To Test or Not To Test - That Is the Question
Little Suzy has really been having a hard time getting some of her assignments done. When she reads in class, she struggles with many words, and her mother reported at conference time that Suzy spends hours each night on homework.
At the same time, Suzy carries on intelligent conversation, and when you ask her about what she learned from the class, she has some good feedback. She is getting excellent grades in math class and, when she does experiments in science class, she knows exactly what to do and gets great results.
You've thought about referring her for testing, wondering if a learning disability is getting in the way of her reading ? a skill that underlies everything a child does in school. You know she struggles with reading, yet she does so well orally and mathematically. Should you test her?
Little Johnny can't remember his multiplication facts. Much of the time, he struggles with subtraction facts as well. His reasoning skills for determining whether he should add or subtract, multiply or divide, are faulty. And when he writes a math problem on paper, there are no columns. The numbers are all over the place. He gets very confused with the entire process as well.
But, boy, can he read. He reads books that are way above what the other students in his class read. The words in them are harder, and they are more difficult to understand.
Does he have a learning disability? Should his teacher refer him for testing?
Do either of these scenarios sound familiar? The decision regarding whether to refer a child for testing can sometimes be a difficult one to make. There are many factors to consider, not the least of which is whether the child perceives a stigma attached to the testing.
As a teacher of students with learning disabilities, teachers often consulted with me when they questioned whether or not to test. After looking at all the facts, if there was still any doubt, I would tell them that I would rather err on the side of caution. If the child is not found to have a learning disability, at least we will discover his learning styles and how best to help him with his problem. If his does have a learning disability, we can proceed to get him the special help he needs to be more successful in school. Either way, he wins.
And who can question a win-win situation?
For more plain talk about learning disabilities, please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.
About the Author
Sandy Gauvin is a retired educator who has seen learning disabilities from many perspectives - as the parent of a daughter with learning disabilities, as the teacher of children with learning disabilities, and as an advocate for others who have diagnosed and unrecognized learning disabilities. Sandy shares her wisdom and her resources at www.LDPerspectives.com.
Related News
The Intersect Between Reporting and Parenting - Tecumseh Herald
The Intersect Between Reporting and ParentingTecumseh Herald, MI -16 hours agoSometimes, though, circumstances make it so that all I can do is be the parent. Take last night's band concert in Britton. Just take yesterday in general, ... |
Oklahoma DHS parenting program success cited - NewsOK.com
Oklahoma DHS parenting program success citedNewsOK.com, OK -2 hours agoThe Safe Care Plus program consists of teaching basic skills to parents of children ranging in age from infants to 5 years old in high-risk households, ... |
Or Ami addresses parenting issues - Agoura Hills Acorn
Or Ami addresses parenting issuesAgoura Hills Acorn, CA -Dec 3, 2008Congregation Or Ami's Center for Jewish Parenting is currently offering a series of lectures that cover a wide range of parenting issues. ... |
Spencer Bachus Approves of Nanny State, Opposes Parenting - Casino Gambling Web
Hollywood's mommy network - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times |
Hollywood's mommy networkLos Angeles Times, CA -5 hours agoPARENTING TIPS: Jennifer Waldburger, left, and Jill Spivack run Sleepy Planet, a business that counsels showbiz parents. In Tinseltown, film and pacifiers ... |
South Florida Parenting's 14th annual Holiday Show - MiamiHerald.com
Clovis woman sentenced to parenting class following truancy charges - Clovis News Journal
Make holidays brighter for children of incarcerated parents, she says - TheTimes
Part 2 of Parenting 101 - Norman Transcript
Part 2 of Parenting 101Norman Transcript, OK -2 hours agoThis is Part 2 and the conclusion of Parenting 101, an overview of the fundamentals of effective parenting. Last week's class dealt with such basics as ... |
Chief Parenting Extends C-Level Parental Suite to Include Chief ... - PR Web (press release)
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Maximizing Your ADHD Childs Performance in School.
As a parent there are lots of things that you can do to help your child with ADHD succeed in school, with friends, and in life. Here are some tips for you that just may help you in your ongoing efforts to help your child. Since we know that ultimately it is the parent's responsibility to make sure that the special needs of his/her ADHD child are met, and not the teacher's responsibility, or the school's, or the President's, we need to do what it takes daily to raise our kids. But let's make sure not to let it become an emotional crisis for us. After the initial awareness of the existence of a problem, there need not be an overwhelming feeling of helpless again! Here are some things that we can do for our kids:
Let Your Children Name the New Baby
Choosing a baby name is an important job, so make your
children feel important by letting them help you name the
new baby. After all, you're not the only one who's having a
baby - your whole family is ! Use the process of naming the
baby as an opportunity to get your other children involved in
and excited about their new brother or sister, and make the
process fun. Try a little humor, with wild list-making
sessions that may eventually lead you to the perfect baby
name that will fill that vacant space on your family tree.
Parents of Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers: 7 Universal Laws
1. The Law of the Beast
Invented Spelling --- Another Alice-in-Wonderland Public-School Theory
As part of the whole-language (or "balanced") reading-instruction philosophy, many public schools now teach what they call "invented" or "creative" spelling. Under this theory of spelling, teachers believe that forcing a child to spell a word correctly thwarts the child's "creativity." So in classrooms across America, many public-school teachers now encourage children to spell words any way they like.
Elephants and Teenagers
Something eerily familiar happened in KwaZulu-Natal's Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in Africa recently.
Birth of a Parent
So you're pregnant. Congratulations! Your life is about to change in ways you might find unthinkable (and we're not even talking about the surrender of your once slim waistline to proportions most comparable to that of a Dr. Suess character). Pregnancy is the beginning of a new life for a baby, but also a new life for you as a parent. If this is your first baby, you may be filled with an endless list of questions and concerns. If you're a veteran of the labor and delivery room, you've got a better idea what to expect, yet every pregnancy, like every mother and child, is different.
The Top 10 Tips on Hiring a Babysitter
1. Encourage your babysitter by keeping their favorite foods/snacks on hand.
My Best Buddy
My son, Dakota is now 7 yrs old. He is so smart for his age.
I recently had a conference with his 1st grade teacher and was surprised to find out that he was having a hard time in school.
I guess I was surprised because at home he was perfectly fine. She seems to believe that his problem lies with his inability to pay attention in school. She says it isn't that he is disruptive but that he can't seem to keep his attention on one thing for long at a time.
Natural Disasters: Help Your Child Cope With The Anxiety
How on earth can you help your family cope with the anxiety
and fear that natural disasters strike into the heart of
everyone?
Thirteen Values You Can Teach Through Homework
Are you a parent concerned about passing values on to your kids?
Do you worry that you can't find the time, or don't know how?
You don't need thirty-minute multi-media presentations!
You can do it with homework.
In those precious moments you spend supervising your child's
homework, here are thirteen values you can subtly pass on:
Youth In A Changing World
Introduction
Exams Cause Stress For Parents Too
When it comes to exams, or indeed any academic work, parents feel that they should be encouraging their teen to try hard and do well. The problem is that in trying to achieve this, many parents end up causing stress either for themselves, their teen or both.
Sibling Fighting - Reduce Sibling Rivalry by NOT Keeping Score
Recently, a much-anticipated game of mini-golf with my children soon turned into a disaster. There were smiles all round as we hit off from the first tee but the enjoyment factor was reduced to zero as my children's smiles were replaced by tears, put downs and whining.
Encourage Your Children Potential By Your Modeling
All responsible parents would want to support their children, find ways to encourage their potential, help them be more, discover their hidden gifts and help them reach for the stars.
Parenting Predicaments
Predicament:
10 Things You Can Do To Help A Shy Child
There are a few points about shyness in children which will help you better understand the best approach in dealing with your child. You will need to identify the nature of your child's shyness. Children are shy in different ways for different reasons. Understanding the nature of your child's shyness will help you develop a program geared towards your child's specific needs. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Give Your Child Life Skills for a Lifetime
Many parents struggle with solutions to put their child on the fast track to success, and one such solution is not usually far from home. It is your local martial arts school.
How Children Can Read Faster and Better
For most children, it is easy to learn to read faster. Their reading rate is often a matter of habit. But to begin, you may need to help them change some of their existing habits.
Fraternal Twin Parenting Concerns
Identity and Your Fraternal Twin
Finding Out Your Child Has a Disability: Its Not the end of the World
Finding out that a child has been born with a disability, or that a previously healthy child has suffered an injury or disease that causes a disability can be the most traumatic moment in a parent's life. Shock is usually the first thing people experience. It can temporarily paralyze you, preventing you from taking action, or even making rational decisions. In this difficult first period it is always wise to take the counsel of professionals and family members with experience or others whom you trust, while always maintaining the right to make the final decision yourselves.
|
