Good Sensory Learning Blog

I’m so pleased to announce my seventh Go Dyslexia video podcast: Rapid Automatic Naming and Multisensory Methods with Guest Dr. Michael Hart and Host Dr. Erica Warren. This blog shares my most recent video podcast, featuring dyslexia expert and advocate, Dr. Michael Hart. Dr. Hart is a child psychologist and dyslexia expert who offers 25 years of experience in parent and teacher training, educational technology, learning differences, and diagnostic assessments. He is the founder/owner of www.doctormichaelhart.com and is currently providing online webinars and courses that focus on dyslexia. This is the seventh of many free video podcasts for Go Dyslexia!  During the...

Many students struggle with the concepts of main ideas and supporting details.  What’s more, many often find the instruction and activities associated with these abstract ideas to be boring. Why is it Important for Students to Master Main Ideas and Details? Main ideas and details are a foundational approach to organizing information, and it is commonly used to help students navigate textbooks, arrange their written language and prepare presentations and discussions.  It is a orderly formula to learning that makes it easier for students to encode the learning content. How Can Main Idea and Supporting Details Instruction Be Fun and Memorable? I offer a main idea...

Many know of the four common ways of learning: visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic. But did you know that students need to be exposed to even more ways of processing information too? Going multisensory is essential these days and presenting instruction that teaches to all 12 ways of processing, as described in the Student Processing Approach, can help prepare your students for a successful future of life long learning. The other 8 ways of learning include: 1) Sequential Learning: teach students how to order information alphabetically or numerically. Teach with timelines, successive instructions, outlines, and keep materials organized. 2) Simultaneous...

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects written language: spelling, capturing ideas on paper, visual-spatial skills, and fine motor skills such as handwriting. Different terms are used to describe these difficulties. In fact, the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) doesn’t use the term dysgraphia but uses the phrase “an impairment in written expression” which is under the category of “specific learning disorder.” What are the Signs of Dysgraphia or Impairment in Written Expression? Handwriting is Messy or illegible  Covered in cross-outs and erased text Burdened with improper spacing between letters and words Hindered with oversized...

Audiobooks are wonderful learning options that make reading accessible to students with a variety of learning preferences as well as disabilities.  For some time, they have been available at a cost on sites like Audible.com where books are read by actors or authors.  However, they are often a costly choice that many can not afford.   Luckily, free options on sites like Project Gutenberg and others are wonderful, but sadly they only offer audiobooks that are in the public domain.  What about individuals with visual impairments, physical disabilities and learning disabilities that impact reading? Are there any options for this population of learners?   Audiobooks for Individuals...