Title: School Struggles-A Guide to the Shut-Down Learners Sucess
Author: Richard Selznick, PhD
Review: I have two school strugglers in my family of
seven. My 2nd and my 5th child,
both boys, struggle with reading. The
problem with reading is that it is in every subject. They take extra time to decode unfamiliar
words and they get frustrated and then just guess making the whole thing they are
reading useless. They both struggle with liking school and the youngest calls school a huge waste of his precious time. Also I'm in school to
get my license to teach Special Education and so this book was extremely
informative for me.
I have dealt
with teachers telling me that they will get it, or just be patient everyone
learns at their own pace, or they will learn to do it, that thing you want them
to do, when they feel the need to do it.
Well it has gotten a bit better, but my 11th grader still
struggles and yet isn’t low enough for extra help at school. The author explained that low enough is below
the 30 percentile. Well that is low and
neither of them are that low. Average is
what the teachers call them, but they are in a family of above-average learners
and so it is difficult for them. My
other 3 children are soaring at school and only don’t do as well as they could
because they have other more important things to do(this is according to these
3 of course not me.)
My
strugglers feel the difficulty at school and then again at home. We have a designated home-work time after school
I think that helps them realize that school is important. No computer(except for school assignments),
no video games, and no TV are allowed during this time. Last year it was only an hour, this year it
is until after dinner. They can go
outside and play with friends once homework is done, but no screen time until
after dinner. Now I just have to stay
strong when the, “I’m bored,” starts.
I found this
book had great information for parents who have kids that struggle, or ADHA, or
other issues that make learning difficult.
The day after finishing this book I called up the stairs to to my
slow-poke son, “Time to get up, if I have to tell you again you will have no
computer time after dinner tonight.” He
was up and dressed in record time and I didn’t have to yell at all. That is one thing I have taken from this book
and if that is it, it was worth it. This
morning I told my daughter it was time to take the dogs for a walk(Saturday),
she told me she would when the show was over.
I told her no she needed to do it now.
She repeated her statement and I shut of the TV. I didn’t yell, but I got my point across(she
had already watched two episodes and it was on-demand so she could start where she
left off the next time, not a huge deal.)
I think she will listen better going forward. If I cut down my yelling I will thank this
book.
If you teach, or if you have a child that
hates school or struggles this is a fantastic book for you. Relax and enjoy the kids is hard for me, but
maybe with less yelling and more consequences for not doing what they are
asked…things may go better around here. Also I will watch their progress at
school closer and try to keep disasters from occurring around report card time. I have had my 2nd son even hide the report
card when it comes. With Parent-portal(web-site provided by our schools) they let us know how each child is doing and after reading this book I am going to keep better track of that information. Also I am better able to keep them on task and hopefully help them
realize how important learning is and avoid end of the quarter meltdowns(for both of us.) Get
this book if your kids struggle at all....he covers tons of topics that I found
interesting and I could put these topics to several kids I have and several I
teach.
Publisher: Published August 16th 2012 by
Sentient Publications (first published July 16th 2012)
ISBN: 9781591811787
Copyright: 2012
Pages: 180
Quick Review: 5 Stars out of 5
Why I Read It: Sent by the author for review.
Synopsis: Richard Selznick is a child
psychologist who has helped parents with their children’s struggles in school
for more than 25 years. His first book, The Shut-Down Learner, identified the
problems faced by spatial learners and recommended ways that parents and
teachers can help them learn. School Struggles offers aid, comfort, and
perspective to parents whose children have difficulty in school for a multitude
of reasons. Selznick addresses reading and writing issues, task analysis,
learning disabilities, behavioral problems, difficulties with organization,
social skills, medication, parents’ interactions with teachers, and more, in a
practical, down-to-earth manner. The book is filled with takeaway points,
surprising insights, and new actions to try with your child that are a godsend
for families struggling with school and behavioral issues.
Through his
work with thousands of academically struggling kids and their families, Dr.
Selznick has developed techniques and easily applicable tools on pretty much
any topic that plagues parents and children alike, including the excessive use
of technology, parental indulgence of their children, and the difficulty of
being patient with a frustrating situation. This is an indispensable guide for
any parent who stays awake at night worrying about their child’s school
experience, whether the issues are academic or social, or both.
Author Biography: Dr. Richard Selznick
("Dr. Selz") is a psychologist, nationally certified school
psychologist, graduate school professor and university professor of pediatrics.
He is author of the "The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically
Discouraged Child" and the soon to be released "School
Struggles." You can learn more about Dr. Selz on www.drselz.com and on
Twitter: @DrSelz.
As Director
of the Cooper Learning Center in Voorhees, Dr. Selznick oversees a program that
assesses and treats a broad range of learning and school-based academic and
behavioral problems. The Cooper Learning Center is a Division of the Department
of Pediatrics, of Cooper University Hospital. Dr. Selznick presents nationally
and internationally to parents and educators on a variety of topics related to
school struggling.
A
down-to-earth presenter who looks to discuss difficult topics in non-jargon
terms, Dr. Selznick recently presented to educators in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on
issues related to struggling children. Among the topics that he presents
include "Relationship: The Key Variable in School Struggling,"
"Myths & Realities of Dyslexia," "Understanding the
Shut-Down Learner Formula," "Stages of Reading Development: Signposts
That Guide Instruction," "We Keep Telling Him You Have to Get
Organized: Executive Function Deficits."
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