Why School Textbooks are Incomprehensible Here you sit at the kitchen table with your 6th grade student trying to do a math assignment. If you are lucky, he has brought home his math textbook. Consider yourself lucky, in one way, because many schools no longer allow kids to bring home textbooks. The dog eats too many of them and textbooksContinue reading “Why School Textbooks are Incomprehensible”
An Indication of What your Child Experiences on the First Day of School Below is one of the most telling statements that can be made about the current state of education: Nothing prepares you for that first day. I can still remember calling my wife during my lunch break (heyâ¦I taught in California thenâ¦breaks were mandated) almost in tearsâ¦saying âI have absolutely NO idea what I am doingâ.Continue reading “An Indication of What your Child Experiences on the First Day of School”
Report: The Economic Impact of Illiteracy on North American Society The Good News Some of us are doing okay. 65% of the kids are at or close to grade level. 50% of secondary school graduates enter post-secondary programs.* College & university graduates earn 33% more than non-graduates. The Cost English speaking North America (Canada and the U.S.A.) spends 500 billion per year on education.***
Ending the Crisis of Illiteracy – What Almost 50 Years in the Special Education Trenches has Taught Me The Crisis of Illiteracy is Real As of today, 15,000,000 school-aged children across North America are behind in literacy skills. 25% of Americans cannot decode words at a Grade 8 level. One-third of North Americans have never read a single book. Almost 50% of North Americans cannot understand information written at a Grade 8 level.Continue reading “Ending the Crisis of Illiteracy – What Almost 50 Years in the Special Education Trenches has Taught Me”
An Alternative to Teacher-Generated âLesson Plansâ Our garage is full of saved teacher materials. They were lesson plans devised by Lynne, my partner, for her elementary school core French classes. There are lessons, games, tests; all manner of instructional materials. When Madame, as she was lovingly known by her students, retired, a new French program was being introduced and no-one wasContinue reading “An Alternative to Teacher-Generated âLesson Plansâ”
Why Teacher-Generated âLesson Plansâ are Dangerous Many times, when a parent attends a teacher interview, the classroom teacher will describe for the parents what s/he intends to teach in a particular subject during this semester. These instructional strategies are often tied into themes that might last for a period of time or that might be related to a specific event. ThemesContinue reading “Why Teacher-Generated âLesson Plansâ are Dangerous”
University of Ottawa Research Lauds the Maloney Method’s Effectiveness for Tutors Researchers at the University of Ottawa recently submitted their conclusions from the RESPs for Kids in Care project. This project studied the effectiveness of using the Maloney Method as a tool for tutoring foster children. Read more to find out their conclusions.
Case Study: Helping Autism Therapists Dr. Joel Hundert is one of the founders of the Behavior Institute (the other is his wife, Dr. Nicole Walton-Allen), a faculty member at McMaster University and author of Inclusion of Students with Autism: Using ABA-based and school-based supports in General Education. His company has provided in-home services to children on the autism spectrum for the pastContinue reading “Case Study: Helping Autism Therapists”
