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Apr 01 2025

Strategies to Help Your Child Love School Again (Part 2)

Strategies to Help Your Child Love School Again (Part 2)

My previous blog post on Why Your Child Hates School explains reasons for a student’s frustrations with school and how parents can support their struggling child. Here are solutions to Help Your Child Love School Again:

  1. Advocate for Your Child

Your child needs you to be their voice, especially when they feel unheard or misunderstood. Work closely with teachers, counselors, and administrators to ensure they receive the support they need.

  • Request meetings if you notice ongoing struggles.
  • Ask about support services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, or counseling.
  • Work with the school to develop an IEP or 504 Plan if your child qualifies for accommodations.
  1. Focus on Strengths and Interests

Every child has strengths and interests that can help them reconnect with learning.

  • Find ways to incorporate their passions into their education.
  • Encourage them to join clubs, extracurricular activities, or special programs that align with their interests.
  • Praise effort and progress rather than just grades.

[Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: Elementary School Parenting, Parenting Adolescents, Special Needs Parenting, stuggling students, Uncategorized · Tagged: #problem solving #parenting teens, #struggling students, Academic needs, academic success, children with special needs, parent school partnership, parenting elementary kids, parents as teachers, Special Needs Parenting

Jan 07 2025

Winter Family Play Activities

Winter Family Play Activities

Happy New Year 2025! Winter is here and our kids spend hours playing on their electronic devices and binge-watching television and movies. Parents are busy getting ready for a new year of juggling family schedules, working, maintaining household chores, and just enjoying life as time allows. Here are ten strategies that families can use to get moving and enjoy various winter activities: [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.

Written by Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert · Categorized: Academic Support and Play Activities, Elementary School Parenting, Grandparenting, Parenting Adolescents, Special Needs Parenting · Tagged: academic success, children with special needs, children's play, Educating children, Family, family play, family values, Grandparents' Influences, parents as teachers, teachable moments, winter family play

Dec 24 2024

Classroom Differentiated Instruction is Critical for Student Success

Classroom Differentiated Instruction is Critical for Student Success

Differentiation is a term that has gained significant traction in educational circles over the years and for a good reason. As classrooms become increasingly diverse, teachers are continually challenged to meet the unique needs of each student. Differentiation is an instructional approach that addresses these needs, aiming to ensure that all students have equitable access to learning. [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: Uncategorized · Tagged: #struggling students, academic success, children with special needs, differentiated instruction, Educating children, middle schoolers, Special Education, special needs, Special Needs Parenting, Student Success, teachers, teaching strategies

Nov 26 2024

The 10 Best Differentiated Instruction Teaching Strategies for K-12 Classrooms

The 10 Best Differentiated Instruction Teaching Strategies for K-12 Classrooms

Differentiated instruction is essential for meeting the diverse needs of students across all grade levels. Whether you’re teaching kindergarteners or high school seniors, here are my recommended strategies that can help you create a more inclusive and effective learning environment.

1. Flexible Grouping

Flexible grouping involves organizing students into groups based on their learning needs, interests, or abilities. Groups can be formed and reformed as needed, allowing students to work with different peers and on different tasks. This strategy promotes collaboration and ensures that all students receive targeted instruction. [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: differentiated instruction, Teaching strategies, Teaching successful students · Tagged: academic success, children with special needs, differentiated instruction, Educating children, engaged students, Special Education, student assessment, Student Success, teachers, teaching strategies

Oct 29 2024

How Parents Help Each Child Succeed in School

How Parents Help Each Child Succeed in School

As a special education teacher, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that no two children learn the same way. Every student brings their unique strengths, needs, and learning styles into the classroom, so a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching just doesn’t work. This is where differentiated instruction comes in. Differentiated instruction allows teachers to meet students where they are, provide the support they need, and help them progress at a pace and in a way that works best for them. [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: Academic Support and Play Activities, Elementary School Parenting, Parenting Adolescents, Secondary School Parenting, Special Needs Parenting, stuggling students, Teaching successful students · Tagged: #parenting teens, #struggling students, children with special needs, differentiated instruction, Educating children, Individualized Education Program, individulized learning, parents as teachers, Problem-Solving, Special Needs Parenting, Student Success

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