Understanding Dyslexia: Advice from an Expert

UNDERSTANDING DYSLEXIA: Advice from an Expert

Greetings!

Children do not come with a handbook, that is for sure.  When we become parents, we are usually left to rely on our upbringing with our parents and/or the advice of friends, family and neighbors that help us put together this puzzle. 

I can only speak for myself, but it feels like whenever I feel caught up on the latest parenting technique, trend or expert opinion, the next curve ball is right around the corner. That is why I thought guest blogger Dr. Rahmanda S. Campbell would bring a wealth of knowledge to the table on one of those curve balls that we do not expect, and yet, when it comes, we have must make ourselves quick experts for the benefit of our children and families. 

Dr. Campbell is an expert on Dyslexia a learning disability that affects many children, is very manageable, but must be discovered early and understood.  She also happens to be a fellow Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.  I invited her to offer her expertise, because while most of us have heard about Dyslexia, we would feel woefully unprepared if it were our child experiencing this common learning disability.

Take it away Soror Campbell!

In Service,

 

Blondell Reynolds Brown

Councilwoman At-Large

DYSLEXIA: A Specific Reading Disability

by Dr. Rahmanda S. Campbell

90% of children with learning disabilities are referred for special education services as a result of reading deficits. 80% of children labeled learning disabled are Dyslexic. Learning to read is a milestone for children that parents eagerly await. Reading is one of the most challenging tasks students will have to master throughout their educational experience. Teaching reading skills to those who struggle to read can be a daunting task. Dyslexia, a language-based learning deficit is the most common cause of reading problems which has consequences that are much broader in reach. Individuals affected by Dyslexia are impacted in various academic areas. Academic areas include oral language development, spelling, reading comprehension, written expression, and mathematics. Dyslexics are prone to academic self-esteem issues, poor self-concept; and in some instances anxiety and depression. Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language. There are two distinctly different types of Dyslexia. Developmental Dyslexia, results when an individual is unable to attain the language skills of reading, spelling and writing at a rate commensurate with their age and intellectual ability. Acquired Dyslexia is less common and occurs when an individual loses all or a portion of their previously-acquired ability to read as a result of some sort of brain injury. The process of identifying an individual with Dyslexia should involve differential diagnosis, in which all other potential explanations for the child's reading difficulty are ruled out before Dyslexia is ruled in. The end result of a diagnosis is ideally the product of an extensive evaluation process that involves the collection of multiple sources of information, including background, cognitive, behavioral, and psycho-educational. Background information includes obtaining parental feedback regarding the child's pre- and perinatal medical history, childhood health history, acquisition of developmental milestones, past and current social and emotional functioning, acquisition of early literacy and numeracy skills, attentional functioning, and the presence of learning disabilities in other family members. It is very helpful for parents to provide documentation of previous evaluations, school reports cards, achievement tests, and any other information deemed relevant to the child's learning status. Teachers can offer relevant information about a child that is often overlooked. Teachers can provide invaluable insight regarding a child's present level of functioning, the child's attitudes toward learning, the presence or absence of progress during the school year, and the child's social and emotional status. Teachers may be asked to complete rating scales that assess a child in a variety of areas of functioning. This information can be extremely valuable because it often provides a substantially different perspective than what is given by the parents. Teachers can also provide crucial information pertaining to the specific curriculum a child has been exposed to, in addition to any interventions or accommodations that are currently in place.

Obtaining intelligence information can be very helpful in the diagnostic process. This information can support decisions in determining the most optimal interventions. In an effort to ensure that a valid diagnosis of Dyslexia is made, there must be evidence that certain processes underlying reading are deficient as well. There are several cognitive processes that underlie learning and must be considered in a careful diagnostic process. These processes include, but are not limited to auditory processing, visual perception, visual-motor integration, visual-spatial orientation, speed of processing, short-term memory, working memory, sequencing, word retrieval, reasoning, and conceptualization skills. Dyslexia is commonly co-morbid with other learning disabilities. Therefore, it is essential to include broad measures of achievement within the context of an evaluation for Dyslexia. In addition to reading (phonological awareness, conventions of reading, orthographic awareness, word identification, non-word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension), the areas of oral language, thinking, reasoning and conceptualization, written language and mathematics should be carefully evaluated. Untreated or poorly remediated Dyslexia results in failure to achieve a level of academic success that is commensurate with one's ability. Considerable research pertaining to how children learn to read has revealed that there is no single best way to teach reading. Rather, a combination of educational methods, selected with knowledge of a child's specific pattern of strengths and weaknesses, is the most effective way to teach children to read. Early identification and treatment are crucial for helping individuals with Dyslexia achieve in school and life. Most people with Dyslexia require specialized training with a multisensory, structured language approach. Many individuals with Dyslexia need one-on-one intensive support so that they can move forward at their own pace. 

Dr. Rahmanda S. Campbell, Founder Educational Diagnostician/Reading Clinician Germantown Psychological Associates Building

BACK TO SCHOOL!  

ARE YOU PREPARED? 

On Monday, students in the School District of Philadelphia go back to school. Each year around this time, parents have to shift into a different gear of anticipating and understanding the challenges that our kids will be experiencing.  One of the most stressful challenges to our kids can be the four letter word: T-E-S-T.

Balancing expectations for excellence along with the anxiety that we all go through when given a timed test can be tough for the most seasoned parent or professional. If we anticipate these problems and start a dialogue we can give our young people tips and pointers for reducing “test stress.” For this advice, I turned to my friend, parenting expert and educator, Dr. Myrna Shure.  Dr. Shure is the author of a book that should be on every parent’s nightstand, “Thinking Parent, Thinking Child.”

Good luck to all of the students and parents who are going back to school.  Remember, whether it is Kindergarten, High School, a Master’s or Doctorate Program, it is OK to be stressed out by tests. Remember, as I have told my daughter often during her elementary and middle school years: focus and learn to schedule what you have to do and then leave time for what you want to do.  Prior, proper planning will always help prevent a poor performance.

Good luck! 

Blondell Reynolds Brown

Councilwoman At-Large

P.S.  Stay tuned for October guest blogger Terry Graboyes, my Girls High classmate!

  

“Test Stress:  What Can You Do?”

An Excerpt from “Thinking Parent, Thinking Child” by Dr. Myrna B. Shure

Dr. Myrna B. Shure

 Is your child afraid of school tests? Some kids are, even as early as age five or six. If you see a fearful pattern beginning to emerge, you'll probably want to ask your child why he's afraid. But most likely you'll hear the perennial, "I don't know."

Stay calm. If you're upset about his anxiety, your child will sense it. But don't dismiss his fear, either, by saying, "You'll do fine." Your child will sense a distinct lack of caring about his feelings. It's also important to avoid showing disappointment in a bad grade. Instead of telling your child how you feel about the grade, let your child express how he feels about it.

What you need to do next is determine why he's afraid and what exactly the problem is. Test anxiety can have several different causes, and you can often find the source of the problem if you go over the test with your child.

Some children don't do well on tests and come to fear them. If this is the case, you can try coaching your child in some specific test-taking strategies, such as those described by Joseph Casbarro in his book Test Anxiety and What You Can Do About It. These include looking over the entire test before starting, eliminating choices in a multiple-choice exam that your child knows for sure are incorrect, answering easy items first, and watching the time.

Another possibility is that your child knew the answers and still failed a test, which makes him afraid to try again. Try to determine if your child read the questions too quickly or failed to understand the directions. Many kids misread directions and questions, often from carelessness. If this is the case with your child, have him practice reading more slowly and carefully.

Some children fear tests even when they don't fail. It may be that your child is afraid of making mistakes. If so, let him know that everybody does. Another possibility is that your child may worry about letting you down. He may feel that too much emphasis is placed on achievement or that he receives praise only when he does well. One parent I know criticized her daughter for getting a 98 on a math test. Instead of focusing on the positive score, she questioned her child about what she got wrong.

As Maurice Elias of Rutgers University tells us, “We must prepare our children for the tests of life, not a life of tests.” And by doing that, they may actually feel less anxious about the tests they have to take. 

Order your copy of "Thinking Parent, Thinking Child" by clicking this link. 

Happy Father's Day!

As the only At-Large woman to serve in Philadelphia City Council since 2000, I am unapologetic about speaking out on behalf of women and girls in Philadelphia.  It is not lost on me however, that young men in Philadelphia are equally as important to the future of the City and the world as our young women. Father’s Day struck me as a terrific opportunity to share thoughts from my friend, Rev. David Brown.  

I admire Rev. Brown because he has raised two amazing daughters, but he is still very much aware that young men throughout Philadelphia need a solid male role model to push them over the finish line; be it high school, technical school, college, graduate school, law school or beyond.  Although nothing is impossible, it is harder to achieve if you do not dream; it is harder to dream if you cannot visualize it.  Having a great father, or a mentor that serves as a father-figure is one important key to young men visualizing everything they can achieve and more.  

I encourage Philadelphia men to accept the challenge to be a mentor to a young man and ensure he becomes the fullest embodiment of his potential.  Join an organization committed to being the change: the Annual Father’s Day Rally, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Concerned Black Men or Kenny Gamble’s “Cradle to Career” program.  Help a young man become the dream.  

Happy Father’s Day everyone!

Blondell Reynolds Brown 

Councilwoman At-Large

 

BE A FATHER BY BEING A MENTOR

By Rev. David W. Brown

Pastor

United Methodist Church

I'm extremely blessed to be the father of two beautiful and aspiring young women. They are college-educated, career-minded and motivated. When they were growing up, I made a point to be at every practice, every rehearsal and every performance. Parent-teacher conferences were as mandatory as making the prom dates happen.

However, as a father of girls, I recognize that I still have an obligation to the countless number of young African American men and boys who simply have no father figure in their lives. Although I've mentored youth all my life as both a pastor and a businessman, I was compelled to deepen my commitment two years ago when I was invited to the White House to talk about my work in the community.

The invitation was extended by the Obama Administration when I was named a "Champion of Change" and, as a result of that honor, I participated in a panel discussion that included four other African American men -- all of whom are doing some tremendous things around the country. But, it seemed to me that while we were doing big things programmatically...but I didn't feel that there was enough personal commitment and contact with the young men to whom our efforts were directed.

So, from there, I connected with a young man who was part of my congregation in West Philly who I've known since he was a toddler. I made the promise to him and his family that I would stay committed to his goal of graduating from high school and going on to college. That was almost two years ago when he was in his sophomore year at W.B. Saul. He's now finishing his junior year and headed to the 12th grade. Despite the problems that our public schools are enduring, and the violence in our communities, we must dedicate ourselves individually and institutionally to the survival and success of our young African American men. That would be the best Father's Day gift any one could ever receive.

Rev. David W. Brown

United Methodist Pastor

How Philadelphia is Leading in Energy Innovation

Greetings Friends!

April 2013 will mark my second Earth Day as Chair of City Council’s Committee on the Environment, so I could not be more thrilled to share a piece by one of Philadelphia’s energy conservation experts—Laurie Actman. Laurie is the Deputy Director of the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub and a true “thought leader” who lives and breathes the subject of the environment and sustainability. 

In this month’s blog she discusses a piece of legislation that I am extremely proud to have.  It required three important but necessary types of work:  hard work, homework and team work.  My office met with a team of professionals and stakeholders on all sides of the issue and ultimately passed a bill that is now being studied by other cities as a model.

In closing, remember to talk to young people in your corner of the world about Earth Day—April 22, 2013.  Encourage them and tell them we can all do our part to care for and protect our planet.

Thank you,

Blondell Reynolds Brown

Councilwoman At-Large

How Philadelphia is leading in energy innovation

By Laurie Actman  

The Philadelphia region is poised to become one of the nation’s leaders in fostering a more energy-efficient building stock. While President Barack Obama's comments in last month' s State of the Union speech highlighted the administration’s commitment to energy efficiency as an important strategy to mitigate climate change, public and private stakeholders in Philadelphia have already joined together to contribute scalable solutions and provide leadership for this challenging problem.

Philadelphia's emergence as a sustainability leader began with the election of Mayor Michael A. Nutter in 2008. During his campaign, Nutter pledged to make Philadelphia the "Greenest City in America," and he followed through with his commitment by creating the city’s first Office of Sustainability and releasing "Greenworks Philadelphia," the city’s first sustainability plan, during his first year in office.

Greenworks contains targets and metrics in 14 major areas including two very important energy efficiency goals: one to reduce the city’s own energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015 and one to reduce energy consumption in all buildings within the city by 10 percent by 2015. Now led by a small but highly capable staff managed by the mayor’s sustainability director, Katherine Gajewski, the Greenworks framework galvanized interest and support from business leaders, neighborhood organizations and city residents and provided the momentum necessary to foster a true partnership approach to measuring progress and success.

The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) became an important partner in one of Greenworks' biggest successes--the passage of benchmarking and disclosure legislation by the city of Philadelphia in October 2012. The law made Philadelphia the sixth major U*.S. city to adopt an energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance for its commercial buildings 50,000 square feet or larger. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, recognizing the tremendous environmental impact the law could have, was the lead sponsor of the Bill in City Council and she and her staff worked tirelessly to engage diverse stakeholder during the legislative process to ensure that multiple viewpoints were taken into consideration including the building owners and utilities.

Mayor Nutter's signing of the legislation which was passed unanimously by the Philadelphia City Council is the latest indicator that benchmarking and disclosure laws are gaining popularity fast with cities that are seeking to create additional momentum or jump-start energy-efficient building initiatives. One major reason for increased interest among policymakers is the premise that the legislation is providing consumer transparency for the first time publicly about a building’s energy footprint, which could galvanize market demand for more efficient commercial space.

Requiring building owners to comply with the law and enabling consumers to choose commercial space based on energy efficiency attributes are key market drivers that can catalyze interest in energy-efficient building technologies and retrofit activities.

Benchmarking is an important first step toward increasing awareness of the energy performance of a building and motivating energy efficiency improvements. According to the Institute for Market Transformation, an organization dedicated to fostering the growth of benchmarking policies across the U.S., a number of recent studies have indicated that the practice of benchmarking leads to energy savings, including a Building Operations Management survey of hundreds of facility managers who used Portfolio Manager. The survey found that 70 percent used Energy Star to guide energy efficiency upgrade plans and 67 percent used Energy Star to help justify an energy efficiency project.

The EEB Hub served as a technical partner for the mayor’s Office of Sustainability during the process to pass the legislation in Philadelphia and will now serve as a key implementation partner. Creating a partnership with the city’s utilities, especially PECO, was a critical step to fostering high compliance rates among building owners.

In order to catalyze a partnership, the EEB Hub created a Regional Utility Data Access Working Group that convened major stakeholders including the mayor, CEOs of major real estate firms, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, service providers and policymakers to explore the connection between easy data access for building owners and energy efficiency knowledge and investment.

Mayor Nutter's and Councilwoman Brown’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency combined with EEB Hub’s partnership with the Office of Sustainability creates a unique opportunity to position Philadelphia as a global leader in the adoption of building technologies and retrofit strategies that create a more efficient, resilient and competitive building stock.

These efforts would not have been successful without the strong partnerships that have been formed between the Hub and local organizations such as the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, real estate leaders such as Liberty Property Trust and Brandywine Realty Trust, the Office of Sustainability, the PUC, PECO, and the participation and support from key national organizations such as IMT, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Office of Environmental Quality.

7 Ways to Get Prepared for College

Greetings Friends!

A few years ago, while participating in the annual Fattah Conference on Higher Education's Graduate Opportunities Conference, I had the great pleasure of meeting the amazing Dr. Stephen Jones of Villanova University.  Dr. Jones is a skilled educator with a talent and passion for helping young people maximize their college experience, ensuring that they do not quit and providing them with the tools to thrive in their chosen careers.   

I was so impressed with him that I bought his book, read it quickly and promised to stay in touch.  Now, with a daughter who is getting closer every day to her own college search journey, I count him as an invaluable resource for college admissions advice and as a terrific friend. 

Simply put, he cares deeply about getting young people on track to not only get to college, but to make every day count and every course matter. 

If you want more information from Dr. Jones, consider reading his books, "Seven Secrets for How to Study," "Parent's Ultimate Education Guide," and "The Ultimate Scholarship Guide"--I did! And I count myself lucky for having done so. You can find them here.

I hope you will share these tips with parents and your own young people who are either preparing for or are currently pursuing their own college dreams. 

Enjoy!!!

7 Ways to Get the Prepared For College

Dr. Stephen Jones

Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Programs
Villanova University 

Attending college is one of the best ways to grow intellectually, emotionally, socially and personally.  It is never too soon to get prepared by being an excellent high school student.  As you take classes and listen to teachers look for opportunities to ask yourself how much you are learning.  You should uncover how much you do or don’t know about your subject during each class.  The knowledge that you are learning in high school can serve as a foundation for what will happen during college.  Ask yourself how does the knowledge you are learning in your classes apply to your life?  You should focus on becoming an active learner which will have tremendous benefits. Take time to talk to your teachers every week. Try to find out how you can perform better during their classes.  It can help you to maintain the motivation do your best work in all of your classes.

One of the best things that you can do is work on your study habits.  Create a time management schedule that you will follow during each school day.  Managing your time is a great way to prepare for college.  Don’t allow yourself to get nervous and talk yourself out of getting tutoring help when you need it.  Your teachers are full of knowledge that you need.  Get in the habit of communicating with your teachers and asking them questions even when your classes are over. You should be the first to arrive at your class.  Interacting with your teacher is a great way to get in the habit of communicating with you college professor.

Make it your goal to take full advantage of all knowledge that your classes have to offer.  Here are seven important ways to get prepared for college:

1.      Talk to your teacher to always confirm what you need to do to earn the best grades

2.      Join a club and take on a leadership role

3.      Learn another language so that you can function in a global economy

4.      Focus on improving your writing skills by asking your teachers for advice and resources

5.      Volunteer to represent your high school during a community service activity

6.      Go on a college visit and make sure to ask the students questions about the college

7.      Increase your reading of books and other resources by two hours each day

You should work to develop good study habits while you are in high school.  It is extremely important to develop a good test taking strategy. It will take you a long way. It is also important to increase the number of days that you study before each test.  College professors will give you a significant amount of homework and laboratory work.  Working hard in high school will pay off when you are able to get the college of your choice.

In addition take time to learn how to get organized.  Get to know when all of your assignments are due. Work on projects and term papers several weeks before they are due. Do not procrastinate.  Get other professionals or students to review your work before you turn it in. You can get the most out of high school as you prepare for college by developing good habits.  You are in control of your level of college success so devote yourself to getting to excellence right now.

Dr. Stephen Jones is an author, keynote speaker and educator. His books are the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide. You can reach at http://www.studyskills2u.com.

Is Your Child Overscheduled?

Hello friends!

No one knows it all--that is for sure. And there is really nothing wrong with admitting it.  When we need a little extra advice, or want to learn about a new subject, we turn to experts!

With this blog I will introduce you to some of my friends, colleagues, contemporaries and new faces I meet along the way.  Each one has taught me something new, or made me stop and think about something I thought I knew in a new and creative way. I hope you find their advice as helpful as I do! 

First up, is developmental psychologist, professor, parenting expert and my friend, Dr. Myrna B. Shure, Ph.D.  Dr. Shure is the author of "Thinking Parent, Thinking Child," a terrific book for all of us who are involved in the  day to day journey of trying to "get it right" in raising our kids. 

Here, Dr. Shure raises an important question:  "Is Your Child Overscheduled?"  Hmmm....I have a feeling my daughter and I will differ in our answers to this question. 

Enjoy! 

Is Your Child Overscheduled?

by Myrna B. Shure, Ph.D

Is your child trying to do too much, too soon, too fast?

Music lessons, dance, soccer practice?  How much can your child take?

A friend of mine once said, "Everything in moderation."  This applies to children too.

Here's how you can help:

• Make a list of the activities your child has participated in -- and any new ones she has expressed interest in.

• Ask your child to cross out anything she would like to discontinue, or just list those she just must have in her life.

• Let your child plan her time.  Include time for homework, and that important time just to play with friends.

• Ask her if she thinks there's time for all the activities in her plan.

Most children will see the need to make fewer choices, and will decide on those

of greatest interest to them.

If your child thinks a different activity once a week for an hour is enough to satisfy her, let her experience that.  If he'd rather spend that time perfecting skills for just one of those options, let him go with that.

Children can plan their own days, with your help, as early as age 7.  They are more likely to stick to their own plan -- or change it to better suit their needs -- than the one their parents created for them.

Balance, moderation, and a plan of their own will help your children feel in control and less stressed.  And you'll feel less stress too.

         

          Myrna B. Shure is a developmental psychologist at Drexel University and author   of  Raising a Thinking Child," "Raising a Thinking Preteen" and Thinking Parent, Thinking Child." 
Her website is www.thinkingchild.com.  Dr. Shure can be reached at mshure@drexel.edu.