Dora Campbell's Speech Language Blog

50 Interesting Facts About Dyslexia

2012-01-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

LD OnLine :: Strategies for Summer Reading for Children with Dyslexia

2010-07-05T11:43:00.001-04:00

Click on the link in the title above for great suggestions on helping with summer reading!

Considerate Text

2010-04-27T15:45:00.000-04:00

Want to know what to look for when choosing a textbook? Look for "considerate text." Click on the "Considerate Text" title above for a good, short but concise description of what this is.

The Importance of Literacy and Books in Child Development: Intellectual, Affective and Social Dimensions by Denise von Stockar

2010-04-19T13:14:00.001-04:00

Click on the above link for a great article on the importance of literacy. Learning to read is learning to really see and listen.....most importantly to really think.

LD OnLine :: The Importance of Reading Widely

2010-03-27T12:59:00.002-04:00

I often have students who bring in only one kind of book (all fantasy, all nonfiction etc.) Reading from a variety of genres widens the reader's world, their vocabulary, and their general knowledge. Click on the title above for an easy list to refer to when you go to the library or book store, to make sure that your child does not get "stuck."

LD OnLine :: The Importance of Reading Widely

Encyclopedia of Language and Literacy Development

2010-02-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

Great resource: Encyclopedia of Language and Literacy Development

Spark Notes Twitter Pages

2009-09-01T10:36:00.005-04:00

Does your teen use Twitter? Here are some helpful links they may want to follow:

info on Spark Notes

a "word of the day" for SAT prep

a grammar expert

What is a Charter School?

2009-07-28T11:08:00.003-04:00

Charter schools are part of the public school system. They are founded by parents, teachers, or others and they usually have a special focus (the arts, leadership, etc). Although public, charter schools are run independently, free from many procedural requirements of other public schools. They are required to have a system of accountability in place for yearly student progress. As with any placement decision, the unique needs of your child must be kept in mind. For Massachusetts residents, here is a good link for more information: Massachusetts Charter Schools

Get Creative! Semantic Mapping is...

2009-06-21T17:44:00.007-04:00

With my students, I can't stress enough the importance of pre-planning their writing by "mapping." The "simplest" semantic map is a descriptive web - a circle in the middle, categories coming off of it, and organized with details.

These charts, also called "mind maps" benefit people of all ages, including people in corporate think-tanks. It helps you organize your thoughts, whether you are writing a paragraph or a book.

Today I want to share this link with you on the "Top 10" mind maps. Please check this out to see how creative this process can really get: Top 10 Mind Maps from the blog Mind Map Inspiration by Paul Foreman.

Read the Funny Papers!

2009-04-25T00:01:00.005-04:00

Reading the comics - what could be a more relaxing way to spend time with your child? But did you know that it is great for their language development too? The comics have all kinds of ways to teach higher level language. It also increases your child's general knowledge. Just picking up a paper today I found:

-a "word retrieval" error based on sounds of our language (gargling/gurgling)
-idioms (ones we really use - not the old-fashioned ones seen in a lot of teacher manuals)
-current general knowledge (about twitter)
-a character with learning struggles (can't memorize something)
-body language (someone who didn't turn around and see who was behind her)
-puns
-new words in our language ("green technology")
-double meanings

You get all this when you read the comics - and you get to laugh, too!

Levels of Story-Telling Skills in Children

2009-02-04T19:33:00.005-05:00

Many times I am told "My child can't tell a story" or "this student can tell stories."
To get good information on narrative skills, the question is: at what level?
There are specific, sequenced levels to story-telling. They boil down to this:

1. Descriptive
2. Action Sequence
3. Reactive Sequence
4. Abbreviated Episode
5. Complete Episode
5a. Multiple Episodes
6. Complex Episode
7. Embedded Episode
8. Interactive Episode

So the question is not can my child tell a story, it is: at what level, and with what kind of help?

Here is one good resource for teaching narratives using trade picture books: East Meets West: Using Children's Books as a Clinical Intervention for Language and Reading Disabilities

Storytelling and Child's Play

2009-01-20T22:43:00.001-05:00

In the mail today I got a pamphlet for a continuing ed seminar on child's play and language as the basis for literacy. The Roots of Literacy - presented by Carol Westby

Did you ever listen in on a young child's pretend play? It can tell you a lot about language and cognitive development. They are creating narratives, and working out their own concepts and conflicts. And narratives are the basis for literacy. Talking during pretend-play is really an early reading activity.

Come to think of it, as adults we are still trying to figure life out through narratives. That's why we love storytelling, movies and novels. And that's why we have a "story" to our own lives.

It's more than escape.

Twitter

2009-01-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

Well okay I turned out to be not much of a blogger.
But now I've discovered Twitter.
Much less time consuming.
But then again...if I just elaborate a little...I have a blog post.

Miracle Worker

2008-09-18T11:05:00.000-04:00

Time to Brag!
My daughter Jen Schwaber is playing Annie Sullivan in Miracle Worker at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield MA.
www.majestictheater.com
Majestic Theater

There's a review here on "In the Spotlight"
www.inthespotlightinc.org
In the Spotlight Inc

It's also featured on my son-in-law's blog on MassLive:
Feedback

The "Miracle Worker"is Annie Sullivan -Helen Keller's teacher:
An inspiring story of what can happen when an educator has a sense of adventure, tenacity, creativity, and true kindness as well as skill and knowledge.

Who Can Spell Hoax?

2008-08-30T00:06:00.000-04:00

How often do you get a pamphlet, advertisement , or junk mail and see a glaring spelling error in it? It seems as if we are becoming a nation of poor spellers.

The good news is: your knowledge of correct spelling and grammar can help protect you from identify theft. Many of the fraudulent requests for bank account numbers and personal information have an overabundance of spelling and grammatical errors. These criminals may have learned the internet, but they need to brush up on their spelling skills.

Now a new type of error is cropping up. I've noticed that in edited publications, there are "spell check" errors - spelling errors that are real words, so they are not picked up on spell check. Understandable in a personal document - but I would think newspapers and magazines would be more careful in their editing.

Hmmm....these frauds asking for your personal info - how is it they've learned to use the internet so skillfully they steal identities....but haven't mastered spell check?

Thanks for Stopping By!

2008-08-22T01:34:00.000-04:00

What am I doing here?

I want to express ideas and insights on my work - helping students develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.

I'll share my experiences as a caring professional, and talk about current information on language and learning.

....a light and anecdotal conversation on the subjects of literacy, learning and life!

Please join me

Dora