Good Sensory Learning Blog

With the holiday season almost upon us, finding fun and beneficial educational materials can be key for keeping students with dyslexia busy over the break. What's more, you can continue to use these activities throughout the year to help remediate areas of difficulty. Games can be one of the best ways to help these kids, especially because struggling learners won't even know that their brains are hard at work! Holiday Gift: One of my favorite games, Puppy Party, helps students to master the short vowels sounds and is great for any Orton-Gillingham or phonics-based reading program. Click here to get your...

Although many people use the terms knowledge and comprehension interchangeably, they actually represent two distinct—yet interconnected—cognitive processes. Comprehension is the act of understanding new information, while knowledge is the lasting record of that understanding stored in long-term memory. First, we must comprehend information before it can be encoded as knowledge. Later, when we retrieve that knowledge to make sense of new ideas, we engage comprehension once again—creating a continuous cycle of learning and meaning-making. But what exactly do we mean by knowledge and comprehension? Knowledge vs. Comprehension Although closely related, knowledge and comprehension represent different levels of understanding within the...

Serving the needs of struggling math students can be challenging, and giving them the assistive technology tools for independent learning is vital. This week, I’m excited about sharing my two favorite, free math apps that can really change the playing field for students with ADHD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, as well as those with graphomotor, visual processing, and spatial difficulties. Photomath: This FREE Android App and IOS App will knock your socks off! Open up Photomath in your smartphone or tablet, take a picture of a math problem, and Photomath will quickly provide the answer. Press the red arrow, and Photomath will display...

Color overlays can make a world of difference for students who struggle with visual stress, tracking difficulties, or glare while reading. These transparent sheets gently change the background color of a page, helping the eyes relax and improving focus, fluency, and comfort. The best part? You don’t need to buy expensive sets to get started! With just a few materials—like transparent report covers, plastic dividers, or overhead projector film—you can easily create your own customized color overlays at home or in the classroom. Whether you use full sheets or cut them into strips, these DIY tools can help students find...

Affirmations are phrases that foster a positive mental attitude and self-empowerment.  They are words that can be said aloud or written around a room to inspire students, and they can become inner mantras that learners can use to support and encourage themselves.  Affirmations are extremely important, as we live in an academic culture that typically points out what students are doing wrong.  Therefore, integrating positive thoughts and words can counteract any feelings of discouragement, thus helping students step into their best academic selves. Why Are Positive Affirmation Important for Learning? When students are bombarded with negative comments and returned assignments...