Category: blog

During the month of May, carve out some reading time for you and your child.  If weekly schedules are hectic, set aside some time on the weekend to read.  Create a special reading nook in your home or designate a room for reading, such as your child’s room, a pile of pillows on the floor, etc.  Read aloud to your child, too.  A read aloud helps engage your child in the novel.  You can talk about the characters, the setting, and background information of the story.  Take turns reading aloud.  For a struggling reader, listen to books on tape to develop a positive association with books. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/us/study-finds-reading-to-children-of-all-ages-grooms-them-to-read-more-on-their-own.html?_r=0

A recent study done by Dr. Nina Kraus at Northwestern University, show a link between the ability to keep a beat and reading skill. Children in the study who were better able to synchronize a beat with the study examiner showed higher pre-reading skills (phonological processing, auditory short term memory and rapid naming) than children who were not able to synchronize the beat.  This information may be able to be used to discover children at risk for reading disorder.   It may also be able to be used to design treatment approaches!

Everyone Reading Illinois is hosting a seminar for parents of children with reading impairment. This program is designed for parents and will include information on Assistive Technology, Family Dynamics, Teen Panel Discussion, and  Neuropsychology Evaluations. https://everyonereadingillinois.org/event/dyslexia-a-conference-for-parents

IEP season is upon us.  We all want our meetings to go well but sometimes there can be conflict between parents and schools.  The Wrightslaw website has a great pop-up to help with those tricky situations. http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/iep.disputes.popup.htm

Great information coming up for families of persons with disabilities.  Check out the Arc’s website for details.   http://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-arc-of-illinois-1439129882

Friday February 15th is National No One Eats Alone Day.  Sponsored by the Beyond Differences organization, No One Eats Alone Day is designed to make sure everyone feels included and to combat social isolation.  Log on to find out how you can sponsor a No One Eats Alone day at your school.  http://www.nooneeatsalone.org/welcome/

This Sunday’s Tribune Lifestyle section had a great article on fun non-tech stuff to do with kids.  Based on a book called “150+Screen-Free Activities For Kids”, by former science teacher, Asia Citro, these activities are hands on fun for these cold and house bound days!  Follow this link for directions! http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-fam-1230-screen-free-fun-20141223-story.html

The Chicago Children’s Museum hosts monthly events for children with special needs on the second Saturday of each month.  The museum opens an hour early for preregistered guests to enjoy the many multi-sensory exhibits and programs. Follow this link to download the Museum’s guide to using it’s resources to address your child’s individual therapeutic goals. Click here to download the Therapeutic Play Guide.  For program registration information:  http://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/index.php/about/accessibility-inclusion  

Have you ever heard of a Hink Pink?  It’s a word puzzle that targets vocabulary with rhymes and synonyms.  See if you can solve the Hink Pinks or create your own Hink Pink. http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/activities-projects/think-hink-pinks-30651.html?main-tab=2#tabs

Parents often report that their child has a difficult time sharing experiences.  Retelling a story requires an individual to apply complex linguistic rules, recall information, and formulate in real time.  A break down can happen at various different levels.  Next time your child begins to retell a story or experience, listen for the following linguistic elements. Sequencing Ability Is the story order appropriate or jumbled up? Working Memory Is the child using enough details? Are these details relevant to the story? Grammar Does the sentence structure contains errors such as run-on sentences or incorrectly produced words Is the child using temporal markers and cohesive ties to connect the story together Is the child’s sentence complexity adequate for their age? Vocabulary