Parents frequently ask about 504 Plans and IEP’s. Before getting too far into the weeds, I will respectfully ask the parents if they know the difference between them and what they even are. A majority of the time, I get a half shrug, coupled with a “not really.” They’ve been told by their pediatrician or […] The post IEPs & 504s: A Brief Primer appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

When they are given nonsensical methods that do not work for them, they remain shut-down and discouraged. The post Balanced Literacy vs. Bottom-Up Methods: Which is Better? appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

Practically every week I hear an array of  concerns regarding distractibility and inattentiveness. There’s always the question lurking of, “Does my child have ADHD/ADD?” While talking to parents I try and  broaden the narrative,  reviewing other factors that may be contributing to why a child is not consistently paying attention. Before presuming a child has […] The post ADHD…Maybe! appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

As part of the assessment process I always conduct an interview  to get an overview of the issues of concern. When a child is struggling, typically there will be suggestions of disorders that have been raised by different professionals along with opinions offered from friends, family members and the internet as to what is going […] The post Trusting Your Mom Intuition appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

In addition to the myriad of labels and diagnoses offered as explanations for a child’s behavior, it is often assumed that parenting is a significant variable, if not the sole reason for a child’s behavior. As proof of this, when we see a child who appears to be flexible and behaving well within a social […] The post Parenting at the Root of the Problem (Not So Fast) appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

Last week’s post introduced concepts related to reading comprehension.  (Enhancing Reading Comprehension: Part I) As previously noted, comprehension is an interactive process. The interaction involves ideas, concepts, images, background experience, fund of knowledge, level of word awareness (vocabulary) and motivation, among other things. Comprehension is also compromised by poor reading rate, accuracy and fluency. That […] The post Understanding & Enhancing Comprehension – (Part II) appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

Let’s go once again into the “Way Back Machine.”  This time we will go to the mid 1980’s. What was the red hot topic in the field of reading and cognitive psychology?  I will give you a hint.  It wasn’t decoding or reading fluency. The topic of the decade, the one receiving millions of dollars of […] The post Understanding & Enhancing Comprehension: (part I) appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

Is it healthy to label emotions, or are we over-clinicalizing childhood? The post Inside Out 2 Helps Kids Label Their Emotions – Is That a Good Thing? appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

504 plans make a lot of accommodations for children that sound good ... until the child finds out, and has other thoughts about it. The post 504 Plans: Avoid Templated Accommodations appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner by Dr. Richard Selznick ..read more

As we discussed last week, it is helpful to have a “roadmap” so you can know what to do next with your child. The late Dr. Jeanne Chall provided such a roadmap many years ago.  While she is  not often referenced any more, I believe that what Dr. Chall highlighted is still as relevant today […] The post “Part II – Getting a Roadmap – The Stages of Reading Development” appeared first on The Shut-Down Learner ..read more