Watch Now: Dr. Yellin Dyslexia Webinar from Learning Ally

A recording of Dr. Yellin’s webinar from earlier this week for national nonprofit Learning Ally, Dyslexia: Diagnosis, Planning and Support for Struggling Readers, is now available for viewing online. The one-hour program was seen live coast-to-coast by hundreds of parents, students, and educators, and is featured on the Learning Ally website, where it will remain available for future viewing. Learning Ally provides accessible media such as audiobooks to students with learning disabilities and visual impairments. 

In the program, Dr. Yellin provides a detailed explanation of what is meant when we talk about "dyslexia"; an in-depth look at the many types of subtle learning variations that may be at play when a student is struggling with reading, spelling, or other challenges; and insight into why understanding each learner's individual strengths as well as weaknesses should be an essential component of educational planning. He also answers many questions from viewers.

“When parents, teachers and practitioners understand how developing appropriate strategies and interventions can improve children's reading skills and boost self-esteem, and when they have a deeper understanding of the root causes of a student's reading symptoms,” notes Dr. Yellin, “they can help to grow resilient, improved learners with a rekindled love of reading.”

Watch the video below:


Dyslexia: Diagnosis, Planning & Support for Struggling Readers from Learning Ally on Vimeo.

Thanks to all of the great people at Learning Ally for making this webinar possible.

March 14 is Pi Day

Tomorrow, March 14th, is Pi Day -- the day to celebrate the Greek letter that represents the the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. What's so special about Pi (π)? First, it is a constant number, meaning that for all circles of any size, Pi will be the same. It's infinite -- to date it has been calculated to over one trillion digits. And it has no pattern, so that it includes no repeating strings of numbers.

The use of the letter π to represent the ratio dates back to 1737 when it was used by Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler.  

There are numerous celebrations of this amazing mathematical number, including an annual Pi Day in Princeton, New Jersey to celebrate both the number and one of its greatest users, Albert Einstein, who resided in Princeton for over 20 years and whose birthday was -- you guessed it -- 3/14! The fantastic Exploratorium in San Francisco is holding its 25th Pi Day celebration both on premises and via virtual reality on its Second Life website. And, here in New York City, the new MoMath museum is holding a scavenger hunt after school for students 11 and up. 

So, make your plans for tomorrow --  attend an event in person or via virtual reality, or just bake a pie and then use π to figure out its circumference!

Photo: CC by Dano272

Seriously Fun Kids’ Events at Symphony Space

Consider your Saturdays covered. Most New Yorkers already know that Symphony Space, located on Broadway at 95th Street in Manhattan,  is a wonderful venue for the performing arts. But did you know that it also plays host to fun, enriching events for kids every single weekend?

Running the gamut from dance performances, music, theater, storytelling, movies, and more, the Just Kidding series is sure to be a hit with the kids in your life. Upcoming events include a concert by musical historians the Deedle Deedle Dees, a Muppet double feature movie screening, a performance by Morgan the Clown, and dancing and singing to the eclectic music of Aaron Nigel Smith. Want to share these fun events with your kids? Interested parties can purchase tickets to individual events or buy a subscription for deep discount on unlimited Saturday events from the Just Kidding webpage.

For young bookworms and aspiring writers, the Thalia Kids’ Book Club  is another Symphony Space offering that’s sure to please. The next club event, on April 7th, is a performance of author Pseudonymous Bosch’s delightful choose-your-own-adventure-like Write This Book: A Do It Yourself Mystery, performed by the Story Pirates. Club events are co-presented with the Bank Street Bookstore, and each includes a creative writing project, a discussion of the book with the audience, and a book signing. Often, actors perform segments of the book as well.

Be sure to visit the Symphony Space website  so you don’t miss a thing!

Photo: Symphony Space

Recommended Reads: Out of the Dust

Today we continue our Recommended Reads series, where we highlight books for children and young adults, with Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, originally published in 1999 and now available from Scholastic Books.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Ages: 9 and up

Awards: Winner of the 1998 Newbery Medal 

Adult Themes: none, though parts of the book are quite sad

Plot: Billie Jo, a scrappy, spirited, thoughtful girl is the narrator of this powerful book. The story takes place in the dust bowl of Oklahoma during the Great Depression where Billie Jo and her parents try to eke a living out of the unforgiving land by growing wheat. When a terrible accident befalls Billie Jo and her mother, Billie Jo faces the loss of nearly all of the things she loves and must rise to the occasion. Readers will be delighted when, in the end, Billie Jo triumphs.

Our Take: We can’t get enough of historical fiction – what a marvelous way to inspire students to care about people and events they couldn't otherwise experience! Hesse’s novel is told through a series of vignettes that take the form of free verse poetry and read like diary entries. This means that although the book seems thick, the print on the pages is sparse and will seem inviting to even reluctant readers. Billie Jo’s character is endearing, and her voice brings the desperation of the dust bowl to vivid life. In addition to suffering a slow recovery after her accident, Billie Jo faces the death of her mother, isolation from her ill and grieving father, a plague of locusts, loneliness when her best friend moves away, the possible loss of her gift for the piano, and, of course, continuous drifts of dust and drought that threaten to dry up her hope forever. But Billie Jo is made of sterner stuff, and her courage is all the more momentous for the hurdles she has to leap. Hesse’s language is vivid and easy to read, and she creates a cast of fascinating characters who help to present a rounded, readable portrait of life during one of the most difficult periods in United States history.

Reading Club – No Girls Allowed!

Research continues to show that boys have more trouble reading than girls and, even more troubling, that boys’ reading skills are worsening. Instead of wringing his hands, inimitable children’s author Jon Scieszka (the genius behind The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Time Warp Trio series, and other much-loved books) took action. Guys Read, a website rich with resources for bringing books to boys, was the result.

The homepage states, “research…shows that boys will read – if they are given reading that interests them,” and the site puts its money where its mouth is by offering a huge, diverse list of all kinds of books that, according to the site, “guys have told us they like.” The list is divided into categories, some familiar (Historical Figures, Funny) but many that are delightfully unexpected (Dragons, Mysterious Occurrences, At Least One Explosion). The lists are not categorized by reading level, alas, but there is a list called “For Little Guys” that should be helpful for guys who are early readers. Older guys will have to click on titles that seem appealing to them to find information about the book’s genre, how many pages it has, and what ages the book would be most appropriate for. They can even rate the book if they've already read it to help other guys. The lists are huge and varied, ranging from picture books like Jumanji to the wonderful tomes that make up the Redwall series. In addition to all these suggestions, Guys Read selects a Book of the Month, which is featured on the homepage. Looking for another way to find great titles for guys? Check out the “This Guy Reads” section, which features male authors’ lists of favorite books.

Jon Scieszka

The site provides resources even if a guy isn't in a reading mood. “Guys Listen” contains a list of audiobooks that might catch a guy’s fancy. And “More Stuff for Guys” includes drawing lessons, comics, and a link to an archive of back issues of National Geographic magazines.

Whether the guys in your life are book lovers or reluctant readers, they’re sure to love Guys Read.


Above images CC by Jon Scieszka

Eye to Eye: A Mentoring Program By and For Kids with Learning Differences

Children with learning differences or difficulty with attention may feel like no one really “gets” them. Wouldn't it be fantastic if each one of these kids could work with an older mentor who not only provides good company and advice but who actually shares their learning difference? Eye to Eye, a fascinating organization for empowering students with learning differences, makes this fantasy a reality.

This outstanding program began in 1998, when five students from Brown University with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) began a public service project. Christening their idea Project Eye-to-Eye, they targeted a group of elementary school children who’d been given labels similar to theirs. Their goal was not to tutor these kids, per se; they say they simply wanted to give them hope. So they worked on art projects together, hoping the kids would find art an accessible medium to express their feelings and showcase their talents. Founding member David Flink graduated and went on to work as an admissions officer at Brown, but he kept getting requests from students at Brown and other universities for information on how to continue the program. So he changed tacks, recruiting employees and traveled the country to set up similar experiences for both LD/ADHD mentors and mentees around the country. The goal is to empower “at risk” kids by giving them membership in a community that accepts and supports them.

Today, Eye to Eye pairs highly trained high school and college mentors with LD/ADHD with younger students who have similar learning challenges. The pair meets weekly to work on art projects, talk, laugh, and learn about each other and themselves. We are especially impressed by Eye to Eye’s commitment to helping kids develop metacognition  This important skill allows kids to understand themselves from the inside out, recognizing their strong and weak areas and determining how to overcome challenges using their unique talents. One of Eye to Eye’s core principles is that self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-determination are critical for resilience, and so they strive to help students feel good about who they are, learn about themselves, and become self-advocates. Additionally, mentors help students develop concrete academic study skills and personalized goals that students can propose during IEP or 504 meetings or parent-teacher conferences.

Interested in getting involved with Eye to Eye? Visit their website to learn more. The FAQ page contains instructions for contacting Eye to Eye if you are interested in finding a mentor or mentee for a child in your life; currently, fifty-one chapters are spread across nineteen states. Information is available for those wishing to start chapters in their areas if one does not already exist. Also, those in the New York, New Hampshire, and San Francisco areas may be interested in the outstanding, week-long Camp Vision, where kids learn to celebrate their different strengths through a variety of fun and enriching activities.

International Children's Film Festival Starts Today

It's not easy to find quality films for children, especially if you eschew commercialized animation and movies that feature a bit too much violence to make most parents comfortable. So, it is a particular pleasure to note that today kicks off the International Children's Film Festival, which runs through March 24th at seven Manhattan movie theaters. The festival features "100 animated, live action, and experimental shorts and feature films" from 35 countries.

Now in its 16th year, the Festival also sponsors classes for ages 6 to 16 in animation and live action filmmaking. The Spring 2013 one week classes run from March 25-29. The two week summer program runs from July 8-19. Registration for both programs is now open. 

Some of the films featured in the Festival can be seen as part of a slide show on the New York Times website. Tickets for individual films can be purchased online.