Ask Dr. Ann - DRAFT 1 by Miguel Maldonado

TEmp

“Ask Dr. Ann” by Dr. Ann. K. Schafer

“Ask Dr. Ann” about Basic Skills and Learning

Dr. Ann’s columns were first published in the Sacramento Area Literacy Coalition Newsletter, Sacramento, CA, and in TheWritten Word, CEGA, Inc/. Lincoln, NE.

A Previous Forward Style Dear Readers: When I began the interesting journey of writing a monthly literacy and learning (dis)abilities column in 1993, little did I know it would lead to the present collection you are about to peruse. The columns arose out of my participation on the board of the local Sacramento Area Literacy Coalition, with generous assistance from my good buddy, Dale Cyphert, formerly a fellow board member, now at Penn State. Many thanks to The Written Word for allowing the original column to appear in that nationwide publication. I added the material you see in between articles due to my own personal quotation addiction; they seemed to fit. Appreciation goes to my mother, Bette Herr, a master teacher who often accepts the job of “critic” when I need it (and the deadline is nigh) - she’s both truthful and gentle. My husband, Jim Cress, has unending patience for the long hours I keep, for the piles of books next to the bed, and for sometimes turning the lights out after I am. Allison Sekikawa, Ann Love, June Hebb, and Patricia DiGiorgio all provided cheerful technical assistance and guided the unfolding of this project, at the same time breaking all previous publication speed records. The faculty, staff, and administration at Sacramento City College have either allowed or insisted that I grow and express my talents; for that I’m most grateful. But most of all I thank those students, parents, tutors, and colleagues who have taught me about learning and teaching - they have truly enriched this collection of columns. They carry the future of our literacy efforts. Delightfully, I have heard from almost every state in the country - from Alaska to Florida - from New York to California, and of course, from all over the midwest. Thank you for your kind words. I can tell you there is a veritable army of literacy leaders and learners out there ... ready to do whatever works. Everywhere I go now, my ears are alert for the next “Dr. Ann” question and answer. I am blessed with the opportunity to impart a few of the gems gleaned over the last 25 years or so, thus joining the fields of education and psychology in a meaningful way. It is encouraging to find that there are others like me out there; that is, incredibly curious and wanting solutions. I trust you will find a few tips or pieces of information to your liking. If so, I have succeeded in my goal. If not, then write to me with a challenging question or comment soon. Dr. Ann No hyphenation. No right justification. Extra paragraph space

A Suggested Style for Forward Dear Readers: When I began the interesting journey of writing a monthly literacy and learning (dis)abilities column in 1993, little did I know it would lead to the present collection you are about to peruse. The columns arose out of my participation on the board of the local Sacramento Area Literacy Coalition, with generous assistance from my good buddy, Dale Cyphert, formerly a fellow board member, now at Penn State. Many thanks to The Written Word for allowing the original column to appear in that nationwide publication. I added the material you see in between articles due to my own personal quotation addiction; they seemed to fit. Appreciation goes to my mother, Bette Herr, a master teacher who often accepts the job of “critic” when I need it (and the deadline is nigh) - she’s both truthful and gentle. My husband, Jim Cress, has unending patience for the long hours I keep, for the piles of books next to the bed, and for sometimes turning the lights out after I am. Allison Sekikawa, Ann Love, June Hebb, and Patricia DiGiorgio all provided cheerful technical assistance and guided the unfolding of this project, at the same time breaking all previous publication speed records. The faculty, staff, and administration at Sacramento City College have either allowed or insisted that I grow and express my talents; for that I’m most grateful. But most of all I thank those students, parents, tutors, and colleagues who have taught me about learning and teaching - they have truly enriched this collection of columns. They carry the future of our literacy efforts. Delightfully, I have heard from almost every state in the country - from Alaska to Florida - from New York to California, and of course, from all over the midwest. Thank you for your kind words. I can tell you there is a veritable army of literacy leaders and learners out there ... ready to do whatever works. Everywhere I go now, my ears are alert for the next “Dr. Ann” question and answer. I am blessed with the opportunity to impart a few of the gems gleaned over the last 25 years or so, thus joining the fields of education and psychology in a meaningful way. It is encouraging to find that there are others like me out there; that is, incredibly curious and wanting solutions. I trust you will find a few tips or pieces of information to your liking. If so, I have succeeded in my goal. If not, then write to me with a challenging question or comment soon. Enjoy! Dr. Ann First line indentation narrow. Standard line spacing. Hyphenation is on. Right justification. No extra spacing between paragraphs

Table of Contents

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I. Signs, Symptoms & Solutions

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About mistakes . . .

“The only one who makes no mistakes is one who never does anything.“ Theodore Roosevelt “Error is discipline through which we advance.” William C. Channing “Try to fix the mistake — not the blame” Apples of Gold

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Tuning In To Learning Problems - Original Dear Dr. Ann: I am a new tutor and I have heard that many people don’t learn to read because of learning disabilities. What should I watch for? Unsure of Myself Dear Unsure: Frequent omissions, substitutions, or shifts in sounds are the most common problems of learners with language-type learning disabilities. They might omit sounds and read “steam” for “stream.” Or you could hear the opposite, reading extra sounds that are not there, “clamp” for “clap,” for example. A learner might substitute sounds, spelling “exacterate” instead of “exaggerate.” The repetition of a sound already found in the word is another sign, saying “stastistics” or “alumimum,” rather that saying the word correctly. Finally, a very common sign of students with learning disabilities is the shifting of sounds: “aboard” for “abroad.” These patterns could be present in reading, in spelling, or in oral language in a person with language-area learning disabilities.

Frequent omissions, substitutions, or shifts in sounds are the most common problems of learners with languagetype learning disabilities.

Remember, everyone makes these mistakes sometimes. A new reader should never be labeled “ learning disabled” just because he/she makes a mistake. Frequent and severe errors like these can be a clue to a neurological processing problem of some kind, especially if the learner is intelligent and motivated and has not been successful with standard learning procedures. Dr. Ann 1995 ‘style’. No hyphenation. No right justification. Extra paragraph space

Signs, Symptoms and Solutions – 5

Tuning In To Learning Problems - New style Dear Dr. Ann: I am a new tutor and I have heard that many people don’t learn to read because of learning disabilities. What should I watch for? Unsure of Myself Dear Unsure: Frequent omissions, substitutions, or shifts in sounds are the most common problems of learners with language-type learning disabilities. They might omit sounds and read “steam” for “stream.” Or you could hear the opposite, reading extra sounds that are not there, “clamp” for “clap,” for example. A learner might substitute sounds, spelling “exacterate” instead of “exaggerate.” The repetition of a sound already found in the word is another sign, saying “stastistics” or “aluFrequent omissions, mimum,” rather that saying the word correctly. substitutions, or shifts Finally, a very common sign of students with in sounds are the most learning disabilities is the shifting of sounds: common problems of “aboard” for “abroad.” These patterns could be learners with language present in reading, in spelling, or in oral language type learning disabilities. in a person with language-area learning disabilities. Remember, everyone makes these mistakes sometimes. A new reader should never be labeled “learning disabled” just because he/ she makes a mistake. Frequent and severe errors like these can be a clue to a neurological processing problem of some kind, especially if the learner is intelligent and motivated and has not been successful with standard learning procedures. Dr. Ann

First line indentation narrow (1/8”). Hyphenation is on. Right justification. No extra spacing between paragraphs Reviewing of frame text and main content needs consideration. Following frames have similar content, embeded in the body vs beginning

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About dyslexia . . .

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Signs, Symptoms and Solutions – 9

Demistyfying Dyslexia Dear Dr. Ann: My adult literacy student says he has “dyslexia” and that’s why she’s having trouble learning to read. Should I be teaching her in some special way? Willing to try anything

Dear Willing: Dyslexia is a word confused and abused so much it’s difficult to know what your student’s problem might be. The most common misconception is a person with dyslexia “sees letters backwards.” There is simply no research to show this ever happens. The term dyslexia originally referred to all language disorders, whether oral or reading, but now properly refers to readBy learning to ing difficulty that results from a neurological processing connect the letter on deficit. Many people use the term to include any type of the page with a muscle learning disability; this results in much confusion. movement in the If your student does have dyslexia, which must first mouth and hearing the be verified by a qualified professional, there are special sound, the learner has another way to self methods to help her learn to read. The most common correct and can more problem is dysphonetic dyslexia where a person has easily manage the difficulty connecting what she SEES with the word she HEARS. She can’t self-correct when she puts the various sound-symbol relationship. sounds together incorrectly, and while she knows all the phonetic sounds, she doesn’t realize she has misperceived “claps” as “clasp.” If this is the problem one method is to add kinesthetic “muscle movement” learning to the reading lessons. By learning to connect the letter on the page with a muscle movement in the mouth and hearing the sound, the learner has another way to self-correct and can more easily manage the sound-symbol relationship. With another common subtype, dyseidetic dyslexia, a person can read the words but doesn’t create enough mental “image” to remember the idea and connect it with all the ideas which follow. Students with the disorder can sound out the words but often re-read many times before they can comprehend the meaning. Special programs to help these students become better visualizers will help them become better readers. “Dyslexia” may not be the most accurate term, but you can help by watching for symptoms of the disorder. If a student learned using normal methods, and her inability to read can’t be easily explained by a lack of schooling, emotional factors, or language or cultural differences, there is a good chance some learning disability is the problem. Dr. Ann

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II. Phonics, Practice & Progress

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About solutions . . .

“Everyone believes that what suits him is the right thing to do“ Goethe “Great evil has been done on earth by people who think they have all the answers” Ruby Plenty Chiefs “Imagination is more important than knowledge” Albert Einstein

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(See heading on original page) — Phonics, Practice & Progress – 13

Catch ‘em Being Good Dear Dr. Ann: What can I do about the fact that my daughter does not seem to want to read out loud to me, even though she loves it when I read to her (she does know how to read). I think she has a lazy attitude. Any suggestions? Professional Mother Dear Professional: There are a few possibilities here. Ask yourself the following questions and you may discover the answer that fits for you: 1. Does your daughter have a slight word-recognition problem? If, in fact, your daughter experiences some difficulty reading certain words she probably does not want you to know. Children naturally want to please, and often fear disappointing a parent or other authority figure. But, the only way to be sure there Constant correction mid-stream are no decoding problems is to listen to might cause some avoidance the error patterns that show up during oral behaviors in a young reader. Tape reading. You could also have this factor record your sessions to see if you checked by the reading specialist at your are allowing your daughter to daughter’s school. If she avoids readdiscover her own mistakes and ing aloud, a decoding problem can (and self-correct. should) be eliminated first A clue is that her spelling will probably be “creative” even if her reading is good. 2. Are the books chosen at an independent reading level? To determine her independent reading level use the trick my librarian friend taught me. Have the child choose a page in the book of interest at random and begin reading aloud. If you count five or more words on a given page that she has trouble reading, then the book will probably be a frustrating experience for her. 3. Do you tend to correct mid-sentence rather than waiting until the end of the sentence (or paragraph)? If you’ve determined the book is at the proper reading level, then try to wait and see if the student self-corrects because the wrong word will usually not make sense in the sentence. Constant correction mid-stream might cause some avoidance behaviors in a young reader. Tape record your sessions to see if you are allowing your daughter to discover her own mistakes and self-correct. 4. Are you using techniques that foster independence? If you have eliminated a decoding problem, are using an appropriate method of correcting, and have chosen books at the proper reading level, then another possibility is that your daughter may need encouragement to develop more independence from you. To assist her with this task you can begin the passage, but let her fill in occasional

14 – Phonics, Practice & Progress – (See heading on original page)

words. After a while, she can read an occasional full phrase or sentence. Gradually, she will read a whole paragraph or page, while you read the remainder. Avoid doing for your daughter what she can do for herself. 5. Are you rewarding the behaviors you want to see again? The master teacher, Madeline Hunter used to say, “Catch ‘em being good!” With most youngsters, rewards help to increase the behaviors you want You might choose to let your daughter stay up 15 minutes later at night, or let her go to the park with you when she has read the whole story to you. Important to remember here is - whatever you pay attention to and nurture will grow. That holds true whether your attention is on positive or negative behaviors. Some parents (often professionals) are more demanding of perfection. Ask yourself if you need to “practice” making mistakes out loud, carefully discussing the steps to the solution. This practice can help your daughter understand that even “big people” make mistakes and that it is quite acceptable when that happens. 6. Does the child need to have a change of pace or different activity? To determine a person’s average attention span (in minutes) take the number of the person’s age and add one minute. (No, I won’t tell mine!) If your student is 10, then the time to change activities for optimum attention span is 11 minutes. Check to see if you can observe this rule of thumb and thus avoid confusing laziness for satiation. If some of these questions and answers address your situation, you are encouraged to try the suggestions. The fact that you are concerned is a good sign and you will probably discover what works best for you. Happy experimenting . . . Dr. Ann

Headings on pages 13-14 make reference to the previous chapter. A suggestion based on page size: To place page numbers and headings in one place instead of top and bottom

BACK PAGE DRAFT - OLD DATA, NEW PHOTO? About the Author Dr. Ann K. Schafer Specialty areas: • Disability Compliance in the Workplace: Learning (dis)Abilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act f or supervisors, trainers or human relations professionals • Adult Literacy: Dr. Schafer speaks nationally and with John Corcoran, author of the autobiographical The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read • ‘’Ask Dr. Ann”: Dr. Ann discusses literacy, learning disabilities and educational reform • Learning Styles/reaching Styles: How style relate to Learning Disabilities/Teaching Disabilities • Team Building: How to use “Personality Differences” as an Asset

____________________________________________________________ Ann K. Schafer, Ph.D. Speaker, Education and Management Consultant Ann K. Schafer, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Learning (dis)Abilities Program at Sacramento City College and private consultant, is an expert in diagnosis and accommodation for adults and children with Specific Learning Disabilities. Dr. Schafer has conducted ground-breaking research in learning styles and psychological type, is author of Learning (dis)Abilities in the Workplace, a practical guide for employees and employers and is co-author of a training manual and video, A Matter of Perception: Understanding Learning Disabilities/ Differences. She sits on the Board of Directors of the ‘National Association for Adults with Special Learning Needs (NAASLN) and her column, “Ask Dr. Ann, appears monthly in The Written Word and other educational publications.