If your child has dyslexia, you may see them struggling immensely with reading. Sounding out words may be a long, arduous task for them. They might also have trouble spelling words accurately or expressing their thoughts on paper when writing. If your dyslexic child struggles with any of these skills, specialized dyslexia tutoring using the Orton Gillingham approach can help them tremendously. What kind of tutoring is best for your child with dyslexia?

Best types of tutoring for children with dyslexia

The best tutoring for students who have dyslexia is structured, research-based, multi-sensory instruction, including tutoring using the Orton Gillingham approach. Dyslexia tutoring typically includes decoding lessons, reading comprehension strategies, structured spelling support, and writing lessons. These methods can help students improve their phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing skills.

Orton Gillingham tutoring for dyslexia

Orton Gillingham tutoring is considered to be the most ideal approach for helping students with dyslexia build their reading and spelling skills. This method is research-based, systematic, and multi-sensory, and students often enjoy receiving this type of tutoring. Your dyslexic child should typically receive an initial evaluation before the Orton Gillingham tutoring begins to gauge their specific skill levels. They may have trouble reading basic consonant-vowel-consonant words, or perhaps they have difficulty reading words containing vowel digraphs or multi-syllabic words. The Orton Gillingham method typically follows a structured approach, as follows:

• Orton Gillingham lessons begin by teaching students the names of the letters and their corresponding sounds.
• Lessons then advance to words containing blends, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, silent e patterns, r-controlled patterns, multi-syllabic word patterns, and so on.
• Sessions include a review of previously taught concepts followed by the introduction of a new Orton Gillingham concept or sound.
• Orton Gillingham lessons typically end with oral reading of words, sentences, and decodable stories.

These phonics tutoring lessons should be tailored to your child’s needs, integrating multi-sensory tools, such as colored sand, magnetic tiles, audio-visual flash cards, and whiteboards, to engage your child and help them retain these key concepts. The Orton Gillingham approach is recommended by the International Dyslexia Association as being one of the most effective reading methods for students with dyslexia.

Learn more about Orton Gillingham tutoring in NYC at What is Orton Gillingham Tutoring? – EBL Coaching

Reading comprehension tutoring for dyslexic students

Some students with dyslexia struggle with reading comprehension and benefit from a multi-sensory approach to tutoring. They may, for example, respond well to a tri-colored highlighting approach for building active reading and reading comprehension skills. With this method, the student is taught to look for three key elements when reading: the topic, main idea, and important details. The topic is typically one, two, or three words describing the passage and should be highlighted in blue. The main idea is what the author is saying about the topic and should be highlighted in green. Finally, the important details are salient pieces of information depicting the main idea, which should be highlighted in yellow. For this type of dyslexia tutoring, your child should learn to read the passage first, then go back and highlight the topic, main idea, and important details using the appropriate highlighters. This multi-sensory strategy can help your child build much stronger reading comprehension and active reading skills.

Read more about reading tutoring for dyslexia in NYC at Supporting Students With Reading Comprehension Issues | EBL Coaching

Writing tutoring for students with dyslexia

Many students with dyslexia struggle with writing. They may have great ideas but have difficulty expressing their thoughts on paper in an effective manner. Dyslexia tutoring can help your child improve their ability to brainstorm, write, and self-check their ideas, a key skill for success in school. They may start by learning how to construct a well-written sentence and can later learn how to expand their sentences with adjectives and adverbs. Next, in writing tutoring sessions, they should learn how to write a well-organized simple paragraph, comprised of a topic sentence, three detail sentences, and a conclusion sentence. From there, the dyslexia tutor should teach them how to expand their paragraph into an extended paragraph, with three additional supporting detail sentences added after each detail. Later, with this dyslexia tutoring, your child can learn how to brainstorm, write, and self-check five paragraph essays and longer research papers.

Learn more about effective writing tutoring for students with dyslexia in NYC at How to Help Your Child with Dyslexia Develop Stronger Writing Skills | EBL Coaching

Specialized tutoring that is individualized to your dyslexic child’s needs can help them improve their academic abilities and self-confidence. Contact us at www.eblcoaching.com to learn how we can help your dyslexic child excel with specialized dyslexia tutoring in NYC, writing tutoring in NYC, and Orton Gillingham instruction in NYC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which tutoring method works best for dyslexia?
The most ideal method for helping students with dyslexia build their reading and spelling skills is the Orton Gillingham approach. This approach uses multi-sensory tools and structured lessons to help students with dyslexia build their core literacy skills.

What are the benefits of dyslexia tutoring?
There are many benefits of dyslexia tutoring! Some of these benefits include:

• Improved decoding skills
• Stronger phonemic awareness skills
• Increased reading fluency and comprehension skills
• Stronger spelling and writing skills
• Improved self-confidence and school performance

Can tutoring improve dyslexia?
While tutoring can’t cure dyslexia, systematic one-on-one Orton Gillingham tutoring can help students with dyslexia build much stronger decoding, spelling, reading fluency, and writing skills.

Learn more about dyslexia challenges at
 Dyslexia Strengths and Struggles – EBL Coaching
Read more about dyslexia at
 https://dyslexiaida.org/

Dr, Levy holds her Doctorate Degree in Education and has been helping students with dyslexia through specialized reading tutoring, writing tutoring, and Orton Gillingham instruction for over twenty years.

The post Best Tutoring for Dyslexia: Orton Gillingham, Reading, and Writing Support for Children appeared first on EBL Coaching.

The core of EBL Coaching’s methodology is a profound respect for the learner. This isn’t just about delivering information; it’s about fostering understanding, building confidence, and equipping students with the tools they need to become independent, lifelong learners. We often hear about students who feel “left behind” or “not smart enough.” These are typically indicators that their learning style isn’t being met by the prevailing teaching methods. EBL Coaching seeks to bridge this gap by offering a learning environment that is responsive, adaptive, and, most importantly, empowering. Every student has the potential to succeed, and EBL Coaching is dedicated to unlocking that potential through a meticulously individualized approach.

The Philosophy Behind EBL Coaching
At its heart, the philosophy of EBL Coaching is rooted in the understanding that learning is not a linear, uniform process. It’s a complex tapestry woven from individual cognitive styles, prior experiences, emotional well-being, and environmental factors. Dr. Emily Levy, the visionary behind EBL Coaching, recognized early on that generic educational approaches often fail to account for this inherent individuality. The philosophy therefore centers on:

• Individualization: Every student is unique, and their educational support should reflect this. This means no two students will receive the exact same program, even if they have similar academic goals.
• Strengths-Based Approach: While addressing areas of difficulty is crucial, EBL Coaching also emphasizes identifying and leveraging a student’s existing strengths. This builds confidence and creates positive learning associations.
• Empowerment: The ultimate goal is not just to improve grades, but to empower students with the skills and self-belief to navigate their academic journey independently and confidently.
• Research-Based Practice: EBL Coaching is deeply committed to utilizing strategies and methodologies that are scientifically proven to be effective.
• Multi-Sensory Engagement: Recognizing that people learn through different modalities, EBL Coaching integrates visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile methods to create a richer and more effective learning experience.

This holistic philosophy extends beyond mere academic remediation. It seeks to build resilience, foster a growth mindset, and nurture a positive relationship with learning. By understanding the “why” behind a student’s struggles, EBL Coaching can create a supportive environment where challenges are seen as opportunities for growth, not insurmountable barriers.

Dr. Emily Levy’s Expertise and Journey
The exceptional quality of EBL Coaching is inextricably linked to the profound expertise and personal journey of its founder, Dr. Emily Levy. Her academic and professional path is a testament to a lifelong dedication to understanding and improving the learning process. Dr. Levy’s impressive academic credentials, including a Master’s and Doctorate from Nova University and her undergraduate studies at Brown University, provided her with a strong theoretical foundation. However, it was her early recognition of the nuances of reading comprehension, highlighted by her Westinghouse Science and Talent Award for a five-year study on the subject, that set her apart.

This early research likely ignited a deep curiosity about how individuals process information and the diverse factors that influence comprehension and academic success. Her experience presenting at national and international conferences further signifies her commitment to advancing the field of education and sharing best practices. It’s this blend of rigorous academic inquiry and practical application that forms the bedrock of EBL Coaching. Dr. Levy’s personal journey is not just about acquiring knowledge, but about translating that knowledge into tangible, life-changing support for students. Her authorship of the “Strategies for Study Success” workbook series, addressing crucial skills like test-taking, reading comprehension, and executive functioning, and the development of programs like “Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham and Multi-Sensory Math,” are concrete examples of her dedication to creating accessible, effective learning tools that are now used in schools nationwide.

This deep well of knowledge and experience directly informs the individualized approach at EBL Coaching, ensuring that every student benefits from strategies that are not only evidence-based but also developed by an expert who truly understands the intricacies of learning.

How EBL Coaching Delivers Tailored Support
The “EBL” in EBL Coaching stands for Exceptional, Best, and Learned, a powerful acronym that encapsulates their commitment to excellence in educational support. The delivery of this tailored support is a multi-faceted process that begins with a comprehensive understanding of each student.

Initial Assessment and Goal Setting
The journey with EBL Coaching begins with a thorough assessment. This isn’t a superficial quiz; it’s an in-depth evaluation designed to pinpoint a student’s specific learning profile, including their strengths, weaknesses, learning style preferences, and any underlying challenges that might be hindering their academic progress. This assessment might involve diagnostic testing, detailed interviews with the student and their parents, and an analysis of past academic performance. Based on this comprehensive understanding, personalized learning goals are collaboratively set, ensuring that both the student and the coaching team are aligned on what success looks like.

Individualized Learning Plans
Once the assessment is complete and goals are established, EBL Coaching develops a highly individualized learning plan. This plan is a roadmap that outlines the specific strategies, techniques, and resources that will be used to help the student achieve their goals. It’s a dynamic document, meaning it’s regularly reviewed and updated as the student progresses and their needs evolve. The plan might incorporate:

• Targeted skill development in areas such as reading, writing, math, or executive functioning.
• Strategies for improving study habits, organization, and time management.
• Techniques for enhancing test-taking skills and reducing test anxiety.
• Support for specific learning differences or challenges.

Highly Trained and Dedicated Tutors
The effectiveness of any coaching program hinges on the quality of its coaches. EBL Coaching employs a team of highly trained and dedicated tutors who are not only experts in their subject areas but are also skilled in implementing research-based, multi-sensory teaching methods. These tutors undergo continuous professional development to stay abreast of the latest educational research and best practices. They are passionate about fostering a positive and supportive learning environment, building strong rapport with their students, and celebrating every milestone achieved.

Flexible Delivery Options
Understanding that students have diverse needs and schedules, EBL Coaching offers flexible delivery options. Tutoring can be provided in-person, allowing for direct interaction and immediate feedback, or online, offering convenience and accessibility. This flexibility ensures that students can receive the support they need, where and when they need it, without compromising the quality or personalization of the instruction.

Multi-Sensory Methods and Research-Based Strategies
The cornerstone of EBL Coaching’s success lies in its unwavering commitment to employing multi-sensory methods and research-based strategies. This approach is not arbitrary; it’s grounded in a deep understanding of how the brain learns most effectively.

Traditional educational methods often rely heavily on auditory and visual input. While these are important, they can leave out students who learn more effectively through physical engagement or tactile experiences. Multi-sensory learning, as implemented by EBL Coaching, engages multiple senses simultaneously, creating stronger neural pathways and enhancing memory retention. For example:

• Visual: Using diagrams, graphic organizers, color-coding, and visual aids to explain concepts.
• Auditory: Explaining concepts verbally, using mnemonics, rhymes, and encouraging students to explain concepts in their own words.
• Kinesthetic: Incorporating movement, role-playing, building models, and using manipulatives.
• Tactile: Using hands-on materials, tracing letters or numbers, using textured objects, and writing on different surfaces.

These methods are not just engaging; they are proven effective. Dr. Levy’s work, including the “Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham” program, is a prime example of applying these principles in a structured and highly effective manner. Orton-Gillingham, in particular, is a renowned approach for literacy instruction that is systematic, explicit, and multi-sensory, making it highly beneficial for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges. Similarly, the “Strategies for Study Success” workbooks are designed with these principles in mind, offering practical tools and techniques that students can immediately apply.

The research-based aspect means that every strategy and technique is backed by scientific evidence. EBL Coaching doesn’t guess; they implement what works. This commitment to evidence-based practice ensures that students are receiving the most effective interventions available, maximizing their potential for growth and achievement. It’s about providing learners with the tools and techniques that have been rigorously tested and proven to enhance understanding, improve retention, and build lasting academic skills.

The Impact of Personalized Learning on Student Success
The impact of EBL Coaching’s personalized approach extends far beyond improved test scores. While academic gains are certainly a significant outcome, the true value lies in the profound and lasting transformation of the student themselves. When learning is tailored to an individual’s needs and strengths, several key areas experience significant positive shifts:

• Increased Confidence and Self-Esteem: Students who have struggled often internalize their difficulties, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Personalized support helps them experience success, fostering a belief in their own abilities. As they master new skills and overcome challenges, their confidence soars, spilling over into other areas of their lives.
• Enhanced Motivation and Engagement: When learning is made relevant, engaging, and achievable, students are more likely to become intrinsically motivated. They move from viewing learning as a chore to seeing it as an exciting opportunity for growth. This renewed engagement leads to greater participation and a more proactive approach to their education.
• Development of Independent Learning Skills: EBL Coaching doesn’t aim to create perpetual dependence. Instead, it focuses on equipping students with the strategies and metacognitive skills they need to become independent learners. This includes teaching them how to problem-solve, self-monitor their progress, and adapt their learning strategies as needed.
• Reduced Academic Anxiety: The pressure and frustration associated with struggling academically can lead to significant anxiety. By providing targeted support and breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps, EBL Coaching helps alleviate this anxiety, creating a more relaxed and productive learning environment.
• Long-Term Academic Achievement: The skills and confidence built through personalized coaching create a strong foundation for continued academic success. Students who have experienced the benefits of EBL Coaching are often better equipped to handle future academic challenges and pursue their educational goals with greater assurance.
• Improved Executive Functioning: Many students struggle with executive functions such as organization, time management, planning, and impulse control. EBL Coaching often incorporates explicit instruction and practice in these areas, which are critical for overall academic and life success.

The anecdotal evidence and testimonials from students and parents alike consistently point to these profound changes. It’s about more than just getting better grades; it’s about fostering a love of learning, building resilience, and empowering individuals to reach their full potential, both academically and personally.

Resources and How to Connect with EBL Coaching
The journey towards enhanced learning and academic success is accessible, and EBL Coaching is dedicated to making their expertise readily available. If you’ve been inspired by the philosophy and methods discussed in this post, or if you know a student who could benefit from this tailored support, here’s how you can learn more and connect:

The primary hub for all things EBL Coaching is their official website. Here, you can find detailed information about their services, the methodologies they employ, and the team of dedicated professionals who make it all happen. It’s an excellent resource for understanding the full scope of what EBL Coaching offers and how they tailor their programs to meet the unique needs of each learner.

In addition to the website, Dr. Emily Levy and EBL Coaching maintain a strong presence on social media. Engaging with them on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram can provide valuable insights, tips, and updates. These platforms are often used to share success stories, educational resources, and announcements about upcoming workshops or events.

For those who would like to reach out directly to inquire about services, schedule a consultation, or simply ask questions, the contact information provided on their website will be your best resource. They are committed to responding to inquiries and guiding potential clients through the process of understanding how EBL Coaching can support their specific academic goals.

Remember, the conversation about personalized learning is ongoing, and the insights shared by Dr. Emily Levy on The Coaching Corner with Dori DeCarlo are a powerful starting point. This blog post has aimed to expand on those foundational ideas, offering a deeper look into the “EBL Coaching Difference.” Whether you’re a parent seeking support for your child, an educator looking for effective strategies, or a student aiming to unlock your full potential, EBL Coaching offers a path forward built on expertise, personalization, and a genuine commitment to learning.

Thank you for joining me on this exploration. I encourage you to listen to the full episode and explore the resources provided by EBL Coaching. Until next time, happy learning!

The post How EBL Coaching Provides Personalized Tutoring for Student Success appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Best strategies to improve organization for children with ADHD

When students with ADHD have multiple assignments to complete and activities to partake in after school, they may feel overwhelmed. They might not know where to start or how to fit everything into a limited time window. Creating a visual schedule can help! Together with your child, create a schedule of all activities and assignments they have on a given day on a large poster board or even a smaller sheet of paper if that works better for them. Write out an organized schedule for completing these daily tasks. For example, a visual after-school schedule might look like the following:

• 3:15-3:30pm snack
• 3:30-4:30pm work on homework
• 4:30-6pm soccer practice
• 6-6:45pm dinner
• 6:45-7:30pm complete any remaining assignments
• 7:30-8pm shower and get ready for bed

You can even draw or cut out pictures depicting each item and paste them on the visual schedule – like a picture of an apple for snack, an image of a homework sheet for homework time, and a picture of a shower in the getting ready for bed section. By creating a visual schedule, your child will feel less overwhelmed, more focused, and more in control of completing their tasks in a structured, organized manner.

Learn more about executive functioning strategies for your child at Executive Functioning Strategies for Your Child | EBL Coaching

Create an organized homework workspace

Creating a designated homework space for your child with ADHD can help them avoid distractions and stay focused when completing their schoolwork. This space should ideally be a desk in their room, but a spot on a communal table in the kitchen or dining room can work too. The key is consistency; your child should always complete their homework in this designated space. You should also make sure this space is fully stocked with all the supplies they may need for completing their assignments, including pens, pencils, scissors, paper, etc. If the supplies run low, refill them right away. This will help prevent your child from wandering around your home mid-homework session, searching for missing supplies and finding distractions as they look for these materials. Additionally, if your child works on a communal table, create a portable homework bin containing all the supplies they may need for completing their work, which they should bring with them to and from their room when they complete their schoolwork. This approach will help your child build their organization and executive functioning skills.

Use the Pomodoro Method for homework sessions

The Pomodoro Method is a great technique for helping students with ADHD stay focused for longer stretches of time. To use this strategy, your child should sit down at their designated workspace to begin working on their homework. They should set a timer for 25 minutes, work for that period of time, and then when the timer rings, take a 5-minute break. After that break, they should set their timer again for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break when it rings and do this same cycle four times. After four Pomodoro cycles, they should take a longer 15–30 minute break before starting the next four cycles. This system will help build structure into their study time and should increase their executive functioning skills and their ability to stay focused for longer periods of time.

Learn more about study skills strategies for your child with ADHD at Study Skills Strategies for Your Child with ADHD | EBL Coaching.

Active reading strategies for helping children with ADHD focus

Many students with ADHD lose focus when reading, which can negatively affect their ability to comprehend the material. To combat this challenge, teach them a tri-colored highlighting strategy to help them become a more active, rather than a passive, reader. To use this strategy, do the following:

• Explain to your child that when we read, there are three elements we should look for: the topic, which is one, two, or three words describing the passage (like snacks or rain). They should highlight the topic in blue.
• The second element they should look for is the main idea, which is what the author is saying about the topic (like types of afternoon snacks). They should highlight the main idea in green.
• Finally, they should look for the important details, or salient information describing the main idea, and highlight these details in yellow.

When sitting down to read a passage, your child should read it through once, then go back through the passage and highlight the topic in blue, main idea in green, and important details in yellow – making them an active reader and improving their ability to stay focused when reading.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD affects roughly 11.4% of children in the United Stats ages 3-17, and those with ADHD benefit from structured routines when completing homework. As students move through school, the academic and focusing demands increase rapidly. Help your child with ADHD stay focused and on-task with these strategies and they will be well on their way to success in school. If you notice your ADHD child struggling with focus, time management, organization, or other executive functioning skills, EBL Coaching can help with one-on-one in person and virtual executive functioning coaching and academic tutoring programs. Learn more at www.eblcoaching.com.

Frequently Asked Questions about ADHD and Focusing Skills

How does ADHD affect school performance?
Students with ADHD often have difficulty with their executive functioning skills, including planning, time management, organization, and task initiation. These executive functioning skills play a large role in school performance, so learning strategies to build these skills through executive functioning coaching can be very beneficial for students with ADHD.

What is the Pomodoro Method and how does it help students with ADHD?
The Pomodoro Method is a great strategy for improving time management skills. It involves setting a timer and working for 25 minutes, then taking a 5-minute break, and repeating this cycle four times before taking a longer break. This technique helps students with ADHD learn to focus for increasing increments of time and feel less overwhelmed with their workload.

How can I help my child with ADHD stay focused while doing homework?
You can help your child with ADHD stay focused when doing their homework by setting up a study space that contains all of the supplies they need to complete their schoolwork and that is free of distractions. Have them turn off sounds and notifications on all devices when working on their homework and even try a method like the Pomodoro Technique to help them stay focused for set periods of time before taking a break.

Dr. Emily Levy is the founder and director of EBL Coaching and has been helping students with ADHD build stronger academic and executive functioning skills for over twenty years.

The post How to Help Your ADHD Child Improve Focus: Four Proven Strategies appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Winter Reading Challenge

Being homebound during winter can serve as a great time to do lots of reading. Instead of simply telling your child to go into their room and read, create a fun experience. Set up a reading challenge for your child and the rest of your family (that includes parents too!). Make a chart that details reading times for each family member and devote time each day to reading – ideally together as a family, perhaps before or after dinner, but individual reading time counts too. At the end of the day, log each person’s daily reading time on the chart and keep track of the minutes. At the end of the week, have your child add up the reading time totals for each family member (yes, you can integrate some math skills too!). Choose a prize for the winning family member – perhaps a toy for young children, a movie rental for older kids, or even an hour of alone time for a parent.

Winter Book Writing

Staying indoors during winter can be a great time for your child to further develop their writing skills. Just like with the reading challenge, try to make the writing activity fun. Help your child pick a winter topic to write about – perhaps polar bears, a day playing outside in the snow, or warm winter drinks. Give your child a blank journal and ask them to write a story about their topic of choice. Tell them not to focus on spelling (and to avoid asking you how to spell words) and to just write freely. Then have your child read their story aloud to you and discuss details, including the characters, plot, and setting. For younger children who aren’t able to write on their own, tell them to dictate their story to you while you write it.

Graphing

By tracking the chilly temperatures outside while hunkered down indoors, you can work on math skills with your child. Select a given week to focus on; each day when your child wakes up, have them check the temperature and write it down on a sheet of paper with two columns: a column on the left for the date and a column on the right for the temperature that day. At the end of the week, ask your child to gather markers, stickers, and glitter, and create a fun, colorful bar graph depicting the temperatures, one bar per date. Teach them that the dates can go on the bottom and temperatures can go on the left side, and show them how to create colorful bars in the form of a graph that shows the changes in temperature. It’s a great way to make math fun!

Snowflakes

Use a snowflake-making craft to help your child build their vocabulary skills when stuck indoors. Each day, pick a new vocabulary word for them to learn. You can find these words online by grade level, or even above or below grade levels if they are advanced for their grade or struggle a bit. Look up the definition of the word together, then have your child summarize it in their own words to make sure they understand it. Next, have your child cut out a large snowflake from a blank sheet of paper. They should write the word on the front of the snowflake and the definition on the back. They can also write a sentence on the back using the word and even draw a picture depicting the definition for an added visual touch. For example, the word on the front of the card might be “frigid.” On the back, they would write the definition: extremely cold. They would also write a sentence, like “I love sledding, but not when the temperature is frigid!” and then draw a picture depicting someone who looks very cold.

Don’t let being homebound during winter stop your child from learning. Enhance their academic skills with these fun, engaging, and productive ideas.

The post Academic Activities to Do with Your Child When Homebound During Winter appeared first on EBL Coaching.

The holidays are filled with festivities, treats, and loads of family time. However, the break from school is also a time when kids tend to do little if any academic work. As a result, the shift back to school in January can be a tough one for many students. Help your child have a successful transition back to school with the ideas detailed below.

Re-set routines

Before the holidays, your child may have finally settled on their school routine: each morning they woke up, got dressed, packed their backpack, ate breakfast, then came home from school and completed their schoolwork on a regular basis. Yet during the holidays, routines and schedules often go awry and your child may need some routine re-setting before school starts again. To help them, reset routines gradually. If they went to bed very late during holiday time, start setting their bedtime 15-20 minutes earlier each day for four or five days before school starts. You may want to also create checklists to remind them of their morning and afternoon routines before school begins. For example, a morning chart might include waking up at a certain time, brushing their teeth, eating breakfast, and packing their backpack. An afternoon checklist might include unpacking their backpack, having a snack, completing their homework, putting their finished homework in their backpack or turning it in online, eating dinner, and getting ready for bed. You might want to also try limiting screen time before school starts to help set the stage for a focused, organized return to school.

Academic activities during break

Your child may become accustomed to lazy, school-free days during the holiday break. To help them transition back into school-mode, start to integrate academic activities before school starts. For example, read with your child for 20 minutes each night and discuss the plot, characters, and setting with them. Ask them to create predictions about what they think might happen next or make inferences about certain events in the story to help engage them in the book. Older children can read independently for 20 minutes each night but ask them similar questions about their book even if you aren’t reading it with them, to make sure they fully comprehend the material. You can also do math exercises when cooking or grocery shopping with them, or have them write in a journal about their favorite activities during the holiday break. The more academic activities you can integrate now, the better!

Discuss expectations

Your child may be nervous about returning to school and may face similar jitters that they felt before the new school year started. Talk through these feelings with them. Are they nervous about their workload? Anxious about waking up early again? Worried about friendship issues? Whatever the issue is, be there for them – listen to their worries and help them come up with solutions to help ease these anxieties. You can also discuss any assignments or projects they may have coming up and help them create a plan for competing them in an organized fashion.

Executive functioning strategies

Your child likely wasn’t focusing on executive functioning strategies during the holiday break. They probably didn’t have to worry about organizing their school assignments, planning their after school activity schedule, or organizing their academic work. Help them re-integrate executive functioning strategies before school starts again. Make sure they have a dedicated homework space where they will complete their assignments each day, filled with all necessary supplies. Discuss with them what time they will work on their homework daily after school and keep that time consistent. Help them set up an assignment book, especially if they started using one at the start of the school year but then used it less and less in the fall. If they have lengthy homework assignments to complete, help them break the assignments into steps and put each step into their assignment book. For time management, have them predict how long they think each assignment will take to complete, then compare it to the actual time it takes. The more systematic executive functioning strategies you can integrate, the better, and if your child continues to struggle with these skills, executive functioning coaching can help them tremendously.

The holiday break should be a fun-filled time that all kids enjoy. Yet the transition back to school can be a tough one. Try using these ideas at home with your child to help them start the new year on a positive, organized, and successful note.

The post Help Your Child Transition Back to School After the Holidays appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Reading

While it’s important for your child to continue reading books and being read to during the holidays, you can also help them develop their reading skills while you bake. Start by perusing recipes with them in cookbooks and online sources. Have them read the recipe titles and instructions (and of course look at pictures of the final product for inspiration) before selecting which items you’ll bake. Once you’ve selected the recipes, have your child read aloud to you the ingredients list for each recipe and make a list of all the items you’ll need to buy at the supermarket. They can also watch online videos of recipes for an added dimension.  Additionally, you can discuss important vocabulary words related to baking – a key component of reading comprehension – like blend, stir, whisk, puree, and other terms you come across that your child may not have previously known.

Math

There are many ways to integrate math concepts into baking. Take your child to the supermarket with you and give them a budget for all the items you’ll need to purchase for your recipes. Then have them look for these goods and compare the prices of different items to help stay within your budget. For example, if you need to buy a bag of chocolate chips, compare the price of a name brand bag to a generic store brand bag and see which one fits better into your budget. Your child may learn that store brands are often just as good but much cheaper! You can also look for items on sale for extra cost savings. If, for instance, a jar of vanilla is buy one get one free at a certain supermarket and you need a lot of vanilla for your recipes, you’ll save money by buying vanilla at that supermarket. Before you check out, have your child estimate the total cost of all the items in your cart before you pay, then compare it to the actual cost, to work on estimation skills.

When you get home and begin to bake, have your child use a measuring cup to measure out the ingredients you need for a recipe – like 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of oil, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, etc. Ask them how much more of each ingredient you’d need if you double the recipe or cut it in half to further work on important math skills.

Writing

Tie in some creativity and fun by having your child use frosting tubes to practice writing! Young kids can practice writing letters and numbers on top of cupcakes or even on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Older kids can write their spelling words using frosting. They can also write out math problems and solve them using frosting, rather than pen and paper. Your child can even use food coloring markers for added fun! It’s great to integrate hands-on activities while working on academic concepts to help make the learning process more enjoyable.

The holiday season is a fun, festive time of year. Help your child continue building key academic skills with these ideas and they will likely begin the new year on a much stronger note.

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As students progress through school, the academic demands increase rapidly. When children are young, they need to master early foundational skills, such as letter/sound recognition, counting, and basic arithmetic. As they get older, they are taught to read and comprehend short passages, then longer, more complex paragraphs and books. They must effectively write sentences, paragraphs, and essays, and complete increasingly difficult math computation and word problems. Which skills are most important for success in school?

Reading

Reading is one of the most critical skills for academic success. It affects essentially all aspects of school, including social studies, science, math, and other subjects. Students need to first develop their phonemic awareness skills – the precursor to reading – including rhyming, initial sound recognition, and blending sounds to form words, amongst other related skills. Next, they need to learn how to sound out words accurately, starting with basic consonant-vowel-consonant words and then building up to words with blends, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, silent e patterns, and so on. Orton Gillingham instruction can help students build these core reading skills. Starting around third grade, students typically start to see a shift from learning to read to reading to learn, where the emphasis on reading comprehension and fluency becomes more important. At this time, students should learn strategies to build these skills, such as identifying the main idea and salient details, visualizing information that they read, and making inferences – skills that become even more important as they progress through school. Reading tutoring, including focusing on decoding, fluency, ands comprehension, can help students excel with these skills.

Writing

Writing is another key skill for success in school. At a young age, students should learn how to write letters using the proper top-to-bottom formation. They should then learn how to spell basic two and three letter words, including words they can sound out (like “at”, “cup”, and “pin”) and sight words that they can’t sound out (like “who” and “the”). From there, students should learn how to write basic sentences, containing a subject and predicate, and then expand their sentences with adjectives and adverbs. When they are a bit older, students will learn how to write basic paragraphs, typically containing a topic sentence, three details, and a conclusion sentence, and later extended paragraphs, containing additional supporting details. Later in elementary school and into middle school, students will learn how to write well-constructed five paragraph essays, containing an introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph, and then more complex essays and research papers. Writing tutoring can help students tremendously who struggle with these skills.

Math

When students are young, they should learn foundational math concepts, such as counting, greater/less than, and basic oral arithmetic. Math can be integrated into everyday life at this time; for example, if you are at the supermarket with your young child, take out two oranges and three grapefruits, and have them count the pieces of fruit you picked out and tell you the total. These activists will help them build early math foundations. Later, they will need to learn their math facts and how to solve increasingly complex math computation problems. Much of math instruction at schools now integrates a great deal of language, including word problem solving. Students should learn concrete strategies for breaking down math word problems, moving from language to arithmetic and back to language. Math tutoring can help students immensely who struggle with this skill.

Reading, writing, and math skills become increasingly important as students move through school. It is important that students develop strong early foundations in these skills and then learn to grasp increasingly complex skills. Individualized academic tutoring can help students improve these skills and ultimately achieve success in school.

Give us a call to schedule a consultation, 212-249-0147 or check us out here!

The post Which Academic Skills Are Most Important for School Success? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Your child may excel in certain academic skills but struggle with others. Some students, for example, do well in math, but have difficulty with reading and writing. Others might have strong academic skills but need help with their executive functioning skills, like planning, organization, and time management. You may know that your child needs a tutor, but how can you find a good tutor for your child in Manhattan?

Start with a tutoring evaluation 

When seeking a tutor in NYC for your child, it’s important to start with a tutoring evaluation. You may know your child is struggling with a skill, such as reading, but you might not know the specific aspects of reading they need tutoring in. For example, they might have difficulty decoding consonant-vowel-consonant words, words with blends, consonant digraphs, or vowel digraphs, or multi-syllabic word patterns. They may struggle with reading comprehension, including identifying important details, synthesizing the main idea, or making inferences. Before beginning a tutoring program in NYC, your child should start with an initial evaluation. This tutoring evaluation will help determine their specific areas of need in order to come up with an effective tutoring plan.

Choose a tutor who specializes in your child’s needs

It’s important that your child works with a tutor in NYC who specializes in the skills they need help with. For example, if your child has writing challenges, you wouldn’t want them to work with a math specialist. If your child has dyslexia, they would likely benefit from Orton Gillingham tutoring in NYC to effectively remediate their reading skills. When using a tutoring service, after receiving an evaluation, your child should be matched with a tutor in Manhattan who specializes in what they need the most help with, including specific techniques and methodologies.

Learn more about reading tutoring in NYC at
https://eblcoaching.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-reading-specialist-in-nyc/

Find a tutor that uses a structured plan in tutoring sessions

Before your child starts a tutoring program in NYC, a structured plan should be in place to specifically address their areas of need. The tutoring should follow a systematic approach, beginning with your child’s levels and areas of weakness and moving upwards as they progress with their skills. For example, if your child has a learning disability or reading challenges and struggles to read consonant-vowel-consonant words, like mug, pat, or sit, they might benefit from a structured Orton Gillingham tutoring plan. This tutoring plan may begin with teaching your child individual letters and their corresponding sounds, and how to blend those sounds together to form words using a multi-sensory approach. The Orton Gillingham lessons might include tools such as colored sand, magnetic tiles, and a mini whiteboard, all as part of the structured lesson plan. Once your child is effectively able to read consonant-vowel-consonant words, the tutor can move onto words containing blends, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, silent e patterns, multi-syllabic word patterns, and so on, all following a structured, systematic approach.

Look for a tutor that has a personality connection with your child

While it’s important that your child works with a tutor in NYC or tutoring service in Manhattan that specializes in the skills they need help with, it’s also important that your child feels a strong connection with the tutor. The right personality match is key and is important in helping your child feel open and receptive to new ideas and strategies that the tutor will teach them. Many children don’t respond as well to tutoring from someone they don’t feel a strong connection to. When using a tutoring service in NYC, after the evaluation, your child should be matched with a tutor who both specializes in the areas they need help with and who is a good personality fit for your child.

Learn more about tutoring and executive functioning coaching in NYC for your child at https://eblcoaching.com/can-executive-functioning-coaching-help-my-child/
Finding the right tutor in NYC can be a game changer for your child. Follow these ideas to identify a great tutor and help your child thrive in school.

Is your child struggling in school? Learn how EBL Coaching can help them with reading remediation, writing tutoring, math tutoring, executive functioning coaching, and Orton Gillingham tutoring at www.eblcoaching.com. At EBL Coaching, we have helped hundreds students in Manhattan strengthen their reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills through individualized one-on-one instruction.

Frequently asked questions

What are some signs your child may need a tutor?
If you notice that your child is struggling with an academic skill or set of skills at school; avoids homework; struggles to stay organized or manage their time; or has grades that are falling, you may want to consider a one-on-one tutor for them.

When should my child start tutoring?
If you see your child struggling in school or has declining self-esteem, don’t wait! It’s better to be proactive in seeking academic remediation for them than waiting until the struggles become greater.

What are some skills my child may learn from one-on-one tutoring?
Your child’s one-on-one tutoring sessions should be tailored to their specific challenges. If they struggle with reading and writing, for example, the tutoring sessions should remediate those skills using a structured approach that meets their needs.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has been running a specialized tutoring program in NYC for over 20 years.

The post How to Find The Best Tutor in NYC For Your Child appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Organizational System

Many students with executive functioning challenges, including those with ADHD, struggle to stay organized. An executive functioning coach can help your child set up organizational tools and systems. For example, if your child’s backpack is filled with papers and their desk at home is a mess, the coach can help your child set up a 3-tier organizational system. With this system, your child selects a working notebook (tier 1), which can be either a binder or notebook/folder for each class that they take with them to school on a regular basis. They should designate one day per week to be the “clean out my working notebook day” where they remove any papers they don’t need to be carrying with them on a regular basis and file them into an accordion file that they keep at home (tier 2). This accordion file should contain three sections for each class: homework, notes, and tests/quizzes. At the end of the semester, if your child created a great project or assignment that they want to keep for the long run, they should put it in an organized filing drawer (tier 3). An executive functioning coach can also help your child organize their electronic computer files if their school integrates more digital assignments.

Develop Time Management Skills

Children with executive functioning difficulties often struggle with time management. They may think a task will take more or less time than it actually does and may consistently turn in their homework assignments late. An executive functioning coach can help your child develop stronger time management skills. One strategy they may use is the Estimated Time (ET) verses Actual Time (AT) technique. With this strategy, the student predicts how long they think a task may take to complete. For example, they may think it will take 20 minutes to complete a math worksheet. They should write down that predicted time (ET). Then they should compare it to how long it actually took to complete the task (AT). When students with executive functioning challenges start using this strategy, there is usually a big discrepancy between the ET and AT. However, the more they use this strategy, the more realistic they become with their time, and the more those times typically start to merge.

Chunk Tasks

Students with executive functioning difficulties often become overwhelmed with long, multi-step assignments or projects. Executive functioning coaching can help them chunk tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, if as student is asked to create a report about tornados, including what they are, how they are formed, how they are measured, and unique facts about tornadoes, their inclination may be to wait until the night before this project is due to work on it. However, an executive functioning coach can help them break this project into steps and put each step into their physical or electronic planner with specific deadlines for completing each step. In doing so, the project will become less overwhelming and more manageable, and the student will improve their homework completion, time management, and planning skills.

Note taking

Executive functioning coaching can also help your child learn how to take effective notes. For example, they may learn the column-style note taking method. With this technique, students learn to divide their page into two columns and write the topic of what they are reading at the top, the main ideas in the left column, and the important details that correspond to each main idea in the right column. They can even use highlighters to color-code the topic in one color, main ideas in a second color, and important details in a third color. This style of note taking can also be applied to in-class lectures.

Many students, both with and without ADHD, struggle with executive functioning skills. Executive functioning coaching can help your child build these important skills and thrive in school.

The post Can Executive Functioning Coaching Help My Child? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

As a parent, you might notice that your young child is struggling to learn the names of the letters and their corresponding sounds. They might have difficulty identifying and writing numbers. Other young children might have a quest for knowledge and yearn to learn new, more advanced academic skills. There is no official age when your child is too young for tutoring; it all depends on their individual needs and overall profile. The key to working with students as young as age 2 or 3 is to keep the sessions fun, engaging, and interactive. Tutoring can help your young child develop their academic skills in several areas.

Reading

When children are of preschool-age, the foundations of reading are being established. Learning key phonemic awareness skills can help strengthen their reading skills down the road. Tutoring can help your young child build phonemic awareness skills with targeted lessons, like the following:

The tutor might ask your child to name the first, middle, and final sounds they hear in the words mat, leg, pig, and so on. They might give the student two syllables, like “tall” and “est” and ask them what word is formed when they put the syllables together. Tutors can also work on rhyming skills by asking the student to name words that rhyme with mat, tug, pot, and other short words. From there, the tutor can work on teaching your child individual letter names using audio-visual flash cards with the letter on the front and a colorful key picture on the back. They might hold up the card to your child and say, “This is the letter a, like apple, it makes the sound /a/.” They can even take out a toy apple and ask your child to say the sound the word apple begins with. Later, once many sounds have been covered, the tutor can use magnetic tiles to work on blending sounds together to form words. The more multi-sensory and engaging the lessons are, the better!

Writing

Writing skills can also be developed at a young age. When introducing individual letter names, the tutor can also use a multi-sensory approach to teach students how to write each letter using specific formations. For example, for the lower case a, the tutor might trace the letter a in the sky, saying the formation out loud: around, up, and down. Then the child would trace the letter in the sky, first together with the tutor, then independently. Next, the tutor can take out a tray of colored sand and model tracing the letter in the sand. Then the student can do it on their own. When the child is ready, they can practice writing letters using dotted lines and eventually write them on paper without any assistance. A similar process can be used for learning to write numbers correctly: first in the sky, then in sand, then on paper.

Math 

Math concepts can be taught starting at a very young age. Tutors can use real-life scenarios to make math engaging and playful. For example, they can play “grocery store” while building math skills. The tutor can bring a set of pretend red and green apples to the tutoring session. They can tell the child that they are “buying” two red apples and three green apples. The child would take out the appropriate number of red and green apples. Then the tutor might ask the child to count all the apples and explain that two apples plus three more apples equals five apples all together. The tutor can even take out a mini whiteboard when the child is ready and write on the board: 2+3=5. The same exercises can be done with larger quantities of objects, and the tutor can teach subtraction in a similar way. For example, they might say, “If I started with three apples but ate two of them, how many apples would I have left?” Making the exercises fun and playful for the child will help them enjoy learning while building key skills.

When learning is approached in an engaging, interactive manner with shorter durations of activities, there really is no age that is too young to start tutoring.

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