Good Sensory Learning Blog

Many students have difficulties reading text from left to right and from line to line. Although some outgrow this difficulty, other's need extra help to develop this skill.     What Exactly is Tracking? Tracking is the ability to move one's eyes smoothly across the page and from one line of text to another.  Problems can arise such as eye fatigue, word omissions, reversals, losing one's place while reading and most importantly these difficulties can negatively impact reading comprehension.    Tracking can be improved by strengthening eye muscles as well as getting the eyes and brain to work together. There are three...

Although reading disorders were recognized back in the late 1800s, the term dyslexia didn't become a recognized condition until the 1970s-1980s.   Since then, it has received an enormous amount of research and professional-based attention.  However, many educators and clinicians are still mystified about how to best pinpoint the specific needs of each student with dyslexia.   The primary underlying cause of this confusion is the fact that there are many cognitive weaknesses or deficits that can trigger a diagnosis of dyslexia.  So much like a dart board, if service providers continue to aim interventions at the wrong place, they may...

Dear Friends: This is my second post on processing speed. Last week, I addressed the definition, causes, assessment options, and revealed 5 ways that a slow processing speed can impact learning. This week, I discuss 7 power strategies for student success as well as reasonable accommodations in the classroom.  A Quick Review: Processing Speed: The speed at which one makes sense of incoming information from the senses and then generates a response. Tests such as the WISC intelligence test and the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test of Cognitive Ability and Test of Oral Language offer subtests that assess some types of processing...

Over the years, my students have come to sessions seeking help with literary devices, and I have had fun creating a number of resources that you may find  helpful.  What's the Confusion? My students have expressed confusion over the terms: literary devices, literary terms, literary elements and figurative language, and they also struggle with the many definitions.  What are Literary Devices, Literary Terms, Literary Elements and Figurative Language? Literary Devices are creative writing strategies used by an author to convey his or her message(s). When used well, literary devices help readers to visualize, interpret and analyze literary texts. There are two...

It is estimated that up to 10% of the general population struggles with dyslexia. While some studies call that a conservative estimate, many more people of all ages struggle to read and spell. Many parents with dyslexic students or even adults with dyslexia or other learning disabilities find themselves in this situation. They are armed with a label but no real solution and some may feel it means that those with reading and spelling difficulties will never come to love reading and written language. However, with the right help that is almost certainly not the case! There are Many Ways to...