Summertime Advice for Parents of LD Kids

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The Foundation's Resource Consultants advises parents of children with learning differences to take advantage of the summer time to prepare for next school year.

Parents can utilize the last year's education experience to prepare for the coming school year by reviewing the year in terms of what worked and what did not. Identify your child's successful strategies and preferred learning environments and support their continuation. Get input from your child. Sometimes it can be surprising to learn how much a young student can tell you about difficult subject areas and what has and has not worked for him. Children often do not speak up either because they think their judgment is not important or perhaps they do not think to say anything.

Preparing for the new school year can also be facilitated by asking your child's current teacher what the following year's curriculum will cover. Once you know the subjects that are going to be explored, you can share stories, listen to tapes, or watch videos of novels which are part of next year's course of study for your child. For students entering 4th grade, a mission project is typically assigned, so you may want to visit a mission during the vacation period.

Remember to include your observations on how your child learns. Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, inter and intra personal strengths can be addressed in your approach to activities. Some children would like to watch a video on the early settlers. Others would be more motivated by holding an actual tool used during the colonial period. Classes for art, music, or drama, or sending your child to camp, may also be fun and educational.

Parents can also prepare now for their child to be more successful with homework. Consider your child's individual needs in order to maximize productivity during the time spent on homework. Does your child require a snack and play break before beginning homework? Or, does your child need to complete her homework immediately after school? Some children work well over extended periods of time, others require intermittent breaks from studying.

Observe the environment in which your child studies. While most children learn better in a quiet environment -- at a desk, in a well-lit room, with no distractions -- some children function better with background (white) noise or prefer studying on the floor. Be open to what your child wants and negotiate. Give a trial time to determine if your child is being productive and if it works, let him have his way.

Time management and organizational skills are also important for future success. Homework gives children an opportunity to develop these skills. Design a contract unique for each child based on rewards for homework completed. Spell out clearly what the schedule of priorities are for the day.

Have your child choose a dependable study buddy who can be called if there is a question about a homework assignment. Sometimes it is helpful to borrow or purchase an extra copy of the textbooks to keep at home if your child is often forgetful.

Parents should store their child's school records in an well organized fashion. It is a good idea to keep all school records including assessment reports, letters from the school, and any other pertinent information on your child in one place. Dates and names of officials you met with during the year may be useful later on. A sample portfolio of your child's work through the years serves as a good measure of your child's progress. You may request to review your child's school records by contacting the school administrator.

Develop a binder system, expanding file, or color-coded folder system to enable easy access. Divide sections either by chronological order (grade level) or area/subject, i.e., report cards, progress reports, IEPs, assessment results, psychological reports, school tests, vision and hearing test results, and other miscellaneous but important information.

Last but not least, parents should become collaborators with school personnel early in the school year. Become informed about the school as a whole by participating in PTA activities, school site council, Open House, Back-to-School nights, and regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences. Networking with other parents at school will provide information and strategies that will encourage you and solve shared concerns.

Teachers welcome involved parents. To make the best use of the limited time teachers have for meetings, call ahead for an appointment and be prepared with questions and information that will be helpful to address the learning needs of the student.

It is also helpful to share reports with the school which you have obtained privately, e.g. medical, psychological, educational, counseling, so that everyone involved has access to the same information about your child. Assume a partnership role with your child's teachers.

For additional articles on summer time activities for learning differences (LD) children, please visit the Resource Collection at Schwab Foundation for Learning's web site at http://www.schwablearning.org or call 800-230-0988.

About the Schwab Foundation for Learning:

Schwab Foundation for Learning seeks to raise awareness about learning differences and equips parents, teachers, and other professionals with the resources they need to improve the lives of students with learning differences.

CONTACT: Shelby Reynolds of Schwab Foundation for Learning, 650-655-2410