Decoding Learning Differences with Kimberlynn Lavelle

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...