My Education Navigator

Dysgraphia and Technology Well first of all, what is dysgraphia? Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. So many parents tell me their kids refuse to write or that they can't write a sentence. We have to ask ourselves why they are refusing to write? If they are diagnosed with a writing learning disability, it can really impact their sel...f esteem when they can't seem to get their thoughts down on paper. It is our job as parents and teachers to find ways to help them overcome the obstacles they have so that writing isn't intolerable. Many parents worry that if they allow their child to use technology to help improve writing, they will never develop the actual skill of writing. I believe in using both pen and paper and technology. When a child has writing difficulties and they're avoiding writing at all, we need to give them a lifeline. Technology can be a life saver and confidence booster to kids having writing difficulties. With smaller children, encourage them to write using a pencil and paper so that they can develop their fine motor skills but as they get older, technology can be quite beneficial to their writing success. Students with dysgraphia also benefit from the use of graphic organizers in order to develop a logial flowing paragraph. An I-Pad is ideal for students in the younger grades and the older grades as they can use the many functions offered which include: instant text to speech dictation, an optional keyboard, apple pencil, a built in camera to take pictures of notes on the board, a digital assistant to help with scheduling (SIRI), and the ability to selectively engage or disengage apps and potential distractions. The earlier you intervene with your child, the more likely they will have success in the future. Don't forget, positivity encourages a calm learning environment and when a child is calm, they will be able to absorb much more.

OSSLT TIME: Many grade 10 students are naturally feeling the stress of writing the Ontario literacy test. However, students with IEPs that have communication learning disabilities, adhd, and/or anxiety have even more nervous feelings about it. What can you do to help your child feel more confident about writing it?PREPARE! Many schools are offering after school OSSLT prep courses beginning next week and students taking grade 10 learning strategies should be getting ready a...s well. If you feel you’d like your child to take private or a small group OSSLT prep course, contact me at: [email protected] for group or private rates. Happy studying!

Thank you to the volunteers who participated in my learning styles activity! https://www.facebook.com/hennie.black/videos/10158942452062289/?t=1

Thank you NCSY for inviting me to discuss educating teens in 2020 with your staff! You guys are an amazing and fun bunch!

The teachers have tried it all but nothing seems to work I can’t count the amount of times parents claim the above about their child and at every grade level. I have heard the many attempts at disciplining children in classrooms: kicking them out of the room, detentions, asking peers to point out why they are frustrated by particular children, taking away recess, sending them to older grades or younger grades, the office for hours and hours day after day and sometimes all... of them have been used on just 1 child and we are only about half way through the year. Teachers and parents are frustrated because none of these strategies ever work. This is because these strategies only create self esteem issues for the child and tend to work against the teacher. The behaviours don’t stop just because your child goes to the office. The behaviours stop when the child feels validated in their classroom. The behaviours stop when the child knows his/her teacher is happy to see them every single day. The behaviours stop when the child feels his/her teacher is excited to hear what they have to say on any particular day. The behaviours stop when the child feels his/her teacher cares about them. This can be a very difficult challenge for teachers because of the endless juggling we do in a day. However, all the energy used on punishments for behavioural management is making our day that much more difficult. Channel the energy into developing a positive relationship with each of your students and then the behaviours will begin to stop. Invest time into getting to know them- what is home life like? Siblings? What are some things they enjoy on the weekend and their favourite subject. I sometimes have my students journal the topic I wish my teachers knew.... I learn so much about them and they sincerely appreciate the efforts. Finally, your big beautiful smile at the start of class can change their day and yours. Sometimes a real behavioural plan is necessary to help the child manage his or her own behaviours in the classroom. Contact me at myeducationnavigator.com to help your child and his/her school create a proper behavioural plan that actually works. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. :)

Sometimes disruptive behaviours in the classroom can make it difficult for teachers to get through the curriculum. However, if a teacher can establish a positive relationship with the student, they will optimize their success and make the classroom a more inviting environment. In fact, what I find is that a positive teacher/student relationship transforms the negative behaviour into a positive one. Enjoy the video below.