Struggling Readers? Have You Considered This To Be The Reason?


Students with learning related vision problems often go undiagnosed, causing many children to be mislabeled with learning disabilities, ADHD, ADD, and more. Find the signs and symptoms of learning related vision problems here, and learn how vision therapy can help!

     Hello Friends! Thanks for stopping by! I think you are going to be glad that you did today! I have some thought-provoking information to share with you! So many times over the years, I have had students who struggle with reading fluency and comprehension, handwriting, and writing skills, geometry and spacial skills, only to find through many months of evaluations, parent/teacher meetings, and ESAP meetings that the problem is a vision problem...not a "you need glasses" vision problem, but a learning related vision problem. This issue has been especially high on my radar because my own son was diagnosed with a learning related vision problem when he was 9 years old, and recognizing that problem and getting to the root of it was a major turning point in his life!

     Recently I was very fortunate to be able to attend a seminar explaining exactly what is going on for children with these types of vision problems and it was so enlightening!  Fascinating stuff friends! Like, did you know...

Do you have students who struggle with reading and learning, but you just cannot put your finger on the cause? It may be due to a dysfunctional visual system, and vision therapy may be the answer!

     Now, these are not "just get your glasses and you will be all fixed up" vision problems... those vision problems are usually caught in a standard eye exam given in the pediatrician's office or the nurse's office. These vision problems go beyond  20/20 vision tests. What you need to know about those "standard" vision exams that students get from the pediatrician or the school nurse is...

Do you have students who struggle with reading and learning, but you just cannot put your finger on the cause? It may be due to a dysfunctional visual system, and vision therapy may be the answer!

     So... many students are entering our classrooms with a "clean bill of health" as far as vision is concerned, because they have been told they have 20/20 vision. But in reality, they are riddled with vision problems that interfere with their ability to read, learn, comprehend, and even pay attention!

Do you have students who struggle with reading and learning, but you just cannot put your finger on the cause? It may be due to a dysfunctional visual system, and vision therapy may be the answer!
Actually, a fully functional visual system allows us to answer the following questions:
  • Where am I?
  • Where are other things in space?
  • What is it that I see?
  • What can I tell you about what I see?
It is not only important for a child's brain to use the eyes to receive information effectively, but it must also comprehend that information quickly and react to it appropriately. 
     Ok, you are thinking, but why then don't these students ever complain about not being able to see properly?
 Here is where the problem is...

Do you have students who struggle with reading and learning, but you just cannot put your finger on the cause? It may be due to a dysfunctional visual system, and vision therapy may be the answer!

     They don't realize that what is happening to them when they are trying to read or do math is any different than anyone else in the room...they just figure, it is one more thing they just don't seem to do very well!
     So if the students aren't telling us... how are we supposed to know there is a problem? Well, there are lots of signs and signals to look for in a child who is having learning related vision problems. Some of the most common ones are...

Do you have students who struggle with reading and learning, but you just cannot put your finger on the cause? It may be due to a dysfunctional visual system, and vision therapy may be the answer!

     Unfortunately, because the problems these children are having affect how their eyes focus, work together, or move along a line of print when reading, these learning related vision problems cause children to struggle unnecessarily, and can result in their being mislabeled as learning disabled or having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
     How often have you had a student whose learning behaviors are just "off" and you can't exactly put your finger on what is going on?
     In my experience, the signs that have stood out the most to me in my classroom that have been red flags have been: skipping lines when reading; saying that the words are "moving" on the page; horrible handwriting, especially when copying from the board; holding the book far away from their face to read; excessive erasing; only doing part of the work and then just stopping/giving up; doing great with math computation but struggling any time we work with geometrical shapes and figures; and very strong school-related anxiety.
     (During the seminar we were able to "walk in the shoes" of the students who struggle with visual learning problems, and we were given the opportunity to view things in the ways that these children view them. Below is an example of what a child with blurred vision or trouble focusing may constantly deal with in the classroom.)

Do you have students who struggle with reading and learning, but you just cannot put your finger on the cause? It may be due to a dysfunctional visual system, and vision therapy may be the answer!
   
     Can you imagine how difficult and exhausting this would be for a child? In the time that we were at the seminar, after experiencing briefly the different visual problems students may face, the adults in the room were FRUSTRATED, EXHAUSTED, AND OVERWHELMED!
     So once we see these signs and symptoms and suspect there is a learning related visual problem, then what? Well the student needs to be evaluated by a Developmental Optometrist who can then determine the exact problem or problems the child is having. Many of these students are then placed into a vision therapy program, which is a program of activities specifically designed to help the patient develop the visual abilities/areas, which are inadequate for schoolwork.Vision therapy trains the visual system to function properly.
     I wanted to share this information with you because over the years I have seen several success stories as a direct result of working with Developmental Optometrists and Vision Therapy programs. If you would like more information about vision therapy and learning related vision problems you can visit www.seemybest.com


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Stress-Free Organization For Guided Reading Groups


Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!
     Hello Friends! Thanks for stopping by! I am so excited to share this great information with you, because honestly, it has been a life-saver for me when it comes to Guided Reading time! I have been using a reading workshop/guided reading format in my classroom for at least fifteen years now, and over the years, I have probably tried at least twelve different ways of organizing my data and notetaking! I am happy to say that I do believe I HAVE FINALLY FOUND AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY THAT WORKS!

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!
     First of all, there are a couple must-haves that I need to tell you about. I purchased two of these Better Binders from Staples. These are the best! They are sturdy and they have a special pocket with a loop fastener inside to hold extra papers. They come in lots of different colors and sizes.

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     I label them as My Small Group and Conferencing Data Binder, and My Guided Reading Binder.
Each serves an important purpose in my Guided Reading process. (More on the specifics shortly.)

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

      Another must-have are these Double Pocket Plastic Tab Dividers from Staples. I use these in my Guided Reading Binder to keep copies of mentor texts from each reading level so that I always have them right at my fingertips.

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     Okay, so let me tell you about my Guided Reading Binder first. I have it divided by levels. So, typically in first grade student reading levels range from level A-level M. For each level I have:
1. One or two mentor texts I can use to model relevant skills/strategies used at that level
2. An explanation of reading behaviors to notice and support at that level, as well as characteristics to look for in the structure of that level book
3. Multiple copies of a parent explanation of reading behaviors at that level and reading behaviors to support at the next level.

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!
     In my Small Group and Conferencing Data Binder, I keep:
1. Data Collection Sheets to keep track of individual student reading levels
2. Dibels Reports and Results


Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

3. Conferencing notes and record sheets
4. Intervention Group Data
5. Small Group Planning Sheets

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     I know you are probably thinking, "Okay, well that all sounds terrific...but what do I do with those things once I've got them?" (Because honestly, you can fill those binders with silver and gold, but if you don't know what to do with it, you end up right where you started!)
     I try to schedule my groups so that I meet with two groups each day and then use the rest of my time to make observations about students reading independently and in partnerships. I keep track of my meetings with students on a record sheet to make sure I don't miss anyone. We begin the year with thirty minute Independent Reading time and then work our way up to about sixty minutes. While I am meeting with groups, the other students are reading independently. Yes, this takes a great deal of modeling and practice, but I have found if everyone is reading "just-right" books that are of interest to them and they have learned the rituals and routines of Reading Workshop, independent reading time is a beautiful thing!

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     When I write my lesson plans each week, I also write my Guided Reading plans. I decide who I am meeting with, on which days, and which text we will be working from. I use past data and conferencing/small group notes to help make the decisions about what our focus will be.

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     I also use the Behaviors to Notice and Support pages for each Reading Level in my Guided Reading Binder to help me decide on what we need to work on so that I can get my students to the next reading level. Super easy! No more guesswork about where I should go next with a student, because it is all there for me!

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!


Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     The best part is...it is right there for the students too! I post the behaviors we are working on at the table, and we talk about them as we work. This way the students are able to take accountability for their learning, and have a better understanding of where their learning is taking them!

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     One of my favorite parts of this system is the Parent/Student Communication component! When I find that a student has completed all the behaviors necessary to move on to the next reading level, I can check each behavior off and then present him/her with this certificate to take home! At the bottom it explains to the student/parents what skills/behaviors the student will need to work on as he/she tackles the next reading level.

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

     This has been a terrific way to stay in constant communication with the parents to help them develop a better understanding of the way reading levels work!

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

These are all components of my Guided Reading Survival Kit Levels A-N, and you can find it here!

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!
The Data Collection Charts can be found here!

Both are on sale in my TPT store for a limited time so if this seems like something you may like to try- head over to One Giggle At A Time!


Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

Do you do Guided Reading Groups in your classroom? How do you organize and plan? I would love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below!



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