If you’re looking for the best Orton Gillingham tutor, it’s helpful to understand more about this instructional approach, which students benefit from it, and how to choose the best Orton Gillingham tutor for your child.

What Is Orton Gillingham?

Orton Gillingham is a research-based, multi-sensory teaching approach that is designed to help students develop their reading, spelling, and writing skills. While it was originally developed for students with dyslexia, it has proven to be effective for most students who struggle with reading, even if they don’t have a dyslexia diagnosis.

Unlike traditional reading tutoring, Orton Gillingham lessons are individualized to each student’s specific needs and levels. The sessions are systematic and cumulative, building skills in a sequential, step-by-step manner. Students learn how to decode words accurately and strengthen their spelling, writing, and reading comprehension skills, helping them excel across all subjects in school.

Read more about what Orton Gillingham tutoring is in our guide to the structured literacy approach at What Is Orton-Gillingham Tutoring? Multi-Sensory, Structured Help | EBL Coaching.

Who Benefits from Orton Gillingham Tutoring?

Orton Gillingham tutoring in Manhattan can help many struggling readers, especially students with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences. It is typically recommended for students who:

• Have dyslexia
• Struggle with decoding words
• Have difficulty spelling words accurately
• Read slowly
• Reverse letters past the early elementary years
• Struggle to remember and apply phonics rules
• Avoid reading due to struggles
• Have dysgraphia or writing challenges
• Benefit from a structured, multi-sensory approach to teaching

Many students who struggle with decoding, spelling, or writing show significant improvement with Orton Gillingham tutoring in Manhattan, even if they don’t have a specific diagnosis.

Read more about how Orton Gillingham tutoring supports students with dyslexia and reading challenges at Best Tutoring for Dyslexia: Orton Gillingham, Reading, and Writing Support for Children – EBL Coaching.

What Makes a Great Orton Gillingham Tutor?

Not all reading tutors specialize in Orton Gillingham tutoring. Finding the right tutor for your child is key. When searching for tutoring in Manhattan, look for these qualities:

Orton Gillingham expertise

The right Orton Gillingham tutor for your child should have expertise with the Orton Gillingham approach and extensive experience using this approach for reading tutoring sessions, especially with students at your child’s grade level.

Individualized Instruction

Effective reading intervention in Manhattan should always begin with an initial evaluation that should be performed prior to the start of tutoring. An individualized instructional plan should then be created based on your child’s needs, and lessons should begin at your child’s current reading level and advance as they master new skills.

Multisensory Tutoring

The Orton Gillingham approach builds reading and spelling skills by engaging visual, auditory, and tactile-kinesthetic learning modalities. During structured literacy tutoring lessons, tutors may use tools such as magnetic tiles, shaving cream, colored sand, and mini white boards to help students learn and master new concepts.

Progress Communication

Tutors should provide regular updates on your child’s progress with their reading tutoring in NYC and share strategies and activities you can use at home to reinforce skills between sessions. Consistent practice at home often helps students make faster progress.

Experience Working with Learning Disabilities

Look for a tutor for your child who has experience teaching students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, and other language-based learning disabilities. Because students with these learning profiles often require individualized support, it’s beneficial to work with an Orton Gillingham tutor who has experience teaching students with similar needs and provides dyslexia tutoring in NYC.

Why Manhattan Families Choose EBL Coaching

For over 20 years, EBL Coaching has provided Orton Gillingham tutoring in Manhattan for students in prek-12, helping them develop stronger reading, spelling, and writing skills.

Our reading intervention programs in NYC are designed for students who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing, including those with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities. Before the tutoring sessions begin, each student is assessed to identify their current skill levels and specific areas of need. Based on the results of this assessment, we create a personalized Orton Gillingham instructional plan tailored to the student’s specific challenges. Through structured, multi-sensory instruction, our Orton Gillingham tutoring program helps students develop stronger phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing skills, leading to improved confidence and long-term academic success.

At EBL Coaching, we specialize in helping students who have:

• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• ADHD
• Language-based learning disabilities
• Reading difficulties
• Spelling challenges
• Executive functioning weaknesses

Our personalized Orton Gillingham tutoring sessions incorporate research-based, multi-sensory teaching methods to strengthen the skills students need to succeed, including:

• Phonemic awareness
• Decoding
• Reading fluency
• Reading comprehension
• Spelling
• Writing
• Vocabulary

If your child is struggling with reading or has fallen behind grade level, early intervention is important. Reading difficulties often become more challenging as academic demands increase in school. Individualized Orton Gillingham tutoring can help strengthen your child’s core reading and writing skills, build their self-confidence, and help foster their long-term academic success.

Why Early Intervention is Key

Reading difficulties generally do not resolve on their own. As academic demands increase, students who struggle with reading often see their grades decline, their confidence decrease, and their overall academic performance suffer, since reading is essential across all subject areas.

Early intervention with Orton Gillingham tutoring can:

• Improve reading skills
• Strengthen spelling skills
• Build stronger writing skills
• Improve self-confidence
• Reduce frustration with homework
• Improve overall performance at school

The earlier students begin Orton Gillingham reading instruction, the more likely they are to achieve long-term academic success, making early reading intervention in Manhattan an important step in supporting your child’s future success.

Orton Gillingham Tutoring in Manhattan

Orton Gillingham tutoring in Manhattan is a systematic, multi-sensory approach to reading instruction designed to help students build stronger skills in reading, spelling, and writing. It is often used to support struggling readers, including students with dyslexia and other language-based learning challenges, by providing explicit, systematic, and individualized instruction customized to each student’s needs.

Why Families Choose EBL Coaching in Manhattan

Families choose EBL Coaching for Orton Gillingham tutoring in NYC because we provide:

• One-on-one tutoring
• Research-based Orton Gillingham instruction
• Initial assessments prior to tutoring
• Individualized learning plans
• Flexible scheduling
• In-person tutoring in Manhattan, at our learning center, or at your home
• Online tutoring options
• Tutoring in NYC for students in grades prek-12

We create customized learning plans for each student based on their individual needs, resulting in highly effective tutoring.

Schedule Orton Gillingham Tutoring in Manhattan

If your child needs Orton Gillingham tutoring in Manhattan or a reading tutor in NYC, individualized Orton Gillingham tutoring can make a significant difference in their academic performance. EBL Coaching offers personalized Orton Gillingham tutoring in Manhattan designed to strengthen reading and writing skills while helping students become confident, independent learners.

Our tutoring program uses evidence-based, multi-sensory instruction that is customized to each student’s unique needs and overall profile. Contact EBL Coaching today to learn more about our Orton Gillingham tutoring services in Manhattan and to find the right tutor for your child.

Learn more about how to find the best reading tutor in NYC for struggling readers at Best Reading Tutors in NYC for Struggling Readers – EBL Coaching.

Frequently Asked Questions about Orton Gillingham Tutoring in NYC

What is Orton Gillingham tutoring?
Orton Gillingham tutoring uses a structured, multi-sensory approach to help students develop stronger reading, spelling, and writing skills through explicit, systematic instruction. Research shows it is highly effective for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges.

Is Orton Gillingham only for students with dyslexia?
No. While the Orton Gillingham approach was originally developed for students with dyslexia, many students who struggle with reading can also benefit from Orton Gillingham instruction in Manhattan.

How often should my child receive Orton Gillingham tutoring?
The frequency of Orton Gillingham tutoring varies based on each student’s individual needs and profile. Students with mild reading challenges may benefit from two sessions per week, while those with more significant difficulties, including students with dyslexia, may benefit from more frequent sessions.

Should my child receive Orton Gillingham tutoring over the summer?
Yes. Summer is an ideal time for Orton Gillingham tutoring and targeted reading intervention in NYC. Research shows that many students lose 17–28% of their literacy gains over the summer months. Instead of falling further behind, students can use this time to close learning gaps and build their core reading and writing skills through structured, multi-sensory tutoring.

Learn more about Orton Gillingham summer tutoring and reading intervention benefits at Orton Gillingham Summer Tutoring: Why Summer Is the Best Time for Reading Intervention.

How long does it take to see results?
The time it takes to see results varies by student. However, with the right tutor, approach, and frequency, many students begin to show progress within the first month of Orton Gillingham instruction in NYC.

Can Orton Gillingham tutoring improve spelling?
Yes. Students who struggle with decoding words often also struggle with spelling. Orton Gillingham tutoring provides structured, multi-sensory instruction in sound-symbol relationships and the structure of the English language, resulting in improved reading and spelling skills.

Does EBL Coaching offer Orton Gillingham tutoring in Manhattan?
Yes. EBL Coaching specializes in one-on-one Orton-Gillingham tutoring for students in grades preK–12 throughout Manhattan. Each student begins with an initial evaluation, after which a customized tutoring plan is created based on their individual needs. EBL Coaching offers sessions at its Manhattan learning center, in students’ homes, and online.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has helped thousands of students with specialized learning needs build their reading skills with Orton Gillingham 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 Orton Gillingham Tutoring in Manhattan for Dyslexia & Reading Success appeared first on EBL Coaching.

By understanding the differences between an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and a 504 Plan, you can better understand your child’s needs, advocate for them, and ensure that they receive the support they need to succeed.

What Is an IEP?

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a special education plan that helps eligible students with disabilities receive the support, services, and specially designed instruction they need to make progress in school. This document is designed for students whose disability adversely affects their educational performance and who require specially designed instruction in addition to classroom accommodations. For these students, just having classroom accommodations is not enough.

An IEP is always individualized to meet the needs of each student and typically includes:

• Annual academic goals
• Related services, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, special education support, or counseling
• Classroom accommodations
• Testing accommodations
• Details about progress monitoring

An IEP is a legal document, and schools are required to provide the support and services indicated in a child’s IEP.

What Is a 504 Plan?

A 504 Plan is designed for students with disabilities who don’t require specially designed instruction but who do need accommodations in order to access the general education curriculum. It is provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal civil rights law that protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination.

While accommodations can vary based on each student’s needs, some that may appear on a 504 Plan include:

• Extended time on tests, quizzes, and assignments
• Preferential seating
• Testing in a room with reduced distractions
• Movement breaks
• Copies of class notes
• Assistive technology

Unlike an IEP, a 504 Plan typically does not include specially designed instruction or annual academic goals.

What Is the Main Difference Between an IEP and a 504 Plan?

The biggest difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan is the type of support that each document offers.

An IEP provides specially designed instruction, accommodations, and related services for students who qualify under IDEA because their disability affects their educational performance and they need special education support.

A 504 Plan provides accommodations that support students in accessing the general education curriculum but does not include special education instruction.

An IEP can include specially designed instruction that changes how a student is taught, while a 504 Plan focuses on providing equal access through accommodations.

Who Qualifies for an IEP?

To qualify for an IEP, a student generally must:

• Have a disability recognized under IDEA
• Demonstrate that the disability adversely affects their educational performance
• Need specially designed instruction to address their educational needs

Students with the following diagnoses, among others, may qualify depending on how their disability affects their ability to access learning:

• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• Dyscalculia
• ADHD
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Speech and language disorder
• Emotional disabilities
• Intellectual disabilities
• Hearing or vision impairments
• Traumatic brain injury

Having a medical diagnosis does not automatically mean a child qualifies for an IEP. Schools must determine whether the disability affects the student’s educational performance and whether they need special education services.

Who Qualifies for a 504 Plan?

504 Plan eligibility is based on whether a student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The school will evaluate the student’s needs to determine if they qualify for a 504 Plan. Students often receive 504 Plans for disabilities such as:

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Medical conditions
• Certain temporary impairments

Many students who do not qualify for an IEP do qualify for a 504 Plan.

Can a Child with ADHD Have an IEP?

Yes. A student with ADHD may qualify for an IEP if their symptoms adversely affect their ability to learn and they require specially designed instruction.

Some students with ADHD, however, may only need accommodations without specially designed instruction, and therefore qualify for a 504 Plan instead of an IEP.

The decision ultimately depends on how ADHD is affecting the student’s academic performance rather than the diagnosis itself.

If your child has ADHD and needs additional academic support, learn more about finding an ADHD tutor near you at How to Find an ADHD Tutor Near You – EBL Coaching.

Can Students with Dyslexia Receive an IEP?

Yes! Many students with dyslexia qualify for an IEP because they require specially designed, evidence-based reading and writing instruction. Some students with dyslexia may qualify for a 504 Plan if they just need dyslexia accommodations, such as extended time or assistive technology, but not specially designed instruction.

Students with dyslexia may benefit from specialized support, including dyslexia tutoring using the Orton Gillingham approach. Learn more at Best Tutoring for Dyslexia: Orton Gillingham, Reading, and Writing Support for Children – EBL Coaching.

Can a Student Move from a 504 Plan to an IEP?

Yes. If a student’s needs change, they may receive a new evaluation to determine their updated needs.

In some cases, receiving accommodations alone is no longer enough, and the student needs more specially designed instruction; if that happens, the student may become eligible for an IEP.

Similarly, students who make significant gains may move from an IEP to a 504 Plan if they no longer need specially designed instruction and services.

What Should You Do If Your Child Is Struggling?

If your child is struggling in school, showing signs of academic difficulty, or you suspect a learning disability, ADHD, autism, or another condition may be affecting their learning, you may want to take these steps:

• Speak to your child’s teacher
• Request an evaluation in writing
• Review the results of the evaluation
• Attend eligibility meetings and make a list of questions to ask
• Research your child’s rights under federal law
• Seek additional tutoring or other support if necessary

Early intervention often leads to improved long-term outcomes. If you notice your child struggling, don’t wait! It’s better to be proactive as early as possible than reactive when your child’s challenges become even greater.

How Can Private Tutoring Help?

If your child has an IEP, a 504 Plan, or is still in the process of being evaluated, individualized special education tutoring can help strengthen academic skills, address learning gaps, and support students with IEPs, 504 Plans, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning challenges.

At EBL Coaching, we provide individualized one-on-one tutoring to students with learning disabilities, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, dyslexia, reading difficulties, writing challenges, and math struggles. Our tutoring is designed to complement school-based supports such as IEPs and 504 Plans by helping students strengthen their academic skills, build their self-confidence, and become more independent learners.

We use evidence-based, multi-sensory instructional methods that are individualized to meet each student’s unique needs. Contact us today to see how we can help your child thrive! We work with students in New York City and New Jersey, and offer tutoring at our learning centers, at your home, and virtually.

If your child needs additional support outside of school, learn more about how to find the right special education tutor at Special Education Tutoring Near Me: How to Find the Right Tutor – EBL Coaching.

Closing Thoughts

Understanding your child’s rights and navigating the world of special education can feel daunting, but understanding the differences between an IEP and a 504 Plan is an important part of advocating for your child. Both plans are designed to help students succeed; the right option for your child depends on their specific strengths and areas of need.

If your child needs additional tutoring beyond what their school provides, EBL Coaching can help! We specialize in one-on-one tutoring for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, and other academic difficulties. We provide tutoring to students throughout New York City and New Jersey, helping them build the skills and confidence they need to thrive at school.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is an IEP better than a 504 Plan?
An IEP is not necessarily better than a 504 Plan; the right plan is based on your child’s specific needs and profile. Students who require specially designed instruction generally benefit from an IEP, while those who mainly need accommodations may be better served by a 504 Plan.

Can parents request an IEP evaluation?
Yes. As a parent, you have the right to request an evaluation in writing if you think your child may have a disability that is affecting their educational performance.

Can my child have both an IEP and a 504 Plan?
Students who have IEPs are also protected by Section 504, so schools typically don’t create a separate 504 Plan. Their IEP includes the accommodations and services needed to meet their educational needs, so a separate 504 Plan is generally unnecessary.

Does ADHD automatically qualify a child for a 504 Plan?
No. A school must determine that ADHD substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as learning, concentrating, thinking, or communicating.

Does tutoring replace an IEP or 504 Plan?
No. Tutoring is usually designed to supplement the services and accommodations that a student receives at school through individualized instruction that addresses their areas of academic weakness.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has helped thousands of students with IEPs and 504 Plans through individualized tutoring over the past twenty years. She is the author of the Strategies for 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 IEP vs. 504 Plan: Understanding the Differences for Parents appeared first on EBL Coaching.

What does neurodiverse mean?

A child who is neurodiverse has a brain that operates differently than the typical brain. Those who are neurodiverse, which includes diagnoses such as ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities, may learn and process information differently.

What are signs that my child may be neurodiverse?

Neurodiversity can include a learning disability such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia; ADHD; autism; dyspraxia; and other diagnoses. If your child is neurodiverse, they may require specific supports and tutoring services to help them thrive academically. What are some signs that your child may be neurodivergent? Let’s take a look at different types of neurodiversity.
Signs your child may have ADHD

Individuals with ADHD often have difficulty with their executive functioning skills. They might demonstrate challenges in the following areas:

• impulsivity
• staying focused
• organization
• talking out of turn
• losing their belongings
• struggling to pay attention for long stretches of time
• making careless mistakes
• poor time management skills
• neglecting to self-check their work.

If your child demonstrates these challenges, you may want to consider having them evaluated and try some of the executive functioning strategies below:
To develop their time management skills, teach your child the Estimated Time (ET) verses Actual Time (AT) strategy. To do so, have them select a task, like a math worksheet they need to complete for school, and estimate how long they think it will take them to complete that task (and write down the ET). Then once they have completed the worksheet, they should note the AT, or actual time it took them to complete that task. Often, those with ADHD and poor time management skills will note a big discrepancy between the ET and AT when they start using this strategy, but the more they practice it, the more these times will merge, and their time management skills will improve.

For self-checking, which is a skill many students with ADHD struggle with, your child may benefit from the COPS strategy for checking their writing, which stands for Capitalization, Organization, Punctuation, and Spelling. At the bottom of their page, they should write these letters vertically with a check box to the left of each letter. After they have finished writing a paragraph or essay, they should self-check their writing for each of these elements one at a time, encouraging them to slow down and carefully self-check their work before turning it in. This strategy is also often used during dysgraphia tutoring sessions.

Signs your child may have dyslexia 

Dyslexia is another type of neurodiversity. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that affects language skills, including reading, spelling, and writing. Those with dyslexia may struggle with learning individual letters and their corresponding sounds, decoding words, reading fluently, spelling accurately, and expressing their thoughts on paper when writing, amongst other related language challenges.

If your child is struggling with these skills, you may want to consider having them evaluated for dyslexia. However, Orton Gillingham tutoring can also help children with dyslexia tremendously. The Orton Gillingham method is a research-based, multi-sensory technique that helps students with and without learning disabilities develop stronger reading and spelling skills. It follows a systematic approach, integrating previously taught sounds and concepts as new ones are introduced, and is highly effective in developing these core skills. Students also tend to enjoy the multi-sensory tools that are part of Orton Gillingham tutoring lessons, including colored sand, magnetic tiles, shaving cream, mini whiteboards, and other related manipulatives.

Learn more about Orton Gillingham tutoring at
What Is Orton-Gillingham Tutoring? Multi-Sensory, Structured Help | EBL Coaching

Signs your child may have autism

Autism is part of a spectrum, so the signs can vary. Children with autism often have challenges with social skills, engage in repetitive behaviors, and have sensory differences. They may also have trouble with executive functioning skills – including planning and organization – and reading comprehension, especially when it involves abstract or inferential thinking.

If your child shows any of these difficulties, autism tutoring can also help them immensely. To develop their reading comprehension skills, an autism tutor may teach them to identify three key elements when reading: the topic, which is one, two, or three words describing the passage; the main idea, which is what the author is saying about the topic; and the important details, or salient information describing the main idea. They will learn to highlight the topic of the passage in blue, the main idea in green, and the important details in yellow, helping to make them a more active reader. Their tutor can then ask them inference questions and have them write a short summary describing the passage in their own words.

Learn more about helping your child with autism at: Tips for Helping Your Child with Autism Improve School Performance | EBL Coaching

When should you have your child evaluated?

If you notice your child struggling with any of the following skills, you may want to consider having them evaluated and seek specialized tutoring or executive functioning coaching for them:

• Demonstrates challenges with reading, writing, or math
• Struggles with organization, planning, or time management
• Shows consistent attention challenges
• Avoids doing their homework
• Demonstrates social challenges
• Shows low self-esteem or frustration related to school

Many children are neurodiverse, and with that comes numerous strengths. However, getting through school can be a challenge for these children. If you notice any of these signs of neurodiversity in your child, you may want to consider having them evaluated and consider ADHD coaching, Orton Gillingham tutoring, or autism tutoring. This instruction can help them immensely.

Learn how EBL Coaching can help your child with one-one-one dyslexia tutoring, learning disability tutoring, autism tutoring, ADHD tutoring in NYC, and executive functioning coaching by visiting www.eblcoaching.com.

Frequently asked questions

How is neurodiversity diagnosed?
Neurodiversity is diagnosed through a comprehensive evaluation, typically administered by a neuropsychologist or psychologist.

Can tutoring help neurodiverse students?
Yes, absolutely! Research-based, multi-sensory tutoring that is individualized to each student’s needs can help neurodiverse students thrive. Students with dyslexia tend to respond exceptionally well to Orton Gillingham tutoring and those with ADHD benefit from executive functioning coaching.

What does research tell us about early identification of learning disabilities?
Research tells us that identifying learning disabilities early can significantly improve academic outcomes. Don’t wait! If you see your child struggling, seek an evaluation and academic remediation as soon as you can.

The founder and director of EBL Coaching, Dr. Emily Levy, has been helping neurodiverse students in grades prek-12 excel academically with individualized tutoring for over 20 years.

The post Signs Your Child May Be Neurodivergent: ADHD, Dyslexia, And Autism appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Research tells us that when parents and teachers work together as a team, students perform much better in school. Parent-teacher conferences serve as an opportunity to build a relationship with your child’s teacher, set up a line of communication, and learn about how your child is doing in class. Why are parent-teacher conferences so important?

Learn about your child’s performance

Many parents work with their child at home, helping them study for tests, complete their school work, and work on projects. You might be able to gauge your child’s academic abilities through this work, but your child may show a completely different profile at school. In a large classroom setting, some children lose focus, struggle to process information, or display academic difficulties. Parent-teacher conferences provide you with the opportunity to learn more about how your child is doing in class. Their teacher will tell you about areas of academic strength, how your child interacts socially with peers, and areas where your child may be struggling. All of this information is helpful for you to learn, and can further guide you in working with your child at home or seeking extra support.

Setting up a line of communication

If your child is demonstrating any academic challenges or has a learning disability or ADHD, it’s important for you stay in touch with their teacher on a regular basis. Sometimes a child may start the year off strong but then quickly begin to struggle once the school year is underway, and parents may not always find out about these struggles under months later if they don’t set up a regular line of communication with the teacher. Parent-teacher conferences give you the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher face-to-face and not only learn about how they’re doing in class, but set up a plan for communicating going forward. You might set up monthly phone calls, regular emails, or even periodic in person meetings to discuss your child’s progress. Try to come up with a communication plan that works for both of you. Don’t wait for your child to struggle; be proactive in communicating with their teacher regularly, not reactive once the struggles become more severe.

Opportunity to ask questions

Parent-teacher conferences offer an opportunity for you to ask your child’s teacher specific questions you may have. You might ask how your child has performed recently on tests, projects, and assignments. Ask if the teacher is noticing any foundational skills struggles. You may also want to ask about how your child interacts with peers and if they have many friends in school. Also find out about their ability to stay focused during lessons. Be prepared with these questions before the meeting starts so that you can be organized and systematic in asking them. The information you gauge from these questions can be very valuable.

Possibly seek an evaluation

If you are noticing that your child is struggling at home – perhaps with completing homework on time, reading words, writing sentences or paragraphs, or completing math problems – parent-teacher conferences can give you a chance to discuss these challenges with your child’s teacher. Ask the teacher if they are noticing these difficulties at school. If so, perhaps there are some accommodations that can be integrated, like seating at the front of the class or extra time on tests. If the struggles become more severe, you may want to request an evaluation for your child. If they are given a diagnosis, they will likely receive an IEP or 504 plan, which can provide them with services and accommodations that can help them thrive in school.

Parent-teacher conferences give you an opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher and learn valuable information about how your child is doing at school. Try to be organized and well-prepared for this meting, and you will learn important that can help your child thrive in school.

The post Why are Parent-Teacher Conferences so Important? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Does your child struggle with sounding out words when reading? Does he have difficulty recognizing sight words or understanding what he reads? Perhaps he loses focus when reading or avoids reading at all costs. If so, your child may be experiencing reading difficulties. Reading is a skill that affects all aspects of school, so the earlier you can help your child build this skill, the better. Help your child build stronger reading skills with the four tips detailed below.

Read, Read, Read!

One of the best ways to help improve your child’s reading skills is by doing lots of reading! Starting when your child is a baby, make reading a ritual – every night before bed pick 2-3 books to read to them. Eventually let them pick the books and try to integrate topics they are interested in – mermaids, trucks, animals, you name it!  Any topic that peaks their interest is a good one. As they get older, talk about the plot of the story, the characters, and the setting. Ask questions, like “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think Sara feels this way?” Remember that struggling readers often choose shorter books that they perceive as “easy” so feel free to pick longer, more complex books when you’re doing the reading. 

Make it Multi-Sensory

Most kids learn best by engaging the senses, especially those who are struggling with reading. Rather than sticking a worksheet or mundane workbook in front of your child, engage their visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses when helping them learn to read. For instance, when teaching your young child how to form letters, gather some colored sand, sugar, or flour, and spread it out on a cookie tray. Say the formations aloud as you model tracing each letter. For example, for the lowercase letter “a” use your pointer and middle fingers and say “around, up, and down” as you form the letter a in the sand. Then ask your child to do the same. Practice this technique for all of the letters of the alphabet, and also numbers! Additionally, you can use magnetic tiles, mini whiteboards, and shaving cream for forming letters and words. These elements are part of the Orton Gillingham methodology, which is a research-based, multi-sensory technique for helping students with or without learning disabilities, including dyslexia, develop stronger reading and spelling skills. 

Use a Structured Reading Program

Many children who struggle with reading benefit from a structured, Orton Gillingham based reading program. For instance, the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham Multisensory student workbook program teaches students to read and spell words starting at a very basic foundational level and moving upwards using a structured, systematic approach. The program starts by teaching students to identify individual letters and their corresponding sounds and blend them together to read and spell CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. It then progresses to words containing blends, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, silent e patterns, multisyllabic word patterns, prefixes, suffixes, and roots. This Orton Gillingham, multi-sensory program is a great way to help students who struggle to read, including students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and dyslexia, to build stronger reading skills. 

Get Help!

If your child is still struggling to read despite practice and reinforcement at home, you may want to consider speaking to his teacher about any reading challenges at school, and possibly look into further testing. Public schools offer testing for learning disabilities free of charge, or some families choose to undergo a private neuropsychological evaluation. This evaluation will help determine whether or not your child has a learning disability (like dyslexia or dyscalculia), ADHD, executive functioning challenges, or other formal diagnoses. Oftentimes, if your child struggles with reading, the evaluator will recommend a structured, multi-sensory approach, such as the Orton Gillingham methodology, since this is a highly effective research-based approach for building reading and spelling skills.

Reading is a skill that plays a role in all aspects of school. The earlier you can help your child build stronger reading skills, the better! Use a multi-sensory approach, help engage your child with books on topics he enjoys, and work on strengthening his foundational skills – and he will be well on his way to reading success! 

The post FOUR Ways to Help Your Struggling Reader appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Have you noticed your child struggling in school? Perhaps they are having a hard time learning to read, can’t grasp multi-step math problems, or are having difficulty staying focused in class. Their self-esteem is plummeting as schoolwork becomes increasingly challenging, and their struggles seem insurmountable. Your child may have special needs and, if so, the sooner you can identify these needs and address them, the better it will be for their overall confidence and academic performance. So what can you do?

For starters, if you see your child struggling, talk to their doctor ‎and teacher. Discuss milestones they may or may not have met and determine if their teacher notices the same challenges you see at home. If you feel these struggles are getting worse or think they may benefit from additional accommodations at school, you might consider having them tested. This testing can be done for free either through your state’s early intervention program (if your child is under age three) or through your child’s school district. The evaluation and specific tests administered may range, but evaluators will typically test your child’s IQ and will likely also test language, motor, behavior, and achievement skills.

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IEP or 504 plan
Depending on the evaluation results and your child’s needs, your child may qualify for either an IEP or a 504 plan. An IEP details your child’s specific goals and a plan for what your school will do to help meet those goals, including specific services, like speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and academic support. A 504 plan helps provide accommodations for support within the classroom, such as additional time on tests, an aide in the classroom, preferential seating, and/or modified homework. Typically students who have a less severe disability (like anxiety, ADHD, etc.) and not a diagnosed learning disability will receive a 504. Students who need more services, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, special education teacher support services, etc., would receive an IEP.

Know Your Rights
Federal law indicates that every child is entitled to a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment possible. Three specific federal laws apply to children with special needs, including the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Ace, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These laws’ specifics can vary by state, so it’s important for you to understand the procedures and criteria specific to your state.

IDEA‎ stipulates that a child’s issues must fall into one of 13 categories to be eligible for special education services. Section 504 mandates that schools cannot discriminate again students who have disabilities and are required to provide appropriate accommodations to them. Students covered under Section 504 usually have less severe disabilities or do not fall into one of the categories stipulated under IDEA. The ADA indicates that children with special needs cannot be discriminated against and must be provided appropriate services and programs suitable to their needs. If your school district refuses to provide appropriate services to your child, you may initiate a due process hearing to challenge their decision.

Focus on Your Child’s Strengths
It is easy to go into a bit of negative space when dealing with your child’s educational support. Remember to focus on your child’s strengths; they may struggle with reading and writing but may excel with math computation. Or maybe your child is incredibly social, empathetic, and ‎kind. Perhaps they are a beautiful artist, a great storyteller, or a whiz at building Legos. Praise your child for small accomplishments, like sitting next to a friend at lunch who seemed sad, drawing a beautiful flower, or creating an elaborate Lego tower. As you help your child academically with areas where they may struggle, continue to build their self-esteem, and explain that no one is perfect. We all have strengths and weaknesses, as well as areas we need to work on improving. Your special needs child can still have dreams and aspirations that can be achieved with support and guidance.

Dr. Emily Levy is the founder of EBL Coaching, a tutoring program that specializes in one-on-one home and on-site instruction for students in grades PreK-12 in NYC, NJ, and Westchester. She is also the author of Strategies for Study Success, a study skills workbooks series emphasizing test-taking, note-taking, reading comprehension, writing, and executive functioning strategies, and the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook series.

The post Is Your Child Missing Milestones? When the Next Step is an IEP appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Children with dysgraphia often struggle with forming letters and words correctly, spacing words properly on a page, and generally have difficulty expressing their thoughts on paper.

Your child struggles to properly hold a pencil. His handwriting is messy and he has trouble with letter spacing and spelling. Writing a paragraph is a completely daunting task. If your child experiences these challenges, he may have dysgraphia.

Dysgraphia is defined as a specific learning disability that affects writing. Children with dysgraphia often struggle with forming letters and words correctly, have ‎trouble spacing words properly on a page, and generally have difficulty expressing their thoughts on paper when writing. Yet with the right strategies and tools, your child can learn to tackle the increasing writing demands of school. Try the ideas detailed below:

Feel the letters!
Many kids with dysgraphia have trouble learning to form letters and numbers properly when writing. To build this skill, try creating a multi-sensory experience. Have your child trace letters in a tray of salt or colored sand while she says the formation of each letter aloud. For instance, as she traces the letter “A,” she might say “around, up, and down,” or “down, up, and around” for p. You might also have her trace letters on your back or palm, or you can do the same to her while she closes her eyes to better experience the sensation of each letter’s formation. For gross motor exercises, try having her sky-write each letter or number while standing up, or squirt some foam on the shower door and have her write letters and numbers, using large hand formations.

Practice storytelling!
Children with dysgraphia often struggle to organize their ideas into well-constructed stories and paragraphs. To help build this skill, teach your child to tell stories aloud in an organized fashion. For instance, when you return from a vacation, ask him for an opening line by saying, “We did so many fun activities on our vacation!” and then ask him ‎to discuss his three favorite activities and why he loved each one. He might say one of his favorite activities was playing on the beach, since he built a giant sand castle, jumped the waves, and swam in the ocean. He may say another favorite activity was eating every meal with his family and enjoying special treats, like Belgian waffles, chocolate ice cream, and frozen lemonade. Finally, he may say that his third favorite activity was spending time with his cousins, which included swimming with them, sharing stories, and laughing. Then have him end his story with his overall thoughts on the vacation, like “I had so much fun on my vacation and can’t wait for the next one!” You can try this exercise with just about any experience—a day at school, a play date, or a meal he just ate. The more you practice helping him organize his ideas orally, the easier it will become when writing.

Learn to type
The physical act of writing involves so many components: Letter and word formation, spacing, spelling, sentence construction, written organization, and so many other challenging tasks, especially for kids with dysgraphia. Typing can ease some of these challenges. It eliminates letter formation and spacing challenges, and computers can help with spelling with the use of spell check. When the physical challenges of writing are reduced, ideas often flow much more easily. ‎ If typing is not an option, though, learning to write in cursive, rather than print, can help your child with letter reversals, spelling, spacing, and the overall flow of writing.

Brainstorm!
Many kids—even those who don’t have dysgraphia—have trouble getting started with their writing. Brainstorming can be very helpful in easing this challenge. Encourage your child to start by creating a brainstorm web with her ideas. If she wants to write about why she loves math, for instance, before she begins writing, she should draw a bubble in the middle of the page and write “why I love math.” Then, branching out from the middle bubble, she can add details on why she loves math, like “It helps with problem solving,” “It’s fun!” and “It plays a role in everyday life.” Then branching out of those detail bubbles, she may even add supporting details on why each of those reasons make her love math so much. Once her brainstorm web is complete, it becomes a much easier process to translate that information into an organized written format. Computer programs like Inspiration and Kidspiration are great tools for creating electronic versions of these brainstorm webs.

‎As students progress through school, they will inevitably be required to write longer and more complex stories, paragraphs, and essays. Help your child with dysgraphia build his writing skills with these ideas, and he will be well on his way to academic success!

The post Does Your Child Have Dysgraphia? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Your child daydreams in class, forgets to turn in his homework assignments, or struggles to express his thoughts on paper when writing. He may have difficulty sounding out words when reading or completing basic math problems. If your child demonstrates any of these challenges, he may have a learning disability or ADHD. Research tells us that using a multi-sensory approach is the most optimal way to help struggling learners develop their academic skills. So how can you help your child? Try some of the ideas detailed below.

Reading Comprehension

Many children with ADHD and learning disabilities struggle to comprehend material when reading. You can help your child become an active reader and improve her reading comprehension using a multi-sensory tri-colored highlighting strategy. Start by explaining to her that when she reads, she should look for three key elements: the topic, main idea, and important details. She should first identity the topic, which is one, two, or three words describing what the passage is about, and highlight it in blue. Next, she should look for the main idea, which is what the author is saying about the topic, and highlight it in green. Finally, she should identify the important details, or salient details describing the main idea, and highlight them in yellow. Note that she should try to highlight only important information (not every detail on the page!) and only words and phrases when possible. When applying this strategy, she should read the passage first, then go back and highlight the topic, main idea, and important details using blue, green, and yellow highlighters. Becoming an active reader can help her develop stronger focusing, reading comprehension, and processing skills.

Vocabulary

Many struggling learners have a tendency to avoid reading and thus have a sub-optimal vocabulary. Help your child build his vocabulary using a multi-sensory flash card technique. Say he has a series of vocabulary words to learn for school. To use this strategy, he should take out a stack of blank flash cards and write the first vocabulary term on the front of a card. He should then flip over the card and divide it into three horizontal sections. In the top section, he should write the definition of the word in his own words. In the middle section, he should write a sentence containing the word to add context. Finally, at the bottom of the card, he should draw a picture to help him remember the definition. He should perform this exercise for each of the vocabulary terms he needs to learn, helping him to not just memorize the definitions, but to actually understand the meaning of each one and be able to use it in context.

Writing

Writing is a skill that involves multiple steps, and one that is challenging for many students. Yet learning a structured approach for written expression can help your child develop stellar writing skills. Instead of simply starting to write (or staring at a blank sheet of paper), encourage your child to follow a three-step approach: first she should brainstorm, then write, and then go back and self-check her work. For the first step (brainstorming), she should create an outline, list, or web diagram to help her organize her ideas before writing. Then she should convert this information into an organized paragraph or essay, and then go back and self-check her work. For self-checking, she can try using an acronym like COPS, which stands for Capitalization, Organization, Punctuation, Spelling, where she self-checks for each element (one at a time) once she is done writing. This systematic approach can help your child improve her organization and overall written expression abilities.

Math

With math instruction becoming increasingly more language-based, many students are struggling with this skill. Help your child learn to effectively solve math word problem using the OINS strategy. When using this strategy (which stands for Operation, Information, Number Sentence, Solution Sentence), your child should start by reading the problem, then circle the relevant information, cross out the irrelevant information, and circle the key word(s) that tells him what kind of operation to use. Then he should break the problem down into four steps, and write out each step separately – O (operation), I (relevant information), ‎N (number sentence), and S (solution sentence). By breaking each problem down into these individual steps, he can learn to solve word problems in a clear and organized manner.

Students with learning disabilities and ADHD often struggle with many academic aspects of school. Without the proper strategies and support, many become disengaged, lose focus, and struggle as the demands of school increase. Try these strategies with your child to help him feel confident, engaged, and successful in school.

The post Study Skills Strategies for Your Child with a Learning Disability or ADHD appeared first on EBL Coaching.

The education trends parents should know more about.

Your child is struggling to sound out words, write simple sentences, and solve even single-step math word problems. He has a learning disability and is drowning in school, as he watches his peers learn to read, write, and calculate with ease. You have tried just about everything to help him—workbooks, flash cards, drills, computer games, and the like—but nothing seems to be working. We now know that using evidence-based techniques for teaching students with learning disabilities, a trend in special education, can solve this long-standing dilemma of how to truly help struggling learners. So, what exactly are evidence-based techniques, and how can you reinforce this instruction at home?

Several techniques and interventions for students with learning disabilities are scientifically-based and have been found to be effective. One such technique is direct instruction, which uses straightforward techniques to explain a concept, and can help a student with a learning disability retain new material. For instance, an instructor might directly teach students that proper nouns or new sentences always begin with a capital letter—or they might directly explain the “floss” spelling rule, where we double the last letter if a single syllable word ends with an f, l, or s.

Strategy instruction is also evidence-based, and is an effective tool for students with learning disabilities. With this technique, a teacher provides a clear strategy that helps students come up with a response or solve a problem. For instance, the “OINS” strategy can help students with learning disabilities solve math word problems in an organized fashion. With this strategy, students read a word problem, then break it down into four steps: O (Operation, where they write down correct operation symbol), I (Information, where they write the relevant information needed for solving the problem), N (Number Sentence, where they write the complete number sentence), and S (Solution Sentence, where they write the solution to the problem as a full sentence).

For reading, however, using a sequential, multi-sensory approach has been considered one of the most effective evidence-based approaches for teaching students with learning disabilities. Multi-sensory instruction engages more than one sense at a time. As a basic example, your child may learn about shells in school. Rather than simply reading about them in a book, he may collect shells in their natural environment, then feel them, smell them, and even put them to his ear to listen to the sounds they may project. He might also search for facts about shells online, forming a connection with this information from the visual, auditory, and tactile modalities he used when studying the shells.

Multi-sensory instruction can help students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities in particular develop their basic reading skills. Orton Gillingham pioneered this approach, by helping students make connections between letters and sounds and learning to blend these sounds together to form words. Many Orton Gillingham-based programs now exist, but they all share the common elements of using the auditory, visual, and tactile approaches to help students develop their reading skills. Some multi-sensory components of these programs, many of which you can reinforce at home, are detailed as follows:

Audio-visual card drills: Students learn to connect a given letter and sound to a key picture. The letter is often written on the front of a flash card with a key picture on the back—like P (on the front) and pizza (on the back), or a (on the front) and apple (on the back). An instructor might orally model to the student that “P makes the sound p, like in ‘pizza’” and have the student repeat back that sequence.

Sand or shaving cream writing: Using a tactile tool like sand or shaving cream can help students further connect letters to sounds and remember these connections for the long run. In doing so, they trace a letter in the sand or shaving cream while saying its formation. For instance, when writing the letter P, they would say aloud, “around, down, and across” as they write the letter—followed by the sound it makes, which in this case is p.

Skywriting: Students utilize muscle memory with sky writing to help them further connect sounds to letters and form the letters properly when writing. They may stand up and use their gross motor muscles to write a letter formation in the sky with their pointer and middle fingers, like “down and across” for the letter T.

Magnetic tiles: Students can learn to effectively combine sounds to form words using a multi-sensory tool such as magnetic tiles. An instructor may dictate, for instance, the word “cat,” and ask the student to spell the word using magnetic tiles. The student would select from a group of letters first the letter C (which says c), then the letter A (which says a) and finally the letter T (which says t)—then blend those sounds together to form the word.

Students with learning disabilities often continue to struggle as they progress through school and the academic demands increase. Yet the trend towards evidence-based instruction in the classroom can help ease this struggle, ultimately helping students with learning disabilities feel confident and successful in school.

The post Evidence-Based Instruction Opens Doors For Students With Special Needs appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Wondering if your child might have dyslexia? Look for these signs.

You notice your child struggling to sound out words when reading. He has difficulty with writing and his reading fluency is very slow. His self-esteem is starting to plummet as he compares himself to peers who are excelling in these academic areas. You might wonder if your child has dyslexia. Read below for some grade-specific signs:

Preschool

Most preschool-age children are not yet reading or writing. Many have not yet learned to write letters or or recognize sound/letter relationships. Yet early signs of dyslexia can be identified at this young age. Your child might struggle with phonemic awareness, or the ability to hear, recognize, and manipulate sounds in words. For example, rhyming might be a challenge. She may have trouble identifying initial sounds in words (ex: What sound does the word pizza start with?), medial sounds (ex: What is the middle sound you hear in the word hot?), or ending sounds (ex: What is the final sound you hear in the word red?). Try asking your child to say the word “dog” without the /d/ sound or “chop” without the /p/ sound. Struggling with this ability to manipulate sounds in words could be a sign of dyslexia. Furthermore, children with dyslexia might have trouble following directions or coming up with the correct word to describe an object or action.

Elementary School

As students progress through elementary school, reading and writing demands increase rapidly. At this age, you might notice that your child struggles to decode, or sound out, words–especially those he has never seen before. He may rely on his sight memory and picture clues to figure out words when reading, rather than trying to actually decode them. His reading fluency may be slow, and he might start to avoid reading out of embarrassment or lack of self-confidence. You also may notice that your child looks at the beginning sound of a word and guesses at the rest of it, and struggles to spell even basic single syllable words. Writing sentences and stories can be a challenge, and he might write the minimum amount necessary in order to be done with an assignment as quickly as possible.

Middle/High School

By the time students reach middle school, those with dyslexia have typically already been identified. However, some students develop coping strategies that allow them to “mask” their dyslexia for quite a while. While this masking can often carry them through early grades, many students hit a wall when the reading and writing demands ramp up in middle and high school. ‎You might find that your child’s speed of reading and completing work is very slow. He also may struggle with the simultaneous demands of writing: grammar, mechanics, organization, and spelling, and likely finds very little pleasure in reading. His overall self-esteem is low.

While dyslexia can be a lifelong challenge, for many parents and students, being diagnosed with dyslexia often comes as a relief. They feel better knowing that there is a reason for the constant struggle and that action can be taken to help relieve these challenges. The earlier students receive remediation to address their dyslexia-related struggles, the easier reading and writing will be as they move through school. Specialized methodologies, including the Orton Gillingham technique for decoding and spelling, and similar research-based, multi-sensory techniques for language processing and writing, can help dyslexic students tremendously as they progress through school and face the growing academic demands.

The post Could My Child Have Dyslexia? appeared first on EBL Coaching.