The Gift of Independence

During this season of gift-giving, why not give your son or daughter the gift of independence?  We all know that we should be teaching our children skills to become independent, but the holidays lend themselves perfectly to these lessons.  Make it fun now and it should become profitable in the long run.  I think back to parents I know who never taught these necessary skills to their kids, and when it was time to go to college, they scrambled to teach them the art of cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and doing laundry.  Or they just hoped that their children would eventually learn through others.  I think it would be more rewarding to teach these skills through fun activities.

If buying gifts for family and friends are part of your tradition, then this is the time to teach budgeting and the value of money.  If your child already receives an allowance, then suggest that they buy gifts with their savings, but you must sit down with them to plan this out.  Budgets, saving plans, and how much an item is worth can carry over into birthday gifts, graduation gifts for friends, and later into saving and buying their own clothes and personal items.  By the time your child is ready to go off to college, he should be able to use his money more wisely for those extras that all college students want for their dorm rooms, times to eat out, activities he participates in, and general spending.

If making gifts is more your tradition, then this could be the time to teach sewing and ironing.  Sewing on buttons, making a seam or a hem, or making a small patch are valuable skills.  Unfortunately when not attached to some fun activity, these skills appear boring and are therefore overlooked.  When your child goes off to college, he may be more likely to repair his own clothing item rather than pass it to a roommate that has these skills or to throw out or stop wearing a perfectly good clothing item. Ironing, another boring task, when applied to a homemade gift, is another skill that can be the difference between looking disheveled or professional. 

Most children love to bake cookies and other sweet treats.  Think of all the valuable lessons that can be taught for future independent living!  This is a good time to teach basic cooking skills like sautéing and pureeing, or the differences between dough and batter, beating and blending, dicing, mincing and chopping, or identifying the various types of flours, sugars, and chocolates.  Then there are all the measuring skills including how to divide or double a recipe.  The list is endless and could be daunting, but if you are teaching through the idea of giving a gift to proud grandparents, grateful friends, or delighted acquaintances, the chore is so much more fun.  When your child is ready to go off to college and later live in his own apartment, he may rely less on frozen TV dinners, take-out pizza, and junk foods.

Setting the table for guests can be more fun than the mundane family dinner, though children should be doing that too.  If you are serving wine to your guests, this is a good time to teach the differences between wines, champagnes, ports, and liqueurs.  Choosing the silverware and puzzling through the place settings can be a challenge, but when preparing for holiday guests, can be both fun and educational.  Later on when your child is seeking a job and may go to dinner with the boss, he will have to know which fork to use and when, and what type of wine to order with dinner. 

We rely on schools to teach the academics, but it is parents that teach most life skills.  It’s so much more fun to learn through fun activities that bring joy to others.  Happy holidays!  When the baking, cooking, cleaning, and gift-making is over for this year and you are ready to think about the college search, I’m happy to help you in this next step toward independence. Contact me through my website at www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com.

 

Taking A Break Could Bring Better Results

Parents can be fearful of allowing their child to take time off from school, before attending college.  I was one such parent.  My daughter took a semester abroad in 11^th grade and had one of the best learning and living experiences of her young life.  Her quote to me, at the end of this experience, was “ it was so great to hear of all the things I should try, instead of all the things I shouldn’t do because I might get hurt (physically and mentally).  We learned to push ourselves, take risks, and deal with the consequences, whether good or bad.” 

Of course I was thrilled that my daughter had an “awesome” experience, but she now needed to get back into the routine of school and preparation for the college process.  Some students struggle all through their K-12 experience, so by the time graduation comes around, they are burnt out.  My daughter struggled in middle school and high school, with depression and anxiety (later diagnosed as ADHD), and despite the respite abroad, where learning was hands-on, field trips rounded out the curriculum, and in-depth discussions were the norm, she was still burnt out by the end of high school. 

For me the thought of a gap-year was barely plausible.  First, I knew next to nothing about structured gap-years.  Then there was the age-old fear that if she took time off, she may never go to college, and all of us (she included) knew this was the path she needed to take.  No one at her school made any suggestions about alternatives to college. Everyone saw her potential and pushed for the 4-year experience.  We did the usual college search, visited campuses, made the applications, agonized during the waiting-period for acceptances, and then she chose a college.  We supported her choice and she was on her way.

Unfortunately, this bright young woman dropped out of college after 2 ½ years.  She was unable to keep up the pace, get herself organized, juggle all the assignments, and still enjoy a social experience.  She was doing all the right things- using tutors, going to professors for help, studying, writing papers, turning in assignments, and attending classes.  Yet the anxiety of trying to do it all was too much for her.  She started by withdrawing from classes for which she felt ill prepared.  Then she signed up for the lightest load possible.  Later, with our encouragement, she chose to attend college part-time, so she could work part-time too.  She said that working made her feel successful, where school did not.  She said she needed a balance.  Finally, after two and a half years she dropped out altogether and worked full time. 

In my practice, I have met many students like my daughter.  Some have learning disabilities and are struggling to keep up and maintain good grades.  Others have typical characteristics of ADHD and are unable to keep up and maintain good grades.  Still others have physical disabilities, mental illnesses, or even undiagnosed problems that keep them from reaching their full potential.  They are so burnt out by the end of 12^th grade that the thought of college is overwhelming.  Many scenarios follow. Despite the burnt out feeling, many students follow the normal flow along with their peers who will be attending college the following fall.  Sometimes these same students drop out or fail out after the first semester.  Some will make it through a year of college with poor grades.  Others will make the grades, but suffer with depression, anxiety, or physical ailments. And some students, who do not get into their desired college, may go to a community college or find employment before starting the reapplication process.

The gap-year could prevent some of these scenarios. If a student is not ready for college, it is a waste of money to force them to go.  Likewise, if they are not willing to make a commitment to more classes and study time, then they should pursue other opportunities until they are ready to decide between college, other post-secondary models, employment, or a combination of these. Many other countries require their high school graduates to participate in service to their country before attending college, so the idea of a gap-year is not unusual in these locales. 

Some colleges consider gap-year students to be more mature and motivated, because they have a better perspective about themselves and the accomplishments that they would like to achieve.  The benefits of a gap-year are many: a chance to explore career interests, an opportunity to learn about other cultures by traveling to foreign countries, increased self-esteem and self-confidence, application of strengths that may have been hidden in a traditional classroom, using talents in new environments, increased leadership skills, reassessment of values and, improved self-discipline and responsibility, or resume-building for future employment.  Besides these general benefits, students who are burnt out from struggling through school, have a chance to be become rejuvenated and to rediscover strengths and talents that have been suppressed.

My daughter took her gap-year, after dropping out of college.  She worked full-time and volunteered as a youth advisor.  Since she already had learned skills from working part-time, I think she learned many additional skills as a youth advisor.  She became more skilled in negotiation and more secure in speaking with parents. She learned how to navigate through emergency situations, access resources to help the adolescents she was advising, and juggle time. She realized her strengths in problem solving, patience, perseverance, and an innate perception of others’ needs and feelings.  In general, she gained the self-confidence that she needed to go back to school in order to realize her dream of becoming a social worker.  My only regret is that I could have overcome my own fears, and offered her time off to rejuvenate. Though she was resilient to her own failures, a gap-year would have allowed her to regain this confidence before college.

Well known organizations, such as AmeriCorps, City Year, Habitat for Humanity, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), AFS Intercultural Programs, Volunteers for Peace, and Outward Bound, to name a few, provide gap-year experiences for graduating high school students.  Some are study-abroad programs, local internships, community service, or travel explorations. If you want to know more about these opportunities or would like to talk about the value of a gap-year, contact me at www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com.

What Should I Write About?

A typical question that I get from many clients about the college essay is “what should I write about?”  The next question is “should I tell them that I have a learning disability?”  Both questions are important and both are connected.

The second question is the one I always answer first.  Unless you feel that your learning disability defines who you are, then the answer is “no”.  Colleges are looking for what makes you tick, what your interests and passions are about, and how you will fit into their community.  During the high school years, students are active in social organizations, community service, sports, and academic clubs, both in school and in the wider community.  Many have traveled as part of a church or youth group, on school-sponsored trips, or with their families. One or several of these experiences could help define who the student is as a person, what he wants to pursue, how he sees the future, how he wants to fit in, or who he wants to emulate.  Somewhere along the years, the student finds a passion for a subject, a hobby, or an activity.  This is what colleges want to know about.

Now, some students struggle through school all their lives and never seem to know why, then suddenly in high school they find a reason, sometimes based on psycho-educational testing, an appointment with an educational coach, or a life threatening illness.  Some discover that they have a learning disability, suffer from a mental illness, or have a learning style difference that impacts their learning. If this discovery brings a sigh of relief, awakens an epiphany, or liberates a new self-awareness, then I may agree that an essay could be the place to explain these new feelings, how it defines the student, and how it will propel him into the future.

For the average student, who has had a learning disability all his life, typically there are better topics for the college essay. But this does not mean that the disability hasn’t had some negative impact that colleges wouldn’t notice.  Sometimes there is a significant discrepancy between the GPA and the SAT/ACT scores. For some students with a learning disability, homework usurps all free time, in order to keep their GPA up, so they never engage in extra-curricular activities, something colleges look for.  In these and similar situations, the inconsistencies need to be explained, but not in the college essay.  Most college applications have a section for a personal statement or additional information, and this is often the place to explain the disability.

However, a student should be cognizant not undersell himself.  He should briefly state the type of disability and how it has impacted him. Next, he could highlight all his strengths and how they would be an asset to the college, or expound on how he has overcome his learning obstacles, or is motivated to move into a specific area of study.  Students must talk from an affirmative position; don’t make excuses for bad grades, poor scores, or lack of participation in activities, and market the positive characteristics of his persona that would impress the college admission representatives.

Self-Avocacy Opens Doors

More and more students with learning disabilities are attending college; however many of these students are not performing as well as their non-disabled peers.  Why? According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, completed in 2009, fifty-five percent of postsecondary students who were identified by their secondary schools as having a disability did not consider themselves to have a disability by the time they transitioned to postsecondary school. Thirty-seven percent of postsecondary students with disabilities identified themselves as having a disability and informed their postsecondary schools of their disability. Twenty-four percent of postsecondary students who were identified as having a disability by their secondary schools were reported to receive accommodations or supports from their postsecondary schools because of their disability. In contrast, when these postsecondary students were in high school, 84 percent received some type of accommodation or support because of a disability.

What happened here? Why are students thinking they no longer have a disability, when it has impacted their education all through school?  Why are they no longer getting accommodations?  Why are they lagging behind their non-disabled peers? Where is the disconnect?  I believe that many students with disabilities have not learned the steps to self-determination and self-advocacy.  I think back to many students I have mentored over the years and remember some of their statements:  “When I get to college, I won’t need any accommodations”; “I’ll have lots of down time in college and will have more time to study, so I won’t need those accommodations”; “I don’t want anyone to know that I have a reading problem and since I’ll have more time, I’ll be able to manage”, and many other similar comments.  These were bright and often gifted students, with good work ethics, taking advantage of every tutoring session, test review, or opportunity to work with a study partner.

For many of these students, it was their parents and teachers who made sure everything was in place for academic accommodations or social opportunities. They were the recipients of many hours of discussion about their progress, drafts and rewrites of IEPS and 504 Plans, and phone calls about when, where, and why they needed each service. Some never had to ask for an accommodation, because somehow it “just happened”.  Or if it didn’t happen, the student was embarrassed to tell someone they needed it, or didn’t know who or how to ask, or decided that it was easier to do without than risk a sour grimace or gesture by a disgruntled educator or peers who “didn’t get it”.  

So with college on the horizon, it certainly seems easier to “forget” about the learning disability and its implications, and think that things will just be “okay”.  Unfortunately, despite being bright, capable students, many don’t make it in college, because they lack the tools of self-determination and self-advocacy.  This could be true for students without disabilities too, but is more apparent for students with disabilities, as evidenced in the NLTS-2.

So what do we do about all of this?  As parents, we work harder to instill and teach skills to promote self-determination and self-advocacy.  We listen to our children, engage them in thoughtful conversations, give them opportunities to speak for and about themselves, push them to do things for themselves, allow them to be proactive instead of reactive, encourage them to ask questions and expect a reasonable answer, provide constructive criticism and teach them ways to accept it, tell them we are proud of their accomplishments, and all the other parental guidance we can provide.

As educators, counselors, or educational consultants we can provide them with tools and strategies to become better self-advocates in school.  We should recognize and appreciate their learning styles and help them determine what these are.  Students should be able to explain this to anyone- how they learn, which teacher-style works best for them, how they study best, and which tools can support them. Case managers can encourage students to be key-players in IEP or 504 review meetings. In preparation for college, counselors or case managers can help students rehearse disclosure statements, including what the disability is and how it impacts them in school.  Guidance counselors may know previous students who have been successful in college despite learning disabilities and ask that student to meet with a current high school student about navigating the college scene.  Teachers and students can develop timelines together to help with time management of assignments or projects.

The key component here is to teach students the skills they will need to be comfortable with their abilities and to ask for help when needed.  In college, this translates to disclosing the disability to the Disability Support Services office in order to get the needed accommodations to enhance the chances of success in classes and/or the dorm settings.  Students need to be able to explain their disability, its functional impact, and the supports that have been helpful in the past.  From there, students will need to be proactive in talking with their professors about the same issues.  None of this will happen, if students never have a chance to practice this in high school.  I hope by the time the next longitudinal study is completed, the percentages of students with learning disabilities succeeding in college will have increased by leaps and bounds.  Give them the tools now to ensure a better future.

Looking Ahead to a New School Year

Labor Day is almost here and school is about to begin again.  A clean slate and a whole new year of challenges, excitement, and anticipation lies ahead.  Most of us recall wanting to return to school that first month to reconnect with friends that we missed over the summer, to hear about the upcoming school events, and feel like we had a new start.  For the student with learning disabilities, ADHD, or any other school struggles, this first month is also filled with feelings of trepidation.  Will her new teachers understand her? Will her classmates accept her?  Will she be able to keep up with the work? 

Just after the final summer adventure, parents need to pull out that IEP or 504 Plan, and review it with their child.  Typically it is the parent who knows about these documents, put the person who needs to understand them the most, is often left in the dark.  Hopefully your child participated in the last IEP review and is comfortable with this process and the resulting document.  If not, start now. There are several parts of the IEP document that every student should be familiar with.

1. The diagnosis: the federal label, the type of disability and its impact on her.
2. The goals and objectives:  what she will be working towards this year.
3. The accommodations: the supports she will need in the classroom to be successful; accommodations may extend to homework and major projects.
4. The level of service: what classes will provide the accommodations; which support teachers she will meet with; where she will go for parts of the day to receive some of the services and/or accommodations; how often she will receive a particular service.

If any part of the IEP is unclear to you or your child, your child should set up a meeting in the first month of school to clarify the parts she does not understand.  This will instill self-advocacy and empower her to become actively engaged in her education.

Often the 504 Plan is developed at the beginning of a school year.  If possible make an appointment with her guidance counselor just before school starts. This will assure her a fresh start, receiving all the benefits of the plan from the start of the year.  She should be familiar with:

1. The diagnosis: the type of disability and its impact on her.
2. The accommodations: the supports she will need in the classroom to be successful; accommodations may extend to homework and major projects.

Giving your child the opportunity to become a self-determined individual will help her become her own self-advocate and ultimately develop into a responsible adult. It will also decrease fears and allow her to look forward to the new year with excitement.

Summer Counts

The countdown to college can start with summer breaks.  Summertime can be used to enhance a transcript or  resume. At any grade level, there are lots of things to do.  College visits and community service could become part of your family vacation.  Before vacation, your child could take a course, find a job or an unpaid internship.  Finding neighborhood projects, like pet-sitting or yard work for the neighbors looks good on a resume.  Rainy days could be used for exploring college websites and taking their virtual tours. 

If your child has never been on a college campus, find some local ones and do a drive-through.  If possible, park in the center of campus, then visit the student union, dining hall, and any classroom buildings that are open.  Try to go while summer school is in session, so if your child is brave enough to approach some students, she can ask questions.  If she is too shy, just looking around at the campus might be enough.  Take time to look at several different types of campuses- a city location with an enclosed campus and another one right on the streets of the city; a suburban campus that may be nestled among residences or one that sits adjacent to a college town; and a rural campus, that is miles away from stores, restaurants, and a larger community.

Some high school students may attend programs on a college campus, during the summer.  Check with the high school counselor or coach to find out what is available.  Many sports camps use the fields and dorms for their programs.  You can find music and arts camps, computer workshops, and so many other organizations using campuses as their summer base. 

Another use of summertime, is to take a course.  Many school systems are cutting back summer school programs, due to poor economic times, but community colleges offer courses all year round.  Have your child look through the catalog for an interesting course. Sometimes it can be accepted by your local high school as credit toward graduation. Talk to your child’s counselor, or better yet let her ask the counselor.  If your school system does offer summer school, let your child take a course that may be more difficult to take during the regular school year.  Having the summer to devote to one hard subject may reduce stress or allow for a lighter load during the school year.

Summer jobs are hard to come by in these tight economic times, but volunteering can be a big payoff.  Some school systems require service-learning and summer is an ideal time to complete this requirement.  Colleges always look for students who give time to the community, so finding a community service project is an ideal summer endeavor.  Creativity in planning her own community service project could promote initiative and leadership skills. Taking on an unpaid internship in an area of interest is another way to spend summer break.  Finding out she likes or doesn’t like a career path may save you and her money and time later on, especially when you are paying for a college education. 

No matter the weather, your financial circumstances, your transportation difficulties, or your availability for your child during the summer months, she can find several ways to use summer as a stepping stone to college.

Opportunities for Students to Enhance their Learning Through Assistive Technology

How tech-savvy is your high school student? He may use various devices to text, play games, listen to the latest beat, and even write school papers.  But is he able to use those same devices to enhance his learning?  Are you familiar with the term “assistive technology”?  A formal definition states that Assistive Technology (AT) is technology that enables people with disabilities to perform tasks that were formerly difficult or impossible to accomplish. In today’s technological world, AT aids in breaking barriers, creating greater independence, and reducing the stigma of learning differently.

Personally, I am not tech-savvy, and what little I truly understand about technology, I have learned from my tech-smart husband.  But one thing he has taught me to be aware of is how technology can make our lives easier.  Even though I resist learning many new things, once I learn them, much of the time, I do find value in using the software program or device.  

I think the same is true for many people my age, but our children are already members of the techno-society.  They are more open to the opportunities that are presented by new techno-devices and software programs.  Unfortunately, too often the software programs and devices that could help students with various learning disabilities are not introduced to them.  Schools may not own or use them, many educators are unaware of what assistive technology is, and too often school systems will not make AT available to students with disabilities, unless educational advocates or lawyers push them.  Though some teachers may introduce students to all kinds of software programs, seldom is the program taught to the point of mastery- it is up to the student to practice with it, until it becomes a regular tool.  An unlikely occurrence for many students. 

So hence this dilemma.  There are many programs and devices that can help students who struggle with reading comprehension, note-taking, written assignments, and general study skills.  Colleges offer most of these programs and devices as part of a support system for students with learning disabilities.  But most students are not familiar with many of them, not having used them in high school.  And unfortunately many students do not want to learn one more new skill as they enter college as freshmen.  So when do students receive the opportunity to discover which AT will work best for them, have time to practice using them, and accept AT as part of their natural repertoire of learning tools? 

If your child attends public school and has an IEP, he or you could start by asking for an Assistive Technology Assessment, to find out which device and/or program could work best for his needs.  Even if they won’t grant him the use of any of the devices, as part of his IEP, you still have a starting point.

If your child attends a private school, he or you could inquire with the Learning Specialist about types of AT they would be willing to provide.  You may be able to find a workshop that will introduce these programs and devices.  Some of the more popular devices and programs worth considering may include Kurzweil Comprehensive Reading and Writing software system, Inspiration Outline Software, Smartpen recording pens, and voice-recognition and text-to-speech programs such as Dragon Naturally Speaking or Mac Dictate. 

In addition to helping you find a good fit college for your child, Ruth Brodsky Consulting, LLC provides an introduction to many of these tools, as part of the company services. Check out the website at www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com, to view all the services offered and to inquire about training in Assistive Technology.

Lesser Known Accommodations for College Entrance Exams

May Blog:

Will your child be taking the SAT or ACT soon? Does she need accommodations?  If so, has she applied for them?  What did she request? 

The most common accommodation requested on either the SAT or ACT is fifty percent extended time.  Students think they need this foremost, in order to finish the test or to reduce the anxiety of thinking they will not finish.  If a student has a reading disability, requiring more time to do the actual reading, then this may be a reasonable accommodation. 

If the student suffers from anxiety or has trouble focusing, there may be other accommodations that would be more helpful.  On the SAT, if a student receives 50% extended time, the average subtest will take 45 minutes, adding 15 minutes to the usual 30 minutes.  According to the College Board, “students with approval for extended time must sit for the entire test. Students cannot continue to a new section if they complete a section before the time ends, and they cannot leave early.”  With 50% extended time, a student would have to sit for 5 hours and 25 minutes, with short breaks between each subtest.  Instead of extended time, a student who has trouble sitting for long periods of time or experiences anxiety may consider requesting an extra break time.  This would allow the student to walk around, eat a snack, do some breathing exercises, and feel more refreshed for the next subtest.  This still extends the day, but not the sitting time, which can often lead to restlessness, a longer time to be unfocused, and/or more anxiety. 

A student with attention problems may also want to request a small group setting to reduce distractions in the testing room.  Students who have trouble focusing due to too many words on a page, may request a larger font test booklet, either 14-point or 20-point font.  If tracking between the test booklet and scantron sheet is a problem, the student may want to request to write in the test booklet or use a large-block answer sheet that does not require bubbling in answers. 

To reduce the amount of time to take the entire test, especially if extended time is granted, a student may request to take the test over multiple days.  This means that the student would take the test at his home base school, instead of a test center.  The school would be required to assign a proctor for the test days and could choose the best time of day for the individual student.  Very few students are granted 100% extended time, but if the documentation supports it, this accommodation would also be used at the home base school and should accompany multiple test days. 

Besides a physical disability, use of the computer for the SAT or ACT must show documentation of a severe language-based learning disability, which includes deficits in reading, processing, and writing.  Generally students who use computers for school-based tests or class work due to poor attention and organization, will request large block test booklets, writing in the test booklet, and/or large block answer sheets. 

All accommodations requested for SAT and ACT, must be documented in a psycho-educational report which states the disability and the impact it has on learning.  This documentation should be submitted to the College Board or ACT well in advance of the test date, usually a minimum of seven weeks.  Check the College Board and ACT websites for exact criteria regarding accommodation requests.  If your school cannot help you with this process, contact Ruth Brodsky at Ruth Brodsky Consulting.  Ruth has had much experience submitting this documentation on the behalf of high school students, and will be able to advise you on the best and easiest ways to tackle this task.  

Extended Time: When it Can Help and Hinder

The most commonly requested accommodation on IEPs, 504 Plans, and college board exams is extended time. Psychologists, who evaluate students, will often list extended time as a school and college board recommendation, for students who have slow processing, anxiety issues, focusing problems, or are disorganized. Students ask for it regularly, thinking it will help them obtain a better grade on a test, because it lessens the anxiety of running out of time.  But does it really help?

Some students work straight through the test, using no test-taking strategies. Others finish long before the extended time is up and do not use any test-taking strategies. Some report that they ask for extended time “just in case” they might need it. And still others are able to effectively use it with efficient test-taking strategies.

Students who are slow readers, due to processing problems might need the extra time to complete a test.  They may or may not use test-taking strategies, because they need the entire time just to finish the test. In school, some of these students might be better served by an alternate test format, such as a combination of written and oral responses, or reduced writing, or reduced items on the test.  By using alternate formats the student can practice using good test-taking strategies on the written format, rather than feeling pressed to use the whole time just to finish. 

Students with ADHD or executive functioning problems can be hampered by extended time, because it just adds more time to being unfocused, disorganized, and worried. In school, students complete the test and turn it in, using as much or as little of the extended time as needed. These students would benefit highly from using test-taking strategies, so that the time becomes quality-time and not just quantity-time.  In addition, extended time could allow them more time to take mini-breaks from looking at the test.  Taking their eyes off the paper, getting out of their seat or walking out of the room momentarily, could help them focus more when they restart. 

The use of extended time is enhanced by the use of test-taking strategies.  Before students even start a test, they read through the entire test to see what is required.  They may then decide to do the easiest items first, so they can spend more time on the harder items.  Some students may bring a highlighter or colored pen, to emphasize the directions, key words, or items that they want to skip and come back to.  Others may take note of the test formats, then designate a time limit for each type, according to what they need to spend more or less time on. Still others may complete the entire test, then take time to proofread, making sure they followed directions, filled in all the blanks, or didn’t skip any items.  Students with tracking problems or distracted by too much writing on a page, may need to fold the test into halves or quarters.  Whatever the test-taking strategy is, extended time may give students more opportunity to use them and therefore be more successful. 

Using extended time on school tests does not necessarily mean the student should use it on the college board tests (SAT or ACT).  The format of such tests, does not allow for typical test-taking strategies, such as highlighting or underlining. For students who are slow readers, due to processing problems, having the extra time will allow them to work straight through to the end.  For those students with attention problems, extended time can become interminable, as they must sit in their seat for the entire length of the extension.  They can’t leave when they are finished, nor can they get up from their seats to take a break.  The typical time for a subtest is 45 minutes.  With 50% extended time, which is the typical amount granted, this extends the time to just over one hour, sitting the entire time.  For students who have difficulty focusing, they may be better served using the regular amount of time, but take extended breaks between subtests, in which they can eat a protein snack and walk around for a while.  This is an accommodation on the college board, which is often overlooked. 

Sit with your child and discuss his accommodations in school.  Find out which ones are really helpful and why.  Your child may want to have a discussion with each teacher to decide which accommodation works best in that class.  Tune in next month, when I will discuss the various options of accommodations on the SAT and ACT.

The Learning Style Debate

According to a published report in a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, new research debunks the existence of learning styles. The December 2009 report claims that earlier studies have not used the type of scientific research designs that would make previous findings credible.  Part of their conclusion to this study, states that educational institutions have wasted limited educational resources to push learning styles theories. 

Since the publication of the journal article, some teachers have publicly come forth to challenge the research. Teachers, whose classrooms are living laboratories of experimental teaching methods, changing pedagogies, and individual human differences, face the daily needs of their students.  A knowledgeable teacher will use different methods of presenting material and find the best way to teach each student. 

I am one of those educators who say that students often do learn differently from their peers and it is my responsibility to learn how each of my students gains the knowledge that they need to have.  But equally important, especially for the adolescent student, is for the student to understand how he learns. As a previous special educator in the public schools and learning specialist in a private school, I find that students usually can tell you how they learn best.  Now I don’t mean that if you ask the question “How do you learn best?” or “What is your learning style?” that a student will come out with a pat answer.  But if I ask a series of questions about how they study, how they take notes, how they attain information from a lecture, etc, I will eventually get a series of answers that point to a combination of learning styles for a particular student.  Once the information is gleaned, then a good teacher, tutor, or mentor can help the student find more appropriate and successful ways of studying. 

For example, if a student tells me that he doesn’t understand the diagrams or formulas the teacher writes on the board, I ask what would help him comprehend them.  One student may tell me that when the teacher orally explains it step by step, he gets it, but when he goes home to study it, he is lost.  So then I may suggest a series of ideas:  ask the teacher to write out the steps so the student can read them aloud step by step, in order to comprehend.  Or ask the teacher to tape record the steps in a formula, so the student can listen to it at home, while studying.  Ultimately the student will have to find a way to comprehend by self-talking through the diagram or formula.

Another student might tell me, that he only understands the diagram or formula, if he has a model in front of him, or labels on the diagram, or a list of step-by-step how-tos.  Then I may suggest to the student to obtain a list from the teacher, in order to check off each step as he completes the formula.  Or have the teacher provide a model with labels, so the student can memorize or locate each item, then one by one map it out on the blank diagram. 

Some students need a combination of visual and auditory prompts, so I may combine suggestions for students to try.  If the student needs movement while he studies, I may suggest pacing back and forth, walking on a treadmill, or riding a stationary bike, as he recites, reads, or memorizes.  Another student, who needs touch as a stimulus for learning, may benefit from typing out the steps of a formula, or pointing to parts of a diagram, as he recites the labels. 

Teachers teach in their own comfort level with subject matter and own style of teaching.  As individuals, students learn in their own comfort zones.  Let’s help them reach their highest potential, by asking, probing, and challenging them to know their own style of learning and challenging us to teach them in as many ways possible.

Students Tour College Campuses in Their Pajamas

Are you snowed in? Getting Bored? Tired of watching TV or playing video games? Nowhere to go?

How about going on a college tour?  Many colleges have terrific websites with virtual tours, showing off the campus. Some also have interactive tours, with students who tell you “like it is”.  Check them out.  Are you interested in what the students on a particular campus think about the college?  Some websites have student opinions about professors, the dining hall food, courses, dorms, social life on campus, and lots of other topics.  Read the campus news to find out what’s happening on campus.  How active are students, professors, and other staff at the college?  How does each college connect to the local neighborhood or the global community?  What speakers came to campus this year and who is coming this spring?  What are the “hot” social events this year?

Maybe you’d rather check out student opinions and reviews on a more objective site.  Go to http://www.studentsreview.com or http://www.unigo.com to see what students are saying about their college.  Students will tell you the real deal about their college, with both positive and negative comments. 

When the buds reappear on the trees and the ice and snow finally melts, you’ll already have a list of colleges that you want to know more about. You can visit your guidance counselor with your list, prepared to continue the college search.  Maybe you and your family prefer more individual attention or have special needs that a guidance counselor is unable to help with.  In that case, check out Ruth Brodsky Consulting at www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com, for customized assistance in the winding maze of the college search.  In the meantime, stay in your pjs, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, and take a cross-country tour of numerous colleges.

Practical Study Skills

Most of us believe that good study skills can help a student become more successful in school. As a result of this belief, there are an abundance of courses taught by tutoring agencies, educational organizations, and schools that teach study skills as a separate subject.  The courses are often aimed at keeping students organized, improving their abilities to study and take tests, acquiring effective reading strategies, and practicing good time management. 

The problem with most of these well-intentioned courses is that they are not always practical for individual learning styles, not practiced on a daily basis and seldom linked to a current curriculum.  Ideally, study skills should be taught within the context of each class a student takes in school.  Unfortunately, these skills are often left untaught, or reviewed so quickly that the students do not have a chance to practice them or relate them to specific subject areas.  If study skills are not used on a daily basis and are not relevant to the subject area, then they will not become automatic and practical. 

Certainly parents can encourage their children from the early grades to study in a quiet, well-lit location, keeping necessary supplies organized and easily accessible.  Parents can also help their children organize their notebooks so they can easily locate assignments to be turned in or used for future assignments.  Many parents help their children prepare for tests, research papers, gather materials for and design projects, or proofread and edit writing assignments.  These are necessary and functional tasks to teach children to become better students, but this is just the beginning of learning practical study skills.

Colleges find that incoming freshman are often lacking good study skills and therefore offer their own classes to encourage students to become better students.  But these skills need to be instilled long before college and parents are not always equipped to teach the necessary skills, not to mention that children often will rebel against parental suggestions. 

Good study skills should be practical, used on a daily basis, and linked to a curriculum.  So if the skills are not taught in school and the commercial courses offered to the general public are not aimed at the individual, how will students learn these skills?  I suggest a good tutor, who will teach study skills that fit a student’s learning style and can be linked to the school’s curriculum.  Therefore the tutor will have to communicate with the student’s teachers, have current textbooks available, understand which skills will be most effective with various learning styles, and encourage the student to use specific skills on a regular basis.

Study skills necessary for a successful student should include note taking from various sources; time management of homework and long-term assignments; keeping a calendar of events, long-term assignments, and tests; test preparation; test-taking strategies; visual organizations, such as outlining; memory techniques; and systems for reading texts and novels.

Check out the website (www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com) for Ruth Brodsky Consulting.  You will find a list of reputable tutors, who have expertise in specific subject areas, but also teach study skills in connection with the student’s curriculum, learning style, and will reinforce them until they become part of the student’s repertoire. 

Including the Key Player: the Student

January is often the start of Annual IEP reviews in the public school systems.  Students who are in 5^th grade and above should be part of this process.  Even though the student is the key player, he is often the one left out.  First, he should be invited to the Annual Review IEP meeting, along with his parents and the professionals who support him at school.  Ideally, the middle or high school student should be the one who is inviting the participants.  Though federal mandates have forms that must be sent out to parents, the student could build his self-advocacy skills, by going to each teacher and informally inviting them to participate in “his” IEP meeting. 

Second, the student should be an active participant in the IEP meeting.  If the school is not willing to support the student in this process, then parents should be the ones to help the student script questions and/or dialogue for the meeting.  The student could report on his academic progress, including the IEP objectives, what and who is helping him, his plans for continued success or improvement, who or what else he needs to support him, and suggestions for added or deleted goals on the IEP.

IEP involvement can increase self-advocacy skills, self-esteem, and self-confidence.  With increased level of participation each year, by high school the student should be leading his own IEP meeting.  This will be a stepping stone to becoming a confident self-advocate in college, employment, and the social realm.  Teaching and practicing self-advocacy is one of the services offered by Ruth Brodsky Consulting, as part of the college search process. Check out the website at www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com.