People with Dyslexia find that the readability of a book or magazine article or an article on the internet will vary greatly depending on the font used to print the article. Font refers to the type face or the type style used to print. People with dyslexia have the tendency to be very sensitive to many of the typefaces used in print and on the screen today. One of the best aids that a school can provide is to use a font that is appropriate to meet the needs of the student with dyslexia.

Read more »

The Critical Reading (formally Verbal) section of the SAT consists of questions requiring critical reasoning skills, correction of sentences and reading comprehension. This portion of the test consist of three scored sections with varying types of questions, including sentence completions and questions about short and long reading passages.

Read more »

Every one in education agrees that it is no easy task to teach reading to a child who can’t sit still. However, all educators know that it is possible with a little patience and time. In 1946, researcher Emmett Betts was the first to suggest that students needed books in which they could recognize 90% of the words and comprehend 75% of the information. Publishing companies heeded his words and now many new books have been published for the “high interest, low vocabulary” needs student!  These books are written for the struggling reader who relies heavily on the pictures as a beginning reader and on his classmates as an older student. These students develop an attitude against reading and learn coping strategies which lead them to avoid instead fix reading problems. The parents and the teachers must work to build confidence in this student and help him find success in reading.

Read more »

Introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month is celebrated every April in order to increase awareness and appreciation of poets and their craft. Spend some time this month exploring poems of all kinds.

Famous North Carolina Poets:
Maya Angelou
Tony Hoagland
Kathryn Stripling Byer

Subscribe to receive daily poems by email from Poem-A-Day.
Move the words to create your own poems from ReadWriteThink.

The North Carolina End of Grade Tests are fast approaching. These tests “are designed to measure student performance on the goals, objectives, and grade-level competencies specified in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.” The end-of-grade tests in reading comprehension and mathematics are administered to students in grades 3-5 as part of the statewide assessment program. The testing window for the end-of-grade test is the last three weeks of the school year.

Read more »

According to the National Institute of Health, Dyslexia is a learning disability that can hinder a person's ability to read, write, spell, and sometimes to speak." This is the most common learning disability in children that can continue throughout a person's life. Typically, children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia have average to above average intelligence levels, but have difficulty learning to read despite traditional instruction. They usually do not have any visual or auditory problems.

Read more »

Many schools continue to advocate the Whole Word or Sight Word method when teaching a child to read. The child learns to identify the shape of the words and, ultimately, memorizes a list of vocabulary words. Unfortunately, the English language is comprised of approximately 600,000 words. It is impossible to memorize enough words to become functionally literate. Competent readers have a minimum vocabulary of between 50,000-70,000 words.

Read more »

A child’s developmental level, not just the chronological age, is vital to learning success.  Developmental maturity demonstrates that the brain is able to take in sensory information and then process the information in the higher cortical areas of the brain.  We are all meant to be born with certain primitive reflexes established. These primitive reflexes assist the mother and baby through the birth process.  They then allow the baby to adjust to life outside the womb and to begin the process of training the body and the brain to work together.  Typically, these reflexes are inhibited and replaced by more advanced postural reflexes sometime between 6 months - 3 years of age.

Read more »

Irlen Syndrome has also been known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome.  It is not a problem with the eyes.  It  is a a problem with the brain's ability to process visual information.  Irlen Syndrome can affect many different areas including academic performance, behavior, the ability to sit still, attention and concentration.  Studies suggest that 46% of individuals identified with reading problems, dyslexia, ADD/ADHD an other learning difficulties suffer from Irlen Syndrome and can be helped by the Irlen Method.  This syndrome is often just one more layer of the individuals problems, but the Irlen Method can be a part of the solution.

Read more »

Vision therapy is a subspecialty of optometry that strives to improve, enhance and/or develop visual performance through a prescribed treatment program that is designed to build new neural pathways. (Vision and Learning)  As with any therapy, vision therapy takes time to correct a problem.  Being consistent and committed to the program will help ensure success.  If you have concerns about your child's vision or want to learn more about vision therapy, here is a good resource: Vison and Learning