As temperatures rise and the days get longer, it’s starting to feel like summer. With this season of fun just around the corner, many children may lose academic motivation and the discipline to focus on schoolwork. Don’t let your child’s grades and performance slip at the end of the school year; instead, help them finish the year on a strong, confident note. Try some of the ideas below.

Set short-term goals

Even though the school year is winding down, there’s still time for your child to set short-term goals to maximize their performance. Talk to them about goals they feel are realistic for this time of the school year, like reading for 20 minutes per night, raising one grade in each subject, or turning in missing assignments. When goals are smaller, they often feel more achievable and less overwhelming to children. For added motivation, you might want to even consider a small reward for meeting each goal, like a trip to the ice cream store or a special movie rental.

Create end-of-year routines 

It may feel like school is just about done, but it’s not too late to set routines! By taking the time now to establish routines that work, your child can use them in the fall to start the new school year strongly.  One routine that can help is setting a consistent homework time. At this point in the school year, your child may be doing their homework at erratic times – sometimes right after school, other times before dinner, and often late at night, when they should be getting ready for bed. Discuss with them a consistent homework time that is viable and encourage them to stick with it daily. You can also pick a “clean out my backpack day” – maybe every Wednesday or Friday (or any day that works best) – and on that day, have them clean out all papers or materials they don’t need to be carrying with them on a regular basis. They should also check their school portal (if their school has one) every day during their homework time so they don’t miss any upcoming projects, tests, or assignments. These routines can help build stronger executive functioning skills, which will continue to be important when the new school year begins.

Prioritize missing assignments 

At this point in the school year, many students have assignments piled up that they haven’t turned in and that are well overdue. These missing assignments can negatively affect their grades, so it’s important that they prioritize identifying which assignments need to be turned in and come up with a plan for completing them. You may want to help them with this plan. For example, have them estimate how much time they think it will take to complete each assignment and then come up with an allocated amount of time they need to spend each day to finish their work. Help them set a goal for which date they will turn in each assignment, prioritizing the ones that need to be turned in first.

Teacher communication 

To help advocate for your child, it’s a good idea to maintain regular communication with your child’s teacher. Don’t let this communication slide at the end of the school year! A lot can change – including your child’s grades and motivation – at this time of the year, and if those changes happen, you’ll want to know about them. You may want to reach out to your child’s teacher to check in and make sure your child is staying on top of their work. If your child’s teacher mentions challenges, ask them specific questions, like which assignments are missing, which ones should be turned in first, what to focus on for final exams (if there are any), and if there are any extra credit assignments your child can do to help improve their grades. This type of communication can have a big impact on your child’s overall performance at school.

Prepare for finals

Older students will likely have final exams to study for at this time of year. If this applies to your child, help them come up with a plan for preparing for these exams without procrastinating. Encourage them to ask their teacher if there are study guides for each test that they can use when preparing. Then help them come up with a plan for how to study for each test, ideally breaking studying down into shorter sessions with built-in breaks to avoid burnout.

This may also be a good time to introduce the Pomodoro Method to your child, which is a great study skills tool that helps with time management. To use this strategy, your child should set a timer for 25 minutes and study straight for that window. When the timer goes off, they should take a 5-minute break to relax and unwind. After the five minutes are up, they should study again for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break, and so on. Once four of these “Pomodoro cycles” are complete, they should take a longer break, around 20-30 minutes. If 25 minutes of studying (or the 5-minute break) is too much or too little time, your child should adjust the time windows to ones that work best for them.

The end of the school year can be a challenging time for children to stay focused and motivated but slacking now can bring down your child’s grades and confidence. Encourage your child to use these strategies to help them end the year feeling encouraged, successful, and ready for a great summer.

EBL Coaching specializes in one-on-one in person and virtual tutoring for students in grades pre-K-12 with specialized learning needs. They use research-based, multi-sensory techniques, including the Orton Gillingham method, to develop students’ reading, writing, math, note taking, test taking, and executive functioning skills. Each student is evaluated and then receives an individualized learning plan to address their specific academic needs. Learn more at http://www.eblcoaching.com/. Dr. Emily Levy, Founder & Director, is happy to hear from anyone who is in need for their child. You may reach her thru her website, and mention you heard of her thru MotherhoodLater.

The post How to Help Your Child Finish the School Year Strong appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Students with ADHD often struggle academically because of poor executive functioning skills. Specialized ADHD tutoring in NYC can help students learn concrete strategies to build these executive functioning skills and thrive both in and out of school.

New York City has a variety tutoring options, but not all tutors use research-based, multi-sensory techniques designed for students with ADHD. The best private tutors in NYC help with more than just homework; they teach tools and strategies to help students learn more efficiently and effectively.

What Makes a Great ADHD Tutor?

Strong ADHD tutors in NYC typically have specific qualities. They should:

• Specialize in executive functioning challenges
• Use structured, multi-sensory techniques
• Provide one-on-one instruction
• Individualize lessons to meet the needs of each student
• Teach organization and study skills
• Help students break multi-step tasks into smaller, more manageable steps
• Help students build confidence and independence

Many students with ADHD struggle with:

• Losing their belongings
• Forgetting to turn in homework assignments
• Procrastination and time management
• Staying focused for long stretches of time
• Starting assignments
• Consistent performance at school

ADHD tutoring in NYC that utilizes evidence-based techniques can help students build these core executive functioning challenges.

Learn more about choosing the right ADHD tutor for your child at How to Find an ADHD Tutor Near You – EBL Coaching.

Why Families in NYC Seek ADHD Tutoring

Families in New York City often look for an ADHD tutor when they notice their child:

• Is struggling to stay organized
• Has poor grades at school
• Is becoming frustrated with school
• Has weak time management
• Avoids starting homework assignments
• Shows declining self-esteem

As the academic demands of school increase, executive functioning weaknesses often become more pronounced. Students may have trouble with skills such as managing multiple classes, completing long-term projects, taking effective notes, preparing for different types of tests, and studying independently.
Specialized ADHD tutoring in NYC can help students learn systems and strategies to improve their academic performance, motivation, and independence.

Executive Functioning Support for Students With ADHD

Executive functioning skills are often a key component of ADHD-related challenges in school.  These skills include:

• Planning
• Organization
• Time management
• Working memory
• Self-monitoring
• Task initiation
• Task completion
• Sustained focus

Effective ADHD tutors in NYC should focus on executive functioning coaching during their tutoring sessions, not just homework help. This type of instruction may include helping students:

• Organize their backpacks, binders, and desks
• Manage their workload
• Come up with a plan for completing multiple assignments
• Prioritize tasks
• Develop study schedules
• Manage deadlines

Many of these skills are not innate, especially for students with ADHD, and must be taught explicitly.

Learn more about executive functioning skills and how they impact academic performance at What Are Executive Functioning Skills? A Simple Guide for Parents – EBL Coaching.

How to Choose a Private ADHD Tutor in NYC

Expertise With ADHD and Learning Challenges

When looking for a tutor for your child, try to find someone who has expertise and extensive experience working with students with ADHD and executive functioning challenges.

Specialized tutors should know that students with ADHD often need:

• Multi-sensory instruction
• Individualized, evidence-based techniques
• Movement breaks
• Repetition of new concepts
• Structured routines

Individualized, One-on-One Instruction

An ideal ADHD tutoring program in NYC should begin with an initial evaluation to gauge your child’s needs. They should then create a customized tutoring plan to remediate your child’s executive functioning and academic weaknesses effectively.  Research-based, one-on-one instruction is particularly effective for students with ADHD, since each child has a unique profile with individual strengths and weaknesses.

Some students with ADHD struggle mainly with attention and impulsivity, while others have executive functioning weaknesses that need to be addressed as well.

Evidence-Based Teaching Methods

It’s important to find a tutor for your child who uses the right evidence-based techniques to develop their areas of weakness. Effective ADHD tutoring programs in Manhattan often use:

• Multi-sensory techniques
• Tools to build organizational skills
• Explicit strategies
• Positive reinforcement and empowering language
• Structured routines

Tutoring programs that use research-based approaches for ADHD usually achieve better long-term academic improvement.

EBL Coaching: Specialized ADHD Tutoring in NYC

EBL Coaching specializes in providing one-on-one ADHD tutoring and executive functioning coaching to students in grades preK-12 in New York City and the surrounding areas. They provide individualized, research-based instruction for neurodiverse students, including those with ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, executive functioning challenges, and other special education needs. Their tutoring program begins with an initial assessment to gauge your child’s strengths and weaknesses. A customized instructional plan is then created using research-based, multi-sensory techniques to meet your child’s individual needs.

EBL Coaching’s one-on-one in person and online tutoring programs focus on:

• Executive functioning skills
• Decoding and spelling words
• Reading fluency
• Reading comprehension
• Writing organization and mechanics
• Math computation and word problem-solving skills
• Homework management
• Orton Gillingham tutoring
• Motivation and confidence development

The tutoring sessions are available:

• At their Upper East Side learning center
• At their New Jersey learning center
• At your home in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Long Island, and New Jersey
• At your child’s school or a local library
• Virtually

Why Individualized ADHD Tutoring is Important

Many students with ADHD are very bright and capable but struggle in traditional learning environments. Large classrooms often lack the structure and tools for students who have challenges with focus and executive functioning skills.

Private tutoring in NYC allows the tutoring sessions to be:

• Customized to the needs of each student
• Multi-sensory
• Paced appropriately
• Tailored to each student’s needs and overall profile

One-on-one tutoring can help students feel more comfortable asking questions if they are unsure of a concept and helps improve their self-confidence and overall academic skills.

In-Person vs. Online ADHD Tutoring

Many parents in NYC consider both in-person and virtual tutoring options for their child. Each modality has its own benefits.

In-Person Tutoring Benefits:

• Multi-sensory learning opportunities
• Strong rapport-building with tutor
• Fewer distractions
• Face-to-face interactions

Virtual Tutoring Benefits:

• More flexibility with scheduling
• Access to specialized tutors who may not be available in your local area
• No travel time

Many parents prefer a hybrid option, which combines both in-person and virtual tutoring.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring an ADHD Tutor

Before choosing a tutor for your child, you should ask specific questions, including:

• What is your experience working with ADHD students?
• Do you focus on developing executive functioning skills?
• Do you begin with an initial assessment?
• Do you use a multi-sensory approach?
• Do you use research-based techniques?
• How do you communicate progress to parents?
• Do you collaborate with teachers at school?
• Can you provide sessions virtually or in person?

These questions can help you decide which tutoring program is the best fit for your child.

Closing Thoughts

The best private ADHD tutors in NYC should help students with more than just homework. They should teach students strategies for building their organization, time management, planning, and other executive functioning skills to help them achieve long-term success.

With the right customized tutoring, students with ADHD can improve their performance at school, build stronger executive functioning skills, and strengthen their overall self-confidence.

If you are looking for ADHD tutoring in New York City, try to find a tutoring program that:

• Uses research-based techniques
• Provides executive functioning support
• Offers initial assessments before tutoring starts
• Creates individualized tutoring plans
• Specializes in working with students with ADHD and learning disabilities

Learn more about effective homework strategies for students with ADHD at Homework Help for ADHD: Strategies That Actually Work – EBL Coaching.

Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD Tutors in NYC

How can an ADHD tutor help my child?
An ADHD tutor can help your child in many ways, including improving their:

• Focus
• Organizational skills
• Time management
• Task initiation
• Study skills
• Homework management
• Self-confidence

Many ADHD tutors specialize in teaching executive functioning strategies that can help your child become more independent and achieve long-term academic success.

What is the difference between an ADHD tutor and a regular tutor?
A “regular” tutor may focus on homework help or basic academic skills review. An ADHD tutor, however, understands how attention, executive functioning, and organization difficulties can impact your child’s learning.

Specialized ADHD tutors can help your child:

• Break down longer tasks into smaller, more manageable steps
• Learn effective study strategies
• Manage their time efficiently
• Learn how to prioritize tasks
• Create systems for organization
• Manage their workload effectively

At what age should my child start ADHD tutoring?
Students of various ages can benefit from ADHD tutoring. Some children begin receiving tutoring in early elementary school, when the focus and organization challenges first become noticeable. Other students, however, begin receiving tutoring in middle school or high school, when the academic and executive functioning demands increase rapidly. If you notice your child struggling, don’t wait. Early intervention can help prevent future academic challenges:

Does ADHD tutoring help with executive functioning skills?
Yes! Effective ADHD tutoring programs should focus on developing executive functioning skills, including:

• Planning
• Organization
• Time management
• Task initiation
• Working memory
• Prioritization
• Task completion

Executive functioning coaching is an important component of ADHD tutoring and can help your child achieve long-term academic success

Can ADHD tutoring improve my child’s grades?
Yes! ADHD tutoring often improves students’ grades by helping them:

• Become more organized
• Prepare for different types of tests
• Avoid procrastination
• Complete and turn in homework on time
• Improve their focus
• Build stronger study skills

When students learn effective tools and strategies for building these skills, their grades in school often improve.

Is virtual ADHD tutoring effective?
Yes! Virtual ADHD tutoring can be highly effective for students, especially when the sessions are interactive and integrate evidence-based techniques.

How often should a student with ADHD receive tutoring?
The frequency at which a student should receive ADHD tutoring depends on their unique needs. Some students only need 1-2 sessions per week, while others benefit from much more frequent sessions. An initial assessment can help determine the appropriate frequency of tutoring sessions for your child.

What qualifications should parents look for in an ADHD tutor?
When looking for an ADHD tutor in NYC for your child, look for a tutor who has:

• Expertise in working with ADHD students
• Extensive executive functioning coaching experience
• Effective communication skills
• Research-based teaching methods
• Expertise using a multi-sensory teaching approach

Specialization in working with neurodiverse students is particularly important.

Which subjects does ADHD tutoring help with?
ADHD tutors can help your child with a variety of skills, including:

• Study skills
• Organizational skills
• Homework management
• Reading comprehension
• Writing organization and mechanics
• Math computation and word problem skills
• Executive functioning

How do I know if my child needs an ADHD tutor?
There are many signs that may indicate your child needs an ADHD tutor. You may want to consider ADHD tutoring if your child:

• Often forgets assignments
• Struggles with organizational skills
• Has poor time management skills
• Avoids starting homework
• Struggles with multi-step tasks
• Has difficulty prioritizing tasks

The right ADHD tutoring can provide your child with individualized instruction that they may not receive in traditional classrooms.

Are ADHD tutors available in person in NYC?
Yes! Many tutoring centers, like EBL Coaching, offer in-person ADHD tutoring in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and other areas surrounding New York City. Some tutoring programs also provide virtual or hybrid options for additional flexibility.

Learn more about strategies for ADHD at CHADD – Improving the lives of people affected by ADHD.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has helped thousands of students with specialized learning needs build their academic skills with ADHD tutoring over the past twenty years. She is the author of the Strategies do Study Success student workbook series, the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook program, and the Flags and Stars Multi-Sensory Math student workbook series. She speaks nationally at educational conferences and frequently appears on podcasts as an educational expert. She has also been featured in publications including Newsweek, Autism Advocate Parenting Magazine, Epoch Times, and Macaroni Kids.

The post Best ADHD Tutors in NYC for Executive Functioning & Academic Support appeared first on EBL Coaching.

This guide will explain what the Orton Gillingham approach is, who benefits from this method, and how to find the best Orton Gillingham tutor in NJ.

What is Orton Gillingham?

Orton Gillingham is a research-based, multi-sensory approach that helps students develop stronger reading and spelling skills. While it was originally designed for students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities, any student struggling with reading can benefit from this approach.

Unlike traditional reading tutoring, Orton Gillingham is

• Multi-sensory – it integrates the visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic modalities
• Structured and systematic – Orton Gillingham lessons are taught in a step-by-step order, and previously taught concepts are integrated into new lessons
• Diagnostic and prescriptive – lessons are individualized based on the needs of each student
• Explicit – Orton Gillingham sounds and rules are directly taught to students

The Orton Gillingham method is considered to be one of the most effective approaches for students with reading challenges, including dyslexia.

Who benefits from Orton Gillingham tutoring in NJ?

Orton Gillingham tutoring can help any student who struggles with reading, but it is an optimal approach for students who:

• Have a dyslexia diagnosis
• Struggle to decode, or sound out, words
• Have challenges spelling words accurately
• Struggle to read fluently
• Feel frustrated when reading or avoid reading

Parents in New Jersey often start looking for Orton Gillingham tutoring when they notice their child is struggling with reading, is feeling frustrated, or is losing self-confidence.

Read more about who benefits from Orton Gillingham tutoring at Who Benefits from Orton Gillingham Tutoring?

Why Orton Gillingham works

Orton Gillingham works because it is structured, systematic, and teaches struggling learners in a way that works for them, using an easy-to-follow, step-by-step approach. Rather than looking at the beginning sound and “guessing” at a word or otherwise memorizing words, with Orton Gillingham tutoring, students learn:

• The names of each letter and its corresponding sound
• The connection between sounds and letters
• Specific word patterns
• Spelling rules
• Tools for decoding words they haven’t seen before

Orton Gillingham tutoring sessions are hands-on and engaging, helping students not only develop their reading and spelling skills, but retain what they learn. Ultimately, this approach leads to improved decoding, spelling, reading fluency, and reading comprehension skills.

What to look for in an Orton Gillingham tutor in NJ

When seeking an Orton Gillingham tutor in NJ, look for someone with the following:

1. Experience with learning disabilities and reading challenges 
A strong Orton Gillingham tutor has expertise in working with students who have learning disabilities, including dyslexia, as well as students with general reading challenges, and can adapt their tutoring based on how the student responds.

2. Creates a structured plan
When providing Orton Gillingham tutoring, a structured plan should be in place for the tutoring sessions. Students should receive an initial evaluation to determine their strengths and weaknesses and the specific aspects of reading they struggle with. Then a structured tutoring plan should be put in place, beginning with the student’s current level and progressing forward accordingly.

3. Provides individualized Instruction
Orton Gillingham lessons should always be tailored to the specific needs of each student. Some students may struggle to read and spell basic consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, while others may have difficulty with more complex words containing consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, or multi-syllabic words. An Orton Gillingham tutoring plan should always be in place for students and modified based on how the student responds.

4. Offers consistent tutoring sessions
It’s important that students who receive Orton Gillingham tutoring have consistent tutoring sessions on a regular basis. Orton Gillingham lessons build upon one another, and most students need consistent repetition in order to internalize new sounds and concepts. Reinforcement at home in between sessions is helpful as well.

5. Provides progress Updates
Parents should receive updates on how their child is progressing from the Orton Gillingham tutoring lessons. Some students show progress quickly, while others need more time and repetition to significantly improve their reading skills.

Orton Gillingham versus traditional reading tutoring

Traditional reading tutoring may involve individual unconnected lessons that vary from week to week or might focus simply on helping students complete their reading homework.

Orton Gillingham tutoring, on the other hand, focuses on core skills building, starting with foundational reading skills and then progressing upwards from there. The lessons build upon one another in a systematic way, helping students gain mastery of new sounds and concepts and feel more confident with their reading skills.

For students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities, this type of dyslexia reading tutoring is highly effective.

In-person versus virtual tutoring 

When seeking an Orton Gillingham tutor for your child, you may be looking at both in-home and virtual tutoring options. Both modalities can work for Orton Gillingham tutoring, based on your child’s needs and preferences.

While in-person tutoring offers face-to-face interactions and easily integrated multi-sensory tools, such as colored sand, magnetic tiles, and shaving cream, virtual tutoring has its advantages as well. Online tutoring generally offers more flexibility with scheduling and allows you to access specialized tutors who may not be available in your local geographic area.

How long does it take to see results from Orton Gillingham tutoring?

The rate at which students show progress from Orton Gillingham varies based on their unique levels and profile. Some students show progress very quickly, while others take longer to process and internalize new Orton Gillingham sounds and concepts.

In general, families might notice the following from Orton Gillingham tutoring:

• Increased reading confidence within the first month
• Improved decoding and spelling skills within the first 2-3 months
• Significant growth in reading and spelling with 6-12 months

These are just general estimates – some students may take less time to show progress, and others may take more time. The goal with this systematic, multi-sensory approach to tutoring is to create gains that will last for the long run.

Why NJ Parents choose Orton Gillingham tutoring 

Many parents are looking for the right support to help their child who is struggling with reading. They often choose Orton Gillingham tutoring in New Jersey because their child:

• Is not responding well to traditional classroom reading instruction
• Has dyslexia or another learning disability
• Is struggling to keep up with the pace of reading instruction in a large class and needs more individualized support
• Is showing challenges with foundational reading and spelling skills

OG tutoring provides students with individualized, highly effective instruction that can help them build their reading skills and feel confident and successful in school.

Concluding Thoughts

If your child is struggling with reading, don’t wait! The reading demands will only increase as students progress through school. Orton Gillingham tutoring in New Jersey can provide the individualized support your child needs to thrive academically.

If you are looking for an Orton Gillingham tutor in New Jersey or NYC, we can help! EBL Coaching specializes in providing one-on-one Orton Gillingham tutoring to students in their home, at our learning center, or virtually. Contact us now to see how we can help your child with our individualized Orton Gillingham tutoring programs.

Our New Jersey learning center is located at 50 East Palisade Avenue, Suite 201, Englewood, NJ 07631 and our NYC learning center is located at 17 East 89th Street, Suite 1D, New York, NY 10128.

We provide in-home Orton Gillingham tutoring throughout NYC and its surrounding areas, and we also provide in-home Orton Gillingham tutoring in Bergen County, dyslexia tutoring in Essex County, specialized reading tutoring in Hudson County, and Orton Gillingham tutoring in all surrounding areas in New Jersey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Orton Gillingham tutoring 

Is Orton Gillingham tutoring only for students with dyslexia?
No, absolutely not! While Orton Gillingham was originally designed for students with dyslexia, any student who is struggling with reading can benefit from this approach. It is systematic, multi-sensory, and highly effective at helping students build their reading and spelling skills.

When should my child start Orton Gillingham tutoring?
Your child should start Orton Gillingham tutoring as soon as you notice them struggling with reading. This could happen very early; some young children struggle to learn the names of the letters and their corresponding sounds, along with how to properly write each letter. Orton Gillingham tutoring can help students build these early foundational skills. This method can also help students who may be older and struggling with reading or spelling more complex words.

How often should my child receive Orton Gillingham tutoring?
The frequency that students receive Orton Gillingham tutoring varies based on their needs and levels. Some students need only a few sessions per week, while others need daily instruction. Each child should be evaluated to assess their specific needs before Orton Gillingham tutoring begins, and an individualized tutoring plan should be created.

Read more about Orton Gillingham tutoring in New Jersey at Orton Gillingham Tutoring in NJ for Students with Dyslexia

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, holds her Doctorate Degree in Education and her Master’s Degree in Special Education. She has helped thousands of students with dyslexia and reading challenges through Orton Gillingham tutoring for over twenty years. She is also the author of the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook series, used by students and schools nationwide.

The post Orton Gillingham Tutoring in NJ: What Parents Should Know appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Summer is an opportune time to take advantage of, where the demands of school are reduced and more time can be spent on skills building. Some students need help with foundational skills; others have learning gaps that need to be filled; and students with learning disabilities or ADHD often struggle when the new school year starts if they don’t receive consistent instruction during the summer.

How can you select the best one-on-one summer tutoring program for your child? This summer tutoring guide will help you through the process.

Why one-on-one summer tutoring is important

Most students, especially those with academic challenges, need continued tutoring during the summer that is individualized to their needs. This type of tutoring has the following advantages:

• Individualized instruction that meets your child’s needs and levels
• Tutoring can be tailored to reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills – or whichever skills your child needs help with
• Faster progress can be seen during the summer due to individualized learning and fewer school constraints
• Flexibility in tweaking the instruction along the way based on how the student responds to the tutoring

Students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities tend to respond best to one-on-one, multi-sensory tutoring using evidence-based techniques.

Which qualities should I look for in a one-on-one summer tutor for my child?

When looking for a summer tutor for your child, try to find a tutoring program that provides the following:

1. An individualized tutoring plan

The best summer tutoring programs should begin with an initial assessment to gauge your child’s specific needs and levels. From there, an individual tutoring plan should be created to help your child develop their core academic skills.
Look for a tutoring program that:

• Conducts an initial evaluation before the tutoring begins
• Identifies specific skills that need to be developed, and, within that, which aspects of those skills need work. For example, a child who struggles with reading may need help with decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, or a combination of those skills
• Adjusts the tutoring plan based on how your child responds and the pace of their response

In general, try to avoid one-size-fits-all tutoring programs that provide the same instruction to all students.

2. Specialized expertise

If your child has a learning disability, ADHD, or academic skills challenges such as reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills, it’s important that you find a tutor with expertise in these areas.
Effective summer tutoring programs typically include:

• Research-based reading instruction, including the Orton Gillingham approach
• Expertise in working with students who have learning and attentional challenges
• Structured, systematic methods where concepts build upon one another

This approach is especially important for students with:

• Dyslexia
• ADHD
• Autism
• Executive functioning challenges
• Language difficulties
• Other learning disabilities

Learn more about specialized dyslexia tutoring at Best Tutoring for Dyslexia: Orton Gillingham, Reading, and Writing Support for Children – EBL Coaching

3. Consistency and structure

Summer is often filled with unstructured days, including playing outside, riding bikes, and swimming, but learning over the summer should be structured and consistent. This structure and regularity will help your child maximize their gains.

4. Progress and feedback

An effective tutoring program should provide feedback to parents so they can reinforce what is covered during tutoring lessons in between sessions. When looking for a summer tutor for your child, ask about the type of feedback you will receive and how you can reinforce the concepts being taught at home.

5. Confidence building

Many students who struggle academically often have poor self-esteem. Summer tutoring can help students not only build their reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills, but can also enhance their self-esteem.
Students who struggle academically during the school year will often:

• Avoid work they perceive as challenging
• Lose confidence in their abilities
• Feel discouraged
• Become easily frustrated

However, summer tutoring can turn all of this around! The right summer tutor can help students rebuild their:

• Self-confidence
• Motivation to excel in school
• Willingness to challenge themselves academically
• Excitement about learning

Building these skills now can help your child feel confident, motivated, and ready to take on the demands of the new school year.

6. In-person and virtual summer tutoring options

Some students prefer in-person tutoring, while others like the flexibility of virtual tutoring. When searching for “summer tutoring near me,” there are various factors to consider.
Many summer tutoring programs offer:

• In-person tutoring sessions
• Virtual tutoring sessions
• Hybrid tutoring options

The best modality for summer tutoring depends on your child’s needs, preferences, and availability.

7. Plan for the fall

A great summer tutor will help your child build academic skills over the summer and prepare them for the new school year in the fall. An executive functioning coach may help your child set up organizational systems and study spaces. A tutor focusing on academic remediation may work on filling in learning gaps over the summer and even previewing new material that will be introduced in the fall.
When searching for a summer tutor, look for a tutoring program that:

• Starts with an initial assessment to determine any learning gaps
• Previews important academic skills that will be introduced in the fall
• Provides recommendations for continued tutoring if needed, once the school year begins

Learn more about what to look for in a specialized reading tutor at What to Look for in a Reading Specialist in NYC- EBL Coaching

Final thoughts

Choosing the right summer tutoring program for your child can make an indelible impact on their learning and help set them up for success down the road.

The best summer tutoring programs offer:

• An initial assessment
• Individualized instruction
• Specialized tutoring based on your child’s needs, such as Orton Gillingham tutoring for students with dyslexia or reading challenges, or executive functioning coaching for students with ADHD
• Consistent sessions
• Parent feedback on methods and progress

At EBL Coaching, our one-on-one summer tutoring programs use research-based, multi-sensory techniques to help students with learning and attentional challenges start the new school year on a positive note.

If you’re searching for “one-on-one summer tutoring near me,” now is the time to plan your child’s summer. Contact us today to learn how we can help your child this summer with highly effective one-on-one tutoring.

Frequently Asked Questions About One-On-One Summer Tutoring

How many hours of summer tutoring does my child need?
The frequency and duration of summer tutoring varies based on your child’s needs and availability. Students with more profound academic challenges should receive a more intensive summer tutoring schedule, while those with less severe difficulties may not need as much tutoring. The key is providing consistent tutoring throughout the summer.

Which skills should my child focus on over the summer?
The skills covered during your child’s summer tutoring sessions should vary based on their specific needs. The tutoring program you select should begin with an initial assessment to gauge your child’s needs and then come up with an individualized tutoring plan using research-based, multi-sensory techniques. Some common focus areas are:

• Reading (including decoding, fluency, and comprehension)
• Writing (sentence structure, organization, grammar, and other aspects of writing)
• Math (computation and word problem solving)
• Executive functioning skills, including planning, time management, and organization

If your child struggles with reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills, targeted intervention can help them excel.

Should my child receive tutoring in-person or online?
Both in-person and online tutoring can be effective options for your child. With in-person tutoring, students can receive face-to-face instruction and hands-on, multi-sensory techniques. However, online tutoring usually offers more flexibility with scheduling and access to specialized tutors who may not be available in your local area. Some families also choose a hybrid option, consisting of a mix of in-person and online tutoring,

When should I start looking for summer tutoring?
The sooner you can start looking for a summer tutor for your child, the better. Many tutors fill up their summer schedules quickly, especially those who specialize in working with students who have attentional and learning challenges.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, holds her Doctorate Degree in Education and her Master’s Degree in Special Education. She has been helping students, including those with specialized learning needs, through summer tutoring for over twenty years. Dr. Levy is also the author of the Strategies for Study Success student workbook program, the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook series, and the Flags and Stars Multi-Sensory Math student workbook program.

The post One-on-One Summer Tutoring Near Me: What to Look For appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Practical Homework Tips for Kids With ADHD

Children with ADHD often struggle with completing their homework. They may forget to bring home the proper materials, start their homework at erratic times, lose focus when doing their work, or turn in their assignments late. As a parent, there are many tools you can use to help your child with ADHD build stronger homework habits. Try some of the ideas below:

Time Management Strategies For Kids With ADHD

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Many students with ADHD struggle with time management, which can affect their ability to complete their homework efficiently.

Help your child build stronger time management and homework skills by creating an organized homework schedule.

If they have four assignments to complete, for example, have them decide on the order in which they plan to complete them and label the assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 (either in their assignment or on a separate sheet of paper or digital document). Then teach them the Estimated Time vs. Actual Time, or ET vs. AT, strategy. Starting with their first assignment, have them predict how long they think it will take to complete it and write down the ET, or estimated time. Then have them note how long it actually takes to complete that assignment and write the AT, or actual time. They should use this strategy for all of their assignments every time they work on their homework.

For students who struggle with time management, there is usually a large discrepancy between the ET and AT when they start using this strategy, but the more they practice it, the more realistic they tend to become with their time, and the more their time management skills improve.

Crafting the Perfect ADHD Study Space

Setting up an organized study space can help your child with ADHD build stronger homework skills. To do so, select a space where your child will complete their homework on a regular basis. This spot should ideally be a desk in their room, but an area on your kitchen or dining room table can work too. The key is consistency: anytime your child sits down to do their homework, they should work at their designated study spot.
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Make sure this space contains all of the supplies they need to complete their homework, including pens, pencils, paper, scissors, highlighters, and any other related supplies. If the supplies run low, refill them right away to make sure your child doesn’t wander around mid-session looking for more supplies. If your child works at a communal spot like a kitchen or dining room table, create a supplies bucket filled with the materials they need to complete their work, and have them take the bin to and from their room for their homework sessions.

Create a Consistent Homework Time

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Some children with ADHD complete their homework right when they get home from school; others start later; and many are completely inconsistent with when they do their homework. They might begin their assignments immediately after school, then take several breaks, become distracted by items around your home, and finally complete their work late in the night (if at all).

Help your child build better homework habits by setting a consistent homework time. Talk to them about when they feel they work best. If they prefer to work on their homework right after school to “get it over with,” that’s great. Some children may want a snack or physical activity break after school before starting their homework, while others may work best after dinner.

Any of these options can work; the key is consistency. If your child has after-school activities on some days, plan accordingly and help them find different times for completing their schoolwork on those days.

Pomodoro Technique For ADHD Kids – Give it a Try!

The Pomodoro Technique is a great strategy to help students with ADHD improve their homework and focusing skills. To use this strategy, your child should set a timer for 25 minutes and work consistently for that period until the timer goes off. Then they should take a five-minute break, followed by another 25-minute segment of dedicated work.

After they have completed four of these cycles, they should take a longer break of roughly 15–30 minutes. Your child can also tweak the time windows if need be; if 25 minutes is too long for them, they can start with 15 minutes of work followed by a five-minute break and gradually increase their work time to build stamina.

This strategy can help your child create a structured homework routine and complete their work more efficiently and effectively.

You Can Do This!

As students progress through school, homework demands increase quickly. Teach your child these strategies for building stronger homework and executive functioning skills, and you will set them on a path towards academic success.

For more information on ADHD, coaching, and tutoring, checkout www.eblcoaching.com

The post Homework Help for ADHD: Strategies That Actually Work appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Fall is a festive time of year, filled with colorful leaves, pumpkin flavors, apple cider, and candy corn. It is also a great season for learning! Help your child develop stronger reading, writing, and math skills with the fall-themed activities detailed below.

Reading

Rhyming

Your child can develop stronger phonemic awareness skills – a precursor to reading – with a fall rhyming activity. Think of fall-themed words, like hay, apple, leaf, pumpkin, and cider, and write each word on a flash card. If your child is able to read the words, have them read each word aloud to you; if not, read the words to them and ask them to come up with words that rhyme with each word, then write those words on the back of the flash card. For example, if the word is hay, your child might come up with words that rhyme with hay, like clay, may, day, say, pay, stray, and so on. If your child can write the words on the back of the card themselves, have them do so. If not, you should write them and read the words aloud to them as you point to each word.

Match It!

Build your child’s reading and memory skills with a game of fall-themed Match It! To play this game, come up with ten fall-themed pictures. Either draw them on flash cards using colorful markers (one picture per card) or print the images and paste them onto cards. Then on ten separate cards, write the word that corresponds to each picture. For example, you might have pictures of an apple, pumpkin, ghost, leaf, pie, and so on, each on separate cards, with the corresponding words written on other cards. Then flip all twenty cards upside down and mix them around. Take turns with your child turning over two cards at a time. When your child flips over a word card, ask them to try to read the word aloud, then match it with the corresponding picture card. If they make a match, they get another turn. The player with the most matches wins!

Create a Tree

Your child can work on letter/sound recognition and word reading using an apple tree! To make one, they should use brown construction paper to cut out a long rectangle that will serve as the tree trunk and smaller brown rectangles to serve as the branches. Your child should paste the smaller brown rectangles around the tree trunk. Next, they should use colored construction paper to cut out a mix of 26 small orange, red, and yellow pieces to serve as leaves and paste them onto the branches. Your child can then write each letter of the alphabet on the leaves (or you write the letters for them if they aren’t able to). Have your child tell you the name of each letter and its corresponding sound. Older children can write fall-themed words instead of letters on the colored leaves and can even write a sentence using each word in a separate notebook.

Writing

Sentence Puzzles

Have fun working on writing skills with your child using fall-themed sentence puzzles. Come up with a series of sentences that involve fall themes, like:

I love apple picking.

Pumpkin pie is the best dessert.

My mom’s favorite drink is apple cider.

Colorful leaves are beautiful.

Then write one word from each sentence on separate flash cards. Mix the cards around face-up on a table and have your child put the words together to form a complete sentence. Then they can rewrite each sentence in a separate notebook and read them aloud to you.

Fall Writing Journals

To further develop your child’s writing skills, have them create a fall writing journal. Start by doing a fun fall activity with them, like baking pumpkin muffins, going for a nature walk and finding colorful leaves, or picking apples. Then have your child write about the experience in their fall journal. Encourage them to include as many details as possible, like sights and smells they noticed when doing the activity, who they were with, what time of day it was, and how they felt at the end of the activity. The more they can practice writing, the better!

Math

Leaf Sorting

Fall is a great time to work on math skills! Go for a walk with your child and have them collect a mix of different colored leaves. Then work on sorting them by creating a three-column chart labeled orange, red, and yellow. Have your child glue the orange leaves in the orange column, the red leaves in the red column, and the yellow leaves in the yellow column. You can then have them count up how many of each colored leaf they collected and write that number at the button of each column.  Discuss greater/less than concepts, like which colored leaf they have the most or least of, and how many more of one color they have than another.

Pumpkin Seed Math

You can further work on math concepts using pumpkin seeds. Go to a pumpkin patch with your child and pick a pumpkin, then carve it and save the seeds for a fall math activity. Alternatively, you can buy pumpkin seeds if that’s easier. Work on basic addition and subtraction concepts with your child using the pumpkin seeds. For example, you might ask them to pull out three pumpkin seeds, then four more. Have them count up all of the pumpkin seeds and tell you the total. Then use a mini white board or sheet of paper to write the corresponding math problem: 3+4=7. You can use this same process to practice subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, all using pumpkin seeds.

Baking!

Fall is a fun time for baking. Make apple pie or another fall dessert with your child while working on math skills. Have them measure out the ingredients for the recipe to work on fraction concepts. Ask them how much of each ingredient they would need if the recipe was cut in half or doubled. You can even have them write out fraction problems, like if the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of brown sugar and they are doubling the recipe, they might write out 1/4 + 1/4 and then solve that fraction problem to come up with the total amount of brown sugar needed for the doubled recipe.

Fall is a great time for festive and fun activities. Take advantage of this time to build your child’s academic skills while enjoying the season.

The post Fall Activities That Build Your Child’s Academic Skills appeared first on EBL Coaching.

In this podcast, Dr. Emily Levy explains what Orton Gillingham tutoring is and how the Orton Gillingham method works. She delves into what an Orton Gillingham lesson looks like and how this type of reading intervention can help struggling readers tremendously.

What is Orton Gillingham Tutoring?

Orton Gillingham is a structured, research-based, systematic approach to teaching. It integrates multi-sensory tools, such as audio-visual flash cards, whiteboards, and magnetic tiles, to help students develop stronger reading and spelling skills. All students can benefit from this type of instruction but students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities need this approach to effectively develop these skills.

What does an Orton Gillingham tutoring lesson look like?

When an Orton Gillingham tutor uses this methodology, they follow a systematic approach to teaching, integrating previously taught concepts as they introduce new concepts. If a student has grasped how to effectively read consonant-vowel-consonant words, words with blends, and words with consonant digraphs, for instance, they may be ready to move onto words with vowel teams. If they are learning the sound “oo”, the lesson might be structured as follows:

1. Review previously taught Orton Gillingham sounds and concepts.
2. Audio-visual card drill: Start the new lesson with an audio-visual card drill. The Orton Gillingham tutor would hold up a flashcard with the letters “oo” on the front and a key picture on the back, like “boots”.
3. Audio-visual card drill student practice: The Orton Gillingham tutor would say aloud to the student, “These are the letters oo, like boot, it makes the sound /oo/“ while flipping the card around, showing the letters, then the picture, then the letters again. The student would repeat that sequence with the tutor and then try it on their own.
4. Skywriting: The Orton Gillingham tutor would move onto skywriting; using large gross motor muscles, they would draw the two o’s in the sky, saying “around and around” as they form each letter. The student would then try it together with the tutor and then independently.
5. Sand or shaving cream writing: The Orton Gillingham tutor might move onto writing using colored sand or shaving cream. They would start by modeling the formation of the two o’s, then ask the student to do it with them and then on their own.
6. Orton Gillingham workbook practice: The tutor would then move onto Orton Gillingham workbooks that offer practice exercises using that vowel digraph.
7. Student practice: The student would practice blending sounds together to form words using magnetic tiles or flash cards. Finally, the lesson would end with the student reading words, sentences, or a story containing the “oo” sound and any previously taught sounds.

How Orton Gillingham Tutors Help with Reading Comprehension

Students with learning disabilities often struggle with reading comprehension in addition to decoding and need dyslexia tutoring or reading intervention in this area as well. A multi-sensory approach, such as the tri-colored highlighting strategy, can help with this skill as well.

To use this strategy, the tutor would explain to the student that when we read, there are three elements we should look for: the topic is one, two, or three words describing the passage, like winter, outdoor sports, or airplanes. The student would highlight the topic in blue. Next, the student should look for the main idea, which is what the author is saying about the topic, such as “There are many activities you can do in winter” if the topic is winter. They should highlight the main idea in green. Finally, the student should look for the important details, which are important pieces of information found throughout the passage describing the main idea. They should highlight the important details in yellow, trying to only highlight salient details, and only words and phrases, not sentences, if possible. The tutor may then ask the student to write a 1-2 line summary in their own words describing the passage or even produce a written response to the passage, detailing whether they agree or disagree with the information found in the passage and why.

Students with learning challenges thrive with a multi-sensory approach to teaching. Orton Gillingham tutors can help students develop much stronger reading and spelling skills and ultimately help them excel in school.

If your child is struggling with reading, contact us at www.eblcoaching.com to learn more about our individualized Orton Gillingham tutoring programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who benefits from Orton Gillingham tutoring?
Orton Gillingham tutoring was originally designed for students with dyslexia but all students who are demonstrating reading challenges can benefit from Orton Gillingham tutoring. They tend to enjoy the multi-sensory approach, and Orton Gillingham is a highly effective method for building stronger reading and spelling skills.

Is Orton Gillingham only for students with learning disabilities?
Orton Gillingham tutoring is not only for students with learning disabilities! Students with learning disabilities, especially dyslexia, benefit from reading remediation using the Orton Gillingham method. However, all students who are having reading challenges can benefit from Orton Gillingham tutoring.

How is Orton Gillingham tutoring different from general tutoring?
Some tutors help students with homework or use generic lessons that may change from session-to-session. With Orton Gillingham tutoring, a structured approach is followed, starting with foundational reading skills and building upwards as students grasp concepts. Orton Gillingham tutoring sessions also integrate multi-sensory tools, such as colored sand, magnetic tiles, and white boards.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has been helping students with dyslexia and learning disabilities for over 20 years using the Orton Gillingham approach.

You can listen to this full podcast HERE!
Learn more about Orton Gillingham tutoring at
https://eblcoaching.com/what-is-orton-gillingham-tutoring/.

The post Orton Gillingham Workbooks for Dyslexia and Reading Success appeared first on EBL Coaching.

As students move through school, the executive functioning demands increase rapidly. Their school work will typically require stronger executive functioning skills, including planning, organization, task initiation, time management and other related skill areas. Without well-developed executive functioning skills, students may have difficulty excelling in school. Help your child develop stronger executive functioning skills with the ideas detailed below.

Visual Schedules

Children with executive functioning difficulties often become easily overwhelmed with a large workload and struggle to complete all the tasks they need to do in a given day. Help your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control of their day by creating a visual schedule. Start by creating a poster for morning tasks; list each item they need to complete when they wake up, such as brush their teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast, and put their belongings in their backpack, and draw a picture next to each item to visually display the task. You might even add check boxes next to each item for every day of the week so they can check off each item as they complete it. Create a similar checklist for tasks they might do when they get home from school, like have a snack, complete their homework, go to an activity, eat dinner, shower, and brush their teeth, along with the corresponding visual images. The more structure and order you can bring to your child’s day, the more you can improve their executive functioning skills.

Distraction-Free Workspace

It’s important that your child has a quiet, distraction-free workspace that they use each day for completing their homework. This might be a desk in their bedroom or even a spot on a communal table, like in a kitchen or dining room. Make sure they have all of the supplies they need for completing their homework, including pens, pencils, paper, highlighters, scissors, and so on. When the supplies run low, help your child re-stock them before they start their homework to ensure they don’t wander around your home mid-homework session searching for supplies. Also set a consistent homework time, which might be right after school or after a short snack or movement break. Try to make the time and space where your child completes their schoolwork as consistent as possible.

Time Management

Many students with executive functioning challenges struggle with time management. Help your child develop stronger time management skills with the ET/AT strategy, as follows:

Have your child choose one assignment to start with and ask them to predict how long they think it will take to complete that task, and write the ET, or estimated time. Then have them track how long it actually takes them to complete the assignment and write down the AT, or actual time. They should do this for each assignment, comparing the ET to the AT, and they will likely note that when they first start using this strategy, there will be a big difference between the ET and the AT. However, the more they practice this strategy, the more realistic they will become with their time and the more these times will start to merge.

Incremental Breaks

For children with executive functioning challenges, sitting for long stretches of time to work on homework can be extremely difficult and can feel overwhelming. As a result, they might do anything possible to avoid starting their work. Try an incremental break strategy, where your child sets a timer and works for 20 minutes, then takes a 5 minute break. Have them do this cycle three times: 20 minutes of work followed by a 5 minute break, then take a longer break, around 20-30 minutes, and then start that cycle again until they are done with their school work. This approach helps them chunk their workload into smaller increments so it feels less overwhelming and more manageable.

Working Memory

Working memory is an aspect of executive functioning that plays a role in many academic tasks. It involves one’s ability to hold and manipulate information in their mind, which can affect most aspects of school, including reading, writing, and math. You can help your child build stronger working memory skills by playing games! Try playing the game Memory, where you flip over a series of cards and each player has to match two of the same cards to make a match. This game requires your child to remember the placement of a previously turned over card while looking for a match. You can also play a family story telling game, where one family member starts a story and the next person repeats what was already told in the story and then adds the next few lines, then moves onto the next family member, and so on. It’s a great game to play with friends as well!

Executive functioning skills become increasingly important as children move through school. Help your child develop stronger executive functioning skills with these ideas and they will be well on their way to success in school.

The post Help Your Child Develop Stronger Executive Functioning Skills appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Excelling in school can be challenging for students with autism. They often have language, communication, social, and sometimes behavioral difficulties. As a parent, you want your child to do well academically and meet their full potential, but you may not be sure what to do. Try some of the ideas below to help your child with autism thrive in school.

Create a Visual Schedule

Children with autism tend to respond well to visual schedules, which help them anticipate the plan for the day. Create a visual schedule for your child on a poster board, starting with the time they wake up. You might list all of the items they need to do in the morning, such as: get dressed, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, and pack their backpacks. Try drawing or printing a picture describing each item and place it next to the item on the list. If it’s helpful, you can add checkboxes for each day of the week where your child checks off each item as they complete it. Create a similar schedule for after-school activities, like: eat a snack, complete homework, take a shower, have dinner, and get ready for bed – with corresponding pictures. The more structure and order you can bring to your child’s day, the better!

Set Routines

Students with autism tend to thrive on routines. Set up a morning and after-school routine for your child that is consistent each day. For example, you might arrange a study space in their room or on a designated table where they complete their homework regularly. When they come home from school each day, direct them to this study space. Help them look in their assignment book or online school portal to gauge which assignments they need to complete, then encourage them to come up with an order for completing them. Perhaps they will complete their math homework first, followed by English, and then science. Maybe set a designated time frame during which they will complete their homework; for instance, they might work for 20 minutes, then take a 5-minute break, and so on, until their work is complete. After they finish their homework, perhaps they can have a 30-minute athletic or relaxation break before going to an activity, having dinner, and getting ready for bed. Structured routines tend to work well for students with autism.

Advocate for Your Child

Parents are usually their child’s best advocate. At the start of the school year, set up a meeting with your child’s teacher and service providers, including their tutor, speech-language therapist, occupational therapist, and other related providers. Make sure the teacher and therapists review your child’s IEP (if they have one) and tell them strategies that have or haven’t worked for your child in the past. Set up a plan for communicating with each team member – via email, phone calls, or even in-person check-ins – to make sure your child is receiving the appropriate services and is continuing to show improvements. If your child plateaus or isn’t progressing, discuss with the team changes that can be made, like more frequent specialized tutoring or speech-language therapy sessions, in order to help them continue to grow. Keep in mind that your child may do well one school year only to find that the following year (or even partially through a given year), they start to struggle. Always stay on top of how your child is doing and make sure they are consistently receiving the appropriate support services.

Build Stronger Reading Comprehension Skills

Many students with autism have strong decoding skills; they can sound out words well when reading but struggle to comprehend the material. Teaching your child with autism strategies for improving their comprehension skills can be very helpful. Try helping them learn to visualize information that they read, as follows:

Read a story out loud to them, one sentence at a time. Stop after the sentence and tell them to form an image of the information they heard, then ask them questions about it. For example, the first line of a story might be: One evening Jack came home and knocked on the door. Ask your child to form an image of this line, then ask questions like, “How old do you think Jack is? What color hair does he have? Is he tall or short? Is it raining out or clear? Is the house old or new? What color is the door?” By asking these types of questions, you are helping your child form a clear image of the story in their minds. Follow this same process for each line of the story until you finish it, then ask your child to retell the story in their own words, including all of the visual details they added and can recall. You can even have them draw a picture of the image they formed in their mind for each line of the story, and they can later apply this same visualizing strategy to passages they read to themselves. Learning to visualize can help improve your child’s overall comprehension and language skills.

To further develop your child’s reading comprehension skills, teach them a tri-colored highlighting strategy. Explain to them that when we read, there are three elements we should look for: the first is the topic, which is one, two, or three words describing the passage (like rainbows or dinosaurs). They should highlight the topic in blue. The second element to look for is the main idea, which is what the author is saying about the topic. For example, if the topic is dinosaurs, the main idea might be: There were many different types of dinosaurs. They should highlight the main idea in green. Finally, your child should go through the passage and highlight the important details in yellow. This highlighting strategy teaches them to be more active, rather than passive, readers, and can help them improve their overall reading comprehension skills.

Students with autism may often struggle in school, but they also have a lot of potential. Try some of these ideas at home to help your child build stronger academic skills and confidence and help them thrive in school.

The post Tips for Helping Your Child With Autism Improve Their School Performance appeared first on EBL Coaching.

It is well known that students with dyslexia struggle with reading. They often have difficulty decoding words, reading with proper fluency, and processing information that they read. Yet many students with dyslexia also have difficulty with writing. They may have great ideas but struggle to express their thoughts on paper in an effective manner, a skill that becomes increasingly important as children progress through school. Help your child with dyslexia develop stronger writing skills with the ideas detailed below.

Spelling

Students with dyslexia should start developing their writing skills at the word level by learning how to accurately spell words. The Orton Gillingham method can help students develop stronger decoding and spelling skills simultaneously. After learning the names of each letter and its corresponding sound, using the Orton Gillingham method, they can learn how to blend these sounds together to read and spell basic consonant-vowel-consonant words. Once they have grasped that skill, they can learn how to read and spell words with blends, such as flag, plug, or trap. From there, using a structured, multi-sensory approach, they can learn how to read and spell words containing consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, r-controlled patterns, silent-e patterns, multi-syllabic words, and so on. They can also learn Orton Gillingham spelling rules to further develop their spelling skills. By following this systematic, multi-sensory Orton Gillingham approach, students with dyslexia can drastically improve their spelling skills.

Sentences

After learning how to accurately spell individual words, students should begin learning how to write simple sentences. A simple sentence consists of a subject and predicate, like Jack walked. They should then learn to expand their sentences with adjectives and adverbs, like Jack walked home or Jack quickly walked home. They should also learn about different sentence types, including declarative, exclamatory, imperative, and interrogative sentences. They can also learn how to write compound and complex sentences to further elaborate on their ideas. They should be given ample practice and repetition writing these sentences and should receive direct and actionable feedback from their teacher or parent.

Simple Paragraphs

Once students have learned how to write well-structured sentences, they can then learn how to write effective simple paragraphs. A simple paragraph consists of a topic sentence, three detail sentences, and a conclusion sentence. For example:

There are many types of vegetables. You can eat broccoli. You can also eat cauliflower. Some people prefer potatoes. I love vegetables!

Students should learn how to write four different types of simple paragraphs: example, process, reason, and compare/contrast. They should be given a great deal of practice and repetition writing each type of paragraph, and should also learn to brainstorm, write, and self-check their work. They should be taught how to write increasingly complex sentences within their paragraphs and apply the different sentence types they learned to their paragraph writing.

Extended Paragraphs

Once students have grasped the simple paragraph, they can learn to expand their ideas in the form of an extended paragraph. An extended paragraph is similar in structure to a simple paragraph, but includes three supporting detail sentences added after each detail sentence. Students are essentially learning to stretch out their writing while maintaining its organization. They should still learn four types of paragraphs – example, process, reason, and compare/contrast – but now in the form of an extended paragraph. They should also continue to practice brainstorming, writing, and self-checking their ideas in an organized fashion.

Five Paragraph Essays

After learning how to write well-structured simple and extended paragraphs, students should be ready to learn how to write a five paragraph essay. They will learn how to write an introduction paragraph, consisting of an opening, lead-in, and thesis statement. Students can learn various options for how to begin their writing, including starting with a question, general statement, opposite statement, quotation, or story, and should learn that a thesis statement can consist of an opinion and plan and should set the stage for the organization of their essay. Next, students will learn how to write three body paragraphs, including transition sentences, and will learn to end their essay with a well-written conclusion paragraph restating their ideas. They should learn how to write four types of essays, including example, process, reason, and compare/contrast essays, and should remember to always brainstorm, write, and self-check their ideas.

Learning to write effectively can be a challenge for most students, but those with dyslexia tend to struggle even more. Try using this structured approach to teach your child to write effectively, and you will help set them up for success at school.

EBL Coaching specializes in one-on-one in person and virtual tutoring for students in grades pre-K-12 with specialized learning needs. They use research-based, multi-sensory techniques, including the Orton Gillingham method, to develop students’ reading, writing, math, note taking, test taking, and executive functioning skills. Each student is evaluated and then receives an individualized learning plan to address their specific academic needs. Learn more at http://www.eblcoaching.com/.

Dr. Emily Levy, Founder & Director, is happy to hear from anyone who is in need for their child. You may reach her through her website.

The post How to Help Your Child With Dyslexia Develop Stronger Writing Skills appeared first on EBL Coaching.