Show # 91- Write On Handwriting with Amy Ford Hebert- Part II

In today's show, Amy and I discuss what is age appropriate for motor skills, how many kids have problems with right-left orientation, and how small things like a good pencil grip can make all the difference in a kid's writing ability. Strength and coordination and spatial attributes all contribute to good handwriting, making the overall writing process easier.

We are trying out Amy's program at home (This is not a freebie- I paid for it) and John, my younger child, seems to be particularly interested, and it seems to be showing up in his writing. The daily journal page requirement is not overly popular, and I share some of the funnier moments in today's show. But the bottom line if that writing is both a physical and mental task, requiring the coordination of both simultaneously, and it won't improve unless the kids get more practice- so this is the summer of non-stop practice for this skill.

Click here to download Write On Handwriting with Amy Ford Hebert - Part II

Please check out Pocketful of Therapy for resources like Write On Handwriting, Handwriting without tears, raised line paper, pencil grips, slant boards and other writing helpers. I have been ordering from them for years- this is where the occupational therapists I know get many of their supplies, and this is a convenient resource for these materials that can be hard to find in the local stores.

As always, please email us at ldpodcast@gmail.com with any comments and questions. The survey will be closing shortly, so if you haven't filled it out, please do!

Show #90- Amy Ford Hebert- Write On Handwriting

The LD Podcast Is officially two years old!

We all know how important reading is; equally important is the next step along the literacy pathway- writing. Writing requires that we synthesize our thoughts, and then express them, coherently, in text. For kids with learning disabilities, this can present a unique challenge. Some children have fine motor issues that make the physical act of handwriting difficult, which then acts as a barrier to developing good written expression. And interestingly enough, the answer to these problems isn't always as simple as teaching kids keyboarding or how to use programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking (Although these skills can help struggling writers immensely).

Other children may be overwhelmed with keeping their ideas straight long enough to express them on paper- the open-ended question that asks “Write whatever you want” seems to siphon any idea right out of their head. And for others, problems with organization or impulsivity can keep them from expressing themselves in an orderly, coherent way.

Today's guest, Amy Ford Hebert, has developed a computer program to help coach kids through the formation parts of print and cursive letters, and then take that practice and transfer it to the page. Write On Handwriting is a multi-sensory approach to handwriting geared mostly towards the classroom, but we are trying it at home this summer, along with daily journaling, to help both of my children work on the mechanics of handwriting as well as fluency in producing written expression.

And shockingly enough, the Nation's Reportcard on Writing, published by the Department of Education reports that only 33% of the nation's 8th graders are writing at the profiecient or advanced level- only 2 % at the advanced level. This means two thirds of the students are writing at a level that makes the demands of the classroom a challenge for them, largely because they do not have the skills they need to meet the demands they face. We need to do something to change this.

Handwriting is just one of the many factors that influence a child's written expression and output. Unfortunately, if the written output is poor or illegible, kids often get labeled as careless, sloppy, messy, or "not putting enough effort into their work" which certainly does not encourage them to write more. What may be something as simple as a fine motor problem becomes a moral failing in the eyes of teachers, and then a battle of wills can easily follow, where no one wins and the child certainly loses.

Amy has inspired me to put more resources about writing, handwriting and the writing process on the website- you'll find a new page under the Specific LD Resources menu addressing writing. Next week, we'll finish our interview with Amy Hebert, and I'll give you an update on how our home writing program for the summer is going.

Click here to listen to Amy Ford Hebert, Write On Handwriting

Show #89- News, Announcements and Money In Science and Education

In this week's show, I have some great information about upcoming trainings open to parents and educators at the Academy in Manayunk, including a RAVE-O training; Wilson reading and the LETRS program by Louisa Moates and taught by Nancy Hennessey , former president of the International Dyslexia Association.

I then discuss two recent news articles, one from Time Magazine regarding a former Bush Administration official talking about the failures of NCLB in an article entitled: No Child Left Behind: Doomed to Fail? by Claudia Willis. The second article is from the New York Times and discusses unreported pharmaceutical industry income by two of the most respected child psychiatrists in the country- Dr. Joseph Beiderman and Dr. Timothy Wilens. This article came as a complete shock to me, and prompted the recent post on the new LD Podcast blog. (Click here to go to the blog directly)

Thanks again for stopping by, and don't forget to fill out the survey!

Click Here to Download Show- News and Announcements; Money and Science in Educationion

Melinda Pongrey- Educational Therapist, Part II

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In this week's show, we continue our conversation with Melinda Pongrey, Educational Therapist and producer of the LD Live show. In today's show, we talk about "Dysteachia", educational research, how everyone sees a child through a different lens, and how important a parent's perspective is. We talk about how critical it is to actually include the child in the discussions, to find out exactly how they see the world, and even help them brainstorm solutions.

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Many thanks to Aveeno Baby for sponsoring the LD Podcast, and be sure to check out the other great shows on the Mommycast & Friends Family Channel.

Click here to listen to Melinda Pongrey, Part II

Show #50: Conversation with Paige Heninger of Mommycast - Moms & Kids with ADHD

Paige is one of the two fantastic moms who started the first podcast I ever listened to, Mommycast. Paige and Gretchen also inspired me to start the LD Podcast, and I consider them some of my oldest and closest online friends.

Paige is the mother of five children, two of whom have been diagnosed with ADHD, and Paige has ADHD as well. In part I, Paige and I talk about what it was like to try to figure out why her oldest son was struggling in school, trying to communicate with teachers, and finally find outpart of the problem was due to ADHD.

In part II, Paige and I talk more about how finding out about her son's ADHD transformed his experience in school, and took him from a smart but struggling kid into a real academic superstar; what it was like when she found out she had ADHD; and what her current child is going through as he gets tested at age 7 1/2 to see whether he, too, is ADHD like his mom and siblings.

I know you'll find this helpful whether your child has ADHD or any other LD or school struggle. The story is a very familiar one to most parents whose kids seem smart and bright, but for some reason, seem to really be underperforming in school. Parents always hear comments like "We know he can do it, if he'd only concentrate and apply himself"- sometimes the problem is not a moral problem, but an underlying neurological one, like ADHD.

Next week, I have an interview with Peter Wright of Wrightslaw.com. Pete is an attorney who specializes in special education law and has travelled the country, speaking to parents and educators about how the special education laws and No Child Left behind affect kids with disabilities. Pete also argued a landmark case, Florence County School District v. Carter, before the Supreme Court. Pete also has learning disabilities and struggled in school, so he knows about the importance of these issues on a personal basis as well as a professional one.

As always, please email us with comments and questions at ldpodcast@gmail.com, or call our comment line, 206-666-2343.

CONTEST!!!!

Since we receieved no answer from the announced contest winners, the first three emails with comments I receive after posting this show will receive a copy of Dr . Mel Levine's A Mind at a Time, and first three voice comments I recieve will get additional educational book prizes, either The Myth of Laziness by Dr. Mel Levine, It's So Much Work to be Your Friend, by Rick LaVoie, or The Irreducible Needs of Children by T. Berry Brazelton. If you leave a voice comment, please include your contact information so I can let you know if you're a winner!

Please also consider leaving a review of the Podcast in iTunes- each review helps us become a featured podcast.

Click here to Download Show #50: Moms & Kids with ADHD- Conversation with Paige Heninger from Mommycast

Show # 26 Lesson 8 and The New Changes in the IDEA

This week's supplemental show is pretty short. We talk about two of the important changes highlighted by the US Department of Education in their regional meetings about the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. The newest information on the IDEA can be found on the Deaprtment's website by clicking here.

We play Black Coffee by Chaz, and it's available on the Podsafe Music Network.

We finish the second half of the show with Lesson 8 in our ten part series on Maximizing Your Child's Cognitive Abilities- Teaching children to delay gratification. While recording this show, I had this same problem with delayed gratification, as my family stood outside the studio doors urging me to finish the podcast so we could go out to dinner.... so real life enters this podcast, unscheduled but apropos.

Please email us at ldpodcast@gmail.com, or leave comments on the voice line at (206) 666-2343. I'd love to know if you like the interviews, would prefer shorted episodes- let me know how I can help make the show better for you!

I also encourage you to use the message boards or the blog and post comments- let's form a real community!

Click here to Download Show # 26