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 some may think that knowledge and comprehension are interchangeable, in fact, they are distinct and work together in a sequence.  First we must comprehend information, and then it is stored as knowledge.  When we access knowledge from long-term memory,it is comprehended again when that information is used to understand something new. But what exactly is knowledge and comprehension? Knowledge Vs. Comprehension: Knowledge is the stored, conscious, and accessible information/memories in the brain. Knowledge is not stored in just one part of the brain, but is widely distributed throughout the cortex. Research suggests that there are 4 types of knowledge:...

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...

You can create your own overlays by using whole sheets or cutting strips of transparent, colored report covers, dividers or overhead projector film. DIY Color Overlays Step one: Buy a variety of colorful transparent sheets. You can use - color, transparency film color, transparent report covers (plastic) color, transparent dividers (plastic) All of these options can be found at office supply stores.   Step two: Everyone is different. Let your students try out the different colors and see which one they like the best.   Step three: For some students, keep whole sheets so that students have the option of...

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...