dyslexia – A Kid's Choice Educational Services

Livescribe pens and fraction bars,

and lots of egg cartons,

Plastic Easter eggs,

and over-sized spiders found in the bin for a bargin-

Bright tubs of Play-doh,

Chromebook lights that are always blinking-

These are a few of my favorite things…

Colorful overlays in all shapes and sizes,

Earbuds for reading audible books from Kindle devices-

Hearing The Liberty Kids theme song

that we all love to sing-

These are a few of my favorite things….

When the story ends-

When the battery drains-

When I’m feeling sad—-

I simply remember my favorite things…

and then I don’t feel so bad!!!

There are so many “favorite things” that make learning fun! These are just a few of the items that can be used to enhance the learning of dyslexic students or any student. Some ideas for using these materials at home or in the classroom are listed below.

Why not add these goodies to your classroom wishlist? If you are a parent searching for unique educational gifts, look no more! Wouldn’t it be SUPER EASY to grab a few Christmas gifts using the links provided below? You can make a dent in your ever-growing list while getting a jump-start on Cyber Monday! What are you waiting for?

We wish you and your family a bright and Merry Christmas!

Suggested gifts and descriptions are listed below. Simply click the pictured item, then add to your Amazon cart. Shopping made simple!

Livescribe pen– This super cool pen does almost everything! It records everything you write so you can replay and organize your notes. Even better, it will convert your handwrittten notes (when written in Lifescribe notebook) into digital text with amazing accuracy.

Fraction bars– These colorful tiles are great manipulatives for working with fractions. They allow students to compare fractions with unlike denominators and determine equivalent fractions. These are a must-have for number sense.

Plastic Easter Eggs– Use these left-over unbreakable eggs to fill empty egg cartons. It makes a great visual for recalling 2 x 6= 12, or a dozen. When teaching fractions, the eggs are a great example of a “set”.

Plastic Spiders– Spiders are excellent manipulatives for so many reasons! Use as a visual when working on the 8 multiplication family or use when working with fractions. Spiders are handy for hands-on learning!

Play-doh– Who doesn’t love playing with Play-Doh? It can easily be used to make a map come alive, as math manipulatives, or in Science diaromas. Kids love to squash balls of Play-Doh when sounding out words.

Chromebooks- Where do you start? This techology will assist students with so many tasks. A variety of apps are available. For example, apps to help with executive function is a much-needed tool for students and adults.

Colored Overlays– Many students use colored overlays to aid them when reading.

Earbuds– Who doesn’t love wireless ear buds? Use them when listening to audible books on your Kindle.

Kindle– Encourage your student to read with the Kindle Fire. Download audible library books or subscribe to audible.com.

Liberty’s Kids– This animated video series engages kids of every age and introduces them to American History. Featuring the voice of Walter Cronkite as Benjamin Franklin, students will learn of the hardships, dedication, and grit required to form a new nation. Guest voices provided by legends such as Annette Bening, Dustin Hoffman, Michael Douglas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Ben Stiller and Liam Neeson. This item is certain to be shared by Americans young and old.

Merry Christmas!!!

The beginning of a new school year can be exciting. However, what does this mean for the dyslexic child?

If your child is dyslexic or faces any struggles in school, he or she might become quite anxious or overwhelmed at the beginning of a new school year. It may show itself in a variety of forms: sleeplessness, stomachaches, irritability, etc. A parent’s role is to provide the best transition possible when the new year begins. There are several ways parents can “soften the blow” as students return to school.

Begin following the daily school routine a couple of weeks before school actually begins.

For example, wake your student at the time he/she will be expected to get up on a normal school day. Then have him/her follow the procedures as they would for any school day: get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, gather materials needed for the day, and be ready to go by the appropriate time. (A daily checklist may need to be provided. Some students need to prepare their uniform or clothing and gather school materials the night before.) By allowing dyslexic students to get into their routine ahead of schedule, you are relieving possible stresses and apprehension that these children do not even realize they face.

Work with your dyslexic child to create an organized workspace designed specifically for them.

Provide all of the possible materials that will be needed in order for your child to be successful when completing homework or studying. (Examples: crayons, colored pencils, sharpened pencils, scissors, paper) They will take pride in their area and find it easier to begin their assignments because they know their location of learning in the home. It may sound trivial, but most dyslexic children have difficulty knowing where or how to begin a task. This workspace provides a consistent location for this to happen.

Provide assistive technology to aid your dyslexic child with his/her schoolwork.

Audiobooks are often quite animated. Students can listen with earbuds and follow along as the narrator reads. These are available at your local library, Audible.com, BookShare.org, and other places. Additionally, the Chrome Book is a helpful tool with a wide variety of apps to assist dyslexic students. Read Write for Google offers numerous features for children that exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. There is a yearly fee of approximately $100 and educators may create a free account. https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/default.aspx

Teach your dyslexic child about metacognition.

It sounds tough, but metacognition is simply thinking about thinking. Have your dyslexic child think about the ways (teaching methods) that help them learn best. What are the activities, procedures, graphic organizer, or presentations which have provided them with the most success? If they are not sure, try giving a learning styles inventory. These are available for free on the Internet. Here is just one example: https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Documents/IDEAS 2014 Handouts/LearningStyleInventory.pdf

When your dyslexic child understands his/her learning styles, they can take the presented material and make it work for them. They begin to take ownership of their learning and develop skills that will guide them through their education as well as life.

These tips are just a few ideas that can assist you and your child as a new school year begins.

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