Eligibility is a Process….
After discovering learning disabilities in children, Parents (or guardians) and Teachers have very distinct and different roles in the support of a student with a learning disability. 
When I say support, I mean through the whole process from the beginning struggles, to the referral process through assessment, eligibility, educational planning and into implementation and lifetime support.
Respect is a right AND a responsibility
To make this process non biased, students, teachers, parents and administrators must remain receptive to the needs and desires of the other parties. Awareness of the conditions under which everyone is functioning is crucial to maintaining a productive and respectful relationship.
Confidentiality is not only a legal right and obligation, it is also key in demonstration of respect between all parties. Breech in confidence can be detrimental to any working relationship.
In the beginning...
This process begins with early indications of struggle, referral and assessment for eligibility.
In these initial stages of the discovery of a learning disability it is the teacher’s role to implement strategies and assessment procedures with fidelity in order to provide the best information possible in the case that a student may be considered for a learning disability.
The parent has the difficult responsibility of being ever vigilant about changes in the child they love so dearly. Parents know their child better than anyone, and they can be a teacher’s biggest asset in the process of educating.
What comes next?
If a student is found to be eligible for services as a student with a learning disability, it then becomes the special education teacher’s responsibility to discover as much as is necessary about the student in order to provide effective instruction.
Collaborating with parents in an effective and understanding manner is most beneficial. Parents have the responsibility of being as helpful as they can so that the teacher can gain important information about their child.
What does a parent do for the implementation phase?
When a plan is developed by parents, teachers and administrators, the next and possibly most difficult phase is implementation. Depending on the individual needs of the student, everyone will have different roles and responsibilities.
The largest part of implementation for a parent is homework. Parents and families must remain supportive emotionally and always be encouraging.
When work is brought home, they should be available to help if needed but in an effort to encourage independence and support what the child’s teacher is doing, they should keep a healthy distance. Simply providing a good atmosphere, encouragement and consequences as needed is the most crucial role of a parent.
Teachers have the responsibility of making sure that homework is understood by the student before they go home, is remediation of skills and not acquisition, and is monitored in a way that students are held accountable and parents are able to be involved in such accountability.
Can You Repair Summer Learning Loss?
Are you getting your kids ready to go back to school?
We often think about the essentials like:
Paper, Pencils, Notebooks, Lunch Boxes, Snacks, Clothes... so much to get ready. What about the Kids....Don't forget the children!
What is Summer Learning Loss?
At the end of the school year your child graduated from school and was promoted to the next grade if they achieved learning objectives that defined them as "on grade level".
Due to the length of summer, your child may have actually lost the "on grade level" label. It is entirely possible that they will start the year half a grade level lower than when they left school last June.
Teachers spend a lot of time early in the new school year reviewing the material from the previous grade in order to re-aquaint the child so they are actually ready to begin the new grade level requirements.
With just 15 minutes a day, you can give your child the edge that teachers spend weeks trying to accomplish. You can help your child repair the summer slide!
I refer to this as the Summer Slide, and I don't mean the one at the water park.
What You Can Do To Repair the Slide...Fix the Learning Loss
The summer slide is a serious thing for all students, but especially those who struggle in school.
Whether a child is Learning Disabled or not, they WILL likely experience the infamous summer slide.
Loss of skills over the summer is like the "move back 3 spaces" spot on a board game. It doesn't just slow your child down, it actually moves them backwards, and requires them to work harder just to break even!
It's the 3rd Week of August, What Can I Do Now?
I know what you're thinking...
"Why are we talking about this at the end of the summer?"
Well, there is a good reason. If you think your child has suffered from the summer slide, you can still give them an edge by priming them for what is to come this year.
15 Minutes A Day Is All It Takes
Take the next few weeks and dedicate 15 minutes every day (or even just 5 times a week!) to getting them ready for school.
Spend 10 minutes reading to them, and just 5 minutes on a skill they will need for next year.
Every grade has a different set of what you might call "required skills," but there are a few basics:
Tips For Preparing Kindergarteners:
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Practice ABCs of course!!
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There are also numerous sight words that kindergarteners can learn.
Tips For Preparing 1st Graders:
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Continue the sight words, and put them together in fun sentences.
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Practice those sentences numerous times for fluency.
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Have them point to the words as they read aloud so you know they are connecting spoken and written language.
Tips For Preparing 2nd Graders:
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Now that they have a larger word bank in their little heads, have them read aloud to you!
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You should practice math facts, since those they are beginning to be a BIG deal!
Tips For Preparing 3rd Graders:
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Keep practicing reading aloud, and ask those "read between the lines" questions.
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Encourage your child to read for enjoyment and understanding.
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If something doesn't makes sense, go back and look into it.
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And.... Math Facts! They'll likely be starting multiplication this year!
Tips For Preparing Older students
They will NOT want to sit down and have you read to them, or even consider letting you drill them on math facts, but you still have some options:
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Set aside 30-45 minutes of time for them to read to themselves.
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Make sure they have access to books that they enjoy.
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There are also many math fact quiz sites online.
Just 15 Minutes Per Day Can Repair the Summer Slide
Just a few minutes a day, even though it seems like it is last minute, may make that "move back 3 spaces" more like just 1 or 2.
Anything you can do to help them get ready for school will support all the progress they are going to make this year!
Is Your Child At Grade Level?
If you are concerned that your child is not at grade level, you still have some options before the school year begins. Academic Assessments can test your child utilizing research based methods of testing.
These Tests Will Show You:
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Where your child is performing
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Strengths your child has! (Yay!)
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Weaknesses that NEED to be addressed
Interested in Learning More....just click the button below.
Questions for You.....
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Please put your topics in the comment section below.
Learning Disabilities Impact Parents Too
Parents of children with Learning Disabilities struggle just as much as Children with Learning Disabilities struggle in school.
They don't struggle with school though. They struggle with not knowing where to begin to help this child they love so much.
Goals For Parents
The goal of a parent is to help the child learn just like everyone else. Children with Learning Disabilities are perfectly capable of doing so, but they need a bit more support. This support needs to come in the way of progress monitoring.
How Do I Know If My Child Is Reaching Their Goals?
We all have goals for our children. Knowing how close they are to achieving them
is what gives us the motivation to make it.
If when running a race, your goal is to maintain a 7 minute mile, then you had better know with every training session how fast you are running.
Going from a 10 minute mile down to an 8 minute mile gives you the motivation to realize that goal of 7 minutes.
Get a Baseline by Keeping Track
In order to help children with Learning Disabilities, we have to know where they are before we can set goals and achieve them. A child who is struggling with sight words is capable of learning new words every day, and the only way to know for sure that it is happening is to keep track!
Imagine how motivating it may be to realize that your child is learning 2 new words a week on average.... and they need to learn 58 to be "grade level."
Or, imagine watching that average words per week increase to 3!
Progress Monitoring is The Only Way to Know If Your Child Is Reaching Your Goals
Do away with that gut feeling that your child is learning, and actually KNOW that they are! Watch it happen and you will realize that children with Learning Disabilities are just as capable of learning as anyone else.
Start by knowing where they are, and setting goals for where you want them to be and monitoring them while your child gets there.
Interested in Learning More about Progress Monitoring?
I have been a Special Education Teacher for the past 4 years and have developed numerous resources for parents of children with learning disabilities.
One of the tools I use is the BRIGANCE materials which allows me to help you understand where your child is in relation to the educational goals you have for your child.