Abba's Child Learning Center: Released to Learn, Equipped for Life

Articles

Math and Reading Improvement - Is Tutoring The Answer?
Early Intervention vs Wait and See
Helping Your Child Succeed


Math and Reading Improvement -
Is Tutoring The Answer?

Your child has been struggling with reading accuracy, reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, or math – perhaps all of these. You’re concerned by low grades and exhausting homework sessions. You realize that your child needs more help than the school is providing. Whom do you call?

For most parents, the immediate response is tutoring. But is tutoring really the best method to build your child’s math or reading skills? For many children, it is not. It is important to recognize the limitations of tutoring in order to choose the most effectve alternative for your child.

Traditional tutoring essentially provides the same services that the schools provide, only with a more individualized and time-intensive approach. Traditional tutoring may be appropriate for children who have been successful with their reading in the past, but are now below grade level as a result of life circumstances, such as:

However, if your child has always experienced some difficulty in developing good math and reading skills, traditional tutoring is unlikely to solve the problem. Many children struggle to develop basic math and reading skills because of undiagnosed learning problems. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 30% of students are impacted by learning problems. Some of the common ones are:

If you invest your money, time, and energy in tutoring and extra help at home, you may be able to help your child get passing grades this year. If your child has unresolved learning problems, you will probably need to do the same next year. This is because traditional tutoring is not an effective means of building cognitive skills, which are essential for learning and applying new information. These skills include auditory and visual processing, attention/concentration, memory, and analysis and reasoning. The good news is that there is a better alternative.

The brain-based remediation approaches used at Abba’s Child Learning Center actually resolve learning problems by retraining the brain to process information more quickly and effectively. Students are assisted in readily bringing their math and reading skills up to grade level. And, even more importantly, they are enabled to build strong congitive skills and become capable of learning independently, without special help or accommodations.

At Abba’s Child Learning Center, we will help your child to:resolve learning problems, build strong math and reading skills, and become an independent learner who is Freed To Learn . . . Equipped For Life.

By using the most effective, efficient programs available, you will:

Your child will:

Select one of our remediation programs under the Programs tab on the menu bar at the top of the page for more information about our brain-based approach.

Visit our screenings page to complete screening questionnaires for two common learning problems or contact us to discuss how Abba’s Child Learning Center can help your child.

Early Intervention vs Wait and See

“The skill deficit between average and below-average readers can be largely erased with appropriate early intervention.” — American Federation of Teachers

If your child is having trouble learning to read, the best approach is to take immediate action. For decades teachers have offered concerned parents comfort with the concept of the “late blooming” child. If a child was slower than their peers at learning to read, they suggested that the child would learn the skills a bit later and catch up to their peers in their own time. This is a comforting thought for a parent hoping that their child does not have learning problems. However, studies have shown that without intervention nearly 90% of children who have trouble learning to read in first grade are still struggling with reading in the fourth grade. In fact, similar studies have shown that, on average, students who are behind in reading in elementary school and do not receive intervention, never catch up to their peers even through high school.

When dealing with a reading problem, early intervention is key. The National Institutes of Health state that 95% of students who receive early intervention for their reading problems can be brought up to grade level. That’s ninety-five percent! This is a wonderfully encouraging statistic. However, the longer one waits to seek help for their child the more difficult it becomes for the child to catch up. A child receiving help for a reading disorder in fourth grade takes four times as long to overcome their deficits as for a child receiving help in late kindergarten. Many parents, holding on to the hope that their child is simply a “late bloomer”, delay identifying their child with a reading problem and miss the most crucial component of correcting the problem — early identification and intervention.

Since early intervention is 95% successful, it makes sense for any parents whose child shows signs of possible reading problems to seek–out effective help immediately. A good assessment will identify whether intervention is actually needed. When parents take action, the worst that might happen is that a child receives some extra help with reading that might not have been crucial for successful development. When parents provide intervention that truly is needed, then children who would have otherwise struggled in school, feeling inadequate in their ability to succeed, will have been given a chance to excel and to spend their school years walking in their full potential.

Please contact us to discuss how Abba’s Child Learning Center can help your child.

Helping Your Child Succeed

If your child is struggling in school, you are probably already doing many of the things on this list, plus others that we didn’t include. On the other hand, there may be things that you have tried, but were disappointed with the results. All of the suggestions provided here are valuable approaches, but there is not one approach that is the “silver bullet” to immediately solve problems confronting your family. An approach that had very limited benefit in isolation, may be an important part of an overall program that brings success.

Express Love

Even the toughest challenges are easier to take on if we know that we’re loved unconditionally – no matter how well we do with those challenges.

Express Belief in Your Child

A child who has been struggling academically often develops a negative self-image. You can help by pointing out your child’s positive qualities to them, and by providing opportunities to excel in areas of strength. Take advantage of every opportunity to compliment your child for things done well.

Stay Positive

If your child has developed negative attitude and behaviors, it will be necessary to set appropriate limits. But remember, you can’t build a positive attitude with negative feedback. For every correction that is necessary, find two positive things to say about your child.

Celebrate Small Steps

If your child is functioning far below grade level, it may take months to reach grade level. Don’t wait until then to celebrate. Every step in the right direction is worth celebrating. And every celebration builds motivation, enthusiasm, and hope.

Facilitate Homework

Your child needs to know that you think homework is valuable. Express interest in what is being learned. Provide a quiet, comfortable place to work, with good light and minimal distractions. Be available to help when needed (but don’t take over). Look for opportunities to validate good efforts and accomplishments.

Have Special Time Together

At bedtime, or some other convenient time, cuddle up with your child for special sharing - talk about dreams, hopes, questions, and fears; read or tell stories; sing songs; pray together.

Read Aloud Together

This is one of the very best things you can do to advance your child’s education. Take turns reading to each other. When you read, read with animation. Make it a fun activity together.

Encourage Exercise

Active play and sports are good for your child’s body and mind. Especially with high-energy children, providing opportunities for lively activity before studying and during breaks can make study time much more productive, and less tense for you both. Activities that increase physical coordination can actually improve academic performance. And if your child is talented athletically, physical activity time can also enhance self-esteem and build a positive attitude.

Limit Television and Video Games

Learning requires active, creative, engaged minds. TV can be emotionally involving, but creates a totally passive mental attitude. Video and computer games require a response, but most do not engage minds creatively. Depending on the child, excessive use of TV and games may produce lethargy or over-activity. And please be vigilant to protect your child from TV programs or games that have an upsetting or confusing effect, either emotionally or morally.

Let Your Child Help You

One of the most effective means of building your child’s self-esteem and sense of capability is to provide an opportunity to help you with something that you are doing. Be on the look-out for situations in which your child can make a contribution, even if it is a small one. Be patient and encouraging, and express your appreciation of any efforts that are made.

Play Together

As adults, we demonstrate love by doing things for our children. But children experience our love when we enter into their world. Take time to play with your child. Laugh. Have fun. Your child will be happier, feel more loved, and be more able to engage life with a positive attitude.

Provide Healthy Foods

Children who come to school hungry are less able to learn. Likewise, children who eat a diet loaded with sugar and refined foods are often troubled by excessive physical activity and poor concentration, as well as general health problems. If your child already has learning difficulties, please don’t make the challenges harder with a poor diet. Help your child gradually to develop a taste for fresh fruits and vegetables and for nuts and dried fruit, instead of sugary and fatty snacks. Eliminate soft drinks. And be sure to provide a healthy breakfast to start the day right.

Provide Plenty of Sleep

Tired children are not able to take advantage of the learning opportunities provided to them. They are also more likely to get sick. Depending on the age and physical characteristics of your particular child, a good weeknight bedtime is between 7:00 and 9:00 PM.

Provide Stability and Peace at Home

We all have unavoidable challenges and stresses in our lives. It’s important to remember that children are particularly affected by these experiences. Children are keen observers, but generally are poor interpreters. They often have an unrealistic sense of responsibility and guilt over the problems facing their families. A child that is carrying an emotional burden has less energy available for learning. Whenever possible, protect your child from unnecessary emotional upsets. When that is not possible, provide a chance to talk about feelings and to receive comfort. For some situations, professional counseling can be most helpful. In all life’s challenges, sharing your own faith and providing spiritual encouragement can be a great help for your child. If you need help yourself, talk to a counselor, pastor, or trusted friend. The help you get for yourself is often one of the best things you can do for your child.

Please contact us if you have questions or want more information about any of the ideas presented. We’d love to talk with you about how you can help your child be more successful and happy.

Abba’s Child Learning Center: Released to Learn, Equipped for Life