While retention can happen anytime during your child's school year, it usually happens at the end of the third grade. The reason? Many states have legislation that requires schools to consider retaining a student if they don't pass a third-grade reading assessment. The really frustrating thing about these policies is that one test score doesn't demonstrate your child's overall ability to show their knowledge. It also doesn’t recognize that dyslexia is a lifelong diagnosis, not something fixed within a year.

Research done in the early 2000s found that retaining a student did not benefit them, and in fact, puts them at a higher risk of dropping out of high school down the road, among other effects. In this episode, I delve into whether the current research still holds up to the original findings and unpack the immediate and long-term impacts on students, their families, and their teachers. 

Listen to learn more about the wash-and-repeat experience for a child who is held back, the emotional toll that grade retention takes on everyone involved, and the questions to ask your child’s school if they want to hold them back.

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For most students, standardized testing means disrupted schedules, increased anxiety, and the pressure to perform. For a student with dyslexia or a neurodivergent brain, that experience is often amplified. In this episode, I expand on why these standardized tests exist and how to support your child through the process. 

Your child’s standardized test score tells you where they fall on a bell curve in relation to the other students in their grade. Because people with dyslexia process information differently, standardized tests aren’t an effective way to assess their development or comprehension. If your state doesn’t offer testing opt-outs, what can you do to help your child feel as calm and confident as possible? 

Join me as I explore seven ways to approach standardized testing and highlight important things to keep in mind if your child’s scores remain low. 

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Multisensory instruction is often listed as a key component in many reading approaches and curriculums. In this episode, we are diving into what multisensory techniques are and how they can be helpful for a dyslexic student learning to read.

We can’t talk about multisensory instruction without looking back on the influential work of educational psychologist Grace Fernald. In the 1920s, she introduced techniques like skywriting and tactile spelling into her approach to reading instruction. This approach is now known as The Fernald Method. 

Dr. Orton-Gillignham and Anna Gillingham incorporated this methodology into their own approach. Anna Gillingham developed the Language Triangle to show how the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses work together when using a multisensory approach. All of the pathways in the brain work simultaneously and support each other. 

One way to visualize how this works is with the Language Triangle. Listen in as I draw the triangle and help you to see the different sensory work to support each other.

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There is a debate in the Structured Literacy world about whether Print-to-speech or Speech-to-print is the more effective approach. Both approaches rely on phonics - matching sounds to their corresponding letter/letter patterns. They differ in that Print-to-speech starts with a letter/letter pattern and matches it to an oral sound. Speech-to-print uses the student's prior oral language skills and works to match the speech sounds to the letter/letter patterns. 

Which is the better overall approach? In this episode, I discuss the differences and similarities in more detail and highlight why both approaches are needed when learning to read and write.

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The Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach is known as the "Gold Standard" for teaching dyslexics how to read and write. Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Samuel Orton and gifted educator and psychologist, Anna Gillingham, developed a multi-sensory approach to improve reading and writing skills in children with dyslexia. They developed a set of key principles for practitioners to work from. Those guiding principles are: Diagnostic and Prescriptive; Individualized; Language-Based and Alphabetic/Phonetic; Simultaneous Multisensory; Direct and Explicit; Structured, Sequential, and Cumulative, but Flexible; Synthetic and Analytic; Cognitive; and Emotionally Sound.

An essential takeaway from this episode is Orton-Gillingham is an approach, not a structured program or curriculum. In the eyes of the practitioner, every individual receives individualized guidance from simple to more complicated tasks. Instead of a one-size-fits-all model, Orton-Gillingham, at its core, is centered around the individual learning needs of each student.

On today's episode, I break down what the Orton-Gillingham Approach is, other programs derived from it, and how the guiding principles support your child on their learning journey with dyslexia. 

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The dyslexic brain and non-dyslexic brain are not the same. The dyslexic brain not only processes language differently, it's also structurally different. For instance, when it comes to reading and writing, dyslexic brains utilize both sides of their brain unlike non-dyslexic readers who only use the left side of their brain. Dyslexic brains are also structurally different; they have an extra layer of neurons called ectopias.

Reading is not a natural function of the brain. Unlike oral language, the brain has no dedicated area for reading, it needs to borrow from other areas. The area of the brain used for facial recognition is repurposed to learn to recognize letters. This means, as we learn to read, our ability to recognize faces weakens. In this episode we break down the Science of Reading (the study of how all people learn to read, regardless of age) and provide a foundation for understanding the differences between how a dyslexic and non-dyslexic brain processes reading and writing. 

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Once you receive your child’s dyslexia diagnosis, you might feel lost about how to share the news with them. In my experience, one of the most supportive things that you can do is have a discussion about it and give an overview of what it means for them. You have an opportunity to reduce the shame and stigma that so many people with different learning abilities feel. 

It’s also highly likely that your child will feel relieved to know that there are reasons why they struggle with certain tasks or subjects in school. I encourage you to be honest about the hard work that they’ll have to put in during therapy sessions, and I share some ways to set up informative, loving conversations around this. I also highlight some well-meaning words of encouragement or advice that can easily be misinterpreted by a child and what you can say instead to reassure them that dyslexia doesn’t limit their future. 

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Dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a lot of overlap. It can be difficult to tell if your child is struggling because of dyslexia or ADHD. In this episode, I highlight the signs and symptoms of ADHD and look at the common threads and differences between the two disorders. 

It's estimated that 30% of students with dyslexia also have ADHD, but there’s no evidence that one causes the other. I’ve seen first-hand how direct instruction and support of executive function skills is extremely valuable for students experiencing dyslexia, ADHD, or both. Listen in to learn some strategies and coping mechanisms that are beneficial across the board. 

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Traditionally, the majority of the annual IEP meetings take place between mid-January through mid-March. In this episode, I share 12 questions that you want to make sure you cover during these meetings and give examples of what good answers should include. 

I explain what a multi-sensory, structured literacy approach is and why you want to ensure that your service provider is well-versed in that strategy. I highlight who should be providing reading services to your child and training credentials you want to look out for. I also describe when and where services should be delivered. 

Circling back to episode 9, you also want to talk with your child’s specialist about how progress and mastery is going to be measured. Listen in and check out the downloadable PDF to prepare for upcoming IEP meetings. 

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One of the most common questions I hear from parents after they hire a specialist is, how long will it take to get my child up to grade level? Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to give a clear, guaranteed timeline of your child’s progress.

In this episode, I explore the different factors that go into your child’s success with an interventionist. Your child’s age, individual needs, and the intensity of their instruction all play major roles in their ability to make meaningful progress. 

My go-to answer when parents ask how long dyslexia remediation takes is that this process is a marathon, not a sprint. You should anticipate challenges and celebrate milestones along the way. 

Listen in to learn more about what to expect when it comes to predicting and tracking your child’s progress.  

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