Welcome to you as we look toward a new school year!  We need to open up this board so that effective LD ideas and strategies can be shared by all.  What techniques in your "toolbox" do you always implement when given the opportunity?  Which ones are your favorites and why?  Don't be shy!  This is your chance to get the feedback and kudos you deserve for all the thinking, problem solving, and prep time it has taken to make these "little gems" shine.  Can't wait to hear from you!

Joan

www.readingfocuscard.com 

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Joan
Website: http://www.focusandread.com/ or
http://brennaninnovators.com/
Email: joan@brennaninnovators.com

Teaching vocabulary is always a challenge in the elementary school classroom. Part of this challenge comes from children entering our classrooms with a wide variety pre-developed vocabularies. Children who have grown up enjoying a wide variety of experiences usually have a vocabulary that demonstrates that. Children who have not had the opportunities of those experiences usually have a less developed vocabulary. I recently took an online class from Knowledge Delivery Systems (www.kdsi.org) by Donna
Walker Tileston focusing on teaching vocabulary in the classroom. This class gave a lot of practical advice for teaching children with all levels of pre-developed vocabularies in the classroom.

The classes I took from KDS (Knowledge Delivery System ) were: teaching in the urban environment, strategies for urban students, handling classrooms in urban schools, working with administrators to develop successful methods and others. Every school environment must be based on the community. The courses offered online from www.kdsi.org are so helpful to every setting within where you teach. New ideas is what keeps teachers excited. The credits earned can also help teachers renew their teaching license and improve their financial staus. Try new ways to work in your school environment and strategies in your classroom; check on some of the courses from KDS.

when i taught self-contained LD and resource i used alot of hands-on activities - you can find some at looneyteachr.com   i also taught a group of 25 self-contained students global studies the same year i taught honors global - i did the same activities sometimes!   the depth of the activity was just deeper for honors - raise your expectations for your LD kids - they'll surprise you!

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Cary Nadzak
looneyteachr.com

Hi Joan,

I am new to teacher lingo, and saw your message on the message board.  Even though you posted it back in December, I had to respond, because I have been working with a new program at my school that has reached many of my LD kids and helped them to progress in reading like no other method I have ever used.  The program is called Magic Penny Reading and works with student's natural development of reading skills.  It builds on the essential skills that students need to be successful readers.  It has helped my lowest readers who have progressed the slowest, move up at least 2 reading levels over the past year.  The program is game based as well, and cost effective.  I really cannot say enough good things about it.  It is worth checking out! 

http://www.magicpennyreading.org/a/

Hi Joan,

I have worked in the field of special education and learning disabilities for over 30 years. The best reading programs I have found are Fletcher's Place for PreK-3 and Reading Revolution for older kids. They work well and kids and teachers love using them. They cover all areas of reading using games and good literature for children. Check them out on-line and let me know what you think. Good luck,

Ilene

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Ilene