Decoding Learning Differences with Kimberlynn Lavelle

 Kids who struggle with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities are motivated by the same things all kids are motivated by: solving complex problems in a meaningful way!   In a continuing effort to find ways to motivate our child’s academic/educational progress, this month’s Motivational Monday is on Problem-Solving.     While doing a worksheet full of “word proble...

More at: www. YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0235     When you’re teaching your child, or supporting them academically in any way, even just in thinking about how to get outside help for them, you NEED to understand a few principles of how kids learn to easily avoid conflict and increase actual learning!   Teachers learn the most. When we teach something, we retain 90% of the content.  Compare that to...

Have you heard of Oppositional Defiant Disorder?  How about Pathological Demand Avoidance?   Ever wonder (or know) if your child has one of these and what to do about it?   Listen to this week’s podcast, where we dive deep into what these disorders are, and how to approach behavioral challenges with these kids. Learn more about Michele’s work at: https://micheleshilvock.com/   Follow her on Facebo...

In this week’s podcast, I geeked out a bit with Michele Shilvock, where we talked about behavior difficulties in children and what really works in a respectful and long-term way.  Michele speaks from experience, not merely from theory.   Michele starts off walking us through her behavior visual, then explains lagging skills, ODD, and PDA.  We definitely didn’t have time to go as deep as I wanted o...

Improving Reading Comprehension can feel daunting, but there are many simple, easy, and fun strategies that you can start using TODAY to improve your child's reading comprehension, despite any learning disabilities or challenges.  These work for kids with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, auditory processing disability, visual processing disability, and more!   Download the Guide at: https://www.yourparenth...

As a kid, I remember being scared to go down this set of 3 tall, dark tunnel slides at the local water park (Raging Waters) called The Bermuda Triangle.  But I kept watching all of these other kids going down it and laughing and smiling and enjoying it!   Eventually, I climbed the stairs, took a breath and went for it.  And I was so glad that I had found that courage.  That motivation.   I’m sure...

Children are expected to learn at a steady pace, starting fourth grade at a 4.0, and ending at a 4.9 or 5.0, with steady consistent growth of .1 each month along the way.   I have never met that child.   Every child I have ever worked with has had periods of explosive growth and periods of stagnation and even regression. We expect that steady straight line, but the spikes and dips and plateaus is...

Sue Patterson of Unschooling Mom2Mom defines unschooling as bringing a full, rich life to your kids and trusting that they learn naturally.   Listen to Sue’s answers to these questions (and more):   What led you to choose unschooling? What is your take on unschooling children with learning disabilities such as ADHD or dyslexia? Is unschooling ‘right’ for everyone?  If not, describe who it is best...

Kids with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities (including auditory, visual, attention, and cognitive processing disorders) benefit greatly from being carefully educated by those who know them best and spend the most time with them!   Teaching our children at home has so many benefits!  Even if your child attends a traditional school, you can support thei...

From www. AlfieKohn.org : Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The author of fourteen books and hundreds of articles, he lectures at education conferences and universities as well as to parent groups and corporations. Kohn’s criticisms of competition and rewards have been widely discussed and debated, and he has been described in Time magazine as “perhap...

One of my favorite mathematical tools is in your wallet, or maybe in your junk drawer, or one of those 5 gallon water jugs.   Coins!   Coins can be used to teach so many math concepts!  And yet, money is barely mentioned in the common core standards.  I understand that coins aren’t necessarily critical, but I do think it’s important as a life skill AND it’s a great mathematical tool for tons of ot...

When we understand why our children are struggling with reading comprehension, we can be far more effective in helping them to overcome their struggles.   Vocabulary as a skill is essentially about understanding the meaning of the words being read.  A strong vocabulary allows children to understand the meanings of higher level texts.   Some learning disabilities will hinder a child’s vocabulary de...

Motivation fascinates me and is something I’m constantly researching, contemplating, and re-educating myself about.  The funny thing is, what I’ve always known to be true, is what clearly is.  And yet, it’s not what society teaches us.  We’re taught to use “the carrot and the stick” when finding intrinsic motivation is far superior to any extrinsic motivator.    This week, I want to offer some ins...

My kids are only 2 and 4 years old,  but what am I doing to guide their education right now?   First of all, books!  We read a lot of books!  Those books drive discussions and some other discussions drive us to refer to books.  We read a lot of books and we have a lot of discussions and those two things are a huge part of their education.   We go to the park almost daily, meeting kids and playing...

This week, I want to take some time to speak about safety and its impact on education.   If we think about the Hierarchy of Needs (I learned Maslow’s originally, but then found out that Indigenous people have taught very similar hierarchies long before Maslow), the concept is simple:  we have to have some basic needs met in order to have space in our lives to access the best of ourselves.   If our...

 “I don’t know what to write!”   Sound familiar?   If so, I’ve got you!   Some kids can stare at a blank page and have no clue how to begin to write something.    Conversations Before beginning to write, kids benefit from discussing what they might write about.  They need to toss around some ideas with someone.  I can’t remember who said it, but I’ve been told, “If you can speak, you can write!”  ...

“How do I get my kid to write?!”   I’ve heard this same question countless times.  And with this year’s focus on motivation, I wanted to answer it!   There are so many strategies that can be helpful, but all require that you let go of any particular expectation of what the writing might look like.   Modeling One of the most motivating ways to get your child interested in writing is to not pressure...

Background Wesley was brilliant in so many ways.  He could read and comprehend grade-level texts.  He understood math.  And he was reluctant to write ANYTHING!   He would sit for an hour staring at a blank page.  If anyone asked if he needed help, he’d say no, “I’m thinking.”   Spelling was difficult for him and he had fine motor difficulty as well.  I know this was PART of his writing reluctance....

Reading Comprehension is often impacted by learning disabilities.     Some learning disabilities impact a child’s ability to comprehend anything, such as with a language processing disorder.     Some learning disabilities impact a child’s ability to just read the words, which then brings down their reading comprehension score.  If you can’t read a text, you’re not going to be able to comprehend it...

Wanting to motivate your child to read?   So many of us parents are avid readers and want to instill a love of reading into our children.  However, it’s not something that can be achieved through force.  In fact, any coercion is likely to have the opposite effect!   However, we can inspire our children to want to read.  But to do so, we may have to think outside of the box.   First, we have to mee...

Clarissa started speaking at the expected time, she was very social, she had no articulation errors (her speech sounds were correct), and she could read books that were close to her grade-level.  However, she could not understand what she read.  The level that she could comprehend was far below the level at which she could read.  And she could not understand any directions that were more than a si...

I was hesitant to hold this interview, but went forward with it.  I was then hesitant to publish this interview, but have decided to do so.   I am not endorsing the product, Elephant Learning.  I’m also not saying that you shouldn’t use it!   I was not given access to Elephant Learning to trial so I can’t speak to it from any personal experience/ first-hand knowledge.   Before you listen to the in...

Addition is such a common math skill and yet, you may have found yourself wondering HOW to teach it!   To begin with, kids need a few “pre-adding skills”, skills that they must be comfortable with before they can successfully learn to add.  They must be able to count, they must recognize numbers and the plus and equals symbols, and they must have 1:1 correspondence.   All math skills should be tau...

Your spouse/partner comes to you and says, “Hey, I need you to organize the shelves in the garage this weekend.” -OR- “Hey, I’d love to get the garage organized this weekend!  Would you be willing to handle the shelves?  Or would you rather tackle the pile of tools?”   Which would most get you on board with their project?   I am certainly MUCH more motivated when I’m not being told what to do, but...

When asked to add two numbers, what is your child’s strategy?   Kids like “Freddy” add by always starting at 1, instead of “counting on” from one of the two numbers.   For kid’s like Freddy, there is a lack of number sense that is slowing them down and can cause bigger problems later, so it’s worth fixing now!   What worked- Asking Questions “How many fingers are on that hand?”    “What comes afte...