Show # 69- The Development of Reading- Nina Straitman

“We read to comprehend and to make an emotional connection to a character or to gain knowledge.” Nina Straitman

Nina Straitman is the Language Coordinator for the Centreville School, a school for children with language based learning disabilities in Wilmington, DE. Nina is also a clinical specialist in Developmental Medicine at AI duPont Hospital for Children. She has a B.A. in Anthropology and a master’s in Speech/Language Pathology, giving her wonderful insights into the development of language both from a social science and medical perspective. She has a particular interest in the development of language, reading comprehension and writing in middle school students.

I spent the afternoon recently over at Centreville, talking to Nina about reading and reading instruction, but you’ll find we ended up talking about so much more, including:

-Finding out that reading is an extension of oral language development. The levels of reading disability are higher in the deaf population than in the blind population, indicating that a large part of reading development is an auditory event, rather than just a visual event.

- Learning to read has to do with language development as much as learning how to decode and encode written text.

-Development of Syntax happens from the early development of words into early sentences – two word combinations

-Comprehension cannot be taught by having a child read independently and then answer questions independently- it must be an interactive process.

-As of July 2007, all text must be accessible. This means all new text books will have to be accessible- this means they will have to have an audio version as well.

-The last stage in language development is the ability to use specialized language, with vocabulary and expression of sophisticated thoughts that goes beyond ordinary conversational speech.

We do talk about how specialized instruction in reading differs from the usual reading instruction taught in schools, and why this makes such a difference for children with learning disabilities.

Nina also wanted to let you know about the Learning By Design website, and the SpellTalk discussion group. If you are an educator or a parent interested in keeping up on the latest in reading research, this is an excellent resource to check out.

We’ll have even more next week, so stay tuned!

As always, I’d love to hear from you- we are going to have a new blog up soon. In the meantime, please send all email to ldpodcast@gmail.com and voicemail to our new number: (206)-203-4616

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Peter Wright, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law and You

Show #52 Conversation with Peter Wright, Part II

Peter Wright is a well-known attorney, specializing in special education law. He argued an important special education case, Florence County School District v. Carter, before the Supreme Court. This is particularly impressive, since Pete himself has learning disabilities, and talks openly about his struggles in school as a child.

Pete has also written many books, including From Emotions to Advocacy, Special Education Law, and No Child Left Behind.

In part II of our conversation, Pete and I talk about why we aren’t always using the best reading programs for kids with learning issues in public schools; why parents are so important in making sure kids get what they need, and why inclusion/segregation is more about the most appropriate learning environment for an individual rather than a system-wide one size fits all goal.

We have a song by Uncle Seth- Both Sides Now, followed at the end by a few minutes of “bonus” audio about parents and understanding the law.

I want to thank Cathlin, Tyson, and Michelle for their emails, questions and feedback, and encourage you to do the same!

Please email us with your feedback about shorter vs. longer shows, and any comments- ldpodcast@gmail.com, or call our voicemail line, (206) 666-2343. I’d love it if you’d consider leaving a review in iTunes for us as well.

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Show #48 Conversation with Sally Smith Part II

This week’s show is a continuation of my conversation with Sally Smith, Founder and Director of the Lab School. We talk about teaching children with learning disabilities, early identification, and how important it is to have parental support. Sally even answers Kristen’s question about Orton Gillingham vs. Linda Mood Bell reading, and why she favors training teachers in both methods, so they can use whatever method works best for the child, rather than assuming one method will teach all.

At the end of the interview, Sally asked me about podcasting, and I decided to leave this part of our conversation in, largely because Sally then spoke about her motivation to write No Easy Answers, her wonderful book about parenting children with learning disabilities. This is one of the best books for parents, as it covers everything from understanding how your child learns, to the very real and emotional rollercoaster parents go through while trying to help thier children.

I’d love to hear your feedback on shows!

I’ll be at Podcamp NYC on April 7th- if you’re there, please come say hi! Please note that the venue for Podcamp NYC has changed, and will now be held at the New Yorker Hotel – please consult the Podcamp NYC blog and wiki for the most up to date information.

Because of travel, spring break, and the like, shows may be bi-weekly for the next few weeks. As a parent, it’s hard sometimes juggling work, family and podcasting. Thank you for your patience! We should be back on track soon.

Click here to listen to Conversation with Sally Smith Part II

Show #47 Conversation with Sally Smith, Founder of the Lab School

Sally Smith started the Lab School in Washington, DC, in 1967, based on her need to find a school for her own son who had severe learning disabilities. Like most moms on a mission, she gathered her friends and turned an old house into a school. Now, 40 years later, the Lab School serves children from age 5 1/2 to age 19, provides support of college students and adults with learning disabilities, and provides in depth multidisciplinary testing. There are now Lab Schools in Baltimore, MD and Manayunk, PA. Sallycontinues in her role as Director of the Lab School, as well as servign as Head of the Graduate Program in Special Education:Learning Disabilities at American University. She has written a wonderful book, which continues to be updated, entitled “No Easy Answers: The Learning Disabled Child at Home and At School“.

My conversation with Sally took place at the Lab School in Washington. When you enter the grounds of the Lab School, you are immediately struck by the art work and creativity that permeates the whole school. Sally’s office is filled with art, pictures, mementos from travels around the world, and a sense of warmth and home. I’ve split the conversation into two parts. In Part I, we discuss how Sally founded the Lab School as a way to help her own child, and how it’s grown exponentially over the years. We discuss the state of LD education now, and what has changed over the years. In Part II, we discuss early intervention, the deficits many kids with LD share, and how we can help them succeed. We also discuss the importance of parental support, reading methods, including Orton Gillingham and Linda Mood Bell, and why it may be best to have all tools at your disposal rather than just one.

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