I grew up in Kempton Park and in the “80’s” you were not diagnosed with dyslexia you were just not good at language.

My mum took me all over the place to find a reason for my reading problems. I went to speech therapy, occupational therapy, reading therapy, educational psychologists, a neuro-psychologist and optometrists.

In my primary and high school days I always had that one person who I trusted with this secret.

A good pencil grip has three benefits … neat writing, reasonable speed and the ability to write without tiring easily. A bad pencil grip will obviously have exactly the opposite effect.

I am thinking often the long suffering mothers of children with dyslexia that often don’t always get the proper credit or recognition that they richly deserve.

Tony and I have been avid fans of the thrift store experience, even before it was popular. We recently took Morgan on an excursion, and we will never forget it.

Those homework battles are brewing right now. It’s that time of year when the rubber meets the road as far as conferences and report cards go, and sadly, they aren’t always happy or glowing reports.

We have students at our Harp Learning Institute learning centers play an assortment of games that support the activities that are taught in their sessions.

A few months ago, I enrolled Morgan in dance lessons, so every Wednesday afternoon, we have our special grandmother/granddaughter time.

Today, young learners, both male and female, are forced to digest a sour bowl of academic mush every school day. They rarely leave their seats, and those who need the most exercise, boys, generally miss recess for incomplete work or as punishment for impulsive “boy” behavior.

Do you have battles with your child over math? Does your child do well with understanding the concepts taught but when it comes to computation, it’s a disaster?

Do you rely on your smartphone to instantly pull up a phone number or other piece of information? I know I do. So do our kids, even if they’re just using their parents’ phones.

For most people, school is in session now, and this can be quite emotional for kids with learning issues. A new teacher, a new set of classroom rules, and often, a new set of friends can spike fear and anxiety through a child.

My friend, Michele, keeps crabbing at me to write about how boys need to move and how…here it goes…schools try to turn our boys into girls.

As summer comes to a close, many of you might be stressed about a new teacher for your child. It might seem like your child just figured out the last teacher’s classroom system, and now you’ve got to do it all over again.

I love my job! I get to help kids overcome learning problems and meet wonderful people who share the same goals.

I’ve promised more auditory games, but I couldn’t wait to tell you about the fun Jelly Beadz I discovered.

I’ve promised another fun game to help kids with auditory processing issues. Here’s one that helped my kids a lot.

Knock knock jokes I told you that I’d be giving you more auditory games to play with your child or student. I intended on giving you a different game to play, but my grandson, Landon, who is seven delightful years old, has led me on a different path. Do you remember hearing your child, sibling, …

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If you’ve noticed my absence the past couple weeks, it’s because I took an overdue vacation.

We’ve been playing a lot of auditory games lately. I get such a kick out of how much the kids enjoy these easy games! Their smiles are infectious.

How did this thing creep up on us – Puberty?
It’s tough on Lucas, who has the body of a 14 year old but very much the mind of a toddler.

Ons het baie goeie nuus om met u te deel!
Dis met trots dat ons u in kennis stel dat Study Buddy nou beskikbaar is vir alle Afrikaanse skoliere vanaf graad 4 tot 6!

If there’s ever been a hot button to push, it’s that bright red button called ADD/ADHD. Parents, administrators, and teachers all seem to have an opinion on this issue.

RADAis a non-profit organization that offers support and recommendations for dyslexics and their families.

Dyscalculia includes different kinds of math difficulties. Observing the child and taking notes are good ways to find the best strategies and supports for the child.

I’m not sure what’s happened to cursive writing, but it seems a bit lost in our school system in general today. This is sad for students with dysgraphia, as cursive writing can be their biggest helper.

I’m constantly telling parents to listen to their “guts” as far as their kids go. This seems so simple, but our tricky brains will want to talk us out of those perfect intuitive feelings we have about our kids or even our dogs.

In a previous post we reviewed activities that strengthen gross motor skills to help a student struggling with dysgraphia or writing. Today, let’s refine these activities and focus more on fine motor skills.

Spring is here and with that, it’s a good idea to revisit the importance of motor skills and how they affect learning. Getting kids outside or providing the opportunity to move can be a fantastic way to get the job done.