Has the COVID learning delay set your child back?
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Hi there, my name is Kimberley Cobb. Thank you for visiting my site.
I am a native San Antonian, and a NEISD graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood from UTSA. I have been working with children since 1990. I taught First grade at Northwood Elementary and Kindergarten at Longs Creek Elementary, both in San Antonio's NEISD, for over ten years. I have a wonderful husband and two great children, one of which is dyslexic. Both went through NEISD. My son has graduated from Pittsburg State in Kansas and has an Automotive Technology degree and my daughter is at Texas State in San Marcos, studying to be a reading teacher. I left teaching to stay home and raise my children but have always had a passion for helping people. In my spare time I read and train my dogs. When my daughter was three, I noticed a "difference" in her language and comprehension skills. I had her evaluated and was told it was "developmental" and she would catch up. In third grade she was diagnosed with dyslexia but by then she was far behind her other classmates. I learned all I could about dyslexia and tutored her at home throughout the rest of her academic career. She graduated high school in 2020 with honors and now wants to help kids who struggled like she did. I am so proud of her and all she accomplished, but let me tell you, it was a REALLY hard road! It shouldn't be that difficult for children who learn differently to succeed, feel good about themselves and rise in the ranks alongside their classmates. They just need a fair chance. I decided to seek training in the Orton-Gillingham approach, the gold standard of dyslexia instruction through the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE). I tutor children with different learning styles, in hopes of taking away the fear, anxiety and shame that comes with failing to learn through regular teaching methods. It's not about a person's intelligence and they are not just lazy or slow. Most individuals who are dyslexic have average to above average intelligence...their brain just takes a different pathway to get to the language processing part of the brain. Teachers aren't taught enough about language learning differences, most don't know much, if anything, about dyslexia and how to teach a child who is struggling. They also don't have the time to teach a completely different approach to the 1 in 5 kids in their class who need it. Yes, 1 in 5! So, when traditional teaching methods aren't working, some kids are left behind, but that is where I can offer help. |
Reading doesn't have to be a puzzle that your child can't solve!
The Orton -Gillingham approach unlocks the code to our English Language.
English isn't crazy, it has purpose and history!
For example, why is the word health spelled with the long /e/ vowel team ea? Look at the word heal...now you can see the connection.
We wonder why the word two has the letter w in it...but we don't question why words like twice, twin, twenty and twelve do...spelling is all about connecting words for meaning, not helping us to sound them out. If you are a word nerd like I am, click here for a 3 min TEDTALK video on the origin of words, specifically the word DOUBT. Why does it have a B in it? hmmm??
youtu.be/YvABHCJm3aA
We wonder why the word two has the letter w in it...but we don't question why words like twice, twin, twenty and twelve do...spelling is all about connecting words for meaning, not helping us to sound them out. If you are a word nerd like I am, click here for a 3 min TEDTALK video on the origin of words, specifically the word DOUBT. Why does it have a B in it? hmmm??
youtu.be/YvABHCJm3aA
Struggling readers need a different approach in order to be successful. Our school system uses the same teaching methods for all students. You can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.
If you want some background on WHY our kids have not been successful within our school systems, here is an EXCELLENT podcast I HIGHLY recommend. |
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VISUAL
AUDITORY KINESTHETIC
INTENSIVE
PHONICS-BASED
DIAGNOSTIC PRESCRIPTIVE
INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION
Scientists have known about dyslexia since the 1800's. It's gone through several name changes but remains a phonological processing difference within the language system of the brain. Scientists have found the exact location within the language system through MRIs. It takes a different kind of teaching approach for these children to grasp the concepts and hold it in their short term memory. Then, they must hold it in there long enough to process it, read it, write it down and then comprehend it's meaning. And yes, that is a LOT of steps...reading is NOT a natural skill.
(excerpts and source: Overcoming Dyslexia, Shaywitz, M.D) |
If you are a parent who is frustrated, can't understand why your child is struggling, and it's affecting different areas of your life (like family time, relationships with your child or spouse, stealing inner peace) then PLEASE take the time to watch at LEAST the first 25 minutes of this video.
This video was LIFE CHANGING for me, and my relationship with my daughter.
This video was LIFE CHANGING for me, and my relationship with my daughter.