Learning Helps

It's a gloomy Saturday morning here in Texas. We had rain, thunder, and lightening in the wee morning hours. I was sure that my sleepy brood would have happily dreamed and slept in this morning. Boy, was I wrong! Everyone in our home was up by 7am. I'm making a pot of the strongest coffee I can right now!

© Johanna Goodyear | Dreamstime Stock Photos

One thing about waking up earlier than planned is that I've begun thinking once again of the monumental task ahead of me this week. Throughout the past couple years of tutoring here in East Texas I have had several students with learning disabilities. They have ranged from having Dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, and others with just "something" as their parents described it. At the moment I'm working with a student who has one of these struggles.


If you are a classroom teacher then I know you have these beautiful kids in your classroom. If you are a educated professional just beginning to tutor you might not be as familiar with these learning challenges. It can seem like an overwhelming task to take on. Often times you may just be thinking, "Where do I begin?" One thing I've learned is that each student is an individual case and there are no two students alike.

I'm always researching new methods, curricula, and approaches every time I gain a new student. Even if my student hasn't displayed a learning challenge I want to approach their subject matter in a new and fresh way. Sometimes simply having the material approached and delivered from a new angle can unlock that, "Ah Ha!" moment.

That's what I'll be doing this morning while my babies are watching Saturday morning cartoons. I'll be researching another way to approach phonics with my student on Monday. Hopefully this time I'll hit gold!

A Few Helpful Links:

Information on Dyslexia in the Classroom
Gelncoe 

Reading & Math Helps for Tutoring
http://mathandreadinghelp.org 

Games
http://www.educationalsolutions.com 

Reference Material
The Knowledge Nook