Want your kids to excel academically and have fun while learning? Try our top tips at home and join one of our summer writing classes, providing the best of both worlds. Why A Creative Writing Class? The demand for creative writing classes suggests the critical need for arts education at a time when schools are no longer offering these programs due to budget concerns. Parents and … [Read more...]
When to Look Beyond Your School for Extended School Year (ESY)
By Saskia Nilsen, M.A. Learning Specialist and RITES advocateExtended School Year (ESY) summer programs that you pay for are an important investment in your child’s future, especially for those with complex learning profiles.While many schools offer ESY, they may not be individualized, intensive, or focused enough for a struggling student. (For this reason, even though both my kids qualify for … [Read more...]
Extended School Year (ESY) Qualifying Criteria
By Saskia Nilsen, M.A. Learning Specialist and RITES advocateDon't be fooled - if your child has a documented learning difference, your child probably does qualify for Extended School Year!Around this time of year, many parents of kids with IEPs are often told that their child does not qualify for Extended School Year (ESY) without a team meeting to discuss the qualifying criteria. What can you … [Read more...]
Part 4: Living Well with Executive Functioning Challenges
By Saskia Nilsen, M.A. Learning Specialist and RITES advocate Good executive functioning is the key to success with life skills. Here are some steps you can take to help your child get more organized and cope with temporary road blocks at home: Model Flexible Thinking: We often make hundreds of decisions a day - chicken or beef tacos for dinner, answer the phone or call back later, etc. A … [Read more...]
Is Your Child Struggling to Learn to Read?
Did you know that 17-20% of children have difficulty reading? Recent research from the National Reading Panel has shown that with most children this difficulty is not due to lack of intelligence or desire to learn. The problem often lies in a child’s inability to understand individual sounds. As with speaking, many children learn this important skill naturally. However, those who do not … [Read more...]