Decoding Learning Differences with Kimberlynn Lavelle

Video Version available at DecodingLearningDifferences.com   I recently was confronted (on this podcast episode!) with a myth that I had spread widely believing to be true: that learners retain 90% of what they teach.  I had never believed that the pyramid this fact was based off of was exact or precise but rather a generalization of lots of research.  It also was supported by the real-life experi...

Gretchen Wegner, a former classroom teacher, is the founder of The Anti-Boring Learning Lab. This is a wonderful resource for all educators to check out, including home educators! In this second conversation, Gretchen will share her knowledge of Self-Directed Learning, which we discuss calling “Collaborative Learning”!  You’ll learn what it is, how to implement it in any learning situation, and wh...

Video version available at DecodingLearningDifferences.com Gretchen Wegner, a former classroom teacher, is the founder of The Anti-Boring Learning Lab. This is a wonderful resource for all educators to check out, including home educators! In this conversation, Gretchen will share her knowledge of neuromyths, why they are not accurate, and why we need to bust them! Check out Gretchen's blog article...

I do hope that I am not the only neuro-nerd out there, but even if you’re not particularly fascinated by neuroscience, stick with me!   In this week’s episode, I take an old-ish quote and apply it to how your kids learn, leaving you with action you can take to make learning more successful for your kids!   This is extremely helpful in working with kids with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and s...

This week’s podcast episode might be a first of its kind (for me).  It started out as wanting to explain that English is actually relatively logical and follows a lot of patterns, but it turned into a book recommendation because Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide goes into better detail than I ever could in a podcast episode! Listen in to hear about why I like this book, why I recommen...

I am delighted to announce that our first guest interview for the 2025 season of Decoding Learning Differences is Dr. Hurford.  Dr. Hurford is doing great things in the world, studying dyslexia and teaching kids with dyslexia as part of his non-profit organization! You can hear all about that as well as some books he’s published (that I just had to get my own copies of, so expect to see another ep...

Times are challenging, and I’m dedicated to focusing on getting everyone the info they need to be successful in the area in which I have expertise in. There will be a few changes to the podcast for the 2025 season.  I will now be emailing and publishing the podcast episodes on THURSDAYS instead of Mondays!     So watch for emails from me on Thursdays at 12:34pm.  As much as I’d like to get back to...

Parents assume that their kids have learned something and will still know it next week.   They won’t, unless they’ve been practicing.     This is probably obvious to you when you stop to think about it, but it’s just so common for parents to also be surprised when our kids have forgotten something they TOTALLY knew!   And this learning-requires-practice truth is exponentially more true for kids wi...

If you have a “great”, “good”, or even “okay” IEP in place for your kiddo, don’t assume all is going well and you don’t need to check in until the next annual IEP.   Check NOW!  We’re approximately ⅓ of the way through the school year (depending on your school’s calendar).     We need to be sure that everything in place still makes sense and is benefiting your kiddo.     We need to be sure the goa...

Unfortunately, education has become increasingly political lately and I feel like I’m not doing anyone any favors by keeping quiet about it.   I will not tell you who or what to vote for, but I would love the opportunity to let you know about a few things that can impact your child’s education.   I’m intentionally releasing this episode well ahead of Election Day because I want everyone to have ti...

Today is Christmas in September!  I’ve got a gift for you!   I’ve just created an IEP checklist to help you do what I do for my clients!  When working with clients, I go through every part of an IEP to ensure it is well-written, accurate, and is working toward reasonably ambitious goals.   With this PDF, you can now do the same thing!  The PDF links to videos that go deeper into some of these topi...

Click here to see the video and get the letters!   https://decodinglearningdifferences.com/Letters Or email me at Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

See the video at: https://decodinglearningdifferences.com/StartingtheSchoolYear   The school year has already begun in schools near me, and won’t start for another month in some other schools around the country.  Whenever you are starting school, I want you to keep in mind a few things toward the start of the year.  These are some ways to help ensure this is a year of success and progress for your...

Video version available at: decodinglearningdifferences.com/IEPAccommodations This week’s podcast episode is long overdue!  This is an analysis of a real IEP accommodations page sent to me by a parent concerned about their child’s IEP and wanting some free feedback. I love parents who care and who ask great questions to understand how to help their kiddo. In this episode, I take a look at this IEP...

I was watching a sweet video the other day of a toddler trying to figure out a puzzle and looking frustrated but determined.  Finally, the child figured it out and their face lit up!  So sweet! I love these kinds of stories of kids, adults, and even animals overcoming difficulties.  They can be such an inspiration! And even better: when someone overcomes a difficulty and then turns around and help...

Hi, *|FNAME|*! Happy Monday! When I first became a special education teacher, I had received NO instruction on how to write an IEP.  I asked another special education teacher how to write it and was told to mostly just copy what the previous year’s IEP said, just making the goals more advanced. I was so clueless going into that first IEP meeting. I cared DEEPLY about my students, and I wanted to d...

I so often hear from parents frustrated by the school system and specifically the school they are fighting with to get their child what they need. What I also hear from on occasion is fellow educators who are passionate about changing the schools from the inside! One such educator is Caroline Digman!  She is a dedicated teacher working hard to make real change in her school and in her school distr...

Continuing with ideas for motivating our kids, we're discussing the motivational impact of genuine belief in your child.  Belief in who they are and what they are capable of. Check out the video version, more free resources, and support at www. DecodingLearningDifferences.com Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Continuing with ideas for motivating our kids, we're discussing the motivational impact of giving kids genuine responsibility. See the video version and resources at: www. DecodingLearningDifferences.com Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Continuing with ideas for motivating our kids, we're discussing the motivational impact of  genuine gratitude. Send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Affirmations expressing all the awesome qualities of your kid can be very motivating for them! Be sure to send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

As a former special education teacher in the public schools, and as someone who still is paying attention to what kids are drawn to reading, I can tell you that anecdotally, graphic novels seem to be the most exciting type of book for kids to own! They love the pictures and our dyslexic kiddos often thrive off of fewer words on the page.  However, many graphic novels contain words that are WAY too...

This episode goes into three “Motivation Killers”: Punishments, Rewards, and Praise.  (Although praise is actually a type of reward).   Punishment Now that corporal punishment (physical abuse/hitting) is very rare and illegal in most states, punishment is usually about taking something away from a child (called a negative punishment).  Punishments you may have seen in schools: “You didn't do your...

This year, in the fourth podcast season, you can expect more about motivation, more interviews, and more IEP guidance!   Be sure to send IEP documents you want free feedback on to: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com

Video version available at: https://decodinglearningdifferences.com/podcast/DevelopingReadersAcademy/   Last week we dove deep into the Science of Reading.  This week, we’re moving into how to make that reading instruction FUN! Laura and Megan of the Developing Readers Academy are this week’s podcast guests and they are full of wisdom and inspiration! Join our conversation and gain some ideas for...