often makes us flinch. Relate this experience to how a child on the spectrum might be super sensitive to bright lights all of the time.
Have kids take a piece of paper and fold it and tear it step-by-step using oral instructions only. The kids are not allowed to look at you to see your example and are not allowed to look at other kids’ papers for comparison. They can only rely on their interpretation of instructions. Each paper will end up looking different from the others because we are all uniquely wired when it comes to interpretation.
Use this example to also explain that children on the spectrum don’t learn by watching others…they mostly learn from things that are taught directly to them.

Don: I loved the kind, understanding, and effective approach you took in writing this book. One of the points that I especially appreciated was the suggestion to communicate based on the child’s current obsession, whether it was trains, watches, etc. Why is it so helpful to both parents and the child to use this approach?

Julia: Kids learn most effectively when they are interested in the topic. By using an autistic child’s latest obsession to teach a concept, you have his/her interest and attention immediately in a world that is familiar.

 “In order to teach children…you must enter their view of the world!” – Julia Cook

Don: Sometimes a child with autism resorts to hitting, shoving, or some other physical outlet for their frustrations. How can they be helped to develop coping skills? You encourage parents never to assume their child knows what needs to be done and can then transfer those instructions to their muscles to get the job done. You use the term, “Motor Planning.” Can you give our listeners some examples of what that means and how to do it?

Julia: Picking up social cues is difficult for children with autism. As a result, they may be excluded or treated unfairly. Also, they may choose to hit, push, or scream because they have difficulty processing how to handle feelings and emotions. It can be very helpful to teach and practice appropriate situational responses using visual pictures and social story books that include images with faces and emotions.

Children on the autism spectrum respond very effectively to social recipes (if this happens then this is how I am expected to respond). You may need to teach a child with autism WAY more things that you ever imagined. Motor Planning—knowing what you need to do in a certain situation and transferring that task successfully from your brain to your body and muscles to actually carry the plan out—comes more slowly for children with autism. This may be because a child has a deficit in a specific area. It also can be compounded because children on the spectrum don’t naturally watch other kids and pay attention to what they do in certain situations. For example, you may have to teach a child with autism to take off his coat and mittens after playing in the snow.

Don: Tell us about some of your other books.

Julia: The purpose of all of my research-based books is to teach kids to become life-long problem solvers. Often, kids would come into my counseling office and want me to waive my magic wand and solve their problems for them. But that’s not my job…my job is to give them the tools they need to solve their own problems. Each one of my books presents a problem (interrupting, tattling, stealing, not taking responsibility, not using your social filter etc.) followed by a solution, and ends with implementing that solution. The books tell the parent, the teacher, and the child the WHAT TO SAY, the WHAT TO DO, and the HOW TO DO IT! They are basically 32 page social skill recipe books that work for everyone – big and small.

Don: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Julia: It is so important to remember, “In order to teach children…you must enter their view of the world.” Reading a story book is a great way to do that!

Don: I’d like to thank Julia Cook for taking the time to be interviewed and for her passion for helping all kids to be their best. Julia’s work and observations teach us that we’re all uniquely wired and to appreciate what every child has to offer.

For more information about Julia Cook’s book, Uniquely Wired, visit: https://www.boystownpress.org/index.php/uniquely-wired.html

And her website: http://www.juliacookonline.com/

You can also connect with Julia and her publisher, Boys Town Press, on Twitter @juliacookonline and @bt_ed.

A free book by Julia Cook is available through the CDC.gov website. You can download it for free or read it online. It is also available in Spanish.

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

  About Julia Cook M.S.

[image error]With approximately two million books in print, Julia Cook is a former school counselor and teacher who never dreamed she could evolve into a national award-winning children’s author, parenting expert, and inspirational speaker. She now travels the US and abroad encouraging others to follow in her footsteps. “There are so many ideas out there that need to be shared!” says Julia who takes top research and creatively translates it into “kid language” that is both entertaining and engaging. Julia has the innate ability to enter the world view of a child through storybooks, giving both children the “what to say” and the “how to say it.”

 

Pulling Weeds: Rooting Out the Need for Instant Gratification in Your Child

No matter what our age, we all, to some degree, enjoy the feeling of instant gratification. It certainly has its place—who doesn’t like to get immediate feedback on a job well done? But most things in life don’t show results, or provide that key gratification, without the investment of a lot of time and effort. There’s a process that needs to be followed to get from point A to B, and that process can’t be rushed. When we’re young, however, our wiring is primed for instant gratification. Think about it: a baby cries because it wants immediate attention, whether it’s food to eat or the need for a clean nappy. And the baby wants it NOW! We all start out in life with instant gratification as our MO. None of us are born with patience or the ability to persevere; those traits must be learned, valued, and nurtured.

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This can be tough for any child, but it’s especially challenging for many dyslexics. When kids are already struggling mightily with basic tasks like reading, writing, sequencing, etc., there is not a lot of bandwidth in the patience and perseverance departments left for anything else, not even for the things they really like to do.

When I was a child, I loved to build things. I especially loved airplanes and I remember clapping eyes on mesmerizing photos of adventurous-looking planes on the box tops at the hobby store, visions of being a pint-sized pilot lighting up my brain. Flushed with the adrenaline of that vision, I rushed to buy a small balsa wood airplane model. I couldn’t wait to put it together and fly it.

The problem was that all I could see was the finished product, and that’s where my brain stopped. I could imagine playing with my new airplane (it looked SO cool on that box cover—wait ‘til my friends saw this!), but the process of successfully building the model, which can take many days, didn’t enter into that imagery. Instead, I was impatient with the necessary construction steps and tried to hurry things along. “Who had time to study plans and read directions, and reading is too hard anyway. I already have to do too much reading in school!” I reasoned. No, I would attack the endeavor in a slapdash, improvisational fashion, spending many hours trying to put it together, not waiting even a few minutes for the glue to dry, let alone overnight (as recommended). I wanted it to be done now! The result? The finished product (if you could call it finished) didn’t look much like an airplane, (more like a sad glob of Pick-up-Sticks) and it definitely couldn’t fly. All I had accomplished in my impatience and frustration was to create a prime candidate for file 13, aka the trash can.

This was disheartening, to say the least, and after a second failed attempt to build another balsa wood airplane, I didn’t bother with models again until many years later when I was an adult. I’ll get to that in a minute.

What I needed, that I didn’t have at the time, was a mentor that could help me learn patience and perseverance in doing fun projects. I needed someone to show me how to start out with something simpler where I could have seen the results sooner, and then gradually help me to build up to making something more complicated.

Some years back I decided to tackle model building again, but this time with a focus on the process and taking the time to understand and follow the plans correctly. Since that time, I have built several vintage balsa wood airplanes and have even moved on to more complex models with hardwood and metal. One of my early projects (second actually) was a 1930’s Catalina PBY-5a boat plane. I have it hanging from my office ceiling with several other models. I love the look of the balsa wood and chose not to cover the model structure with paper so as to be able to enjoy seeing the framework. —See below for information about the Catalina PBY Boat Plane. (I can’t help it. I told you I loved models.)

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As a parent, it’s important to model patience and perseverance for your child. This can be very difficult at times, but tomorrow’s adults will have no reason to discard instant gratification in favor of perseverance if today’s adults don’t display those traits and teach them the value of loving the process, not just the end result. Take the time to work with them on little projects as they prepare tenaciously for the big projects of adult life.

Here are some ways parents can help their children to learn patience and the benefits of delayed gratification.

Kids are often most drawn to projects that are above their current skill level. When beginners at any task try to start at the top, as it were, frustration and feelings of failure are inevitable. Parents can validate the child’s excitement over the project they’re drawn to, and then offer to work towards that project with some warm-up projects to build skills together.
Teaching moments are all around us: when the child does a task that took more than one or two steps, reinforce their confidence by recognizing each step they took to completion, and point out how the same type of approach will work with their long-term project. Share examples with your child of times when you had to work for an extended period of time to accomplish what you desired, and that it was hard, but you really wanted to accomplish that goal, so you kept your eyes on the prize.

Supplementary Material: A Brief History Of The Catalina PBY-5

In Navy terms, PB stood for “Patrol Bomber.” The last letter was the manufacturer of the aircraft. PBY was built by Consolidated. We know them today as General Dynamics. So the PBY Catalina was, therefore, a patrol bomber, built by Consolidated, and named after Catalina Island.

The PBY-5 design goes back to the early 1930s. The Navy wanted a long-range flying boat that could patrol vast areas of the ocean. The main benefit of a flying boat, especially in the 1930s, was that it did not require a runway.

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A flying boat, unlike a floatplane, has a hull like a boat, that’s built into the fuselage, so the bottom looks like a boat and the top looks like an airplane.

A floatplane generally started out as a regular airplane with its landing gear replaced by floats.

Later versions of the PBY-5 were actually amphibious, where the landing gear was retractable and it could take off and land from runways or water.

During its early history, the Catalina did anti-submarine combat, bombing, minesweeping, reconnaissance, transport, and search and rescue.

US Catalinas continued to be used for search and rescue well into the 1950s and some countries used them as late as the 1960s.

[image error]Three US Navy PBY-5A Catalina aircraft VP-52 in flight in the southwest Pacific, December 1943.

 

Stop the Insanity! Helping Children with Learning Differences

I was recently contacted by a tutor in the UK about an 8-year-old boy with dyslexia and dyscalculia. The tutor has been working with him since he was 5. The boy suffers from anxiety and loathes school due to his challenges. She is especially distressed by the lack of support the young boy is getting in school, which is only making his struggles worse.

This young student is, unfortunately, not having an unusual experience as a dyslexic/dyscalculic in school: he’s already falling behind, feeling incredibly pressured to perform, and comparing himself unfavorably to others who seem to learn and perform effortlessly. I know, because I was that boy 50 years ago…some things never change, or change far too slowly.

In my recent interview with literacy expert Faith Borkowsky, she stated that in schools, “children are just given more of the same methods that did not work for them. Assessing children without analyzing and responding appropriately to the results is a waste of time.” This reminded me of a quote attributed to Albert Einstein. He said that insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The last thing any parent or educator wants is to irritate and frustrate children by expecting long-standing teaching methods to work for every student. All concerned parties have more than abundant evidence that they don’t.

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But where does this leave dyslexic children? Here is where parents need to educate themselves. As Faith stated in her interview, “Parents need to ask questions and find out what the school is doing instructionally to change the trajectory.” The better parents understand what type of instruction their child needs, the better they can advocate for their child.

However, more is needed than just addressing the academic needs of the child. In the case of the boy mentioned at the outset, he suffers from anxiety and low self-worth and hates school. So part of the solution lies in addressing the social and emotional trauma—often this must be done before addressing academic issues.

What can help?

Apologize for mistakes: let the child know that sometimes everyone keeps trying the same solution, hoping it will work—even grown-ups! But make it clear that without meaning to, trying to teach him or her the same way over and over may have created feelings of frustration for the student. The problem lies, not with the child, but with the approach. Encourage them not to give up, because not everyone learns the same way, but everyone can learn.
Reassure them that they are smart and strong. Remind them of all the things they’re good at, things they’ve learned and mastered, or how fast they can run, or how well they take care of their pet, for instance. Set the stage for an adventure of discovery, because as they grow, more and more things that they try will be strengths for them. This is going to be fun!
When the child begins to get frustrated with school work, take a page out of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. They may be saying, “I can’t do this”, “I’m stupid”, “I can’t do anything right”, or similar statements. REBT asks people to question those beliefs, so they can see that they’re not true, or irrational. As mentioned above, be ready with a list of things they’ve learned to do well, and say that the fact that they’ve already learned so many things successfully means that they can learn new things too.
Make time regularly to spend time together doing things that come easier for the child. Everyone enjoys savoring their mastery as a way of recharging their batteries for new challenges, including kids.
Praise them for hanging in there, even though they feel anxious or reluctant to participate in lessons at school. One of the hardest things for all humans to learn is how to endure when things aren’t going our way, especially when the situation is frustrating. Recognize how hard they’ve been working, far outside their comfort zone, just to show up every day at school.
Foster a love of story. Read great books together regularly, daily if possible. Get them into the story, excited to hear the next plot twist. Once they see how fun books are, and how reading offers them an opportunity that no other form of entertainment offers, they will be motivated to keep working on their reading skills.
Introduce heroes of self-reference. Memorable characters make a real difference in a child’s engagement with reading material, and nothing ignites a struggling reader’s mind more than reading about other kids who struggle with the same challenges, feelings, and situations they do. Seeing their life experience through the life of a beloved character helps them feel less alone and can reduce feelings of shame. When the hero of the story figures out their strengths, demonstrates personal growth, and learns to accept themselves as a valuable human being, our struggling student can finally begin to imagine his or her own life turning around.
Check out the Super d! Show . It’s a great help for providing social and emotional support for dyslexic children, and I highly recommend it. This unique program is written, directed, produced, and acted by an all-dyslexic group of volunteers. The shows offer kids valuable heroes of self-reference in a TV format, rather than written form, and is designed to directly address the oft-overlooked social and emotional needs of struggling students.

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As stated at the beginning, it’s time to stop the insanity of expecting all kids to learn the same way. None of us has to look very far to see a child who is suffering greatly from unmet educational and emotional needs. Let’s do something about it!

Take advantage of other dyslexia resources I’ve shared on my blog.

The award-winning Sir Kaye the Boy Knight series offers exactly the kind of hero of self-reference described above. The 4 book series centers around two young protagonists in the middle ages, one of whom has severe dyslexia and does all he can to creatively avoid reading and writing. This character, Reggie, also deals with shame due to his perceived differences, and voices his fears that he is stupid and can’t learn. He has tremendous growth over the 4 book story-arc, discovering that he has many strengths that can be used to benefit himself and his friends.

Take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series

The Sir Kaye series is published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press. The audio editions of the Sir Kaye books are available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Reading Intervention Behind School Walls: Interview with Literacy Expert Faith Borkowsky

[image error]Does your child struggle to read? Does that struggle cause your child anxiety or embarrassment? Are you confused by the mixed messages you get from teachers and other professionals? In this blog, I’ll be interviewing Faith Borkowsky, a Certified Wilson and IDA Dyslexia Practitioner about her book, Reading Intervention Behind School Walls. This book is a must-read for parents and educators alike. Her perspective and research offer a framework for understanding and addressing a complex and far-reaching crisis in America: our kids don’t read as well as they need to in order to succeed. Her book is clearly written with concise chapters that cover a broad range of diverse aspects of reading issues and their respective remedies.

Faith will discuss what parents need to know to help their children and what educators can do to make better use of the precious window of time they spend with their students.

Don: You start your book by describing your process of working with your student Robert. As a struggling reader myself, I was touched by your specific attempts to build trust with this struggling reader and help him relax and not have such a stress response and defeatist attitude. What can you tell us about your interventions with Robert, and why were these actions so important?

Faith: We cannot separate the mind from the body. By putting children at ease and into a positive state of mind, it opens the learning channels. Robert and I began with movement exercises that crossed the midline of the body, such as bringing his left elbow to his right knee when the leg is lifted and then repeating with the opposite elbow and knee. Then, I taught him how to focus on his breath to clear his mind. We spent a few minutes “warming up” to build a mindset for learning. I told Robert that he can be in control of his learning when he has control over his mind and body. Slowly, he began to trust me, and more importantly, he began to believe in himself.

Don: What Butterfly Effect (a small action that has a far-reaching effect) has decimated American literacy?

Faith: Beginning in the 1930’s, reading programs began to focus on comprehension and the memorization of whole words instead of a phonics approach. Phonics took a back seat and was only supposed to be used as a last resort. Prior to this, reading was taught through spelling books that were sequential, and the alphabetic code was learned through letter patterns that were explicitly taught. As a matter of fact, reading, spelling, handwriting, and grammar were all taught directly. Children were not left to “discover” how to read words. In the 1950’s, Rudolf Flesch wrote a book called Why Johnny Can’t Read, advocating for phonics to be brought back as the primary instructional method because so many children were not learning by using this whole word memorization approach. He was not very effective in changing minds. In the 1970’s, the Whole Language approach was being taught at teaching universities, and it became the dominant teaching method. When I started teaching in the mid 80’s, anything that included phonics was removed from schools. Open Court, a basal reading program that used a phonics approach, was abandoned. Teachers were not supposed to emphasize phonics. Spelling was not taught by letter patterns anymore. Words were given to the class weekly that reflected misspellings noticed in the children’s writing or which were based on holiday words and themes.

Children do not always make the connection between sounds and letters if phonemic awareness and phonics are taught separately.

Don: In your book, you describe the gap between assessments of struggling readers and actually using that data to improve instructional choices. How can parents be more pro-active in this area so their child doesn’t fall through the cracks?

Faith: Since 2002, as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act, lots of testing and progress monitoring took over the schools. This was supposed to keep teachers and administrators accountable for making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). But testing alone will not change the outcome if the instruction does not change. Parents need to ask questions and find out what the school is doing instructionally to change the trajectory. Usually, children are just given more of the same methods that did not work for them. Assessing children without analyzing and responding appropriately to the results is a waste of time. If a child can’t decode, using an instructional approach that does not teach phonics explicitly will not work for that child.

Don: In the chapter called “Visual Discrimination” you state that “there is no substitute for the personal connection of someone with a true interest in your well-being making simple, everyday activities meaningful and educational.” What sorts of activities can you share that you benefitted from as a child?

Faith: I mentioned in the book that basic family chores can be a learning experience. My father and I used to sort his socks by color and pattern. My mother and I would take public buses, and I was the one responsible for paying the fare. I learned the difference between nickels, dimes, and quarters by using them, not by a picture in a book. We also rolled coins to bring to the bank for dollar bills. I was fortunate that I had many hands-on experiences, and my parents were very much hands-on with my learning. Today, children are handed phones and iPads with very little interaction between parents and children. I see a difference in children who are in front of screens too early and too often.

Don: You talk about how using sight-words encourages kids to develop guessing habits when reading. I appreciated your statement that sight-words don’t teach kids how words work. Why is learning how words work so crucial?

Faith: When children understand the alphabetic principle, they can apply phonics skills to read ANY word, short or long. If they just learn to memorize words, they might learn just those words but will not see connections to unknown words. For example, a child might memorize the word stop, but that same child will not be able to read slop, prop, or crop if those words were not seen before.

Children should not be left to “discover” how words work.

Don: You have some excellent exercises in your book for parents to use to determine if or how well their child can read, and if they may have a visual tracking problem. Would you please share those with our listeners?

Faith: Inefficient instructional methods can cause tracking problems. If a child is searching for meaning and not reading left to right and all through the word, his eyes may be bouncing all over the place to search for cues that can help. However, if a child can decode isolated words but cannot read those same words embedded in the text, there might be a true tracking issue. Parents should watch while their child is reading. Are just their eyes moving or is the head moving as well? Do they notice head tilting? Body posture can be very telling.

Don: Reading comprehension is a big topic, with multiple aspects. But you stress the role of parents in this goal. You specifically mention continuing to read to children even after they have learned to read, even more so if they have learning challenges. Why is this so important?

Faith: Content knowledge and vocabulary both directly affect reading comprehension. Children who know a lot about the world and have a large bank of words are better able to understand what they read. This is especially important for children with decoding issues. If reading is difficult, they will not be able to read books with more complexity and sophisticated language. Until decoding skills are strengthened, children benefit greatly from hearing books that they cannot read on their own.

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Don: These days, there’s an app for everything, and it may seem more expedient, even more effective, for a parent to turn their child over to something designed by a professional. Why are computer-assisted instructional programs not as effective as a real teacher for the remediation of reading difficulties?

Faith: I believe that children thrive when adults are giving them attention. There is no substitute for the human voice or physical closeness. Computer programs can be helpful for repetitive practice, but I don’t think that putting children on the computer is an effective use of time. Children become passive learners on these programs and the novelty wears off quickly.

Don: You discuss the importance of attitude in reading success. You specifically mention a distressed mindset and a defeatist attitude. How can parents help their child move to a more positive, hopeful point of view?

Faith: Modeling positivity and becoming a role model for having an optimistic outlook are the best ways to build the right attitude for learning. Parents should reinforce the message that their own brains have plasticity and can change at any time. There is always the opportunity to learn something new. As mentioned earlier, mindfulness strategies can be learned and are effective in building focus. I learned many techniques and have studied the benefits of using a combination of movement and mindfulness to help children concentrate.

Don: Your encouragement to parents to optimize the time spent together as a family at the dinner table by not having devices present struck a chord. Why does having electronic devices present during mealtimes pose such a problem?

Faith: Language is the foundation for literacy, and listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension. Learning to follow and engage in a conversation are fundamental skills that underscore reading and writing success. What better place than at the dinner table? Plus, it is just rude!

Don: Faith, thank you so much for taking time from your schedule to share a wealth of information with us! Our readers are sure to benefit!

As you can see from this brief interview, there is abundant targeted information to be had from Faith Borkowsky’s book, Reading Intervention Behind School Walls. Don’t miss this opportunity as a parent or educator to make a meaningful difference in the life of a struggling reader.

Click here to purchase Faith Borkowsky’s book on Amazon.

If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

About Faith Borkowsky

[image error]Faith Borkowsky is the Founder and Lead Educational Consultant of High Five Literacy and Academic Coaching. With thirty years’ experience as a classroom teacher, reading and learning specialist, regional literacy coach, administrator, and private tutor, she has seen first-hand what truly works.

Ms. Borkowsky is a Certified Wilson and IDA Dyslexia Practitioner, is Orton-Gillingham trained, and has extensive training and experience in a number of other research-based, peer-reviewed programs that have produced positive gains for students with Dyslexia, Auditory Processing Disorder, ADD/ADHD, and a host of learning difficulties.

New York State-certified in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Reading, Ms. Borkowsky stays current, is always learning, and continually attends professional development in brain-based, holistic disciplines. Honing her skills over years and redefining strategies through trial and error, she has been a trainer in school districts across Long Island and has presented at literacy workshops and conferences for federal and state-funded initiatives. Her philosophy and practice include educating and empowering her students to be self-sufficient learners.

Ms. Borkowsky works with all ages, preschoolers through adulthood, utilizing meta-cognitive strategies and multisensory instruction in a collaborative, non-threatening style, where parents are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the learning process.

Movie Quotes Quiz

[image error]How good is your movie knowledge? Since most of us have a little time off from work this month, here’s a little bit of fun trivia. See if you can identify the movie each quote is taken from. Take care though! The quotes are not exact. In each quote, a vital word or phrase has been replaced with a variation of the words “Cardboard Box” (After all, this is the Cardboard Box Adventures Publishing blog.) Give yourself extra points if you can identify both the movie AND the word or phrase that has been replaced with “Cardboard Box.” Highlight the hidden text to read the answers.

The movies are all family-friendly, so ask your kids for help if you get stuck!

Quote: “And after that, Vulgaria became a free country and all the children laughed and played in the sunshine, and they were very, very happy. And the Cardboard Box flew high over the mountains back to England, everyone safe and sound…”

Movie: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Missing Words: “the Cardboard Box” replaced “Chitty”

Quote: “Best I can figure, they were trying to fly through that barn, upside down. Had a bunch of reporters out here earlier; CNN. I guess it is news, when you got a Cardboard Box bein’ flown by two 90-year-old men, neither one of ’em with pilot’s licenses… Well, they had a good, long run, the both of ’em. And they went out with their boots on!”

Movie: Secondhand Lions (2003)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “tiny World War I biplane”

Quote: “This is a Cardboard Box, darling. You can’t be seen in this. I won’t allow it. Fifteen years ago, maybe, but now? Feh!”

Movie: The Incredibles (2004)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “horrible suit”

Quote: “It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead…with all dead, well, with all dead there’s usually only one thing you can do. Go through his Cardboard Box and look for loose change.”

Movie: The Princess Bride (1987)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “clothes”

Quote: “Yee-haw! Giddy-up partner! We’ve got to get this Cardboard Box a-movin”

Movie: Toy Story (1990)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “wagon train”

Quote: “Now this im-posin’ edifice what first meets the eye is the ‘ome of Admiral Boom, late of His Majesty’s Navy. Likes his Cardboard Box ship-shape, he does. Shipe-shape and Bristol fashion at all times!”

Movie: Mary Poppins (1964)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “house”

Quote: “Would you quit it? What, the Cardboard Box isn’t big enough for you or something like that? You got a problem? Huh? Do ya, do ya, do ya? You wanna piece of me? Yeah, yeah! Ooh, I’m scared now! What?”

Movie: Finding Nemo (2003)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “ocean”

Quote: “And last but not least is a fiery redhead who lives in a dragon-guarded Cardboard Box surrounded by a boiling lake of lava! But don’t let that cool you off. She’s a loaded pistol who likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.”

Movie: Shrek (2001)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “castle”

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Quote: “Everyone knows her father’s a lunatic. He was in here tonight, raving about a beast in a Cardboard Box.”

Movie: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “castle”

Quote: “It’s called blood, hero!”

“Do I need it?”

“Yes, so if you want to keep it inside your body, where it belongs, you should stop jumping off a Cardboard Box doing eighty on the interstate!”

Movie: Bolt (2008)

Missing Words: “a Cardboard Box” replaced “trucks”

Quote: “You know how Sister Berthe always makes me kiss the Cardboard Box after we’ve had a disagreement? Well, lately I’ve taken to kissing the Cardboard Box whenever I see her coming, just to save time.”

Movie: The Sound of Music (1965)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “floor”

Quote: “Well, fortunately, small boys are extremely springy and elastic. So I think we’ll put him in my special Cardboard Box. That should do the trick.”

Movie: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Missing Words: “Cardboard Box” replaced “ taffy-pulling machine”

Hope you enjoyed the quiz! Leave a comment and let me know how you did. Have a great vacation!